By Emmanuel Ikechukwu Jonathan, JP, Esq.
The Holy Scripture in Romans Chapter 12 verse 18-20, admonishes us to be at peace with all men. It also exhorts us, in verse 19, to not seek revenge; “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”. The holy book says further, in verse 20: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…”
The immediate Past Executive Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi epitomizes this scriptural exhortation. He has lived in peace with all men and this reinforces the aphorism that he is a priest in politics. He always admonishes people around him to leave vengeance for God, adding that he does not have enemy as a living creature.
In his political endeavour, Ugwuanyi tries everything humanly possible to avoid violent approach to political contest. He believes in actualizing his ambition in peaceful ways devoid of shedding of blood. He is never associated with any fierce contest that might lead to one party either losing his life or bruised. Before the tenure of Ugwuanyi, we have witnessed political leaders who unleashed violence on Ndi Enugu.
For Ugwuanyi, a contest produces a winner and a looser and whichever of the two that comes to him, he believes it is the will of God and employs the spirit of sportsmanship.
He exhibited these philosophies at his very first shot into politics when he contested for the Chairmanship of Udenu LGA and lately the Senatorial position of Enugu North Senatorial District. In both cases, he was at peace with the outcomes, and he moved on peacefully in his characteristic manner. It is a quality that is hard to come by in the lives of most politicians in our society today.
This philosophy earned him the seat of the House of Representatives which he occupied for twelve years before emerging as the Governor of Enugu State in 2015. He is always magnanimous in victory as he extended hands of fellowship to all those he defeated in any contest he embarked on.
In his leadership of Enugu State, despite having the enormous executive powers at his disposal to fight his political opponents to a halt, he instead extended the olive branch to them. He believes in winning his foes to his side amicably.
Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will be remembered as the first Executive Governor of Enugu State who did not engage in fierce disagreement or confrontation with his predecessor. He always showed respect and gratitude to those who occupied that revered office of the governor before him. As Governor, he carried his predecessors along in his leadership of the state.
Throughout his leadership of the state, there is no record of him having acrimonious exchanges with any political stakeholder from within or outside Enugu State. He established and enthroned a peaceful atmosphere for all, irrespective of whatever political family you belong.
In the area of infrastructural development, he ensured that the three Senatorial Districts in the state felt his leadership impact which is in contrast with the political philosophy of one of his predecessors who believed that a governor should focus his leadership gains more on his people ahead of the other zones in the state. Though he may not have met all the expectations of all Ndi Enugu while he led the state, Ugwuanyi, has to his credit, several legacy projects scattered across the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
Despite the economic downturn that his administration was faced with, he was able to construct over 600 kilometers of both rural and urban roads across the three Senatorial Districts of the state and constructed the first ever flyover in Enugu state situated in Enugu East Senatorial District at the popular Nike T-junction to ease off the traffic jam that was hitherto affecting free flow of vehicular movements.
He solved the age-long epileptic power challenge encountered in Nsukka zone through the state’s support for the NIPP project.
In the area of health, he constructed and fully equipped several Type-3 hospitals across the state, upgraded the hitherto district hospitals to General Hospitals across the Senatorial Districts, one of which was recently named after Governor Peter Mbah by the immediate Past Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area, Hon. Uchenna Ejim.
In the area of education, Ugwuanyi constructed and renovated close to 400 schools and employed close to 5000 teachers if not more at both primary and secondary education levels. While he ensured that all the Tertiary Institutions in the state never lost any form of accreditation, he will be remembered for prompt payment of salaries of teachers in all carder of education and approval of funds for the renovation and construction of critical infrastructure that aided teaching and learning.
In the area of welfare, the civil servants in the state felt his impact on prompt payment of salaries, accelerated promotion and constant training and retaining of workers to boost their output. The youths of Enugu State also felt his impact in the area of exposing them with political appointments as part of leadership recruitment programme to prepare them for the future.
His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ugwuanyi crowned his support for educational advancement in the state with the establishment of a brand new State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) situated at Igboeno in Enugu State to ease access to medical education. SUMAS is billed to also have a state of the art teaching hospital that will ameliorate the sufferings of Ndi Enugu and beyond to access tertiary medical care. He also attracted the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo and provided a take off facility that they are currently occupying.
In the area of Sports, Ugwuanyi’s midas touch led to Rangers breaking the jinx of the Championship League in 2016 and the Aiteo Cup in 2018. These victories hitherto eluded Rangers for over thirty years. He went on to build a 5000 sitting capacity stadium in Nsukka to enhance grassroot sports development.
Gburugburu, as he is fondly called, took the issue of security so dear to his heart as he consistently provided working tools to all the security agencies in the state. He provided 100 Innoson Vans among others. He went on to also establish Forest Guards and strengthened the operation of Neighborhood Watch to support other security agencies in tackling insecurity in the state.
His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, born on the 20 of March, 1964, turns 60 years today, March 20, 2024. He is a man that has enjoyed God’s abundant blessings and favours. Born to the family of Late Chief David and Veronica Ugwuanyi from Ohom Orba in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu, Ugwuanyi will be greatly remembered for instituting political ecumenism during his reign as Governor of Enugu State. He led Enugu State alongside members of other political parties and admonished those in his party to work with everyone irrespective of political affiliation.
Barely one year that he left office as Governor of Enugu State, Ndi Enugu, have in so many fora, expressed the fact that they miss his unique approach to leadership. He has continued to receive encomiums from all and sundry, including his political opponents who disagreed with him on his transition programme in the state. They still appreciate his simplicity, peaceful and detribalized style of leadership.
It is therefore pertinent that we wish our dear immediate past Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, CON, a blissful 60th birthday celebration filled with more grace, wisdom and strength.
Sixty years is milestone age referred to as diamond jubilee. In Chinese cosmology, turning 60 marks five full cycles in the Chinese zodiac, symbolically beginning a new life cycle. The Diamond Jubilee, of His Excellency is more than just marking a birthday; it is a celebration of life’s durability and brilliance and also a rebirth of vivacity.
We therefore, pray to God to give His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the grace to be able do all the things he sacrificed due to work, leadership and family commitments and more. May His Excellency continue to appreciate the finer things in life and venture into new adventures for the good of humanity with gusto.
Emmanuel Ikechukwu Jonathan, JP, Esq, celebrates Ugwuanyi’s 60th birthday anniversary from Alor-Agu his hometown in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State.
