By Reuben Onyishi

(Ugoachataberu) 

 Governor Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi is loved by the people of Enugu State. He commands tremendous goodwill, love and acceptance of the people. A member of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon Ezenta Ezeani, once did say, in an interview published in Chijioke Edeoga's LG News Magazine, that the assembly viewed with passionate love the governor and so handled anything that concerned him with passionate sense of love and approval. The governor according to him had long earned their respect, goodwill, acceptance and love. For the assembly, Ugwuanyi is a huge consciousness never to be trifled with. Ezeani said they had not had it so good the cordial relationship that existed between the assembly and the governor. This is because Ugwuanyi has a pattern of leadership that is metaphorically akin to the mother hen and its chicks. He cares for all as the hen would its chicks. Ugwuanyi plays a fatherly role extended to all within the state.

The intergovernmental harmony within the state is evident of the love Ugwuanyi brought to bear on governance. The three arms of the government work with mutual understanding and the zeal to advance the cause of the state. This also obtains among the ministries, agencies and parastatals in the state. It has also rubbed off on the local governments. The local government chairmen are united, and that is why they are always seen together at state functions. They have emulated the governor in character and performance.

Governor Ugwuanyi has shown the people of Enugu State much love. In the face of parlous economic situation, Ugwuanyi out of the love he held for his people, creatively devised a means by which salaries were promptly and regularly paid. He revved up the revenue profile of the state and while some state could not pay salaries let alone execute projects, Ugwuanyi not only paid salaries but also executed many projects in terms of road infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, housing, to mention but five. Governor Ugwuanyi is up-to-date in his financial obligations. Enugu came tops in primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Ugwuanyi built diagnostic centres in the senatorial zones as well as type three hospitals in the 17 local government councils of the state. Healthcare is delivered to the doorstep at the grassroots. Governor Ugwuanyi founded a new university, SUMAS and attracted the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo to the state. Via ENSUBEB and PPSMB, Governor Ugwuanyi provided state-of-the-art education facilities to many schools in the state. Such facilities included modern classroom blocs, thousands of desks, chairs, whiteboards and markers, and other learning paraphernalia. It paid off when Enugu State came tops in WAEC in Nigeria. Since inception, the Ugwuanyi administration has constructed thousands of kilometers of roads, especially in the rural areas. Hon Chinedu Nwamba of the Enugu State House of Assembly did attest to this when in a published interview he held that Ugwuanyi was the highest rural developer in Nigeria. Ugwuanyi gave rural dwellers in Enugu State a breath of fresh air. Some communities had not seen asphalt roads all their life but for Ugwuanyi's intervention. Little wonder the governor is loved with much passion.

If you wanted to see for yourself how Ugwuanyi is held with passionate love and admiration, come to any function the governor attends. The people would surge out in love and good wishes, singing his praises with lips full of adoration and thanksgiving. They would want to breakout from the fringes to touch His Excellency, Governor Ugwuanyi, a man of humility and kind heart. They would wave at the governor and hail him. All these are not in vain. It is in appreciation of the governor for all he has done for the people.

Ugwuanyi is handsome and carries himself with much grace. His natural mien is resplendent and he exudes much glory and elegance, yet very humble and caring. He would beam with mirthful smiles which would reveal his gap tooth that brightens his dimpled chins and reveals more of his handsomeness. Tall and huge, this gift to humanity and Ndi Enugu, a man of grace with charming ambience and graceful gait, would take elegant steps to the admiration of the people. When you take a good look at him, you would be glad he is your governor. He merits it all in form, character and performance. Would you still ask why he is much love? It is apparent Ugwuanyi was created to lead and he indeed leads with ease and grace.

Governor Ugwuanyi is rounding off his second tenure as the governor of Enugu State, and the people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone under the PDP have graciously given him the senatorial ticket of the zone deservedly, as Ugwuanyi would serve out for Igbo-Eze North/ Udenu Constituency their turn meant to level Senator Fidelis Okoro's overflown one tenure. As the campaigns have begun, many communities in the zone had asked that Ugwuanyi would not need to campaign in their places, as they would vote him. Ugwuanyi had visited some markets and those markets like Ogige, Orba Market, Aho Opi and others erupted in paroxysmal shouts of joy and love for the governor. Many traders locked up their shops and abandoned their wares to behold the eagle. They sang, danced and ululated in excitement. They cannot wait to vote him the senator representing Enugu North at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where all hopes he would emerge the Senate President by the grace of God.

Some disgruntled folks who absconded to Labour Party from the PDP to play the devil against Ugwuanyi and the PDP because they failed at the PDP primaries have done all they could to tarnish the image of the governor and diminish his superlative scorecard to no success. The more they sponsor calumniation against the governor, the more he grew in popularity, love and acceptance. 

Part of why Ugwuanyi is so much loved by the people of Enugu State is informed by his selfless style of leadership and peaceful disposition. Ugwuanyi runs a policy of the biblical 'be at peace with all men.' He knows no foes. He would smile away attacks and pull close to him and bless them who had wronged him. Many of those behind the campaigns of calumny against the governor are persons who had benefitted from his government. They are greedy men who hanker after power by hook or crook and so grew the horns of ingratitude overnight. 

One of the greatest achievements of Governor Ugwuanyi is his rediscovery of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the visionary young man with the capacity to build from Ugwuanyi's foundation and take the state to higher pedestals on all fours. Governor Ugwuanyi held on to Peter out of his love and care for the good of Ndi Enugu despite clannish pressure coming from some desperate quarters. Ugwuanyi knows that with Peter Enugu State would be better off. He knows the capacity of all the aspirants and settled for Peter in the interest of the state. This understanding as well as his scorecard have earned the governor the passionate love of the people of Enugu State.