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 Daily Independent Online.
* Tuesday, August 10, 2004.
Enugu Government House : Mournful Nnamani gets
accolades, promises access to justice
By Chukwudi Achife
Bureau
Chief, Enugu
The
week did not open exactly on a pleasant note for Governor Chimaroke
Nnamani of Enugu State as he mourned the death of some of his kinsmen in
the pipeline fire that happened penultimate week in his village, Agbani.
He was
however able to carve out time to play host to the Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmud Ahmed, on Monday. At a cultural
night held in his honour, the visitor called on Nigerians to put aside
their religious and ethnic differences to build a stronger and more
united polity with stable and virile economy. The civil service, he said,
was already undergoing reforms to ensure a greater commitment by workers
to this task.
Mahmud also
had flattering comments for the governor whom he described as a
"very dedicated, reliable, responsible, unassuming and painstaking
gentleman", adding that
"this is a man who remained unruffled in the face of any political
turmoil and who will come out successfully. This is a man who is
concerned, a man who is practical and time conscious".
On Tuesday,
the governor received from the House of Assembly two bills for his
assent. The bills were the Enugu State Waste Management Authority Bill,
which abolished the Enugu State Environmental Sanitation Authority Law;
and the Amended Enugu State Rulers Council Bill.
The
governor said at the occasion that the cordial relationship between the
Legislature and the Executive in the state had helped his administration
achieve "monumental success" in the implementation of its
programmes.
The Speaker
of the House, Mr Abel Chukwu, also echoed the same sentiments, stating
that the bills will go a long way in furthering the smooth administration
of the state.
Nnamani
also on Wednesday received in audience members of Reform Team on Access
to Justice. He told the team led by Legal Luminary Professor Cyprian
Okonkwo that the government would build a Civil Rights
Centre in
Enugu as part of its reform programmes on access to justice, adding that
the centre, when completed, would help co-ordinate the activities of the
Legal Aid Providers and other stakeholders with the Ministry of Justice.
He
identified the British Department for International Development (DFID) as
a "wonderful partner" in the implementation of various reform
programmes of the state government which, according to him, include
computerisation of the criminal justice system, capacity building,
record-keeping, community service and refurbishment of the judicial headquarters.
Speaking on
the occasion, the Programme Co-ordinator, Mrs Gloria Egbuji, said the
body had concluded the revision of the Laws of Enugu State and the High
Court Procedure Rules and had also commenced
the
printing of the Laws of Enugu State to differentiate them from the Laws
of Anambra State.
The
governor also received the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr.
Richard Gozney, during which he commended the British Government for its
support to the state government through the DFID . He stated that the
partnership with the Department had helped the government to remain
focused. It had also helped the government to implement its reform
programmes
and create a culture which could be sustained even beyond the life of the
administration. He pledged to ensure a continuation of the relationship,
especially in the areas of capacity building, capital investment, poverty
reduction, environmental sanitation, solid waste management, law reform
and access to justice.
The British
envoy announced at the occasion that the British government had
established five visa application collection centres in Enugu, Lagos,
Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, stating that the establishment of the
centres was part of his government’s efforts to reduce problems
encountered by those seeking the British visa.
As part of
the government’s efforts to boost security in the state, Nnamani on
Thursday presented two brand new Toyota Hilux vans to the Nigeria Police,
Enugu State Command. He said the vehicles were part of the first phase of
the government’s plans to overhaul the transportation system of the
police to enable them combat crime effectively in the state.
The
governor also warned cult members in the various tertiary institutions in
the state as well as their sponsors to give up their nefarious
activities, stressing that the government would employ all within its
powers to eradicate the menace.
An elated Commissioner of
Police, Morrison Abe, said the provision of the vans was a timely
intervention in the transportation problems of the police in the state
and commended the governor for his regular support to the force.
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