It was John Calvin Maxwell, that quintessential American author of many works on leadership including 21 irrefutable laws of leadership and 21 indispensable qualities of a leader who stated matter of factly that true leaders always put other people first. It has been argued over time that a lot of contemporary leaders happen into leadership positions, while a good number of them also had their teeth cut out for leadership. Yet, even at that almost everything can be learned or relearned including leadership models and the character for instituting good governance mode in our contemporary society. Political scientists are also agreed that democracy as a political model throws up some set of individuals and who are truly representatives of the people to hold government in trust for them. These set of people must remain accountable to the people who elected them as their representatives. It is equally important to understand that accountability to the people do not have to be negotiated. It is the people’s right to be equal partakers in their own governance.
Another important attribute of democratic engagements in every society is the essence of peace, inclusion and synergy among all the political actors for the common good of the people. This much has been the hallmark of Ugwuanyi’s administration since his assumption of office. Getting all the political actors to think objectively on a wide range of issues pertaining to the governed and agree on same could not be said to be a tea party even when all actors involved are of the same political bloc or affiliation. The managerial/ temperamental dispositions of a leader is easily discernible from the manner and means issues are tackled and decisions taken in the interest of the citizens without much rancor. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has shown considerable lead in this aspect leading to the unmatched synergy and harmony among the three arms of government in Enugu State compared to what it used to be before him and elsewhere in the country. This fact remain unarguable and Governor Ugwuanyi must be given thumbs up for this. Those who hold contrary views should take a trip to other states around the country to have a feel of what incessant infighting among the Executives and Legislators on one hand and the inability or sheer insensitivity of the Executive arm to see the need to bring up the capacity of the other arms to standard as a way of deepening the democratic ideals and helping the actors in those arms to perform at their optimal level. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi did not happen into leadership, he is a leader through and through!!
To ensure that his political colleagues in the legislative arm attains a better leverage to carry out their legislative functions in tune with international acceptable best practices, his administration sponsored a good number of the Legislators to an Advanced Leadership Programme at Møller Institute, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. What a noble gesture!
One of the most important attributes out of other several ones of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as a good leader is his ever willingness to support a good cause as long as it is in the overall interest of the people and without having to mind the cost implication. Of course, for Governor Ugwuanyi, whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. Not too long ago, his government went out of his way to sponsor some respectable Enugu State women to Kigali, the Capital city of Rwanda to learn one or more things in societal leadership. Of course, Enugu State is the only state in the whole of the South East zone to send delegates to the Rwanda convention on women leadership.
Again it is important to highlight with the benefit of hindsight that the recent sponsorship of the Enugu State legislators to leverage on their capacity at a UK Institute which earned them certificates is the first time any state government before Ugwuanyi is undertaking such sponsorship program for members of the state parliament. Enugu State is truly in the hands of God Almighty.
Bibian Anekwe News added; “Your ultimate goal as a leader should be to work hard enough and strategically enough that you have more than enough to give and share with others.”
Written by
Austin Okechukwu Chijioke.
A Public Affairs Commentator.
Media Team Member for EDNAC.
