By Reuben Onyishi
(Ugoachataberu)
In a letter dated 29th January, 2021 addressed to His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Governor of Enugu State and signed by Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, on behalf of the Honourable Minister, is the approval for the establishment of Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo, Enugu State.
Approval is a function of request and by implication, the person to whom the letter is addressed is ostensibly the one who had made the request. One thing is to make a request and another to obtain an approval. It should be noted that obtaining approval for such a request is not a dance done with snuff in palm. The bitter kola is not as sweet as it sounds in the mouth. It takes much in terms of politicking, public relations and relationship management skills to squeeze out a drop of fortune from the stony luck of a state whose ruling party is different from the ruling party at the national level.
Ugwuanyi’s relationship management savvy is unrivalled (Please see my essay on that in Accountability Watch Magazine , Free Edition, page 28-30). It takes the surplus value of extraordinary, almost bordering on supernaturally superlative, relationship management adeptness to strike such a heroic pose as Ugwuanyi is wont to do at all times with equanimity and non- reactionary approach to difficult and near impossible tasks. Ugwuanyi has this finesse to rise above the labyrinth of political mesh strewn along the divides of party politics with dexterous and perspicacious ease. What we have as approved is like snatching from the lion that which it holds in its mouth. It is a heroic crossing of seven hills and seven valleys as we would read in epic stories. This noblest of men called Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi like Beowulf masters the current and rides on the swell to the shore.
It was not as though some politically exposed persons had not tried to cause the federal government to approve such institutions in their home towns. Bernabas Gemade had in the past through the Senate tried to wretch out of the federal grip a polytechic to his place. Our own son and former deputy president of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had also made spirited efforts to secure the approval for Federal Polytechnic Mpu( his home town) and it had even gone through readings in the Senate. Both Germade and Ekweremadu got hasped and hooped and hirpling with pains limping and looped in it. The rest is story told with sound and fury signifying nothing, as Shakespeare would say.
This comfort sent by God to the people of Enugu State, Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi, would not go through the circumlocutional readings that would be marred by the executive withholding of accent but quietly and strategically, leveraging on carefully established relationships and moral suation employed his diplomatic submarine to the staccato of executive fiat, resulting in the birth of the new baby institution to the delight of the people of South East, Enugu State and Enugu North Senatorial Zone.
In comparative terms, this feat is unprecedented in Enugu State. The previous administration of Chimaroke Nnamani did well to have attracted the Nigerian Law School to his home town, Agbani. But then, it was understood in the spirit of equity and federal character South East would benefit from the decentralisation of Nigerian Law School then. The task was not then as difficult as it would have been now since Chimaroke’s party, the PDP, was the ruling party at the centre and Enugu being the country home of the Igboman would naturally and easily be considered. Chief Jim Nwobodo, the former governor of the old Anambra State, founded Anambra State University of Science and Technology ( ASUTEC) now Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.They, however, were not attracted from the federal government. Jim could not have done that during the virulent politics of those days when his party, NPP, was not the ruling party at the centre. The previous administrations tried in their own ways but like the women of Israel sang, Saul killed in thousands but David kills in ten thousands. Ugwuanyi is indeed the David of our time.
The people of Enugu North Senatorial zone are happy, if anything, Ugwuanyi is their son. Some had in the past felt Ugwuanyi had done nothing for the zone. They had frowned at his developmental strides in other zones when in their thinking Ugwuanyi should concentrate on Nsukka zone. As clannish as such thoughts might be ( Please see my essay on Appraisal by Entitlement, the Enugu Case), the tongue that spoke evil has now begun to speak good. Ugwuanyi’s unleashing of impactful projects here and there in Enugu State in general and Nsukka zone in particular has shut up the wagging tongues. Those who allegedly sold themselves to detractors are beating a retreat and like the prodigal son they are being accepted back irrespective of their sins. Ugwuanyi seems to be saying, “Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more.”
The Polytechnic Ohodo is a culmination of Ugwuanyi’s Midas Touch and the people of Enugu State are grateful to President Buhari and the Federal Government of Nigeria for answering to the call of our governor.
Enugu State is in the hands of God.
BIBIAN ANEKWE NEWS ADDED”HIS EXCELLENCY GOV IFEANYI UGWUANYI (MR FULFILMENT) IS OUR PROJECT COME 2023
