Category: Opinion

Of Obi’s Presidency and Obaze’s Kind

By Chima Christian

There is this picture of Oseloka Henry Obaze (OHO) that was taken during Peter Obi’s consultation with Chief Bode George and Lagos PDP family yesterday. It reminded me of Proverbs 18:24. In the picture, which I have attached to this piece, one could see OHO standing and taking pictures of his friend Peter Obi.

A former United Nations diplomat, former Secretary to the Government of Anambra State, former governorship candidate, gifted thinker, prolific writer, policy consultant to several international organisations, highly accomplished individual, Obaze had no business standing during that meeting. Not only was he standing, he was personally taking pictures of the proceeding and would later upload same on his social media platforms.

One needs to visit @OselokaHObaze’s twitter handle or belong to certain WhatsApp groups with him to understand how he has literally gone on a campaign overdrive for his friend, Peter Obi. His Twitter and WhatsApp engagements could be mistaken for that of a millennial.

OHO could easily write a cheque to Peter Obi’s campaign, grant one or two TV interviews, act all classy and dignified when he is on Peter Obi’s entourage. But no, he must go over and beyond.

Obaze’s United Nations colleagues describe him as one of Nigeria’s finest diplomats. His choice of words, especially in his writings and public comments, is proof-positive that he retained his diplomatic core. Yet, when it comes to his friends, Obaze consistently throws diplomacy in the mud.

Those who know OHO so well no longer bother advising him on some of the tasks he undertakes for his friends that could be considered to be beneath him. He gives no ear to such entreaties. Like David, once enthralled, Obaze is willing to, and has severally danced till his garments fell off.

He went all out for his 2017 running mate, Chidi Onyemelukwe, in the just-concluded Anambra election. Not only was he supporting Onyemelukwe to clinch PDP’s ticket, he made sure everyone knew where he was. His commitment to Onyemelukwe’s campaign was not only visible, when it eventually came down to the wire, Obaze proved himself faithful. At the conclusion of the voting process Onyemelukwe secured only two votes – her’s and that of Obaze. There were some of her blood relations who were delegates to that election, including those who benefited from her late father’s magnanimity, but it was Obaze from far away Ogbaru who stood with her till the end.

Obaze has personal connections with a good number of today’s Presidential Aspirants. Nobody knows for sure where PDP is headed. He could as well hedge and play all of them as a trained diplomat that he is. Yet, Obaze has again thrown diplomacy in the mud and has carried this Peter Obi matter on his head. From campaign financing, to strategy development, to policy advisory, to camera man, to social media influencer, to project manager, to volunteer, Obaze will do and be all things for his friend, Peter Obi.

Anywhere you see Obaze now, please hug him till he turns red, there are very few of his kind remaining. Man has again gone hyperactive; he will no longer get even three hours of sleep per day till he gets to the logical conclusion of Peter Obi’s presidential aspiration. Head or tail, you can be sure he will be with Peter even after the end.

For being such a dependable friend, Obaze, to me, has earned his place among the saints. His golden crown doesn’t have stars on it however.

Unlike Bola Tinubu or even Bukola Saraki who have raised men, Obaze hasn’t particularly shown much interest in opening doors for his mentees and younger associates. We don’t know what experiences he might have had that is holding him back, we are however thankful for the privilege of learning from such a man. While we are individually working out our own salvation, we are low-key praying to someday, even if momentarily, enjoy the version of Obaze he so generously gifts his friends.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

2023: Is Ugwuanyi Planning A Surprise For Enugu? (Opinion) 

By John-Francis Nwaroh

The setting in Enugu today is like that of 2007. The eventful tenure of Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani as Enugu State governor was coming to an end and a crowd of aspirants had formed for the state governorship under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Many of his aides and political associates who rose from the ranks of Ebeano, the political group he formed, were jostling to take over from him.

The list included die-hard Ebeano disciples like Deputy Governor Okechukwu Itanyi, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his Secretary to the State Government, Dan Shere, presidential adviser Prof. Osita Ogbu, former Udi Chairman, Oscar Egwuonwu, etc. Even Nnamani’s Nkanu kinsman Sam Ejiofor who was overseeing political and local governments matters, planned to use the Council Chairmen as springboard to the seat.

Each person was trying to outdo the other in impressing Governor Chimaroke Nnamani but while the horse-trading was going on, however, the governor played the balancing act. After taking a hard look at the field, and with each aspirant stoking the fire from their own support bases, he concluded he had to look elsewhere.  He needed a man detached from deep partisan politics to take Enugu to the next level.

His mind eventually settled on Sullivan Chime. The Commissioner for Justice might not be the politician’s delight but he possessed both intellectual power and the focus to run a large bureaucracy. He had proved himself in the eight years he served on the state executive council during which time he was behind some of the key decisions in the outgoing administration.

Chime eventually got the PDP nomination and was elected governor. He went on to run one of the most impactful administrations the state has ever witnessed.

Is Ugwuanyi looking beyond the present crowd of governorship aspirants in Enugu to point the way to his successor?

The sudden burst into the political limelight of Dr. Kingsley Udeh has set many tongues wagging. Is he Gov. Ugwuanyi’s trump card?

 

At 42, Dr. Kingsley Udeh is one of the Governor’s key backroom staff who is credited with some of the administration’s policy initiatives. A Development Expert with versatile academic qualifications and multi-sectoral experience in governance, Udeh surprised many three weeks ago when he resigned his position as the Governor’s Special Adviser.

Few days later, he veered into the political terrain with a loud bang by picking the Peoples Democratic Party expression of interest and nomination forms to contest election as Enugu State governor in 2023. At a time all eyes are on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to point the way towards his successor, Ude has turned out as the one who may spring a surprise in the contest.

Until he joined the administration in 2017, Udeh had conquered in many fields, as a Consultant to several international development organizations.  Among them are the UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, African Development Bank, FCDO and UK Department for International Development (DFID).

With experience in multi-disciplinary engagements across almost all the states of the federation, he was a “big catch ‘ for the Ugwuanyi administration.  And in less than six years, his imprint can be seen in several policy thrusts that have defined the administration.

He started first as Senior Special Assistant on Development Aids, handling much of the state’s international finance partnerships. From there, he moved to become the Focal Person of the Enugu State Open Government Partnership (a multi-stakeholders’ good governance platform) before he was again moved to Education as Special Adviser.

In between the movements, he served briefly as the Governor’s Personal Assistant, a period – it would seem – was to offer him opportunity to have an insight into the person and style of Governor Ugwuanyi.

What really, is this man bringing to the table?

In an exclusive interview with THISDAY newspaper on Saturday 9th April, 2022, Ude gives a peep into what drives his aspiration. “To me the whole essence of politics is servant leadership. I have been involved in leadership and activities that impact the public positively. I believe that one should not seek power just for the sake of it but as an enablement to do good. This philosophy has guided my public life as well as my private endeavors as a developmental philanthropist supporting our teeming youths, widows, orphans and people with disabilities and the less privileged in our communities.”

For a relatively young man with little experience in partisan politics, how does he hope to square up against the titans in the field?He answers thus: “My candidacy is unique in many ways and what you consider to be disadvantages are actually what makes it stand out. I am the unifier, and rather than being bogged down by the unnecessary divisions in our polity, I believe I am accepted across board. And having spent over 20 years in key international institutions involved in development plus my critical work as Adviser to Enugu state governor, I have all the requisite experience.”

What Dr. Kingsley Udeh has going for him are many. For instance, he is seen as a cross between the youth and the older generation that constitute the political leadership in the state. Besides, he is not burdened by any past unsavoury record or baggages that some of his fellow contestants have. At his age, he finds a solid base among the youths, the women and the less privileged.

A product of College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC) Enugu, like two of the three men that has served Enugu State as governors since 1999, he also possesses a first degree in Law from  the University of Nigeria. He is also equipped with a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom and a Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Laws Degree (PhD/LLD) from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

On the flip side, some people may regard the fact that he hails from Ozala in Nkanu West Local Government Area as a challenge to his ambition. The area has produced a governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, from 1999 to 2007. While he strongly disagrees, he contends that zoning of the governorship position in Enugu state is on the basis of Senatorial zones and that his chances are not in any way dimmed by the fact that he hails from the same area with ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani.

For a man who openly confesses that working with Ugwuanyi has been for him, a mixture of challenges and fulfilment, he says the governor has done “exceedingly well” considering the socio-political and economic climate in the state and country. Like Ugwuanyi promised about his predecessor’s during the 2015 governorship campaign, Ude has also pledged to adopt the development and good governance ideals of the outgoing administration. “I must admit that I have learnt a lot working with Gov. Ugwuanyi. He has a passion for the common people, he is pragmatic and focussed on delivering on his promises.”

He continues: “One act of the governor that has had a profound impact on the development of the state is the setting up of Sectoral Ad-Hoc Committees that looked into all aspects of the state’s development. I was part of the formulation of the committees and the production of the development blueprint that resulted from their activities. It is one of the many policy documents that have taken the state higher, and one that his successor must adopt if he must progress on the trajectory of wholesome development.”

Is Udeh punching above his weight? Definitely No. Many would recall that some of the best governors Nigeria has produced since 1999 – the likes of Donald Duke, Chimaroke Nnamani, James Ibori, Bukola saraki etc, – took offices in their early 40s.

Since entering the race, he has been speaking on his programmes that will bring wholesome transformation to the state. In a broad sense, he says he will not only progress on the trajectory Governor Ugwuanyi has instituted since 2015, but take the state a notch higher.

What are his views on the vexed issue of zoning of the state governorship?

Udeh believes in zoning in Enugu State and at different fora, he has defended the legal and practical perspectives on which the issue of zoning rests. From the legal perspective, according to him, it is provided in the 1999 Constitution under Part II which stipulates that government businesses should be done in such a way to give states of the federation a sense of belonging in the appointment into political offices. “It is called federal character principle (and) the same applies to Enugu State which has Nsukka, Nkanu and Agbaja and other groupings within the state.

In practical terms, he refers those who condemn zoning to the United Kingdom where many of their laws and legal statutes are not written down. There are some that are practiced overtime and have become conventions. “In Enugu State, zoning has evolved in much the same way and it has ensured equity, justice and a seamless rotation of the governorship position from one senatorial zone to the other, beginning from Enugu East in 1999, to Enugu West in 2007 and then presently Enugu North in 2015. It is only reasonable that it should continue in Enugu East in 2023.”

As the contest enters a crucial stage and all eyes fixed on Governor Ugwuanyi and the party’s caucuses that will set the guidelines for the contest in the state, Ude will continue to attract attention. Beyond his youthfulness, his outstanding credentials, his wide experience and impressive programmes, it will be interesting how he squares up with more entrenched aspirants in the contest.

Opinion: Peter Mbah, the Urbane entrepreneur, technocrat seeking to lead Enugu 

By Ignatius Idoko

Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has achieved a huge chain of revolutionary successes in the public and private sectors. This feat defines him as a leader with a unique can-do spirit that spans industry, government and philanthropy. His life trajectories are summarized by that quip which says the elevator of life is out of order and the wo/man heading for the top will have to use the stairs…one step at a time.

The steps of life Mbah has taken thus far were a mixture of the rough and the smooth; many of them taken with great pains and discomfort. The ladder steps have made him the proverbial man who knows where the shoe pinches, giving him the ability to decipher the colour of pains and the power to intuitively recognize someone who lacks.

Born on March 17, 1972, in Enugu, Enugu State, to the family of Chief and Mrs. Gilbert Mbah, Mbah hails from Owo, in Nkanu East Local Government Area. International maritime lawyer, business magnate, public administrator and philanthropist, this young goal-getter is the founder and chief executive officer of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, an indigenous oil and gas company, which has displaced dominant players in the industry and taken the number one position in this mature industry by eliminating multiple handling of operations in the space and building facilities that have enabled the industry cut down on so much cost and turn-around time in operation. Renowned with a corporate watchword that is driven by an innovative mindset, this watchword has helped Mbah’s Pinnacle to disrupt methods and conventions, into becoming a numero uno force and dominant player in the sector.

In climbing the stairs to where he is today, Mbah’s buzzword is that inside this short life of his is packaged grit, frustration, disappointments, rough tackles but each step with very strong determination. In fact, he describes himself as a man whose life can be summarized as a race run with an amazing vigour.  In climbing to the top, Mbah has walked steadily through a thorns-laden path, to arrive at this pinnacle of his career.

A holder of an LLB. honours from the University of East London (UEL), during his time in school, Mbah acquitted himself brilliantly as a first-class organizer of men, with a long track record of a leader and intellectual. Between 1998 and 1999, he was the president of the Students’ Law Society. During this period, the society won the Students’ Union prize and certificate of achievement for the ‘Most Productive Society of the Year.’ He was also nember, Students’ Representative Council of the UEL, from 1999 to 2000, as well as being Member of the School Law Board between 1999 and 2000, where he represented the Final Year students. Peter Mbah also won the First prize of the University of East London Mooting Competition, and led the University’s team to the International Negotiation Competition. In addition, he was a recipient of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Major Bar Vocational Course Award in 2000.

Within this period at UEL, Mbah distinguished himself as a foremost student representative whose knack for excellence and organization of men was unexampled. He was later called to the Nigerian Bar and awarded the Bachelor of Law (BL) at the Nigerian Law School. He did his youth service in Lagos with the law firm of Udeh & Associates and was lucky to drink from the brooks of law under the tutelage of the inimitable Justice Nnaemeka Agu.

Mbah’s academic records and grasp of administration, even in his student days, could be gleaned from the testimonials to his leadership given by his former lecturers and tutors at the University of East London, as well as here in Nigeria. Colin Sumner, Professor of Law and Head of the School of Law at the UEL, wrote this about him: “Peter has always struck me as an extremely determined and immensely capable young man. He is very sharp and alert, despite his easy-going manner… He resurrected a dormant body and won the university’s prize for the most productive society of the year… (he) led our student team in the International Negotiation Competition.”

For Ken McGuire, senior lecturer and Mbah’s personal tutor at the UEL, “Peter is personable and well-mannered. He is liked and respected by his fellow students and members of the academic at UEL. (He) is diligent, well-organized and (a) hardworking student (and his) academic abilities are excellent… one of the best students I have taught at UEL. He is confident of his abilities and works extremely hard.”

His lecturer in Nigeria, Professor Chris Ohurogu, also said of him: “He struck me as a very hardworking, intelligent and highly motivated person (who) possesses such a degree of foresight and problem-solving mentality which surpass those of his peers.”

Mbah made significant impact and strides while in the public service of his home state of Enugu as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development under Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. There, as a testament to the uncommon development he made in the state’s fiscal operation, through the strategy document he evolved which became the operating document for Enugu state government’s development programmes, the NewsWatch magazine’s special publication of July 3, 2006, described Mbah as “a man ahead of his time.” He had earlier served as Chief of Staff to the Governor in 2003.

As the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mbah was chairman of the Enugu State Tenders’ Board; member of the State Executive Council, as well as member of the State Security Council. As the Commissioner for Finance, he was a member of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (Nigeria’s highest fiscal allocation body), chairman of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee’s Sub-Committee on Legal Matters; chairman of the Enugu State Joint Account Allocation Committee; chairman of the board of directors for the Enugu State Insurance Company and chairman of the board of directors for the Enugu State Finance and Investment Company.

Mbah attended the Army Children’s School, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, and Owode High School, Owode Egba, Ogun State, where he obtained his first school leaving certificate in 1984 and senior secondary school certificate in 1992, respectively.

After his first degree, Mbah proceeded to acquire a master’s degree in Maritime and Commercial Law from the Lagos State University in 2004. In addition to these academic achievements and in the spirit of lifelong learning, he has continued to expand his boundaries of knowledge by participating in numerous other academic and capacity-building programmes, including the master’s degree in Business Administration from the IESE Business School, Barcelona, University of Navarra, Spain; the Chief Executive Programme at the Lagos Business School; postgraduate programme in Strategy and Innovation at the Said Business School, University of Oxford and numerous other certificate programmes in leading business schools across the world, including the Stanford Business School and Harvard Business School.

In November 2021, the Godfrey Okoye University in Enugu, at its 8th and 9th combined convocations, conferred on Mbah its doctoral award, honoris causa in Political Science.

Since leaving school, Mbah has distinguished himself remarkably, seemingly to justify his tutors – Sumner, McGuire and Ohurogu’s projections of him. Aside founding Pinnacle Oil and Gas in 2007 from an almost zero base-worth and nil reckoning in the corporate world, he has to date taken the company to the zenith of corporate success as one of Nigeria’s leading, independent oil and gas sales and distribution companies. He also sits atop the board and management of a Group subsidiary company called Pinnacle Pointers, a real estate and hospitality company.

His business and professional track records have taken him through several spheres of activity such as Import trade, Oil and Gas sales and distributions, maritime logistics and public service. As diverse as his career in the oil industry has been, its consistent underpinning factor has been the passion for organisation, corporate governance and the perpetual search of knowledge.

Pinnacle Oil and Gas Nigeria’s renown as the most dominant downstream oil and gas business has been remarkably underscored, even more emphatically, with the recent launch of the Company’s ultra-modern Offshore Petroleum Products Intake and Off-take Facility in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, the first of its kind in West Africa. The Facility, the first of a planned three phases, currently boasts of two offshore moorings and 300,000,000 litres of petroleum storage, a multi-million dollars-worth 600,000 metric tonnes of storage and import, export facility at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, which is a West Africa-unprecedented venture aimed at battling the operational bottlenecks resulting from the intensity of berthing vessels at the Lagos jetties. This is already changing the face of the Nigerian downstream oil and gas industry, effectively removing numerous inefficiencies in the current product import processes. Its core areas of remarkable interventions in the oil industry are petroleum products importation, marketing and distribution, supply chain infrastructure, marine logistics, haulage operations and storage facilities.

Mbah’s Pinnacle Oil and Gas wears on its lapel and is celebrated in the oil and gas industry for its in-depth grasp of the sector and the business landscape of Nigeria in the six geopolitical zones. It parades an understanding of the strategic and well-structured apparatus of distribution channels in the oil industry which acts as its cutting edge. In its 14 years of operation, Pinnacle has served several multi-national organizations and high net-worth individuals, both in the private and public sector of the Nigerian economy, as a significant player and one of the driving forces of this layer of the Nigerian economy.

Pinnacle has also successfully completed the development of Single Point Monitoring (SPM) and Conventional Buoy Mooring (CBM) facilities, some of the essential projects conceived by Mbah to bridge the supply chain infrastructural gap in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry. Pinnacle is today the undisputed commercial leader in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

Mbah has been a managing director and chief executive officer of numerous successful companies and sits on the boards of several establishments. Before Pinnacle Oil and Gas, this entrepreneurial icon had earlier founded the Peter Mbah Investment Limited, a trading firm which served as the Nigerian representative to International Oil Corporation (IOC) based in Fresno, California, USA. He was the sole agent of IOC.

Mbah also founded GILPEL Industries Ltd., a trading company involved in the import and sales of domestic electrical appliances and also founded and runs Pinnacle Pointers, a Group Subsidiary real estate and hospitality company, as well as Focus International Schools, a world-class Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools established in Lagos Nigeria.

In addition to the huge strides he has made in the areas of business, human management and public service, Mbah is passionate about community development and service to humanity. His passion for intervention in community development is piloted by a zeal that can best be described as a daily and continuous drive for excellence, only made possible by his untiring resilience and personal ‘can-do’ spirit.

In line with this, Mbah is also the founder of Peter Mbah Foundation (PMF), a not-for-profit and non-political organization, an all-integrated innovative initiative and humanitarian oriented project aimed at improving the health of people and standards of living in rural communities. PMF kicked off a pilot scheme designed to operate in three communities of Enugu State. The first phase of the pilot scheme is an acquisition of layouts in some communities, of ultra-modern Motorised Hospital Beds, diagnostic equipment, radiographic instruments, x-ray facilities, school equipment, computer sets, laptops, etc. for pupils and students.

Mbah is a Fellow of the Certified Institute of Public Administration and Management, (CIPM), a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Mbah’s leisure is spent reading biographies and autobiographies. He also spends his leisure time sailing, as a member of the Lagos Yacht Club.

He is married with a wife and children.

• Idoko is a Lagos-based attorney

(Nkanu Today) J.J Nwachukwu speaks about HRH Igwe, Rt. Hon. John Egbo Igwesi

As a child, His Royal Highness, Eze John Igwesi’s life was woven around the village and his town. Later, he was to travel out of his immediate environment in search of the golden fleece. It is not surprising therefore why he was able to acquire wide local experience which was to give him a mileage in his role as a community leader and later a traditional ruler. He was a civil servant, farmer, philanthropist, community leader, traditional ruler and a politician. As a staff of the Nigerian Coal Corporation, he rose rapidly through the ranks of the organization as he climbed its corporate ladder.

As a teacher, his output had put him ahead of the crowd. Indeed his was a glorious teaching career. As a farmer, he was an enthusiastic one imbued with great farming techniques. He was always eager to increase the yield of his crops. He thereby found pleasure in introducing new varieties of crops to his stock.

As a philanthropist, the late traditional ruler had taken many people under his wings. Indeed, he was able to make positive use of greatness by providing life enrichment opportunities for many. He was one philanthropist that touched all genders. As if he knew that his time on earth would not be long, he left remarkable footprints in the sand of time. As a matter of fact, he boosted enough compassion to qualify as the undisputed champion to the poor and vulnerable.

As a community leader, he was very active in his affairs to his people. He was not only a Frontline stakeholder, but also a mass leader who was able to engender development in the society.

In politics, the late Iroko-Eze Egbo-Igwesi was a long distance runner, with a huge political war chest, verifiable antecedent, a clear political programme, and a proper desire to institute a fairer and kinder economic regime for the people.

Eze Igwesi who was a diligent student of history had an astute understanding of strategy. He wasn’t one to speak cheek in tongue on any issue and therefore never shied away from speaking his mind.

As a politician, he had a headstart over most of his peers, probably because he had a better grasp of the game than most of them. He had wide contacts, exposure and outreach. His political career which spanned over several years, saw him holding several frontline positions. Indeed testimonies of his imperishable contributions and stand-out performance as a politician have continued to speak for him several decades after his transition.

Today, not too many people occupy office to do good. In his days, we had a generation of politicians who held their positions with dignity and carried out their tasks with expertise. As a matter of fact, theirs is a distant past which we recall with nostalgia. This is because nowadays, it is getting increasingly difficult to reincarnate this cycle of politicians in view of the various factors and influences at play.

The late patriarch who had an irrepressible image and possessed the capacity to speak his mind no matter how distasteful and unpleasant, also understood the fact that there is a time when discretion takes precedence over the eloquence of words. Since politics is a game of conflict and conflict resolution, Eze Igwesi was of the view that politicians must arm themselves with the art of war and peace. Though, physically diminutive, he was cerebrally gargantuan. A study of his life provides fascinating insights into his life of service and sacrifice, just as he stood out as a statesman.

As a legislator, his legislative record speaks volume: landmark pieces of legislation are now recorded in his favour, one of which was the motion for the separation of the then Nkanu Division from the old Udi Division. By the reason of the motion, Nkanu was to have its territorial identity separate from Udi. What this means is that Nkanu people still owe him the honor due him. As we honor our past heroes, we inspire the living to heroic acts.

In the old Eastern Region House of Assembly, he represented Udi East Central Constituency, on the platform of the defunct National Council of Nigerian and Cameroun (NCNC). This man with several political credits never fought from the flanks, he will always lead from the front, since he was not a shadow leader. He was able to assert not only his invincibility, but also his indispensability. He was able to hold down the wind inspite of the storms. Such men don’t come too often in a society. They come once in a long while. In fact, he was not an everyday man.

Upon retirement, he gracefully retreated to the background. Even in retirement, he proved that though we may retire from active service, we do not retire from our experience, as the late man of power continued to play fatherly and stabilizing role in the politics and affairs of his people.

As we remember him today, we miss his charm, charisma, engaging eloquence and compelling presence.

Enugu 2023: The Governorship Seat calls for Dr. Kingsley Udeh [Viewpoint]

…the odd favours him to win

By Kenneth Okey Anozie 

In every season of political contest, there are men and women whose kernel the gods have cracked as the political system throws them up to become the cynosure of all eyes, while the political permutations fall in their favour.

Today, Enugu State has the mantra ‘Enugu State is in the Hands of God’. It is palpable that this mantra is playing its divine role in who emerges as the successor of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu). The PDP family in Enugu State, as usual, is poised to continue its winning streaks in the State by fielding the right candidate.

Dr. Kingsley Udeh, who has a solid and versatile academic qualifications with requisite political and governance experience, added to his very humble and amiable personality, has a youth base that is powerfully enchanting. The good people of Enugu State will rejoice with a character like him as the Governor of Enugu State come 2023; a worthy successor to the performing Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

As a jolly good fellow, who matches his words with actions, Dr. Kingsley Udeh has procured his expression of interest and nomination forms, which gives him the impetus to now run as the Enugu State Guber Aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Enugu State has an unwritten understanding of zoning and, Dr Udeh, being a native of Ozalla in Nkanu West Local Government Area, falls within the zone that the next Governor is expected to come from.

His previous governance duties as the Senior Special Assistant to the incumbent Governor on Development Aid Coordination and Mobilization, later as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, and the Focal Person of the Enugu State Open Government Partnership (a multi stakeholders’ good governance platform and unifying force between government and the civil society) endows him with the versatile experience to excellently pilot the affairs of Enugu State from 29th May 2023. He is a Developmental Expert, and has in the previous offices held in Enugu State developed unparalleled developmental initiatives that will take Enugu State further. Dr Kingsley Udeh is what Enugu State needs now, and the people of Enugu should rally round and hire him as the Best Man to oversee the affairs of Enugu State in the succeeding Administration. He is a clean slate man, with no baggage that will encumber his service.

Dr. Kingsley Udeh possesses the unassuming character and humility of a true servant leader, like the incumbent Governor, and will definitely continue and advance His Excellency’s trajectory of developing Enugu State and enthroning peace. This is guaranteed because Dr. Udeh, a man that fears God, has always been a silent achiever and developmental philanthropist, supporting widows, orphans, people with disabilities (PWDs), the less privileged and communities, without fanfare.

Enugu State has a youth voting base of nearly 34% of the voters. And with a proper youth as the National Youth Leader of PDP, the sky is the limit for the highly skilled and progressive Youths of Nigeria to excel, of which Dr. Kingsley Udeh is one. If the youths can properly engage themselves, and work with the women and the men of Enugu State, their political success will be limitless. Their courage and commitment in projecting Dr. Udeh as the Best Man for the job of the succeeding administration in Enugu State will bear bountiful fruits. There is no way Enugu State will not continue to be in the Hands of God with Dr. Kingsley Udeh at the helm of affairs, as the youths vicariously and politically mobilize one of their own to clinch the 2023 Enugu State Governorship ticket. Youths of Enugu State will thrive in that time, as Dr. Udeh has always in various capacities empowered the youths in diverse ways, including scholarships and skills acquisition.

In terms of professional work experience, Dr. Kingsley Udeh was a Lecturer at the Nigerian Law School, a Senior Lecturer at Baze University, Abuja, a visiting Senior Lecturer at University of Nigeria, as well as having held other forms of academic positions in other prominent Higher Institutions.

Dr. Kingsley Udeh did his secondary school at the elite College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC) Enugu; obtained a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from the prestigious University of Nigeria; a Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom; capping it with a Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Laws Degree (PhD/LLD) from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. One can say that he got it all, academically.

Dr. Kingsley Udeh’s career has seen him working as a highly skilled Consultant with International Development Organizations, such as the United Nations, (UNICEF, UNDP, etc.), the World Bank, African Development Bank, FCDO, the European Union; in addition to national institutions, including the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. He has close to two decades of development work experience across all the states of the Federation and other parts of the world. Indeed Dr. Udeh has seen it all when it comes to experience with International Development Partners and Governments. No doubt, he will bring these excellent capacities to bear on State Administration, if the good people of Enugu State will hire him as their Chief Servant. He possesses all it takes to excel.

Indeed, one of the greatest legacies that Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who has done exceedingly well, will bequeath to Enugu State will be to have a man like Dr. Kingsley Udeh succeed him in office. That is when the positive paradigm shift that the good people of Enugu State have been clamouring for would have been successfully actualized!

Kenneth Okey Anozie
Political Analyst

Opinion: Many More Women Wanted

M.O. ENE

Women are reemerging worldwide as strong leaders. Germany’s Angela Markel wowed. Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand rocks. Croatia, Taiwan, Finland, Tanzania, Denmark, etc. have successful and young female leaders. Nigeria is not so lucky. No state has a female governor. No state has the 35% female affirmative threshold of political appointments. Lagos comes close with 30%. Governor Soludo just posted 25% in Anambra. Enugu State has no female county chairperson, after Barrister Nkechi Ugwu-Oju of Igbo-Etiti, but Nkanụ West Chairman Uche Ejim has posted 22% females in his cabinet. Impressive: many have near-zero.

In observance of International Women’s Day 2022 (IWD), I lamented in “Gender Gap: Breaking the Bias” that many women had not protested the defeat of commonsensical constitutional amendments to promote gender equity. Some women groups later protested at the entrance of the National Assembly (NASS). On Saturday, March 26, during the ruling party’s convention in Abuja, some women blocked the motorcade of some VIPS. Alas, the country’s continued crawl to yet another precipice keeps many women, the millions of breadwinners, focused more on making basic ends meet.

In 2005, I attended the Commonwealth conference on women participation in politics at Abuja Transcorp Hilton. It attracted the crème de la crème of women in the political sphere. I posited that women could solve the situation not by agonizing but by organizing and running for offices to reduce the number of Talibaneque legislators in NASS. It is difficult but doable. Progress has since surfaced, albeit at snail-speed.

Small streams sire seas. During the last county elections in Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, a staunch supporter of gender equity and the indisputable male champion of woman affairs in the Ninth Senate, backed four women councilors in his Enugu East senatorial district. They won. A certain Ifeoma Amadi Isienyi ran in Egede/Ụmụọka ward of Udi LGA under APGA. Publicity was poor. Finance was probably tight. She lost. Imagine what a drive-by support from APGA’s Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu could have done for her and thousands of women voters!

Some women are not helping matters; once they get up there, they kick off the ladder. Anambra State has made tremendous leaps in political representation. Not only has the state produced the only Nigerian female governor and a female speaker of the house, but it also nearly sent an all-female senate slate to the Ninth Senate, if not for the failure of APGA to bequeath Bianca, the widow of the party’s political patron saint, with the ticket for Anambra South.

Anambra may present again a strong female representation in 2023. Senator Uche Ekwunife may face Oby Ezekwesili. Both Bianca and Ebele Obiano, immediate-past first lady, may contest in different senatorial districts. Bianca deserves kudos for running from Anambra instead of driving down the road to her native Enugu. She did not follow the footsteps of Daisy Danjuma in returning to her native Edo for a senate seat, or Stella Oduah in returning to Anambra, where she is a princess of Ogbaru. First Lady of Ondo Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu also wants to go to NASS to represent her native Imo East Senatorial District, and Mrs. Ginika Tor Williams is returning to Enugu for another gubernatorial trial.

In Enugu, three women have noticeably stepped into the ring for elective offices. An ex-appointee of Governor Sullivan Chime, Dr. Amaka Oduh, is running for the House of Representatives (Udi/Ezeagu), as is another lady from Igbo-Etiti/Uzo Uwani. Dr. IfeSinachi Ugwuonye-Okechukwu has not only indicated interest for the Enugu West senatorial district, to replace ex-DSP Ike Ekweremadu, but she has also obtained the expensive PDP forms. These women follow in the footsteps of Loretta Aniagolu, Peace Nnaji, Stella Ngwu, Ethel Nebo-Ezeabasili, Juliet Ibekaku Nwagwu, etc.

The fire is lit. Nigeria’s NASS has stirred a nest of hornets, and the gate of big-boy bastions is about to get some serious knocks. Watch out for other regions beyond Aladimma, the southeast of Nigeria. No matter the outcome of current efforts, women are breaking the bias by answering the call for many more women wanted to step out and onto political platforms.

©MOE, 4.4.22
@aladimma