The “one community, one project” initiative of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration paid off on Friday in Ibagwa Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, as the governor inaugurated projects executed by the community with the first tranche of N5million disbursed by the state government to autonomous communities to carry out development projects of their choice.
The N5million, which was recently presented to the Traditional Rulers and the President Generals of Town Unions in the communities, was utilized by the Ibagwa Nike community to provide an Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre to educate and enhance the skills of the youth in partnership with National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
It was also used to complete the borehole project for the community for adequate water supply as well as furnishing of the Prince Engr. Arthur Eze Community Development Centre, which contains a Pro-credit Microfinance Bank and the offices of the Traditional Prime Minister; Neighbourhood Watch Association; General Secretary of the community; the Youths and Sports President and Customary Court Registrar.
Introducing the projects to Gov. Ugwuanyi for inauguration, the Traditional Ruler of the community, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, on behalf of the people of the area, appreciated the governor’s commitment to rural development and participatory democracy, noting that his administration’s vision to ensure that development reaches to every community in the state was unprecedented and a good omen for the state.
It would be recalled that Gov. Ugwuanyi through the approval of the State Executive Council (EXCO) earmarked N2.25 billion for 450 autonomous communities in the state as the first tranche of the N10 million for the execution of development projects of their choice. Recently, the governor formally handed over N5 million cheque each to 118 autonomous communities that had then fulfilled the requirements for the release of the fund.
Gov. Ugwuanyi while presenting the cheques to the communities stated that the decision was in line with his administration’ resolve to empower each autonomous community in the state with the sum of N10 million to carry out projects that would address their “peculiar and immediate development needs”.
He added that his administration decided that the choice of the projects and their execution were left “entirely” to the discretion of the stakeholders of each individual community, saying: “This was in fulfilment of our promise to promote participatory democracy and extensive rural development in the state as well as the involvement of all local communities in the implementation of government policies and programmes”.
Inaugurating the Ibagwa Nike projects, Gov. Ugwuanyi commended the community for the “prompt completion” of the state government development projects, describing it as “gratifying”.
The governor stated that the projects will add a significant value to the development of the area as well as wellbeing of the people, and called on other communities in the state to toe the same line with the Ibagwa Nike community in the development of their communities with the resources given to them by the state government.
He therefore, reiterated his administration’s commitment to rural development and wellbeing of the entire people of the state.
