Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, yesterday, inaugurated multiple development projects in the University town of Nsukka, executed by his administration, as part of the activities commemorating this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
The projects included a modern complex of eight Magistrate Court Halls and another complex of two High Court Halls with one Open Registry at Nsukka Judicial Division, located at the GRA, Nsukka. The governor also inaugurated many internal roads in Nsukka.
Inaugurating the projects, Governor Ugwuanyi stated that the event “marks yet another significant milestone in our efforts to reposition the judiciary of our state to perform its mandate of ensuring the concordance of our society with all extant laws and tenets of democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms etc.” The brief colourful event was attended by his Deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, the Honourable Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Centus C. Nweze, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Ngozi P. Emehelu, President of the State Customary Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice George Nnamani, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Onah, the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Greg Nnaji and other State Executive Council (EXCO) members, etc.
Gov. Ugwuanyi acknowledged and appreciated the State Chief Judge for her unwavering support and “transparent leadership”, which he said culminated to the success of the event and further stressed that his administration was committed to bequeathing to the state “a judiciary capable of administering justice in a timely, efficient and accessible manner”.
The governor pointed out that the commitment was demonstrated in his administration’s extensive simultaneous infrastructural transformation in the various Judicial Divisions and Magisterial Districts, which includes extensive renovation of the State Judiciary Headquarters complex in Enugu, construction of one High Court, eleven Magistrate Courts and two Open Registries and the permanent site of the State Customary Court of Appeal Headquarters complex completed with landscaping and perimeter fence at the Three Arms Zone of the Independence Layout, Enugu.
Other interventions, according to the governor, include the construction of 34 model Customary Courts across the state, two per LGA – 24 of them have been completed while the remaining 10 are at different levels of completion.
In her address, Hon. Justice Emehelu, who described Gov. Ugwuanyi as “God’s gift to Enugu State”, thanked and congratulated him for inaugurating the projects.
Justice Emehelu told the governor that she was overwhelmed with joy “by the love, attention and support the judiciary of Enugu State has received and still receiving from your administration.”
She added: “I therefore seize this opportunity to express the profound appreciation of the judiciary of Enugu State for all you have done”.
Inaugurating the internal roads, Gov. Ugwuanyi said that the projects were in fulfillment of his administration’s inaugural address to create more urban areas to boost economic growth and equip and modernize Nsukka, “a University town founded many decades ago, to compete with other University towns in attracting technology and knowledge-based businesses and other industrial support ventures, bearing in mind that Nsukka is the second largest town in Enugu”.
He added that the roads will enhance connectivity and access to homes and business premises as well as economy of the city.
The governor recalled that his administration had in its first term delivered the state-of-the-art 11.6KM Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway with a spur to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) gate “which equally enhanced movement in and out of the University”.
According to him, “this road also provided the much needed infrastructural services to the University and showcased the first underground functional drainage system in this part of the world”.
Emphasising his administration’s procurement policy of ‘start-to-finish’, the governor disclosed that the contracts for the internal roads were awarded to qualified contractors with proven and verified track records on road construction, namely; Ferotex Construction Company Limited, Marcico International Alliance Limited, Eketeson Nig. Ltd and Usmomen Nig. Ltd.
