A young, fledging politician, the peace and security of the community already mattered to him much more than his own personal ambition.
As fate would have it, he was later nominated to represent Udenu/Igbo-Eze North in the Federal House of Representatives from where he blossomed to the number 1 position as the Executive Governor of Enugu State. Today, Dr Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi stands in full glory as the most successful politician Enugu North Senatorial Zone has ever produced. May you join me to give him a round of applause!
After several decades in the corridors of Power, with all the intense screening that come with it Ugwuanyi stands tall as the cleanest politician the State has ever produced. He doesn’t touch alcoholic drinks, not even with a long stick; womanising is anathema to him; and nobody dead or alive has ever accused him of financial mismanagement or electoral malpractice.
As a sitting Governor, he has had to endure all manner of unjust attacks from millions of social media busybodies and hirelings, yet nobody has ever been molested on account of him. For decades to come he will remain a spectacular example to our youths of modesty in the midst of Power.
On February 25, 2023, barely three days ago, Life again tested Ugwuanyi’s moral resolve. His bid for the Senatorial Seat of Enugu North was truncated by the conspiracy of elite politicians of Nsukka extraction. Was he caught unawares? Of course, no! He was privy to all the clandestine meetings and secret plots, all the collusions and evil alliances.
He has enormous power in his arsenal, yet he chose to remain calm and allow the democratic process to run its course. He campaigned like a first-timer, sludging through the nooks and crannies of the Zone, all the while putting in full display his intimidating scorecards to all and sundry. But they flanked him with lies, wanton accusations and ridiculous imputations.
In the end, their lies triumphed, but did they really win? It is said that no matter how far a lie travels, truth will eventually overtake it. Some day, we will all return to the drawing-board of truth.
Their mantra is that Ugwuanyi achieved nothing! Now let’s compare. The only landmark project, His Excellency Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, left in Nkanu is the ESUT University; today, he is almost a political deity among his people. Except the Road Safety Training School, I am not aware of any other legacy project His Excellency Sullivan Chime left in Enugu West, yet he is so lionised by his people.
But Ugwuanyi built a full-blown university with accreditation to run professional programmes, yet they say he did nothing. Ugwuanyi midwived the establishment of a Federal Poly at Ohodo, but they say he did nothing; he built a Command School, a preparatory ground for elite military career, they say he did nothing; he expanded Iwollo College of Agriculture to Ezimo Nsukka, yet they say he did nothing. Haba!
An Udi woman who worked with RAMP, and did a lot of Earth Work in rural Nsukka visited me yesterday, and broke down in tears. She felt Ugwuanyi had been betrayed by the people he loved. Of course, yes! But does Ugwuanyi deserve tears? No! He deserves to be celebrated as a deathless emblem of Democracy. He is a symbol of our aspiration for a free society, where people can express themselves without fear of intimidation.
In 2015 when Ugwuanyi became Governor, there were about two Permanent Secretaries from the entire Nsukka Senatorial Zone. Today, we have fifteen. Ugwuanyi employed more teachers than any of the preceding Administrations, paving way for thousands of men and women, including youths from his Zone to gain employment, yet he achieved nothing. Occasionally, Ugwuanyi has been accused of nepotism (it is unjustified though) because of the thousands of persons of Nsukka extraction that populate Enugu State Civil Service. But they say he achieved nothing.
Where are the masses of people he took blows for? Where are they? Where are the people for whom he made enemies and endured attacks? Where are the poor folks he shepherded and mentored into limelight? Where are the youths he extracted from nothingness and positioned for growth? Have they all joined the enemies’ camp? What a life! Since yesterday, my prayer has remained the same: that Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi does not lose faith in humanity.
Julius Caesar once said: ‘I love the name of honour more than I fear death’. Some folks feared that Ugwuanyi would arrest the declaration of the Senatorial result, and demand explanations. I knew he would not. That would have been inconsonant with his principles and inconsistent with his character. He stayed away. He refused to meddle. He chose to ‘die’ so that we will have peace and security.
Thank you Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. May the examples you have set be our guardrail for the future, and beam the light for Posterity. Ka odibalu chukwu.
Dr Hyginus Eze
