Rapprochement as Ugwuanyi Moves To Complete Nnamani Project

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

In a move that is interpreted as a rapprochement towards the state’s former governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, the Enugu state government has taken steps to ensure that the International Conference Centre (ICC) he initiated over ten years ago, is completed.

The huge project with great potentials for the state’s tourism, was abandoned throughout the eight years tenure of the immediate past administration of Sullivan Chime.

So far, all activities that would hinder the completion of the project, have been halted by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

In his last days as governor, Chime had allocated a major part of the ICC land which was to serve as its parking space to individuals. It has served as a sore point in his disagreement with members of the State House of Assembly which had ordered beneficiaries of land allocation within the premises to stop building. The directive pitted Chime against the House which took the disobedience as an impeachable offence.

Feelers from Ugwuanyi’s office indicate that he is disposed to ensuring that the gigantic project which holds the key to the administration’s tourism plans, is completed and put to use as soon as possible.

The Chime administration was heavily criticised for abandoning the edifice which was at over 90% completion when he handed over to Chime in 2007, denying the state hosting rights of major conferences being convened in the South East geopolitical zone.

Beyond the excuses made by Chime, it is obvious that the edifice was a victim of the political disagreement between Chime and his erstwhile godfather and predecessor in office. Since 2007 when things fell apart between them, very little has come from either camp by way of altercation. Even when in 2008, Chime had drawn the first blood by declaring in a newspaper interview that contrary to his predecessor’s slogan, Enugu never worked, Chime had refused to be drawn into an altercation.

On assumption of office, Ugwuanyi had quickly halted development of the plots which was being hurriedly done by the ‘allotees’ while the fence wall that was broken by the developers to give them access to their plots within the ICC premises was sealed off. The governor has since set up a six-man inter-ministerial committee to assess its status and recommend modalities for its revamping in the shortest possible time.

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