Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state is not called a “man of the people” in vain; he actually did something outstanding to merit such friendly title by his people.
One of the noble and distinct legacies of Governor Ugwuanyi is granting of people’s yearning for entertainment and relaxation facility through the development of the Unity Park, at the state’s capital, Enugu which was inaugurated on the 29th of May, 2021.
The development which was in line with Ugwuanyi administration’s urban renewal drive was aimed at bringing more tourists to the state known for vast coal deposits.
Visit to the Unity Park, Enugu shows that its indeed a beauty to behold, classy, neat and decorated with attractive natural and artificial pieces, among which is a giant roaring lion situated just at the front of the facility.
The fact that its lion that is the king of all animals makes it more fascinating as visitors would wait for long time just craving the sculpture ,before going inside to see all others that the park has to offer.
THE LION SCULPTURE
As the real lion, the giant roaring lion sculpture at Unity Park is quite intimidating , with its massive size and roared mouth that appears as if is will swallow anyone that comes near.
The lion sculpture at Unity Park, Enugu is Africa’s largest concrete lion sculpture. The monumental man-made concrete roaring lion sculpture measures 42 feet high , 72 feet long and 24 feet wide; and mounted in an aired-conditioned spacious interior that seats about fifty 50 persons.
LION THREATENED
According to reports, 30 years ago, there were 200,000 lions roaming wild across the African continent but now there are only between 15,000 and 32,000 left. Of the lions left, it is a estimated that there are just 645 genetically distinct wild lions left in western and central Africa with “only 34 left in Nigeria“.
These are a few pictures of the park which has a reinforced concrete pedestrian walkway measuring about 1.9 kilometers, a large water pond deep enough to offer the hydrodynamics for boat riding, among other interesting features.
Ugwuanyi while inaugurating the facility said “After the demise of the Zoological Garden and Polo Park, the state lacked a recreational park to satisfy the ever un-quenching relaxational needs of both local and international tourists that visit Enugu in large number.”
