By State House

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Monday, advanced his administration’s concerted efforts in developing the rural communities through the deployment of government services to create fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen of the state to create wealth, enjoy democracy dividends and live a healthy life.

Besides numerous infrastructural projects across the 17 local government areas of Enugu State, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration has embarked on sports development at the grassroots to discover and nurture young talents for job creation, socialisation and unification, as well as economic emancipation.

Consequently, the governor in keeping with this vision and the commitment to promote recreational and sporting activities, among other numerous development projects, inaugurated a standard-double Lawn Tennis Court, at Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area Stadium, Ogrute, Enugu Ezike.

Inaugurating the sports facility, Gov. Ugwuanyi, represented by his Special Adviser on Project Development and Implementation (PDI), Engr. Dr. (Mrs.) MaryRose Obiageli Abba, described sports as an important social phenomenon in all levels of modern society that has the ability to socialize, unify, “prevent and reduce a large number of diseases as it is the most important means of enhancing human health, physical development and improvement”.

The governor, who pointed out that Tennis is one of the most popular recreational and sporting activities in modern society, added that “it has evolved into a game for all people of a variety of cultures, socio-economic levels and ages as it is a leisure-time activity with a huge health and emotional benefits as well as income generation”.

Gov. Ugwuanyi revealed that his administration has constructed some rural roads, the municipal road in Ogrute, Enugu Ezike and other vital projects in Igbo-Eze North LGA, including the ongoing Amenity Hospital project, which he performed the foundation laying ceremony recently.

“You are now witnesses to the serious commitment and the faithfulness which my administration has employed in fulfilling these promises”, the governor told the elated stakeholders and royal fathers of Igbo-Eze North LGA, who came out en masse to witness the event.

Gov. Ugwuanyi commended his Special Adviser on PDI, Engr. Abba, for the promptness and financial prudence her office displayed in executing the project. He equally thanked the Chairman of Igbo-Eze North LGA, Engr. Ejike Itodo, the LG Executives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the people of the council area for their support and cooperation, saying that “it is expected that the maintenance, safety and security of the sports facility installed in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area is assured”.

In his speech, the Chairman of Igbo-Eze North LGA, Engr. Itodo, applauded Gov. Ugwuanyi for initiating the sports facility among other infrastructural projects his administration has executed in the council area.

Engr. Itodo who reeled out the socio-economic and health benefits of the facility to the people of Igbo-Eze North LGA, stressed that governor’s decision to promote sporting activities in the rural areas is a welcome development.

“We have other numerous projects our peace-loving and development-oriented governor initiated on his own volition in our council area. His Excellency was the person that initiated the Amenity Hospital project going on at Ogrute General Hospital. He was the one that also initiated the Cottage Hospital with Isolation wing at the General Hospital. On his own, our people’s governor initiated the construction/rehabilitation of Ogrute municipal roads up to the Local Government Headquarters and the project is 100 percent completed. He equally initiated and constructed two water borehole projects in our markets.

“Our governor is a sports lover and the importance of this standard-double sports facility to our health and sports development is overwhelming, and we can’t thank him enough”.

Other speakers at the event such as the member representing Igbo-Eze North Constituency (II), Hon. Innocent Ugwu, the Special Adviser to the Governor, Hon. Kentus Eze, the PDP LG Chairman, Hon. Alexander Uramah, the SSA to the Governor, Hon. Chidi Nwomeh, former Council Chairman, Comrade Uwakwe Ezeja, HRH Igwe Wilfred Ogbonnaya Ekere, etc, all thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for his administration’s special interest in developing the rural communities of the state through development projects and programmes that impact the lives of the dwellers positively, maintaining that the people of Igbo-Eze North LGA have benefitted immensely and will remain indebted to him.