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POLITICS OF OPPOSITION: THE UGWUANYI’S INIMITABLE SIGNATURE TEMPLATE

Published

5 years ago

September 8, 2020

Josephat Omeke.

Living under opposition government is something many South East residents and people are yet to come to terms with, their beloved party the PDP having been in control of the centre for sixteen years. With the exception of Anambra state and later Imo state in 2011 when Rochas Okorocha freely handed an APGA mandate over to the APC, the South East has largely been regarded as the birth place of the People’s Democratic Party. This obviously is due to the pioneering role of late Chief Alex Ekwueme in the party’s formation.

Even during Obasanjo’s presidency, when the Yorubas ought to have dominated key appointments of the federal government, the Igbo influence in the scheme of things was overbearingly infectious. For example, for a very long time, the Senate presidency, the office of the deputy president of the Senate, the deputy speakership of the House of Representatives, the office of the Secretary to the government of the federation along with other sensitive ministerial appointments appeared to have been reserved for South East sons and daughters and to which they almost enjoyed the right of first refusal.

Although no Igbo person was elected head of government within the period under review, the Igbo nation was so courted by the PDP government at the centre that one president went as far as adopting the name Azikiwe just to curry Igbo’s favour in an upcoming general elections being the undisputed owners of the party that kept him in power.

Calling the shots at the nation’s highest seat of power, South East governors were so influential that they determined all federal appointments in their states as all the Presidents then did everything to avoid any issue with their party’s support base( Igbo land) even in glaring cases of confrontation and insubordination.

In one of such instances of confrontation, an Abia state Governor not only openly challenged and called the bluff of a president but also boycotted the party’s elective convention without any consequence whatsoever. No state of emergency was declared as was was done in Plateau, Ekiti and one other under questionable circumstances. No! The stakes were too high for such gambling in the South East the acclaimed home of the PDP

All that seemingly rosy spell changed in 2015 when the Igbo nation’s relevance in the scheme of things began to dwindle to an infinitesimal level following the coming into power of the All Progressive Congress which had no root in the South East.

A new reality thus dawned on the government and people of the area as virtually everything began to take a turn for the worse up to a point when even the office of the deputy president of the Senate which became the highest to be occupied by a south East politician under the APC government was also later lost to the party in power.

Enugu state was particularly hit in so many ways being a typical civil service state with the highest wage bill in the entire geopolitical zone. To make matters worse, so many political appointees who ordinarily would have been drawing their salaries from Abuja had PDP remained in power, added to the state’s suffocating wage bill thereby jacking up its recurrent expenditure to an intolerable level.

As if all that was not enough, the state has had to grapple with heavy debt overhang occasioned by several debilitating loans and contractual obligations entered into by previous administrations, running into hundreds of billions of naira. Available records show that Enugu despite not being an oil state now spends an average of #300 million on a monthly basis to service these debts and which again is the highest by any state in the south east.

The problem is further compounded by the protracted fall in international oil price since 2015 and which may likely lead to two economic recessions in a space of eight years, the first of its kind in the nation’s history. No wonder some states( including a South East state) have been described as irredeemable having owed as many as 20 months salaries and pensions.

It is in this state of economic hopelessness that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state brought his ingenuity, dexterity, frugality and managerial wizardry to bear and which have paid off by keeping the state afloat despite the turbulent times.

Knowing full well that Enugu now in opposition was likely to lose even more through confrontation with the APC led federal government, the Governor initiated a uniquely inimitable governance template which enabled him to flow with the central government as though it were of his own party.

Even though late Dr Sam Mbakwe the former Governor of the old IMO state was the first to adopt a bipartisan approach to governance and for which he was tagged a crying Governor, Ugwuanyi’s style is different in that federal government officials to everybody’s chagrin, feel more at home in Enugu than in many APC states where the state government officials are at war with their federal counterparts.

Although the outcome of Ugwuanyi’s unique and result oriented governance template based on mutual respect, cooperation and collaboration could never be comparable to his own party being in charge of affairs at the centre, many analysts are of the view that his formula has yielded incalculable benefits, the most recent being the spectacular transformation of the Akanu Ibiam International airport. In the transformation process which is still ongoing, the airport’s runway has been adjudged the best in the country.

Aside from the Governor’s novel bipartisan approach to governance, his excellent interpersonal relationship is award winning and does more magic for him. This rare gift by his creator he has brought to bear for example by, exploiting his friendship with the minister of aviation Hadi Sirika with whom he spent years in the House of Representatives, to drag his attention to the Enugu Airport, a gesture the minister is yet to extend to his home state Katsina.

Many observers are thus unanimous in their conclusion that without Ugwuanyi at the lion building at this critical time, Enugu in opposition would have been in ruins with backlog of unpaid salaries, insecurity of lives and property, horrible infrastructural deficit and leadership vacuum which would have brought the capital of the old Eastern Nigeria to ridicule. I can’t agree more.

From Josephat Omeke. Writing from Enugu

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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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