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GOV. IFEANYI UGWUANYI: THE DOYEN OF PEACE

Published

4 years ago

September 24, 2020

By Jeff Ejiofor

It is Nelson Mandela that said; “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy, then he becomes your partner”.

Enugu State since its creation in 1991 never had it so good in terms of peace as it has today. The peace being witnessed under the current leadership of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is unprecedented in the annals of our history as a people. This has led to the recent well deserved appointment of the governor as a peace ambassador by Global Society for Anti-Corruption. (GSAC). The appointment is no doubt a perfect reflection of the current reality in Enugu State.

Unarguably, never in the history of Enugu State had any government fostered so much peace and enduring unity among the citizens where all political actors work together as it’s being done today. Various testimonies from Enugu leaders of thought including the clergy have confirmed this assertion.

Evidently, former governors of the state, Chief Jim Nwobodo, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Dr. Senator Chimaroke Nnamani as well as clergymen, Archibishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, and a host of other leaders had all eulogized him for providing the platform for unity, peace, and harmonious existence. They commended him for entrenching peace, tranquility, and good governance, in a manner that has never been experienced before. They further described him as a man of history and expressed delight that he has united everybody in the state irrespective of political leaning. They averred that the culture of peace and good governance he has instituted in the state is fundamentally unprecedented in the history of modern Igbo political leadership.

According to the former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, since 1999, he had not spent up to 2 weeks in Enugu State, but recently, he has spent 6 uninterrupted months in the state because of peace and security instituted by the Ugwuanyi administration. Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo on his own part stated that Ugwuanyi has done remarkably well in the area of peace, and added that this is the first time, since the current republic, a regime is providing peace within the party and across party lines. Senator Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani while corroborating the above positions, declared that Ugwuanyi has appropriated justice, equity, and fairness to all, which has, in turn, ensured enduring peace and stability in Enugu State.

Interestingly, even the clergymen were not left out of these outpour of encomiums on the governor. The Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, said that Ugwuanyi’s penchant for peace is unparalleled, and has made Enugu State experience outstanding peace where everybody, irrespective of creed, class, or religious affiliation is given equal treatment. Also, the firebrand catholic priest and spiritual director of Adoration Ministry, Emene, Rv. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, described him as a rare gem, and God-fearing leader who has continued to lead Enugu State on the part of peace and progress, with uncommon zeal, passion, and humility, even after his re-election for the second term in office. The newly elected chairman of CAN, Enugu State Chapter, Rev. Emmanuel Ede, also lent his voice and commended the governor’s peaceful disposition which he said has re-positioned Enugu as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.

Undoubtedly, Ugwuanyi is the first governor of Enugu State to enthrone and preside over a state with unmitigated bi-partisan cordiality and mutual relationship among the three arms of government. He equally achieved exceptional consensus between the government and the organized labour, which brought enduring industrial peace in the state. The usual internal wranglings within the government are completely absent in his regime. He made sure no organ or tier of government is in conflict with another since the inception of his administration. In short, the peace currently in Enugu State is akin to the PEACE that passeth every understanding, the PEACE of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and it’s unprecedented in the history of Nigerian politics.

Apparently, with all these testimonies coming from different segments of the society, it’s abundantly clear that Gov. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi is an enigma, an epitome of peace, and embodiment of love. The recent resurrection/reunion of the Ebeano political family which saw to the reconciliation of sworn political foes in the state was indisputable evidence. Among those reconciled were two former governors, Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime. This historic peace accord reached under the auspices of Gburugburu is a major political breakthrough that demands our collective accolades to him. A feat no political leader in the history of Enugu State had ever attempted. No wonder the no-nonsense Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka described him as a sanctuary of conflict resolution.

Ugwuanyi is indeed a gift to Wawa nation as espoused by the President-General of Enugu State Development Association (ESDA), Chief Elechi Onyia, who said his identification of the principles of love, unity, and peace among the political, religious, and traditional institutions as one of the cardinal dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of Enugu State is unimaginable and highly commendable.

In a nutshell, Enugu is lucky to have a leader like Gburugburu who cherishes peace, unity, and love as fundamentals for good governance. Those in doubt of the veracity of peaceful co-existence should ask the citizens of states where there are political wars, they will surely and continually sing Gov. Ugwuanyi’s praises for being a peace lover and ambassador.

Indeed, Enugu is in the safe hands of God!

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Dikko And The New Vision Accountability and Development in Sports

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Felly Mammah N.

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. Shortly after he was first appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a leading strength of sports, the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts.

Many sports analysts believe that the duo of Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combination to take the sports sector to the next level. The DG no doubt, is the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the financial enablement to manage the affairs of staff and the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the President directly.

It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration of in the Civil Service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changing; more so as Commissioners are likely going to take charge of the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward. The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from men of the media.

These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on past Minister’s and particularly the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, say that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

However, the clarion call for President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.

Despite the poor performance of atheletes during the World Olympics Games, the past immediate past Minister deserves to be commended that during his tenure, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games was reawakened as the participation of our Super Eagles brought back hope and jubilation to sports fans including the President and higher authorities. Yes whopping sum of N12 Billion was released two weeks to the Olympics Games and at a time the country was not financially stable. Despite the presidential financial support, the medals presented to the country were crisis and ignorant of both the atheletes, Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Atheletic Federaton to do the needful.

Therefore, it is heart-warming that the President harkened to the appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him both a name in Sports and positions as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently, CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positive change in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 Sports Federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained opened to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by his friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle, but a man who has also, given voice to our country’s leagues and international activities.

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even death and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to other Ministries with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown, a coach who discovers a talent takes the credit for showcasing a star athelete discovered. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level, increase the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable with administrative roadmap for success.

The novelty match organised for him by his sports fans and League managers had the likes of Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa in attendance to share their joy with him as they displayed their talent with their foot.
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe. That singular act indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum with persons that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.

Felly Mammah N.
Press Officer (NSC).

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