The much talked about 2023 General Elections are right here. Tomorrow, February 25, 2023, indeed a few hours from now, vote casting begins for Presidential and National Assembly positions. My wife and I have primed our PVCs to perform our civic duty. We are grateful to God for sparing our lives, and proud to join millions of Nigerians to decide the direction of our dear country, Nigeria for the next four years.
My first choice tomorrow before anyone else is Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi, Gbrurugburu. It’s well deserved. He has spent close to 8 years toiling and exerting himself to emancipate both Nsukka people, and Nsukka land. Coming from a humble background himself, he has devoted more energy to the human capital development of the ordinary people. The time to pay him back is now! We have to make a bold statement to Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi tomorrow, which is to demonstrate to him that we are worthy of his tremendous efforts for the good of us all.
For a long time to come, Ugwuanyi will continue to pay a price for ‘ignoring’ the greedy, avaricious elite of our zone for the sake of the poor masses. The academic institutions, hospitals, rural road networks, Ogige Market lottery, civil service recruitment, teacher recruitment, elevations of numerous Nsukka people to permanent secretary positions, all are targeted at changing the economic condition of the underprivileged, as well as developing the capacities of youths, who are talented but economically deprived.
It is education that equalises the child of the poor with that of the rich. Thanks to Ugwuanyi, there is no Senatorial Zone in Enugu State that has more public academic institutions than Nsukka. It is time to say ‘Thank you’. Ugwuanyi ignored the elite for the sake of us. Now, it is our turn to show him love by turning our backs on the Cabal of Nsukka elite, who relish our poverty; it is our turn to throw our weight behind the only politician from our zone, who beamed the economic torchlight on the neglected and forgotten of our zone.
There is a challenge I have consistently placed before my people of Nsukka cultural zone: if anyone knows any past Governor in Enugu State, who had out-performed Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi for his own zone, pray let me know the person. In fact, let me catalogue some of the legacy projects Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi birthed for Nsukka zone in the area of education alone: State University of Medicine and Applied Sciences, Igbo-Eno (SUMAS), Federal Polytechnic Ohodo, Ezimo Satelite Campus of College of Agriculture Iwollo, Ezeagu, and the Military School.
Wow! Four academic institutions for one Senatorial Zone. So, I repeat: if anyone knows any past Governor in Enugu State, who out-performed Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi for his own zone, pray let me know the person. For the next one thousand years and more, these institutions will still be churning out high-velocity graduates.
Bishop Elphistone who founded the University of Aberdeen, where I was educated had long died. Yet since 1495, more than 500 years now, the University has remained a knowledge production centre. The only token that calls to mind the figure of Bishop Elphinstone is his memorial tomb sign-posted in front of the Catholic Chapel of the University.
Gbrugbururu will not be Governor or Senator for ever, but he has iconised himself in the collective memory of the ordinary people of Nsukka. Long long after all of us have departed the world, the institutions and legacies will stand in glory as a permanent reminder that at one point in our history one political colossus with the heart of gold was on the driving seat of our political destiny.
Many congratulations Senator Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi! It is well deserved Big Daddy!
Dr Hyginus Eze
