When George Washington Carver stated matter of factly that Education remains the key to Unlocking the Golden door of Freedom, one would have foraged the entire globe to discover that education is not just the key to unlock the mind from both physical and mental slavery, it ensures a partway to the future which only belongs to those who are ready to embrace it today. Shall we for once turn towards the Great Madiba, the man incarcerated for a quarter of a century but emerged from the ashes of the incarceration to become one of the most glamorous President to strut the African continental political space. Nelson Mandela understood the value of Education, he craved for it’s values which was to change his cosmopolitan dispositions and deployed it to it’s greatest advantage. Mandela rising above the purveyors of the apartheid principles in South Africa, declared that not gun nor ammunition is capable of changing the world but education. Education is the first step for people to gain the knowledge, critical thinking, empowerment and skills to make the world of ours a better place. We have seen this happen in the developed economies of the world today, that governments of the developing countries are struggling to catch up with. While governments of the developing world are at it, it remains to be seen how the issues of corruption which has become like an albatross could enable governments of these nations achieve more in educational development. Aside the issues of corruption, the will power and passion are lacking to frog leap our educational experiences and trajectories.
Ironically, an unassuming 21st century leader somewhere East of the Niger has dared to be different. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi while taking the oath of office at Okpara Square in 2015 for his first term vowed to fulfill his campaign promises to Ndi Enugu to provide impactful leadership no matter what it takes. Six years down the road, we are witnessing a service oriented leadership like never before in the history of Enugu State. We have seen development on all fours. But one would do well to highlight here in brief, Ugwuanyi’s penchant to qaud-leap educational development in the state. We are all enamored that Ugwuanyi’s investment in the education sector is yielding desired dividends. He has never lost sight of the fact that an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. The realization of this eternal truth has gingered him to no end to assemble all weapon there is to improve the lot of education in Enugu State despite the global economic downturn.
An elated governor Ugwuanyi while receiving the two lads from the government owned technical colleges who invented locally an aircraft and an MP3 radio set, offered them government scholarship to the university level in addition to cash rewards to encourage them in their invention efforts. Perhaps, what appeared to be a mind boggling angle during the event of the presentation of the 2 young inventors is the wooing of the state Commissioner for education, Prof. Uche Eze to immediately present to the State Executive Council, a memo for the approval of the sum of N100 million for the construction of more classroom blocks in Government Technical Colleges in the state and equally wooed the Executive Chairman of the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), Dr. Gabriel Ajah to also apply for the sum of N50 million for the construction of more technical workshops in GTCs Nsukka and Enugu, and also request for employment of additional technical teachers, for the State Executive’s approval, bringing the sum total of more funds to be injected in the development of technical education to one hundred and fifty million Naira. This is indeed heart warming. Governor Ugwuanyi’s heartbeat is in the educational advancement of the lads of Enugu State who would become global citizens.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is indeed Gburugburu, Mr Fulfilment, Mr Do-Good and everything an ideal 21st century leader should be. We will continue to hand him into the hands of God as he has equally placed the entire state in God’s able hands.
Bibian Anekwe News added …“The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.”
Written by
©️ Austin Okechukwu Chijioke.
A Political Analyst
Media Team Member: Enugu Di n’Akachukwu Movement
