By Meletus EZE
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has disclosed that his administration has decided to develop a growth plan that will sustain its efforts towards making Enugu State one of the foremost economically and self-sufficient states in Nigeria, charging key policy makers in the South-East state to work towards achieving the set goals.
The governor, who said that “this Growth Plan is indeed, a vision for the future of Enugu State, as it will state what we intend to achieve in the next four to five years” explained that in the past three years his administration has developed and reviewed the State’s Medium Term Implementation Plan (MTIP) and Sector Plans to ensure proper alignment of policies and budget.
He spoke during a One-Day retreat on the ” Review of the Policy Thrusts of Sectors in Enugu State” organised for all key policy makers of the state by UNICEF in conjunction with the state government .
At the event which held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, Ugwuanyi explained that the programme was “designed to review the Policy Thrusts of Sectors in Enugu State” with a view to guiding the development of an Economic Blueprint and Growth Plan for the second tenure of his administration.
He noted that his administration “has boosted the State’s internally generated revenue base to provide more funds for capital development in the State, built and rehabilitated key infrastructure; empowered the youth and women; secured lives and property of our people to ensure peace and political stability; improved institutions and systems for quality service delivery; secured the future of our children; fought against social discrimination and corruption as well as prudently managed the lean resources of the state”.
According to him, the new development plans will in addition to what have been achieved, focus on the following, poverty reduction/wealth creation; healthy and productive citizens; highly educated and skilled workforce; youth empowerment and employment, urban/city renewal/upgrade; peace and security; citizens with the right attitudes, aptitudes and values; responsive, inclusive and accountable governance and economic/fiscal expansion”.
To achieve the above goals, the governor disclosed that his administration intends to adopt the strategies of “improving urban/rural infrastructure; upgrading more rural communities to urban status; increasing agricultural productivity; making Enugu State an
investment destination; promoting early childhood education; promoting science, technical and vocational education”.
The strategies also include, “promoting effective waste management/renewable energy; developing a robust health system;
promoting housing development and urban planning; improving institutions and systems for good governance; increasing investment
through PPP for expanding the IGR base of the state, and promoting technology based courses in our Tertiary schools”, among others.
UNICEF representative, Mrs. Zuby Okolo, commended Ugwuanyi for his administration’s commitment to the rapid socio-economic development of Enugu State, saying that the initiative will “address strong development issues in the State”.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman of the Enugu State Economic Advisory Committee, Prof. Monsignor Obiora Ike, and a member of the Committee, Chief Loretta Aniagolu, emphasized the significance of a new robust economic development blueprint for the governor’s second term in office.
They commended the governor for his outstanding achievements in office so far and urged the participants to take advantage of the retreat to make meaningful contributions towards the rapid growth and development of Enugu State.
