UGWUANYI’S ANTI-COVID-19 MEASURES INSPIRES CONFIDENCE IN HIS ADMINISTRATION - EWGA
By Jubal Kanayo
ENUGU, NIGERIA: the leadership of Enugu West General Assembly, EWGA, led by Hon. Prince Humphrey Onyima, over the last couple of weeks, have watched as the world became besieged by the Corona Virus which originated from Wuhan, China at the end of 2019.
Gradually, the scourge reached the shores of our nation and, today, we have over 1000 cases, with a paltry recovery rate of 208-plus, with deaths nearing 50.
Be that as it may, upon the recording of its first case on March 28, 2020, the Enugu State government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi, swung into action, as the Enugu State Executive Council approved the sum of N320m for the Isolation Centre at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH).
Further, the council approved the sum of N80 million for the procurement of important and essential drugs that may be needed to treat and manage those who contract the virus, as well as the sum of N100million for the Emergency Operation Centre account, in case of any emergency or any need to access fund before the next EXCO meeting.
While the toll-free lines 117 and 112 were rolled out, the dedicated line for emergency response was given as 08182555550.
A few days after, the State Ministry of Health directed that all public places, including banks, markets, supermarkets, shopping malls, hotels, pharmacies, eateries, among others, observe the highest level of personal hygiene, including the use of sanitisers and soaps for hand-washing, in view of the global health emergencies around the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The numbers 08182555550 and 09022333838 were rolled out for health assistance.
By Friday, March 27, 2020, the state government had ordered for the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools.
Next on the list, the state government took the war against the evil virus to the local governments, through the MDAs, local government chairmen through awareness campaigns and all public officers/civil servants were directed to work from their homes except health workers, forest guards, neighbourhood watch personnel, water corporation staff, waste management operatives, staff of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, fire fighters and all those involved in other essential services.
Transporters and others who offered essential public services were directed to observe, strictly, the social distancing rules, inter-state borders and markets were shut, as well.
The state administration proved itself so proactive and intent on containing the spread of the virus that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) could not help but laud the government’s efforts on April 7, 2020, when its team visited the government house.
"Today, we entire members of Enugu West General Assembly (EWGA) join our voices to those of the people of Enugu State and the NCDC, as well as other Nigerians to thumb-up Gov. Ugwuanyi administration’s response and people-oriented policies at this time."
"Even though the governor is an elected public servant and is doing his duty, we cannot but overemphasise how dedicated he has remained to the fight against the virus and leading the charge to keep the people of Enugu away from the streets and far from the reaching fingers of the virus."
"We applaud the governor for galvanising all sectors of government – the Fire Service, civil servants, academia, ministries, departments and agencies, private and public sector to come together to ensure that virus does not gain grounds in the state."
Governor Ugwuanyi has shown, without question, that his government has a human face, in-depth sensitivity, a good example to his cabinet, as well local and federal lawmakers from the state (who have joined in the distribution of palliatives to their various constituencies) and commitment to the safety and well-being of the people of this most beloved state.
"It is even more heart-warming that the two individuals who have tested positive in Enugu have been discharged.
It shows that, if the people of Enugu rally behind this administration in the state, this is a war we can win; this is a virus we can overcome."
Even more heart-warming is the news that, in strict adherence to directives of the state government for all land boundaries and inter-state transportation, among other precautionary measures, to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the state, the Nigeria Army, at its check-point in Nsukka, intercepted over 30 vehicles loaded with passengers who were passing through the state.
The intercepted passengers were consequently escorted out of the state by the military with the assistance of the police.
According to Onyima, "we must not fail to thank the governor for showing uttermost proactiveness by being the first governor to release the sum of N330 million to a State Multi-Sectoral Rapid Response Team to fight and contain the spread of this deadly virus.
It is acts of these nature that make leaders stand out, make men etch their footprints on the sands of time, make legacies endure and remain unblemished and cause tales of bravery and human-ness to be told long after those who did them are gone."
Ugwuanyi has etched his name on the minds of Ndi Enugu, left a legacy cast in stone in Government House and continues to inspire confidence in his government and in the people of Enugu that all is not lost and that they are not alone.
