Gov Ugwuanyi Is Running Comparatively Balanced Government, Gen Ugwuoke

– says Adada stands taller than other agitations for state creation

Retired Major General Godwin Ugwuoke is the chairman of the Enugu State Committee on the Creation of Adada State which was set up in 2008 by former Governor Sullivan Chime to help the creation of Adada State from Enugu State. He talks about the implications of various projects being executed by the Ugwuanyi administration in Nsukka, as well as the prospect of creating Adada State in this encounter with CHINEDU AROH.

What’s your take on Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s transformation projects at Nsukka?

As an elder and Nsukka man, I believe Gov Ugwuanyi is doing his best in developing Nsukka to a modern city, considering the prevailing circumstances in the country. Nsukka, before the Ugwuanyi administration, has been in the dark waters right from the old Eastern region. It lacked social, economic, and political development. Gov Ugwuanyi is filling up the lacuna created overtime due to age-long neglect of the zone.

Some people think he hasn’t lived up to expectations. What’s your take?

Everybody is entitled to their opinions. Some may have desired that he does more. But an objective assessment is the one that puts realities in the context of critiquing. I remember Gov Ugwuanyi’s first term was when Nigeria’s economic fortunes sank so deep that some states couldn’t pay salaries, but he was paying salaries steadily, initiating and executing projects, and also completing the projects that his administration inherited. It was surprising how he did such. We should also know that Enugu State is far below on the rungs of the federal allocation. What Enugu gets is around one-third of what the highest receivers get. In terms of internally-generated revenue, the state tries its best, but can’t compare to what the likes of Anambra generate. These are the parametres of assessing somebody’s performances. I’m not Enugu State’s finance commissioner to know what the state has. Some people who may know more than I do can have their own points. But I call for objectivity.

It is also good to know that Gov Ugwuanyi is not the governor for Nsukka, but for the entire state. Some people would say when other zones had their turns, they did so much for their zones. I wasn’t in Enugu then. My take is that the financial situation then and now differs. Recall also that democratic government returned to Nigeria in 1999, and people are becoming more inquisitive as the day evolves. At its inception, some leaders could act without being challenged.

Coming to Gov Ugwuanyi, his personality is one thing. In fairness to him, he has been running a comparatively balanced government. That is why he is not being accused of one-sidedness. The resources available to him now aren’t anything compared to his predecessors. Like I said, Gov Ugwuanyi is filling the lacuna gaping at Nsukka for decades. This is the first time we are getting opportunities to participate in decision making of the state. In the past, we were onlookers. Today, by God’s fortune, somebody from Nsukka is at the helm of affairs. People should understand, if they are morally upright, that the time to make Nsukka a befitting city is now. Even if Gov Ugwuanyi remains governor for the next twenty years, he won’t be able to fully bridge the gaps. So what he is doing is an attempt to bridge this gap. Nsukka people may be desirous that everything they want should be magically done, but where are the resources? Gov Ugwuanyi is doing a great job considering what is at his disposal.

Has he fulfilled his pledge to make Nsukka a model city?

It depends on what he wants. But I doubt if available resources would permit him. However, everything is relative. There are state capitals that are more developed than others. Development is dynamic. Enugu was the capital of the old Eastern Region, down to the current Enugu State. There is no way you can think that Nsukka will develop overnight to become like Enugu no matter the desire. There are state capitals that aren’t as developed as what Nsukka is now by the time they were created. Abakaliki is an exemplar. It is like Dubai now, but wouldn’t have attained that might if Ebonyi State were not created. Damaturu wasn’t as developed as Obollo-Afor when it became a state capital. I was in the Army, and knew how Damaturu was. Damaturu today is great. A town can become a state capital no matter the level of its development, provided managers of such state mean well. If Adada State is created today, any place can become its capital.

What is the current state of Adada creation?

There is a big hope for the creation of Adada State. However, we don’t know the time. The movement for its creation started in the 80s. But you can’t run faster than your God. The constitution gives powers for state creation to the National Assembly. The president may initiate it. In 2007, for instance, the David-Mark led National Assembly came up with the review of the constitution, among which was state creation. Then state creation movements sprang up everywhere. The Southeast zone had about six of such, in addition to Adada that has been there since 1982. Somehow, the quests began to die down, but the Adada State movement continued. Before a state is created, there are steps. The request must be generated, supported by the local government councillors of the affected councils, then the state legislators from the area, as well as representatives of the affected places at the National Assembly. These are the prerequisites. It has been done in 2008, 2012, and 2018. We are ever ready. Ours is a request, others agitate.

What chances does Adada State have to be created?

It is on the front burner. The premises upon which we are asking for Adada State are historical, viability, population and size. In as much as we feel that the more the requests are, the harder the battle, it doesn’t reduce the potency of Adada State. But everybody is making a point, with some imaginary. Adada stands taller than other agitations for state creation.

How does Gov Ugwuanyi’s revolution at Nsukka boost Adada’s creation chances?

It is going to improve the outlook, so to say, but it is not actually too central to the request. I told you earlier that Yobe State capital, Damaturu, didn’t have what Nsukka presently has. Go there today. As a matter of fact, part of the reasons for state creation is to bring development down to the grass roots. What Ugwuanyi is doing is to develop a part of the state that has been long neglected. It will however help because if Nsukka becomes the state capital of Adada, those facilities won’t be repeated again. But I don’t think the governor is primarily doing all these to actualise the request. If eventually it is created, as it will, it will help the young state to develop rapidly.

What message do you have for the people of Enugu north senatorial zone in curbing Covid-19, considering that the zone shares borders with Benue and Kogi states?

Our problem is the porosity of our borders, both national and state levels. If the entire national borders are secured, we wouldn’t experience what happens today. Secondly, Enugu also has borders with Imo, Abia, Anambra and Ebonyi states. For a state like this, securing the border is a task. There are leakages here and there. With this lockdown, there are basic things that the federal, state and local governments should do. In other climes, the jobs should be structured, depending on the resources. It’s a pity that not everybody believes in the existence of the virus at rural areas. The essence of asking people to remain where they are is to protect them and those that come around. But it seems there is lack of sufficient understanding of the implications of unrestricted movement, otherwise they would have been interested in saying who comes and goes out. However, it is not the people at the borders that invite them. It could be that they don’t even see them. Peasant farmers in their huts wouldn’t ask a passerby where he or she is coming from or going. It is not also their duty to protect those borders. It is governmental roles. Our traditional rulers however have roles to play. They should inform the people to report any suspicious movement to the government. It is not to arrest the people. Moreover, government should be ready to physically secure the borders, with whatever instrument at its disposal: either personnel or equipment. It should be able to put surveillance on the borders. We have mechanical and human surveillance. You can’t leave the farmer to patrol the borders.