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Legitimacy in Governance: the Emergence of Gburuism.

Published

6 years ago

October 2, 2020

By Reuben Onyishi (Ugoachataberu)

Legitimacy is the right conferred on the leader by the people, the led. It is the right to exercise authority and power on behalf of the people. It is something a leader enjoys out of the people’s free will and acceptance. When the oil of acceptance is denied leadership, it is a sign of rejection.

When leadership is not conscious of its legitimacy, it is a sign of emerging dictatorship which may degenerate to tyranny. Neither tyrants nor dictators wielding power and authority against the will of the people ever prosper. The truth is that power belongs to the people and they confer it on leadership willingly. It can never be forced, even when power is obtained by fraudulent means and other ways of suppressing the will of the people. Whoever wrenches power from the people struggles through their reign. Power belonging to the people is an echo of democracy which is commonly defined as the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Democracy is a form of government by a representation that has received wide acceptance in many countries of the world as the best form of government. However, the ancient philosopher, Aristotle, was quoted to have claimed that democracy is rather the worst form of government because it can lead to the enthronement of a minor when the majorities are foolish. But the people’s foolishness may well work for their satisfaction; after all, where ignorance is bliss it is folly to be wise. Howsoever it be, the gift of acceptance the people grant their government legitimatizes it whether in a democracy or any other form of government.

During the build-up to the gubernatorial election in Enugu State, eyes had not seen, neither had it entered into the hearts of men the level of acceptance the candidature of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi did receive it. Thousands of support groups emerged naturally in solidarity with the Ugwuanyi candidacy. It was Gburugburu everywhere in songs and chants of goodwill and heroism founded on his antecedents at the House of Representatives and the natural love for the gap-toothed, smiling, and handsome huge embodiment of greatness, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Ugwuanyi, having earned the love and confidence of the people, was coasting home with victory as he emerged his party’s (the People’s Democratic Party, PDP) candidate. Indeed he emerged victorious expressly to the delight of the people and the mammoth crowd that followed the Ugwuanyi cause. Because the voice of men is the voice of God, all the legal strongholds placed before his candidacy was pulled down successively.

Ugwuanyi’s acceptance also showed itself in his adoption by every other party in the state as their consensus candidate, besides the APC playing opposition in Enugu State during the 2019 elections. This was to be expressed more in his reelection for the second term. Even APC would play opposition in the day and a lover at night, a development that eluded some political analysts thinking Ugwuanyi was going to defect to the APC, a hypothetical misreading of the Ugwuanyi phenomenon that left the analysts astounded. No one was left in the dark as to the emerging enigmatic phenomenon, a holocaust of a movement akin to the Zikist movement of the first republic.

Ugwuanyi’s towering image some had thought to reduce by their sponsorship of virulent attacks. Some sponsored social media folks had run with campaigns of calumny which failed and like water over a duck’s back amounted to unnecessary waste of time and efforts. Any criticism founded on falsehood is bound to fail. The enigmatic consciousness Ugwuanyi represents in astute governance confounded the simple and even amazed the learned. What men do not understand they try to demonize. Every one of such efforts to besmirch the reputation of the star governor failed on arrival. His meteoric rise to the aristocratic palace of excellent governance and the allure of public acceptance that occur with it are a rarity.

In the words of William Shakespeare ( Twelfth Night), some are born great; some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust on them. Ugwuanyi does not struggle with governance and human relationship. The day he was created, it seems His maker took time to wire him with the art of good governance. So he treads with ease to the Olympian height and has demonstrated in clear terms that he is deliberately made a blessing to the people of Enugu State in matters of governance.

The recent rise of the Ebeano political family from political mutation was seen in some quarters within the state as a natural course erupting from the goodwill the governor by his kind nature engendered. The Ebeano leader himself acknowledged how Ugwuanyi lifted him from the cesspit of political oblivion. Some other political pundits see the rise of the Ebeano family as a visitor from the dead on assignment to kill a dangerous ambition forming to truncate the political peace Ugwuanyi has seamlessly maintained in the state. They hold that now that the dead visitor has achieved its purpose, the time comes for it to return to its grave or at best peter into the emerging huge being of Gburuism. They caution that Ebeano has no political future as it belongs to the past, its exhumation for a temporary assignment notwithstanding. They claim that Gburuism has emerged political iroko in Enugu State and that any tree trying to grow taller than it must be looking for the troubles of the sky. These pundits are of the view that the peace, security, sound economy, and relationship management abilities Ugwuanyi has brought to bear on governance are the meat of longevity on which the emerging Gburuism has sumptuously fed itself, a meal which the Ebeano politics had starved itself while it lived and reigned.

The root is going deeper into the foundation of strong politics as Gburuism grows in lips and bounds in the political depth of the people’s consciousness. The Egwugwu has countered into the arena and its conspicuous self intimidates less embodied spirits.

Recently a group is known as Gburugburu Consolidated Movement, GCM, was inaugurated at Igbo-South Local Government. Listening to the leader of the group, Barr. Peter Okonkwo, the commissioner for local government, speaks, one is left with no doubt it is an emerging structure in the state for the advancement of the Gburugburu cause of leadership. Okonkwo did say that they had the numerical strength to crowd out any other political movement out of the state. The movement like whirlwind is sweeping across the three zones of the state and is touted to emerge as the barrel through which the Gburuism power flows. It may be the foundation structure on which the politics of Enugu State shall be built, especially as other sources are expected to coalesce into it. This is one of the things that naturally occur to the ideals of good leadership. People are ready to sacrifice to such ideals without let or any hindrance at all. The group has placed on Ugwuanyi’s palms the power to decide who replaces him in 2023 and also decide who holds what in 2023. It is clear Ugwuanyi has engrafted himself in the hearts of the people of Enugu State.

From what is going on, deep calls unto deep in the annals of the leadership of Enugu State. Ugwuanyi holds the yam and the knife the people have thrust into his palms. Even the people of Enugu East Senatorial Zone are enamored of Ugwuanyi’s manner of leadership so much that they have confidence his decision is the best for them. Having committed Enugu State in the hands of God, it follows that whatever proceeds from Ugwuanyi is first processed in the mills of the throne of grace. Alas! Behold true leadership, a blessing, a benevolent spirit bestriding the landscape of Enugu politics to the delight of the people and to the glory of God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the awesome God of David.

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Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC

Published

18 hours ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

By: Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has called for a strategic shift from the exportation of raw commodities to domestic processing, manufacturing and value addition, declaring that Nigeria possesses enormous untapped raw material resources capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economic competitiveness.

Prof. Ike-Muonso made this submission in a lecture titled Unlocking Nigeria’s Raw Material Value Chain for Industrialization, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, where he presented an extensive assessment of Nigeria’s resource endowments, industrial challenges and emerging investment opportunities across agricultural commodities, solid minerals and waste-based raw materials.

The lecture highlighted a combined US$2.65 trillion global market opportunity across 30 major raw material value chains, comprising 12 agricultural value chains valued at US$932 billion, 11 mineral value chains worth US$1.352 trillion and seven circular-economy value chains estimated at US$366 billion.

According to the RMRDC Boss, Nigeria must move beyond the traditional approach of extracting and exporting raw materials to building competitive domestic industries that transform these resources into intermediate products, industrial inputs and finished goods for local consumption and international markets.

He observed that the country’s manufacturing sector has struggled to sustain its 2014 peak, with its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product declining from 9.64 per cent in 2014 to 8.05 per cent in 2025, representing a 16.5 per cent decline. He also drew attention to the increasing cost of raw material imports, which rose to US$20.5 billion in 2025, approximately six times the 2020 level.

He explained that the growing dependence on imported industrial inputs exposes Nigerian manufacturers to foreign exchange volatility, increases production costs and weakens the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.

Prof. ke-Muonso stressed that the solution lies in developing domestic raw material value chains through deliberate investment in processing facilities, research and development, technology, infrastructure and stronger linkages between producers, processors and manufacturers.

He identified agriculture, solid minerals and industrial waste as three major resource platforms for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, stating the country’s significant production capacity and the enormous opportunities available for downstream processing.

Ike-Muonso noted that Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, making it the world’s largest producer, while also maintaining strong positions in cocoa, cashew, sesame, palm oil and cotton. However, more than 80 per cent of agricultural output leaves farms without adequate processing, resulting in the loss of significant economic value and industrial opportunities.

In the solid minerals sector, he identified more than 44 commercially viable minerals across over 500 locations, including lithium, gold, barite, bitumen, iron ore and high-grade limestone, describing them as strategic resources capable of supporting steel production, energy storage, electrification and advanced manufacturing.

The DG further drew attention to Nigeria’s industrial and agro-waste resources, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually. He explained that agricultural residues, cassava peels, scrap metals, plastics and electronic waste could serve as important feedstock for bio-fertilisers, industrial chemicals, recycled polymers, energy production and other manufacturing applications.

In the agricultural sector, the DG identified cassava and industrial starch, cotton and natural textiles, natural rubber and elastomers, oil palm and oleochemicals, maize derivatives and cocoa processing as priority areas requiring increased investment.

He explained that processing agricultural commodities into industrial starch, sweeteners, textiles, technical rubber, specialty fats and other intermediate products would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its agricultural resources while reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.

For the minerals sector, he highlighted crude oil-to-olefins and petrochemicals, lithium and energy storage, iron ore and steel, rare earth elements, bauxite and aluminium, and copper and electrification as strategic investment opportunities.

He particularly emphasised the importance of moving beyond mineral extraction into beneficiation, refining, battery precursors, industrial chemicals, metal fabrication and advanced materials production.

On the circular economy, Prof. Ike-Muonso identified electronic waste recovery, scrap metal recycling, plastic waste processing, agro-waste valorisation and battery recycling as emerging industrial opportunities.

He explained that transforming waste into productive industrial feedstock would not only reduce environmental pollution but also create new manufacturing industries, generate employment and reduce the importation of valuable industrial materials.

He noted that to address the structural challenges confronting raw material-based industrialisation, the DG highlighted the strategic interventions of the RMRDC, particularly the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill and the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP).

He described the 30% Value Addition Bill as an important policy instrument designed to encourage domestic processing of raw materials before export, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and guarantee access to essential raw materials for Nigerian industries, and NISSRAMP as a critical data infrastructure that would improve access to verified information on the availability, location and quality of raw materials.

According to him, the combination of appropriate policy instruments and reliable resource data would help de-risk investments, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration among government, academia and industry in developing bankable projects, sharing investment risks and accelerating the establishment of processing and manufacturing facilities.

Professor Ike-Muonso called on Nigerians in the diaspora and other local and international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He identified industrial processing parks, mineral beneficiation and refining, agro-industrial platforms, circular-material processing, industrial input manufacturing and enabling infrastructure as viable investment platforms.

He noted that diaspora investors could contribute beyond financial capital by bringing technology, international business networks, governance standards, technical expertise and access to global markets.

He maintained that Nigeria’s industrial transformation requires coordinated investment across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing and aggregation to processing, manufacturing, certification and export development.

Professor Ike-Muonso stressed that the country’s industrial future would depend not merely on the volume of raw materials extracted but on the capacity to transform them into competitive products that meet domestic and international market requirements.

He maintained that developing local value chains would stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, diversify exports, conserve foreign exchange and deepen Nigeria’s technological capabilities.

Through its strategic interventions, the RMRDC is positioning itself as a critical bridge between resource availability, investment opportunities and industrial competitiveness, with the ultimate objective of transforming Nigeria from a predominantly raw material exporting economy into a strong manufacturing and value-adding nation.

Ike-Muonso has demonstrated this since assumption of office as the Director General/ CEO RMRDC in the area of capacity building, improved working conditions, promotion of merit, and maintaining a conducive environment that rewards excellence, innovation and dedication. This is evident in his institution of RMRDC training school, reward for winners of the RMRDC innovation challenge among others.

His commitment has brought recognition both nationally and internationally: Al-Jazirah double honour awards as Public Servant /Government Agency of the year 2024-2025 and the recent election as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Representative on the Board of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is a attestation to his commitment.

Concluding the lecture, the DG charged staff, researchers, manufacturers and investors to see themselves as nation builders in the new era of raw materials-led industrialization.

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