Chime approaches governance with equity, fairness — Akubuilo
As part
of the strategy to promote good governance and development in Enugu State,
Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, set up a bureau that would be responsible
for harnessing of developmental resources from Enugu State citizens in Diaspora.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Matters, Dr Jude Akubuilo,
in this interview with our Enugu State Correspondent, EMMA EZEJA, highlighted
what the government has gained by establishing the office of the Special Projects
and Diaspora Matters, among others.
AS Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Matters, what
have been the major activities of your office in the past one year?
In the past one-year, we have been involved in series of activities. First,
we made efforts generate capacity building in the system. In December 21,
2007, for instance we brought in a team of experts that came and held seminar
for the local government officials in Enugu State. The seminar was held at
Nike Lake Resort Hotel, Enugu. The Councillors who are currently serving as
well as the local government chairmen participated in the seminar. It was
conducted on the platform of Enugu/USA Interaction Commission 2007.
We also brought a team of high quality medical missions to Enugu State. The
medical missions specialize in handling cancer; different types of cancer
and general medicine, gynaecology, obstetrics etc.
So, different medical missions had come here to deliver quality, free medical
health care services to the people. In addition, the medical team participated
in training our local personnel in handling surgery, and other areas of health.
The Park Lane and UNTH at Ituku, Ozalla were beneficiaries of the medical
Missions team.
We have also brought in 24 international Post graduate students from Columbian
University in the United States to participate in the socialisation of the
people as spokespersons for Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) based in
Enugu State.
Governor Sullivan Chime made it possible for this office to work very well
in attempting to achieve our objectives. He gave us all the support we needed;
material and otherwise, both the financial backing to make sure that we delivered.
You will remember that we unveiled the diagnostic centre being implemented
by the state government. Presently, we are involved in conceptualizing and
developing what is called “Enugu Diaspora City.” Enugu Diaspora
City is a city that at the first phase will deliver 200 ultra modern homes
to Enugu State indigenes and the second phase another 200 homes. The design
is already done, presented and the final location is being agreed upon with
the approval of the Commissioner for Lands, Dr Festus Uzor, who is working
on that now. That will come on stream this year.
We are involved in several other projects some of which we may not be able
to talk about now but are still in progress.
How much is this Enugu Diaspora city is going to cost the Enugu/USA
Commission. Will it spread across Enugu, Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani, where exactly
is the city to be located?
The Enugu Diaspora City (EDC) is not a USA-based project. The Enugu Diaspora
City will be available to Enugu citizens living anywhere in the world: Europe,
Asia, Canada, US. in fact people who are not in the Diaspora are eligible
because it is an integrated community development project. They are eligible
to participate in buying homes there.
There are three levels of homes that are conceptualized. We have the three-bedroom,
four-bedroom and five-bedrooms. The cost will depend on the cost of land.
That is what Dr. Uzor, the Commissioner for Lands, is working upon. When this
is done and handed over to the developers, we will then know the cost of the
homes. But in keeping with the housing development in Enugu State we will
make sure that the houses are affordable.
Will the Enugu Diaspora City be handled by the state government
or the Enugu indigenes in Diaspora?
The project is a public-private partnership project. The government will bring
the land, the developers will bring the expertise and the bankers will finance.
Who then will own the city?
The Diaspora City as conceived will be managed by Enugu Diaspora City Management
Limited (EDCML). It will draw from Enugu Diaspora Community, the government
and different entities to manage the Estate in the city but the buildings
will be owned by the purchasers. Individuals will go in there and buy buildings.
At what cost?
That is why I said that very soon we'll know the cost because once the ministry
of lands tells us the cost of land; we will be able to know the final cost
of the buildings.
Will the city be for the low or high-income earners?
It will be for the middle and high-income earners. As you know, Enugu State
has lots of low-income buildings now for middle incomes. The Nkwubo Housing
Estate is coming on stream. That is 1, 350 homes. And different housing estates
that are coming in, the Levue Estate, formerly the Sun City, the Ibagwa-Nike
Housing Estate is coming up to meet the ten thousand, 10,000 housing units
of home promised by the governor in his four-point agenda.
What are the challenges facing you as a special adviser to the governor?
In terms of challenges, first of all, the culture. We need to change the culture
to the people; for instance, that we wouldn't come to work late. Usually,
on Fridays, some workers hardly come to work because they have gone for funerals.
That has changed. You know the upkeep of the environment. Whatever challenges
we have met, we brought to the attention of the governor and he has been able
to resolve them to make sure that we have all the tools to meet our objectives.
There is this fear that the governor may lose his election case
at the Court of Appeal. Do you entertain any fears that the governor may lose
a re-run election?
Let me say this. First, of all the governors, the way we approach our job
in governance, we are approaching it as if there is no election. As if this
government has eight-year tenure. So, we are not afraid at all. We have approached
this matter like the foremost musician, “77.” The man “77”in
his music said do the sign of the Cross, in the name of the Father in front
and at the back so that in whichever way the Holy Spirit comes, one will be
sure of going to Heaven. We are highly optimistic that with the quality of
the governor's legal team, based on facts and all available evidence, we will
triumph at the Court of Appeal. On the unlikely event that he doesn't triumph,
we are fully confident that the work he has been able to do within the past
one year will speak for itself. The people will see that God has placed Sullivan
Chime in Enugu State at this point in history and that no person is more qualified
to bring good governance across the board with fairness and equity to all
segments of the three sensational zones. Nobody is more qualified. He has
delivered quality roads and other services to the people. he has re-called
sacked workers, he pays workers on time, and he has cleared arrears of salaries
even to the parastatals. If you check every thing he has done, he approached
governance with equity and fairness.
As the SPA on Diaspora Matters, do you have plans of sending our
youths overseas?
Yes! The Governor has approved for Enugu State Economic Planning Commission
to travel overseas, that includes the 17 local government chairmen and some
commissioners. Inbuilt in that visit is a visit to London and the arrangement
is for the local government people to capture scholarship and other training
for the youth, local government by local government. And that is a team for
this trip so, if we get to US, China, we make sure that we extract firm promises
and agreement for a good number of the youths from the local governments for
them to be able to travel to acquire capacity training in several trades;
something that will make them employable in the world labour market.
How many special projects have you initiated since you assumed
office?
The government has just approved the Enugu Green Project. The project is a
programme aimed at re-vegetating Enugu State going through the ward levels
and even cooperatives by planting high value trees, even the ones that are
dying out like Ogbono tree and different kinds of trees. Economic trees like
Melina or fruit trees, we'll plant them at the grass roots, local government
by local government.
We have also proposed the Enugu State Emergency Response Team whereby if one
has an accident, one would get prompt attention. Ambulances would be provided
to get the injured to the hospital where proper care by qualified medical
team would be taken.