Ngige as Man of the People

 

 

                                                                                                      Igboeli  Arinze

Before i delve into the meaty parts of this feature write up, i would like to recount an experience i had while attending a function that had the presence of the quartet of the Senate President, Senator David Mark; the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; Former Governor of Anambra State and Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Chris Ngige and his counterpart and also a former governor of the state, Senator Andy Uba. 

The occasion was the Anambra State University’s convocation lecture delivered by the Senate President with the theme as “Democracy and Democratization in Nigeria: The Journey So Far! “ The lecture hall was packed to the full as technocrats, academics and scholars, non academic staff, traditional rulers, students and other notable dignitaries had come to felicitate with ANSU and perhaps drink deep of David Mark's knowledge stream. 

But of course, procedures had to be followed, first came the prayers, then the national anthem, and then the university orator began the ritual of recognizing the university's august visitors. First was the Senate President, who received a loud ovation, the orator then recognized Governor Obi, who y virtue of his office is also the visitor to that university. 

Trust the orator, she wanted to look good before her boss, as you can never know too well how a political office holder might feel about how they have been introduced and so she gave it her best shot, calling the governor several titles and appellations for about a minute and half, Okwute, Honorary this and that, a privilege a more decorated David Mark was not afforded and at the end of it all, our governor got a mild ovation , quite unnatural, as any knowledgeable person might say, but all thanks must go to the verve put in by the orator.  

                 

Then came the turn of Senator Ngige, one could notice the orator's drop in tone, body language and enthusiasm, obviously she had done a good job for our governor, why spoil it by according an opponent of his with the same vigor, tone and style? Perhaps she didn't want to be asked if there could be two governors in a state?

Rambling on the words, "The former Governor of Anambra State", at this stage the hall became silent, the kind of silence that a Buddhist would naturally love, the crowd listened on, awaiting the mention of a name or senatorial zone, since both Ngige and Uba had been addressed as governor at one point in time. Ngige for three and a half years and Uba for a period of 16 days.

Then the words fell out of her mouth “and Senator representing Anambra Central". Alas that was it, the audience cheered and applauded with a mighty noise, Ngige then stood up to acknowledge the cheering as others had done before him and then took his seat but the cheering continued amidst shouts of Onwa!,Onwa! rising in tempo, this caused Ngige to rise up a second time to receive the applause, meanwhile a lady in her mid forties threw caution to the winds as she dashed forward to kiss the Senator's hands, she probably must have been a staff of the university but who cared, she was swept in the euphoria of the moment, like others her joy knew no bounds.

For Obasanjo's Man Friday, Senator Uba got a consolatory applause, now don’t blame him, its not just his thing.

I have taken much pains to paint a picture of how much a people like ours love a politician like Senator Ngige, perhaps I may have rambled a bit or much, forgive me, for you cannot understand such a love, one that is beyond politics, tribe , religion and denomination. Anytime, any day, Senator Ngige is a man of the people.

But what makes Ngige thick? Why Ngige? What are the main attributes of this bearded politician? Answers  anyone?

The ever smiling, diminutive and amiable politician has a grass to respectability story; coming with it is an impeccable civil service record and then a compassion for the common man. If a few had thought that his 2003 - 2006 blaze of glory stint as governor would not be replicated as a senator in the Seventh National Assembly, that the forthrightness, integrity, brilliance and courage which were the hallmarks of  his stewardship then, would simply disappear since he had no Chris Uba and the richa ife nine (Chop and quench in Igbo) gang to deal with this time, I am quite sure that such fellows must be eating their hats now like dear Mr. Grimwig in Charles Dickens Oliver Twist.

As a first time Senator, Ngige has refused to toe the line of first termers who are made to see themselves as being ravaged by the kwashiorkor of ideas, no! I make bold to say that his contributions on the floor of the Senate have been sterling enough, each bearing strong hints of his passion for the ordinary Nigerian. On oversight functions, Senator Ngige has obviously done well again, his input in committees like power and mines, health, education, police, capital markets and constitution review has been well noted by his colleagues in the various committees as well as the leadership of the senate.

On the delivery of the dividends of democracy to his constituents, again it is a plus for Ngige or putting it like this, if these dividends were to be food then Ngige's delivery to the people of Anambra Central is certainly a mouthful.

Starting from the construction of a motorised borehole at Federal Government College Nise coupled with a computer centre for the same school and then on to the construction of three blocks of classrooms in Umunachi, Dunukofia. Another motorised borehole is in Idemili South with five other bore hole projects in Abacha, Ideani,Neni and Ukeh areas. In addition, the Senator has undertaken to site constituency projects via the provision of streetlights to communities within the district. Areas like Nkpor junction, Oyeagu Abagana, Nimo, Ukeh, Obosi, Adazi, Enugu Ukwu, Adazi Nnukwu, Adazi Ani, Nibo, Amawbia, Enugu Agidi, Aguluzigbo and a host of other communities are to benefit from this project.

On the issue of power, one should expect these few skeptics to burn their hands too. As Vice Chairman on Power and Mines, Senator Ngige has certainly been alive to his duties and in that direction has helped to attract certain power projects to the state as a whole. To the glory of God too, the inclusion of Anambra as one of the pilot states to partake in a scheme that seeks to make power outage in these select states a thing of the past is also doing of Senator Ngige.

Projects abound, power stations in Amanuke, Urum, Awka North, Awba Ofemili, Umunachi, Umuoji, Aguleri, Ogidi and Ifitedunu.  This isn't all; there is the construction of 2 by 7.5 MVA injection stations in Idemili South. Installation of 3 by 300 KVA at Isiagu, Amabor, Enuofufe, Amata, Awba Ofemili, Umuchibu, Maternity and Umuosite. Areas like Nnaba and Umunocha are to have constructed a 2 by 300 KVA substattion for each area. Same goes for Umenebo, Nnobi, Eziafakaego, Nawgu, Oba and Ukwulu, which are to enjoy either the construction or installation of 2 by 300 KVA sub stations. Areas like Ndiokpaleke in Orumba, Ugwu Awovu in Enugu Ukwu and Agu Awka are to be rehabilitated, in fact word has it that it was on the senator's prodding that the Energy Commission and other agencies went back to work at the sites mentioned above.

As I speak to you hundreds of students at secondary, tertiary and higher degree levels have been placed on scholarship. Now, if these feats are not laudable then I wonder what is?
 

In the speech that heralded his decision to vie for the senate seat, Senator Ngige's simple submission was to touch the lives of Ndi Anambra again, to transform Anambra State into a land of opportunities and to restore the lost glory to the people of Anambra. In less than two years he has just done more than that.

Finally, statesmen were simply politicians who did ordinary things in an extra-ordinary manner; I reckon that Senator Ngige is fast approaching that mark reserved for titans and quintessential statesmen alike.