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INSTALLATION OF TRAFFIC LIGHT IN NSUKKA: ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND THE BIRTH OF A NEW CITY IN ENUGU

Published

4 years ago

September 27, 2020

By Jeff Ejiofor

Nsukka is the host community to the first indigenous university in Nigeria, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), founded in 1955 and officially opened in 1960. The town, apart from playing such a historic role in the academic world, also prides itself as the administrative headquarters of what is known today as Enugu North Senatorial Zone in Nigeria’s political structure. It is a town blessed with clement weather, the best, east of the Niger, and one of the most friendly in Nigeria.

In addition to its mild weather condition, Nsukka has a serene environment, adorned with beautiful green vegetation and fascinating hills. In short, the town is an epitome of beauty and serenity akin to what obtains in Europe and parts of Australia. These formed the basis of attraction, that influenced its choice as a permanent abode for the great Zik of Africa, Rt. Hon. Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe who lived there all through his life.

However, despite all these natural features and sterling qualities bestowed on the town by creation, successive administrations in Enugu State treated it with ignominy and found no compelling urge even in the midst of many, to enhance its development. Little or no attention was paid to the town and its environs, hence, it looked like a glorified village. This is a town with great tourist potentials and economic opportunities of immense magnitude.

The special specie of yellow pepper known as Nsukka pepper (OSE NSUKKA) and a local seasoning known as okpei Nsukka are among the distinct economic potentials of the town beckoning on investors for maximum exploitation, but government after government in Enugu state continued to pay lip service to it. The huge socio-economic potential of the town untapped could best be likened to, and described as a wasted opportunity of a sleeping giant, before the timely arrival of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi as the executive governor of Enugu state.

Expectedly, and as a leader with eyes on rural development, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi dramatically changed the narratives within a short while and Nsukka has gained its rightful place in the scheme of things as the second-largest city in Enugu state and one of the fastest-growing in Nigeria. He quickly swung into action on arrival by addressing the agelong decayed and abandoned infrastructure in the town. He fixed 85 percent of its roads and above all, the perennial intractable electricity problem. He is, as well providing new facilities, such as secretariat annex, upgrading of existing health institutions, control of devastating erosion, provision of a modern stadium, and housing estates, to give the town a facelift. He is also taking the security of the place to the next level by providing modern facilities to the Nigerian Police and the state’s Neighborhood Watch.

In addition to the above feat which was initiated to bring the town at a developmental par with its contemporaries across the globe, the amiable governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuany conceived and is currently implementing the installation of the traffic light at strategic junctions and roundabouts in the city. By this singular action, the governor has taken care of multiple problems, which range from prevention of accidents as a result of unregulated reckless driving, to exposing of Nsukka residents to modern driving rules and regulation. Those ignorant folks seeking to know the importance of traffic light in a rising urban settlement like Nsukka should be reminded that nothing can be equaled to human lives that the policy will safe.

Undoubtedly, the use of traffic light will regulate reckless driving by motorists and reduce road accidents and deaths. It will certainly bring sanity to traffic activities in the city and organize it as a modern society. It will additionally inculcate traffic discipline and decorum in Nsukka residents and visitors alike.

Considering the many benefits accruable to this lofty project as enunciated above, the installation of the traffic light in Nsukka is one of the best things to happen in Nsukka recently as far as informed residents and road users are concerned. Now, the town enjoys modern facilities that can attract investors who are willing to take advantage of the opportunities abound in them. Ugwuanyi’s administration has successfully created another city in Enugu State which will, in no distant time flourish economically. The ESUT College of Medicine currently under construction in Udenu will provide the tertiary health care needs of the people and ameliorate their sufferings and stop their usual travel all the way to Enugu whenever they have major health needs. Sportsmen and women can now access modern facilities for their training and activities via the new Nsukka Township Stadium which is nearing completion.

The power problem promptly addressed by the purposeful leadership of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will definitely re-position the economic viability of the city and its environs, with the potentials of attracting a population of people seeking greener pastures from all walks of life. Enugu people as a matter of fact owe this administration overwhelming gratitude for raising another viable city in Nsukka to help decongest Enugu which has long been saturated as a result of its role as the only major city in the state. The one city status which Enugu State was hitherto known with has now become history as Enugu citizens currently have an alternative place in Nsukka where they can channel their developmental energy.

The doubting Thomases who, before now, though it was impossible to achieve this great feat, are now disappointed. But, it does not really matter whether they recognize and appreciate it or not, what matters most is that Nsukka has been elevated to the status of a mini-city by Gov. Ugwuanyi in line with his administration’s rural development drive.

While I commend him immensely for this remarkable achievement and other milestones recorded in transforming Enugu State by his avowed commitment, I implore him to continue moving ahead, as the unalloyed support of all well-meaning citizens of the state is intact.

Enugu is truly in the hands of God.

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Business

Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Published

1 week ago

March 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Ismaila Ahmad Abdullahi Ph.D

The public hearings conducted recently by the two Chambers of the National Assembly have elicited positive responses from a broad spectrum of Nigerians, cutting across regional interest groups, government agencies, civil society groups, concerned individuals, the academia, and Labour Unions, among diverse others. Contrary to a few dissensions hitherto expressed in the media, almost all the stakeholders who spoke during the week-long sessions were unanimous in their declaration that the hallowed Chambers should pass the tax reform bills after a clean-up of the grey areas.

The public hearings were auspicious for all Nigerians desirous of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. They were also a watershed moment for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which had been upbeat about the tax reforms. Indeed, the public hearings had rekindled hope in the tenets of democracy that guarantee freedom of expression and equitable space for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Without gainsaying the fact, the tax reform bills have been unarguably about the most thought-provoking issues in Nigeria today, drawing variegated perspectives and commentaries from even unlikely quarters such as the faith-based leaders, student bodies, and trade unions, which speaks much about the importance of the bills.

In the build-up to the public hearings, not many people believed that the bills would make it to the second reading, much less the public hearings. Even the Northern stakeholders who seemed unlikely to support the passage of the bills have softened their stance and have given valuable suggestions that would enrich the substance of the bills. The Arewa Consultative Forum came to the public hearings well-prepared with a printed booklet that addressed their concerns. It concluded with an advisory that the bills should be “Well planned, properly communicated, strategically implemented and ample dialogue and political consensus allowed for the reforms to be accepted.”

The concerns of ACF ranged from the composition of the proposed Nigeria Revenue Service Board as contained in Part 111, Section 7 of the bill, the unlimited Presidential power to exempt/wave tax payment as proposed in Section 75(1) of the bill, the family income or inheritance tax as contained in Part 1, Section 4(3) of the bill, to the issues around development levy and VAT. On the development levy, the ACF stated that unless the Federal Government is considering budgetary funding for TETFUND, NASENI and NITDA, it does not see the “wisdom behind the plan to replace (them) with NELFUND”.

The position of the North was equally reinforced by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Northern Elders Forum, Kano State Government, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, and the FCT Imams. Like the ACF, these stakeholders lent their respective voices to the Section on the Inheritance Tax in Part 1 of the bill and the use of the term ‘ecclesiastical’, which, in their views, undermines certain religious rights and beliefs. The Kano State Government, represented by Mahmud Sagagi, affirmed that “we support tax modernisation” but cautioned that “we must ensure that this process does not come at the expense of states’ constitutional rights and economic stability”. Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a constitutional law professor, drew attention to the use of the ‘supremacy clause’ and cautioned that the repeated use of “notwithstanding” in the bills would undermine the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution if passed as such.

Other stakeholders that made contributions at the sessions included the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, and a host of others. While most of their concerns bordered on technical issues requiring fine-tuning, they were unanimous in their support for the bills. They aligned with the position of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, Ph.D. and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which is that the extant tax laws and fiscal regulations are obsolete necessitating reforms aimed at creating a fair and equitable tax and fiscal space to grow Nigeria’s economy.

In one of the sessions, Dr Zaach Adedeji expounded on the criss-cross of trade activities in the Free Trade Zone whereby companies misuse tax waivers as exporters to sell their goods or services in the Customs Area at an amount usually less than the price the operators in the Customs Area who pay VAT and other taxes sell theirs thereby disrupting business transactions. This way, the operators in the Free Trade Zone shortchange the government in paying their due taxes by circumventing extant regulations, which are inimical to the economy’s growth.

Overall, the presentations were forthright, foresighted, and helpful in elucidating the issues contained in the bills. According to the statistics read out at the end of the hearings at the Senate, 75 stakeholders were invited, 65 made submissions, and 61 made presentations. At the House of Representatives 53 stakeholders made presentations. By all means, this is a fair representation. Given the presentations, it is evident that the National Assembly has gathered enough materials to guide its deliberations on the bills. As we look forward to the passage of the bills, we commend the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to making the bills see the light of the day.

Abdullahi is the Director of the Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS.

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