By Ogbonna Asadu
When my highly cerebral lawyer friend and mentor, the eclectic Hon. Steve Oruruo, who is the Special Adviser to Governor Ugwuanyi on Information, whom I fondly call The General for my holding to a gaze his near omniscient disposition, wrote that Ugwuanyi was a martyr of Nigeria's socio-political renaissance, some persons had called the term,martyr, to question as used for its apparent ascription to the living, Governor Ugwuanyi, perhaps for want of the appreciation of the literary significance of the word as used in Oruruo's erudite context. In fact, Oruruo used a most apt term to capture Governor Ugwuanyi's many deaths for his enemies. Ugwuanyi is dead to malice and vengeance; even when provoked sore, he never comes alive to retaliation; he rather acts in a most unexpected way that arouses a sense of wonderment to ordinary dusposition. He would rather do good to adversity. He is the meek lamb for slaughter on the altar of benevolence that his enemies may live. It sounds paradoxical, yet the true story of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Most of those who now rave and curse, abusing the governor with bad language were persons who had fed fat on his administration. They were selfish persons who wanted to perpetually sit on power. They would not consider that they were exceptionally lucky to be part of the government in the midst of millions of other qualified citizens of the state. Some of them came to be appointed because they had worked and spoken ill of the governor. He would bring them close and make them part of his administration. Yet they could not perform and like Oliver Twist would ask for more.
Before the PDP primaries, many of these appointees had grown the wings of overambition.Some wanted to be governor, some senators, members of House of Representatives and state House of Assembly. It is well within their rights, but wisdom and loyalty require that an appointee would keep personal ambition aside and wait for directives from the principal. None of them did so. They rather consulted the governor as they did other stakeholders. Under such scenario, the governor, as the father of all, would naturally give them his blessings, for it is the delegates that determine who emerges the party flag bearers. In his magnanimity, Governor Ugwuanyi gave them his support even financially and otherwise. They went to the field and failed, only to turn back to blame the governor as though it was he who solely determined the winners. Anybody contesting for a post should be prepared for any outcome, knowing full well that only one candidate would emerge for the position.
Even at the fact that they resigned to contest, Governor Ugwuanyi, in his magnanimity and kind heart, reinstated them to their former positions. Burning with revenge for a causeless cause, they vowed to work against the governor and the party simply because they failed at the polls. They became Labour Party at night and PDP in the morning. They betrayed the party. Yet they are still in the employ of the Ugwuanyi administration, receiving salaries and entitlements.Yet Ugwuanyi did not sack any of them.
Governor Ugwuanyi never avenges himself. He leaves vengeance to God. Vengeance is mine says the Lord.( Deut.32:25). Most of those writing nonsense against the governor are still in his employ. Some of them head some government agencies and have continued with their perfidy in the belief that their offices are tenured and Ugwuanyi cannot sack them. Ugwuanyi has this feeling that sacking anyone will affect their families and dependants. He is a kindhearted leader with human and compassionate heart. He takes nothing to heart. He would smile vicious excoriation away and extend the olive to the adversary. Take for instance Ikem Okuhu who now writes rubbish against the governor. Ugwuanyi picked him at a time when he was jobless and roaming the streets of Lagos. He was made a media aide to the governor but he could not perform. Ugwuanyi gave him accommodation, a car and paid him handsomely, yet he would leave the job and drink himself to stupor, sleeping with prostitutes in hotels in Enugu. Not only did he stop at his adroitness in lechery, but also caused strife among the media team, quarreling with everyone in the media team and gossipping all over the place. Ugwuanyi managed him till the end of his first tenure. He did not sack him because he didn't want his family and dependants to suffer. He even allowed Okuhu to go with the car. Today, Ikem has joined other ingrates to rail at the governor, forgetting his kindness to him.
Chijioke Edeoga and Nnia Nwodo were beneficiaries of the Ugwuanyi administration. Chijioke served as commissioner for Local Government Affairs in Ugwuanyi's first tenure and later as Commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals for 3 years in Ugwuanyi's second tenure. He resigned to contest the governorship and after failing at the primaries, he absconded to Labour Party and has since then been abusing and making uncomplimentary remarks about the governor. Chief Nnia Nwodo became the President-General of Ohanezs Ndigbo under Ugwuanyi's wings. Ugwuanyi reportedly bankrolled him all through. Today, Nnia has shown appreciation by teaming with Chijioke, his alleged surrogate, to fight Ugwuanyi.
Many such cases abound. Most of those who play Judas to Ugwuanyi are still in his cabinet, enjoying the perquisites of the office they occupy in the administration and yet work against the administration and the governor. Some persons Ugwuanyi made local government chairmen allegedly work against the administration. They are Labour Party at night and PDP in the morning. They mourn in the morning what they killed at night. Ugwuanyi knows all of them very well, but he has committed them to God. Vengeance is the Lord's.
The latest straw that broke the carmel's back is the abuse coming from Dr Chimaroke Nnamani. Nnamani had slipped into political oblivion. No thanks to Sullivan Chime who chased him out of the state into irrelevance. Ugwuanyi came in and brought Chimaroke back to power by helping him to go to the senate. Since Chimaroke failed his third tenure bid for the senate, Ugwuanyi has become the butt of his many tweets. How could Chimaroke have forgotten Ugwuanyi's kindness so soon?
One thing is sure. Ugwuanyi has a destiny in the leadership of Nigeria. His maker wired him with the elastic fibre to stretch over adversities, do good to this traducers and move on. By so doing, he heaps burning coal of fire on their heads (Prov. 25: 22). It takes a spiritual-minded person to gloss over the affronts of his beneficiaries and continue to do them good. It sounds preposterous. A natural man in power will unleash his power on them and deal with them ruthlessly, but not Ugwuanyi. Ugwuanyi treats them as a father would the prodigal son. Even when those loyal to the governor grumble that he favours his enemies and leaves them out, they should remember what the father of the prodigal son told his other son that complained as they now do.God will reward everyone according to their deeds.
What would one say of Ugwuanyi's brothers from Nsukka many of whom sponsor besmear campaigns against the governor? They went overboard in severe haranguing of the governor for no just cause. They swallowed everything Ugwuanyi did for Nsukka into their bottomless pit of entitlement mentality.They worked against Ugwuanyi's senatorial bid and preferred the vulture for the eagle. Ugwuanyi may not have won the senatorial seat for which Chimaroke mocks him, but surely Ugwuanyi shall go places in his political career. The vision will speak at the appointed time, and then, his adversaries shall kiss dust off his feet.
