Enugu’s radical transformation puts a lie to “lack of funds” excuse.

I was satisfyingly surprised very recently when I returned to the coal city of Enugu, after months of leaving, having completed my schoolwork at the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus. My surprises stemmed entirely from the magnitude of positive transformation which had been wrought on the entire landscape in those intervening period by the new leadership in the state.

From the former “bush path” entrance into the city at the new market area which had now been transformed into one of the most modern drive way in Nigeria to almost all the nooks and crannies of the city where one visited or had reasons to pass, there was noticeable reconstruction or construction activity going on. The urban renewal that one saw was total. Streets which one never imagined would ever receive the attention of any government for “ lack of Funds” were been attended to by not just any construction firm but reputable giants like Setraco, Arab contractors, Masters Holdings and other like firms.

The questions that kept agitating the mind upon this discovery was this: where exactly was the government getting all the funds with which it was carrying out all such quality jobs at such an extensive scale? And why is the government not advertising these verifiable achievements beyond the state like it used to be in the recent past? While I could not answer the former, the latter was taken to mean one thing, Modesty and awareness of the fact that it was only working to meet its statutory duties to the entire populace!

One important fact of the Enugu transformation was that, it had put a lie to the common reasons always cited by governments at all levels, for non performance—funding. And that neither lack of it nor plans, was the bane of successive administrations attempts at development but a total absence a ruthless determination to say, no, to the temptations, to misappropriate public funds.

Ilobi Austin writes from Warri. He was recently on a four day visit to the state.