Stephen Paul Jobs, that American famous business magnate and an industrial designer has this to say about ‘Innovation’. Steve Jobs while highlighting the importance of innovation averred that innovation indeed distinguishes a true leader from the follower. William Pollard another American Pysicsists and an episcopal priest noded in affirmation to Job’s when he added thus: _“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.”
When in the aftermath of the hijacked ugly #EndSARS protest stared us all in the face like a virgin raped by 50 uncircumcised heartless young men, leaving our Enugu state with vandalized bus stops, and other government properties, Enugu state youths who joined us in the #DontDestroyOurEnugu protest which was a struggle championed by the responsible youths of the state against the miscreants who were bent on destroying everything that makes Enugu the heartbeat of aesthetic and beautiful infrastructure in Nigeria will understand the sentence before this.
Governor Ugwuanyi stood like a father whose family is about being consumed by a wild fire. And like the man in the famous proverb who does not chase rats and cockroaches while his roof is on fire, Odoziobodo Gburus, the Mr Project of Enugu( Mr Fulfilment) ran helter-skelter like the proverbial Igbo toad who does not run about during the day for fun. Governor Ugwuanyi moved swiftly to re-brand Enugu which came with the beautiful New Enugu Bus shelters that now looks at you smilingly like a child whose loving mother bought a brand new Christmas clothes each time you pass by any of the roads in Enugu where they have been constructed. Today about 241 units of these London standard bus shelters have been constructed.
One may quickly question the rationale behind changing the former “Pan-Made” bus shelter, but the major reasons are simple. The previous bus shelter made of pan does not have a foundation beneath the ground. During the #DontDestroyOurEnugu cleaning exercise, I witnessed that the former was very easy for the hoodlums to lift up and throw away, whereas the new one cannot be lifted, it’s more like a house strongly built.
Another importance of the new bus shelter rightly pointed out by the Chairman of Enugu Capital Development Authority (ECTDA), Joseph Onoh is that the previous bus shelters were truly fragile and prone to vandalisation, the present ones under construction are made of bricks and more durable. The indisputable reality of today is that it would not make economic sense to re-embark on infrastructure that would remain attractive to hoodlums to loot and plunder once more.
The primary essence of the bus shelter is to provide ample shed for citizens and protect them from the weather elements. It is important to stress that the comfort of Ndi Enugu within the Bus shelters during sunny days is as important as the shed it provides them. The previous one actually provided the needed shelter but, innovation brought by His Excellency, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi spells truthfully that Enugu residents need bus shelters that can provide shed as well as neutralize heat that sun always brings with it. Brick which the new bus shelter is made of has the capacity to absorb heat and neutralize it thereby producing cold-temperature for occupants. This is innovation. I call it improvement. Governor Ugwuanyi led administration deserves unending thunderous applause for the creativity and innovation explored already. Edward de Bono wrote that “creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way”. This is exactly what Odoziobodo Gburus, Mr Fulfilment, man of peace, the Ebube Adada, Nwoke Obioma, and his team is doing in Enugu.
Another beauty of the current bus shelters that are under construction lately is the numbering system. Before now, Enugu residents mark bus stops with names of things like Mr Biggz (New Heaven), First Bank (New Heaven), Car Wash (Presidential road), ESBS etc. The aforementioned makes it relatively difficult for persons who are new in Enugu to find their destination because, like the New Heaven Mr Biggz Bus stop, the said fast food joint is no more at the location. So, when you tell someone to alight at Mr Biggz bus stop, the individual might come to the area and become confused, because there is no Mr Biggz anywhere around the vicinity currently. Hence, the need for the world class adequately programmed numbering system used by the innovation and legacy driven Governor Ugwuanyi led Government of the day. The numbering system as noticed varies from one location to another for easy recognition and identification by residents. What do you call it? It can only come from a system that feels the hunger to build something that will stand the test of time. The new bus shelter you find around you can only be found in developed nations, such as London, France, Germany, to mention but these 3 cosmopolitan cities. Our people said that “e kenee onye akidi ogwota ozo”. Those looking for a Governor Ugwuanyi led administration that will fail, _”Ura ga-eju onye nwuru anwu afo”.
God Bless the Lovers of Good Governance. May God not allow your efforts to be treated with disdain by those you suffer for. To those who still find fault in every good thing done by Governor Ugwuanyi, please, be informed that Ndi Enugu are aware that ‘a goat can never be innocent in a court where leopard is the judge’. God bless you and yours, In Jesus Name.
BIBIAN ANEKWE NEWS added…“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them” Gov Ugwuanyi is a dependable Governor.
Written By
Izuchukwu Ochenwari Udenwaeze
MEDIA TEAM MEMBER OF ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT
