Enugu governor to reverse policies with negative impact

Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State says he would reverse all policies of previous administrations, including levies, which had negative impact on the people.

Ugwuanyi made the pledge at the 2015 Award Night of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council on Friday.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Enugu Capital Development, Mr Chidi Aroh, said the welfare of the people was his concern.

According to Ugwuanyi, the recent suspension of levies on traffic offenders in Enugu is to alleviate the suffering of the motoring public in the hands of the task-force.

"You should expect further reversal of such policies by this administration”, he said.

He explained that the contracts were for the construction and rehabilitation of five roads in the state, which would start in November.

"Enugu has not witnessed the type of cleanliness that currently pervades the city in a long while.

"For the first time in the history of the state, we are having the State Ministry of Works going into road rehabilitation and we shall do much more’’, he said.

Ugwuanyi also pledged his administration’s respect for the right of journalists to information "because we are transparent and support the anti-corruption drive of the Federal Government.

"As journalists, you must realise that your responsibilities are akin to the one God gave to judges.

You are under obligation because you have to inform the people what government does. Be guided by your conscience”, he said.

The governor assured that his administration would be frugal in the management of state’s resources and urged journalists to continue to partner with his government.

Ugwuanyi said the report on the chapel’s tour of the council areas in the state would assist his government to further develop the hinterlands.

Chairman of the Correspondents chapel, Mr Petrus Obi, said the ceremony was to honour individuals who had made outstanding achievements in their chosen careers.

Obi said that of particular significance was the award presented to some chairmen of local councils in the state.

He said the chapel had, as part of the press week, embarked on projects tour of the 17 local government areas of the state to substantiate their development claims.

The chairman said the outcome of the tour was baffling as it exposed the hypocrisy of some chairmen who had nothing to show for the number of years they had been in power.

"Of particular mention is Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area where the chairman claimed to have invested millions of naira in poultry farm.

"But when we got there, we discovered that the claims were all a hoax.

"Some of the local government chairmen threatened us not to come to their council but as journalists we were not deterred”, he said.

Obi, however, said that a few of the chairmen made lasting impacts on the lives of their subjects, adding that such achievements was published in a magazine to be launched during the event.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured a lecture titled: The role of the Media in the Anti-Corruption War.

The lecture was delivered by Sen. Obinna Ogba.