As the race for Government House Umuahia 2023 hots up in Abia state, it is a time for sober reflection, a moment of accountability and records. It is a time to tell the people your true love for them using a blow by blow account of your past records as your report card.
It is said that if you achieve nothing, you will be able to lay claim to noting when history (the people) shall confront you demanding a blow by blow account of your stewardship while in position of authority. A man’s pedigree determines his profile. It is this profile containing your records, pedigree and antecedent that the people will use as a mirror for your person as a political contender. Politics is record.
As the race is declared open to the political contenders, we must definitely have the jokers, the players, the real contenders, the gladiators, the game spoilers and the people oriented players who come to equity with clean hands. It is time for Abians to throw political, clannish, emotional and personal sentiments to the wind and thoroughly winnow the seeds from the chaff.
Without fear of contradiction and I stand to be quoted any day, among the five South East States, since 1999 of recent Nigerian democracy, Abia State is the least developed especially in terms of infrastructure and other social amenities that befit a state of that age. From Aba to Bende and down to Umuahia the story is the same. A visit to Aba, Abia State will make any development conscious person to shade tears. Aba supposed to be the business hub of the East and by extension, Nigeria and be given a touch of class by an avant garde leadership team that actually know the value of the city.
With all that has happened to leadership and development in Abia State since 1999, it is time for the good people of the state to shine their eyes and look inwards for a Governor material that will stake his life, stick his neck, pick the gauntlet and take the iconoclastic steps of courage and bravado to give Abia State a pride of place having gone through leadership quagmire over the years.
Among the governorship gladiators for 2023 in Abia State, a man stands tall with his intimidating credentials, leadership mien, love for his people, verifiable and established records of service and passion with a heart of gold for the good people of Abia State. This man is Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, the current Nigerian Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, a true son of Abia State, a people oriented, youth loving and egalitarian society loving leader with a humble and calm spirit.
Unfortunately since 1999 till date, infrastructural development in Abia has suffered untold backwardness in the highly revered God’s Own State due to leadership pattern and primitive accumulation of state wealth and excess acquisition instinct becomes the order of the day in successive governments. If half the size of revelation and public knowledge under EFCC probe of Abia resources in private hands of her past leaders is invested into development and social amenities, a place like Aba, Enyimba City will transform to current Singapore of Nigeria in line with the original master plan of the founding fathers. The US consulting firm Arthur D. Little brought by the founding fathers to plan the region had earmarked Aba for light industries and Umuahia for bio technology to give the state an industrial corridor and create a massive industrial conurbation that will place Abia on a very high business and industrial pedestals. But all were truncated by successive governments of the state. It is only a visionary and energetic leader like Uche Ogah that can change the narrative and restore the lost glory of Abia State.
As a public affairs Analyst, I’m not used to praise singing or ego trip but my conscience will prick me if I fail to speak what I know is a constructive opinion of most people (including non-Abians) who have taken a close look at events in Abia State and the over the years antecedents of the political gladiators asking for the people’s votes and their individual pedigrees.
By experience, Uche Ogah is standing very tall among his contemporaries for the governorship of Abia State. He was almost at the verge of being sworn-in in the last election but God’s time is the best for him. Even at that, he played cool and decided to patiently wait for the right time to serve the good people of Abia State. In fairness the time is now.
In youth development, Uche Ogah is second to none in the state. In empowerment, he stands very tallest. In infrastructural development of his immediate constituency of the state, even with his personal resources, he remains the best. In spite of his billionaire status as an investor, his humility and calmness of spirit is so loud that you cannot even hear his voice. He is a great personality that exudes an aura that is both irresistible and arresting at once, yet the humility in him is so pervasive that one can almost touch it. Beyond the fact that he is a success story, he is also vivacious, accessible and very public and masses oriented. This is the type of leader Abia people need at this time.
He is a man of very great political and intellectual fibre and sterner human refinement. Yet his humble spirit will never manifest pride, ego and braggadocio characteristic of an average Nigerian politician. In the year 1908 during his famous Balfour declaration, A.J Balfour said and I quote him, “Social progress demands a succession of men and women of more than average intelligence in all leading positions and all actions must be initiated and affected by them”. Uche Ogah is a man of more than average intelligence both academically, politically, socially and otherwise.
In social amenities for his people, his records are larger than life. Uche Ogah in my candid personal opinion is one of the most development conscious and people oriented characters in recent time in Nigeria and Abia State is lucky and highly privileged to have him as a son. My very attraction like most rational and constructive thinkers to this great man will help to draw the historical into fictive, the man into the character and the person into the persona. Uche Ogah in stricto sensu is an embodiment of service to humanity and cannot be denied.
This is a child of destiny that was born in a manger, fed with stick spoon but by dint of hard work, Grace, focus, rugged determination, resilience and implicit faith in the Almighty God, he was able to surmount the scourge of poverty and is today a global icon in the business world having made his success story in the banking sector where he started his life career. He later triumphed into his business conglomerate where also he made his success story in the oil and gas industry as a business mogul before his quest to serve his people spurred him into politics.
The jumbo corruption witnessed in past and present governance in various political spheres in Nigeria cannot be unconnected with the poverty background factor of a lot of politicians before coming into governance and leadership positions. Such people see office like a helpless ant that suddenly finds itself in a jar of sugar and made criminal and excess acquisition instinct their watch word instead of the primary duty of service to the people. Having seen wealth, tears and joy of life, and having seen it all in both private and public sector as well as in global business, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is not the type of leader that will make primitive acquisition of wealth his priority in governance. He has wealth, his primary mission in politics is service to humanity and the people.
Age is very much on his side, a young successful entrepreneur in his 50s and a very successful family man who has excelled in every aspect of life is the type of Governor the people of Abia State should be craving for at this time of their political life.
It was American politician and writer, William Clay who served in congress for 32 years that said, “This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.” With all that Abia people have seen and gone through in governance before now, this is the right time to embrace one another, bury the hatchet and choose wisely. People who do not learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat it.
The choice of this God-given young man as the next Governor of Abia State come 2023 will be one of the best decisions ever taken by the people of the state as year 2023 draws nearer.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei – the voice of the people is the voice of God.
Chris Aja (Ajacent), a Public Affairs Analyst and a Youth Advocate wrote in from Abuja. Reach him on [email protected].
