FOR weeks on end, Enugu and its environs had been gripped in a warp of fanfare since it became known that the Honourable member of the Federal House of Representatives, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was the favoured and accepted amongst the lot from Enugu North Senatorial Zone, indeed Nsukka, where the next governor of the state, would emerge from.
Even before the primaries, the air waves and newspapers have been inundated with series of jingles and write-ups, all praising the man they say would lead Enugu State to Eldorado.
The euphoria that greeted the emergence of Honorable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Enugu State in the general elections holding February 2015, should by now begin to give place for critical questions and challenges that should occupy the minds of the candidate of the PDP as the days move faster toward the elections proper.
Days of adulation should now be over considering that the genuine praise singers had drummed continually of his generosity, meekness, humility, drawing inference from his monumental achievements as Chairman House Committee on Maritime, thus, beclouding the actual perspective of the man Ugwuanyi vis-a-vis what naturally would be the expectations of the people as he goes into the gubernatorial ring.
There is no gain-saying that Ugwuanyi’s candidature was greeted with a world of acceptance that reverberated throughout Nsukka, Udi, Ezeagu, Achi, Oji River, Awkunanaw, Agbani, Awgu, Enugu urban, Amagunze, Amechi Idodo to mention but a few, nonetheless, the intellectual community and greater segment of the Enugu society would expect a more visible engagement of the candidate in very critical issues that would go a long way in assuaging their curiosity.
Most of the feature materials in the newspapers concerned with painting him in the superlatives, but none had tried to address or articulate the many likely areas of public perception and expectations. The people had indeed wished it was the candidate coming on stronger on the pages of newspapers or radio and television with salient messages of hope and setting a clear cut agenda of programmes.
A couple of newspaper publications had in the past, as soon as it became crystal clear that the pendulum of power was tilting towards him, erroneously described him as a lawyer and equally said that he had ,before going to the Federal House of Representatives, lectured at the University of Nigeria Nsukka; of course a jumbled misrepresentation.
When there is such a confused profile, it becomes imperative that now that the ticket has been gotten, that he addresses the identity question by becoming more visible and addressing his first major news conference. The advantages are many and varied as they go a long way in properly informing a larger section of the electorate of Enugu State and beyond and situating his candidature for proper appreciation of the depth of the man who is to lead them in the next four years, come May, 2015, if he wins the governorship race to occupy the Independence Layout Government House.
So, who is Ugwuanyi, what is his pedigree? Away from the euphemism of a slogan ‘Gburugburu,’ which has since caught up with the people, this catch phrase popularity nickname, shows universality and the people’s choice, this coinage he had deployed successfully in all his campaigns as legislator in the Federal House. Now, there is a game changer. The stakes are higher. He has an entire state with all its complexities to contend with. What would Gburugburu bring to the table? The people want to know as Reggae buff Jimmy Cliff’s popular lyrics, ‘We want to know…..’
If Ugwuanyi wins the elections, which is most likely given the quantum of love, acceptability and support from all the stakeholders in Enugu State, he has to roll up his sleeves because the man he would be taking over from, had left an indelible footprints on the sands of time in the state. In almost every respect, Governor Sullivan Chime has performed.
No one can take that from Chime, despite the unfortunate political upheaval which reared its head but gladly had been sorted out. So, the people would expect no less achievement in all ramifications as he assumes the mantle of leadership next year after the tenure of the present governor runs out.
Given Gburugburu’s antecedents as a great mobilizer, he should begin to conceptualise the right approach to governance and how best to tackle issues as they affect every segment of the society. What would he be telling the students when he meets with them? Market men and women and the business community, what would be the best way they can impact on his government, vice versa?
Which of the numerous economic potentials of the state can he revive immediately to generate employment and to increase revenue resource base? Coming in at a period of global economic recession, there would be fewer funds from the centre; already the Federal Government had commenced austerity measures.
The implication is that there might not be enough money to throw around. He must begin now to fashion a modus operandi to face the Herculean challenges ahead. It is not going to be a tea party but one that would call for the greatest wisdom to run the affairs of a frenzied people who are expecting that true to his nick name, ‘Gburugburu,’ he would not disappoint.
In preparation for the tasks ahead, great men world-wide retire to a retreat far away from the hurly burly bustling city life with a select team of intellectuals and technocrats to harmer out what would ordinarily pass the litmus test as a working blueprint.
— Dr Okpunwa wrote in from Enugu
