The media was agog few weeks back when the list of properties acquired or owned by Rt. Honorable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Executive Governor of Enugu State went viral. For the detractors, the spurious list presented a veritable narrative to inform the lovers of the people’s leader that their mentor is not or never who he appears to be. For the avoidance of doubt, these perfidious elements claimed that choice properties acquired or co-owned by Governor Ugwuanyi include HELIU estate among others both within and outside the state.
The more I read these narratives, the more meaningless it becomes to me. Though I have no record of Gov Ugwuanyi’s property anywhere, I am unaware also that Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is barred from owning property anywhere in the world. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi did not just finish school and become a governor. He had a stint with an Insurance brokerage firm where he rose to become a director before he ventured into politics from where he represented his people of Igbo-Eze North / Udenu federal constituency in the lower chambers of the National Assembly for 12 straight years before becoming the Chief Executive Officer of Enugu State. So it is baffling to hear people insinuate that Ugwuanyi has not made enough personal money to acquire property anywhere he desires but it must be the money belonging to Ndi Enugu that he is now expending however he desires. Evil minds haba! The antics of these warped evil people is already known. But whatever it is they intend to achieve by spewing malicious narrative, either to bring the people’s Governor to odium to have their way, is already dead on arrival.
To the best of my knowledge, HELIU estate, Centenary City, Independence Layout Phase 2 and other estates mentioned in the list are fully owned by Enugu State government just like other estates. That Ugwuanyi is the governor does not give him the ownership of those estates.
As if the rumour mongers are not satisfied, a list of choice properties was also alleged to be owned by Senator Ike Ekweremadu in another list. The properties are located in Enugu, Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Ghana, South Africa, Dubai, London and so many foreign countries. I wonder what they want to achieve with this. For goodness sake, Ike Ekweremadu was at one time a local government chairman, chief of staff to the Governor of Enugu State, Secretary to the state government and now a ranking senator in Nigeria. He has been in the senate for close to 2 decades. He was a deputy senate president for over 8 years and has been at the headship of so many adhoc committees in the senate. Are we now saying that all these years as a political office holder, he has not made enough money to buy property(ies) . I may not agree that he has all the properties mentioned in the list but I am sure that no law forbids him from buying any property he can afford. I am still looking for a section of our constitution that bars him from owning property or doing business as a public office holder or a politician. So why the fume?
Both Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu are qualified to own any property they can afford as I am eminently qualified too. They are also free to invest in any business of their choice as I am. They are qualified to receive gift of any kind from political associates, business associates, friends and well wishers as I am qualified too. Why is their own making headlines as if it is only them that have got properties?.
When Chimaroke Nnamani left office in 2007, rumour mongers brought out a list of properties he acquired while in office. Some of those alleged to be in Enugu has no verifiable addresses. Some of the properties mentioned was not in existence in any part of Enugu yet the pull him down specialists fabricated those properties and hung it on him. When Sullivan Chime left office they also hung on him some shopping malls, choice estates, schools and overseas properties.
These rumour millers want us to hate our leaders without cause. Have they not seen what each of them have achieved in office and praise them for that?. Think of Ebeano estate, Loma Linda estate, golf estate, Ebeano tunnel, New Haven market, New timber shade market, ESUT Agbani, ESCET, new artisan, new Secretariat, new Lion Building, Centenary City, diamond estate, Enugu State Polytechnics Iwollo, rangers estate, Thinker’s estate, HELIU estate, Workers Estate, Elim estate, Vivian Estate, Zion estate, WTC estate and so many infrastructures. They have not seen the jobs they created, the human capital they have developed, all they see is property, property, property!
They should give us a space and allow those in government to concentrate and do their work. I am afraid to admit that if they are the ones in such offices, they will do worst things.
Bibian Anekwe News added: “As a leader, it’s a major responsibility on your shoulders to practice the behavior you want others to follow”.
LeonardUgwu
MediaTeam Member of ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT
