According to William Shakespeare, some are born great, some achieve greatness while others have greatness thrust upon them. That is the case of three-time member of the House of Representatives Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, representing Igboeze north/Udenu federal constituency in the National Assembly. He is currently the gubernatorial standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu state ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Hon Ugwuanyi?s emergence was unanimous. Hitherto the party had zoned its governorship slot to Enugu north senatorial district. The magnanimity of Enugu state governor Sullivan Chime is worthy of mention here because he encouraged the zone to produce an acceptable consensus candidate. What is amazing in the choice of Hon Ugwuanyi is his general acceptance, including by his fellow aspirants who stepped down for him.
No doubt the recent PDP primaries in the state which eventually ratified Hon Ugwuanyi?s candidature have proven that his choice is not in error but a deserved one. Currently the battle has moved to a larger arena where he will slug it with other candidates from other political parties. It is expected that the peace that heralded Ugwuanyi will reign supreme to sustain the tranquillity already planted in the state.
There are many salient issues that the emergence of Hon Ugwuanyi has brought to the fore. It is the first time that stakeholders of the PDP in Enugu state took a political decision that brought calmness into the polity of the state. The usual rancour and bickering associated with such exercise was avoided, thus saving the state of the losses associated with such.
This healthy development informed the statement of former national chairman of the PDP and one-time governor of Enugu state, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo. He said stakeholders and leaders from Nsukka senatorial zone of the state unanimously chose Hon Ugwuanyi because ?of the determination of the zone to produce the next governor of the state? and ‘in order to reduce rancour and bitterness amongst interested parties and ensure smooth transition for the party’.
Since Hon Ugwuanyi?s endorsement, many associations and individuals have come up to declare their unalloyed support for him. They include former local government chairmen of the state under the aegis of the Association of Former Local Government Chairmen of Enugu State which endorsed Hon Ugwuanyi in a meeting in Enugu recently.
Also, the umbrella body of Nsukka people in Abuja, Nsukka Zonal Citizens Abuja, has thrown its weight behind Hon Ugwuanyi, describing him as God-sent. The body, in a press briefing recently, said such decision by the party?s caucus in Nsukka senatorial zone would eliminate bickering and rancour associated with elections.
The president of the group, Barr Paul C. Eze, said the choice of Hon Ugwuanyi by consensus is an indication that he is generally accepted. He also commended Enugu state governor Sullivan Chime for endorsing Hon Ugwuanyi.
?Governor Chime has always been a candid leader and his contributions to the development of the state and the nation at large speak volumes. No doubt Hon Ugwuanyi will toe the line of Chime?s giant strides in the state. His emergence has eliminated unnecessary tension in the state. Enugu north senatorial zone remains indebted to him because of this singular act,? he said.
The Association of Local Government Administrators of Enugu State (ALGAE) has also declared its support for the PDP?s consensus candidate Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi ahead of the 2015 governorship election in the state.
ALGAE?s coordinator Hon KOK Ezugwu said, ?We commend the party for zoning the next governor to Enugu north. Hon Ugwuanyi?s emergence is devoid of acrimony. We commend Gov Sullivan Chime for enabling the platform.? Its secretary Sir Ikechukwu Ozor advised the opposition to support Hon Ugwuanyi because he is the masses? choice.? A member of the group and administrator of Orba development area, Hon Beatrice Ezeaku, said, ?Hon Ugwuanyi is a women?s rights activist. He has given succour to people of different denominations. I thank Gov Chime for being a good father of the state.? For Hon Peace Nnaji, administrator of Enugu east development area, ?We prayed and God answered. Women are happy because he is gender-sensitive. Governor Chime is an epitome of democracy. Every zone supports Ugwuanyi.?
Former Nigerian envoy Amb Fidel Ayogu said Hon Ugwuanyi?s emergence was a resolution of the Nsukka PDP caucus comprising delegates numbering over seventy from all the local government areas of the zone.
In his words, ?Hon Ugwuanyi replaced me in the House of Representatives. The good thing is that the incoming governor will come from Nsukka. Above all, the person must be the right person. Hon Ugwuanyi is eminently qualified to do the job having been in the National Assembly three times.?
On his agenda for him, he said, ?The PDP has agenda and it is general. You don?t set agenda for somebody who is prepared to serve his people. He has his manifesto which is not different from that of the party. We also have a solid precedent set by Governor Sullivan Chime. I believe Hon Ugwuanyi will toe the line of Chime. We had governors from Enugu east and Enugu west. It is now the turn of Enugu north, but remember that Hon Ugwuanyi is going to be the governor of the state and not his zone. I believe he has enough to do and we are going to have a better sense of feeling and inclusiveness.?
He advised dissenting voices to support Ugwuanyi because he is the choice of the majority.
Chief Charles Agadenyi Nwodo is the national chairman of the Progressives Action Congress, PAC. He is also from Enugu north senatorial zone of Enugu state.
He said, ?If the will of the PDP stakeholders who represent the people is that they will use consensus to get the party?s candidate, there is nothing bad about it. It is part and parcel of democracy. Such limits crises and waste. But if there are dissenting voices, such voices should meet the stakeholders to lay their complaints. It is dangerous also to revolt against the stakeholders of a political party. It can be disastrous. Atiku Abubakar is an example. Democracy demands that voting should take place, but if through consensus a deal is struck, it beautifies it because of the benefits therein. It reduces intra-party crises.?
On the agenda for Hon Ugwuanyi if he is elected governor, Nwodo said, ?When you are being chosen by the stakeholders in the state, you should work for the collective interest of the entire state. It brings collective peace to the state. That is the case of Ugwuanyi. Then coming from a disadvantaged zone, because Nsukka is disadvantaged as far as development is concerned, the onus rests on Ugwuanyi to put equity on ground to lift that zone up to work along with others so that it will be a game of equal partners in the spirit of brotherhood. That will bring about unity and peace in the state. We need a critical work on the education sector because development works on the brain of the people. We want to see our people compete among the academics. Enugu state has been backward in education. Some schools do not have science teachers. This is a cardinal agenda he must tackle. Uneducated people are pro-violence. We want agricultural development because Enugu state has a large expanse of land. Uzo Uwani area of the state is fertile and if well harnessed can sustain the entire country. Ugwuanyi should revive the Ada Rice Mill in the state. The neglected farm settlements should be revived. We also want good road networks across the state to ensure grass-roots development. Ugwuanyi should be a catalyst. He can achieve these with a high-degree of humility. I urge dissenting aspirants to understand that God chooses who leads. Tomorrow could be theirs.?
Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has no doubt achieved greatness courtesy of his sterling performances in the National Assembly where he chairs the committee on marine. Consequent upon this, he now has greatness thrust upon him by his people to continue with his giant strides in a larger capacity.
