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ENUGU CITIZENS LAUD GOVERNOR UGWUANYI FOR STABILIZING TRAFFIC ACTIVITIES IN THE STATE
Enugu people have lauded the state government for bringing sanity in the state traffic activities. A cross-section of residents interviewed testified that the government has made frantic efforts to halt the hitherto incessant harassments of motorists in the state by some agents of the government. A resident of the state and a public affairs analyst, Mr. Jeff Ejiofor revealed that prior to the inception of the current administration in 2015, the chaotic traffic situation in the state was worrisome and of major concern to motorists in Enugu state.
He said that some flashpoints such as Holy Ghost roundabout/Old Park, Okpara Avenue, Otigba Junction, NOAS Junction, Abakpa Liberty, Ogui Junction, and some other busy areas of the city were like a hell to motorists who at times spent hours in the traffic build-up. Mr. Ejiofor averred that Holy Ghost and Old Park areas were the most affected as motorists dreaded and avoided them like a plague. He pointed out that even with a good road network in the city, the traffic crisis occasioned by this problem was a nightmare and it negatively affected the socio-economic life of the city.
He further stated that the unfortunate situation prompted an unconventional response by both the state and some urban local governments who, through the Ministry of Transport and Capital Territory Development Authority, recruited local tugs to enforce traffic rules. According to him, the touts as expected, and who were mandated to earn their income from what they get from the field turned a nightmare to motorists and consequently made life most difficult for road users and ordinary citizens of the state.
He apparently said that various state and local government agencies turned the problem into a cash cow for both the tugs and their paymasters through illegal harassment and extortion of motorists. He alleged that the boys introduced a system of setting traffic traps for people with the sole aim of extorting money from them, accusing Enugu East local government as the worst and most notorious of them. He revealed that throughout that period of terror, the Abakpa axis became heavily dreaded and avoided by law-abiding citizens. He concluded by saying that people who disparage the current administration for any reason have a short memory. Recounting the ordeal of residents especially motorists before the coming of Gburugburu, he said it was an era of terror that nobody will forget in a hurry. He thanked the governor for the traffic sanity which the people enjoy today as a result of his responsive ingenuity and appealed for support to enable him to take Enugu state to the next level.
Another concerned resident and a top civil servant, Dr. Godwin Chukwu while describing the situation in Enugu at that time, said it was akin to a police state where road users became so scared of going out for fear of being molested by the touts under the umbrella of MOT/CTDA. He declared that the fear of the tugs became the beginning of wisdom in Enugu, with residents and visitors living in palpable fear as a result of the unknown. Dr. Chukwu bemoaned the activities of these ill-informed miscreants who he said were backed by the local authorities to constantly instill fear on the citizens. He narrated the helpless ordeal of the conventional traffic police who according to him usually watched motorists bullied and manhandled for no just cause.
The Gleamer News learned that all efforts made by the masses through complaints and calls on the then government for help fell on deaf ears. Even on radio programmes, people called and complained bitterly about the evil activities of these criminals, yet nothing was done.
According to respondents, these illegal urchins continued terrorizing road users unabated till 2015, when an astute administrator, Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi came to power. As a caring leader who loves the masses, Ugwuanyi listened to the cries of the people and immediately suspended the activities of these terror groups. On that fateful evening, the announcement was made, jubilation erupted in the streets of Enugu, heralding a new era of freedom in the State, recounted an eye witness.
After the historic suspension of the illegal groups, he, the governor, quickly recruited over 1000 able-bodied young people and gave them 3 months of professional training in the art of traffic control. He subsequently kitted and equipped them properly with a mandate to, in conjunction with the conventional traffic police; restore traffic sanity in Enugu State.
This singular action of the governor according to residents, explains his unmatched intellectual capacity in the area of governance. He was said to have solved a problem as old as modern Enugu in less than one year of assumption of office. The respondents who looked relieved told The Gleamer News that traffic sanity has completely returned in Enugu and nobody is being harassed or molested again by tugs in the name of traffic control.
From our findings, the people are happy with Gov. Ugwuanyi who they say, has not only by this action secured Enugu roads by ensuring traffic sanity and freedom of motorists, but has also provided employment for teeming Enugu youths desirous of making their own contributions to the development of the State. According to them, he has done in one year what his predecessors could not attempt in 16 years of their leadership in the state. Gburugburu they said is indeed an icon and should be commended by all well-meaning citizens of Enugu State. They maintain that through purposeful leadership by the governor, the socio-economic life of the state has come alive again, attracting investors who sequel to the unwarranted molestations of citizens by those miscreants ran away from the state. Undoubtedly, Enugu is currently benefiting from the tranquility occasioned by this policy feat which has expectedly brought sanity in the system and given way for meaningful economic development. The people are really happy as such areas that were dreaded because of seeming intractable traffic crises are now peaceful and relatively free. Holy Ghost and Old Park no longer witness the usual traffic gridlock they were known with as according to road users, this is the first time in the history of modern Enugu one can pass the areas in less than five minutes.
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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow
By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC
As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.
Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.
Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.
But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.
As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.
Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.
Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.
Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.
As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.
Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.
Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.
As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.
We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”
To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.
To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.
And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.
Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.
The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.
Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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