By Ogu Bundu Nwadike, M.A
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 will usher in the 56th year of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON in the land of the living. Let’s start this short essay by congratulating him and wishing him a very happy birthday and many happy returns of the day, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Now, in what would have literally been the end of the road for many a traveller, unperturbed and unruffled, he quietly and indeed peacefully moved on, walking taller with his head held higher on his obviously divine mandate of service to God and humanity.
That incisive preamble should provide an apt and succinct summary of the observable attitude and conduct of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON to the Supreme Court judgement that most controversially ousted him from office as the duly elected governor of Imo State on January 14, 2020.
Ordinarily, that judgement would have become the albatross of the political career of many adventurous politicians for whom politics is a do-or-die preoccupation. The established socio-psychological trauma, the emotional opprobrium, and socio-economic degradation of losing an election by a committed politician are multiplied in manifolds by the sudden eviction of a major political office holder via palpable controversial court judgement, as was the experience of Rt. Hon. Ihedioha at the Supreme Court that fateful dark day.
Many would have waved a strong bye to everything politics and gone out of circulation into all sorts of stress and depression, remaining confused, dazed, morose and incommunicado. Many would have been totally devastated and debased by low self-esteem, self-judgement, self-indictment, and self-condemnation into the garbage of life, turning out with visible unusual, abnormal, anti-social conducts. But in his unarguable most trying time in his very impressive public service career, Ihedioha remained strong, firm and focused, obviously taking things easy with philosophical equanimity, and moving on and forward, not allowing things of the past to hinder his dreams of the present and his vision for the future. Indeed, he moved on weeks after the Apex Court elected to persevere in error, but not without his eyes still on the ball of service to God and humanity.
That’s why, in spite of the pain that his traducers intended as central aim for their vicious hound of his elevated political career and political office as Imo governor, Ihedioha still has a support base that can’t be equalled and a structure reach that has remained unbeatable in the new testament of the narrative on Imo politics. That’s why at the mention of the name Ihedioha, every Imo person makes a cognitive connect to his peculiar visage and unique green cap insignia, which symbolize the man with the will to serve and serve well. In his over three decades of political metamorphosis, he has remained a good brand that the people are satisfied and pleased with. In one simple sentence summary, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is loved by people here and there!
That could have been made possible only by his tested, proven and trusted sound track record of good leadership delivery right from his early beginnings at the National Assembly as an aide to the Senate President. That was in 1992. He was aged 27. By 1995, at just 30 years of age, his attitude, character and conduct had earned him a seat on the Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) which emerged as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998 and won the election in 1999 to activate the 4th Republic.
Of course, his very sound education too also equipped him for the good character and conduct attributes that he’s reputed for. He attended and acquired education at some of the best citadels of higher learning viz University of Lagos, the business schools of Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University, University of Columbia, Canada, London School of Economics, etcetera, with various on-the-job trainings, with travelling which they say is a source of education, (he has actually travelled to over 40 countries in the seven continents of the world).
Between 1999 and 2003, steadily emerging good brand, Ihedioha, served as aide to appointed very senior legislative officers, and aide to Senate President in the national legislature, where he began and went on to serve in the national executive, Aso Rock, as an aide to the Vice President of Nigeria. His afore-mentioned attributes of good attitude, character and conduct graciously abode with him and earned him a seat in the House of Representatives, following his resounding victory in the 2003 general elections. He was massively elected by the good people of Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency to represent them, of which he did with evident manifestations of rewarding representation in all ramifications for three terms of twelve years, 2003-2015, bowing out as Speaker, House of Representatives, National Assembly, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It’s still on record that no other national lawmaker of Imo State extraction impacted the Nigerian Legislature in the way Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha did as he rose from Chairman, House Committee on Marine Transport, where he shone like a million stars, to Chief Whip, to Deputy Speaker, and ultimately to Speaker. For him and with him, it remained a continual story of success to success, glory to glory, forward ever, backwards never narrative, which culminated in his victorious emergence as the duly elected governor of Imo State in the March 9, 2019 governorship election, courtesy of the massive votes of Imo people.
Before he was ousted from office as governor, Rt. Hon. Ihedioha had re-enacted his knack for good leadership and administration delivery based on experience patiently and even painstakingly learned at the feet of some of the all-time reputable leaders of Nigeria. As a national lawmaker par excellence, he so provided people-oriented projects and programmes across the 305 Wards and 27 LGAs such that not a few people equated him with the Chief Executive Officer of the State. Instructively, the records of his achievements are available for the now and hereafter to verify.
As Imo governor for only seven and half months, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha brought his experience to bear on his very committed good leadership and good governance delivery. He took people-oriented project and programmes delivery to new critical levels. No class, sector or segment of Imo State was left out in the course and process of rebuilding the grossly devastated and debased State that he inherited. To holistically rebuild Imo was the guiding agendum of his PDP RebuildImo administration. And right from day one, he set out and went about the State, systematically and systemically rebuilding the ruins he inherited.
Fortunately, Ihedioha’s leadership and governance capacities impacted positively upon Imo people till date via his remarkable efforts in payment of salaries and pensions, creation of employment, constructing of Imo roads, sectoral rebuilding of the education, health, environment, technology development, commerce and industry, lands and survey, transport, agriculture, public utilities, water supply, electricity supply, erosion control, entertainment, youths and sports, etcetera in the State. Little wonder, Imo people nostalgically think and talk about him, wishing he remained in charge.
His Excellency has remained in touch with the people, honouring invitations to social engagements such as wedding of Imo youths, and condolence visits to families of deceased persons. Those evince his established character and conduct of rejoicing with those that are rejoicing, while mourning those that are mourning.
This March 24, 2021 he has added another year to his age. He has added another year to his wealth of experience. He has added another year to his rich resumé of leadership duties and responsibilities. Ultimately, he has added another year of true service to God and humanity. Yet, with his face and focus forward, not bothered or hindered by past things, with his head held high on his firm shoulder as he walks tall, not trapped by the foibles of negatives, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON marches along well on the path that God Almighty has cut for him, combining with the niche that has carved for himself over this past over three decades.
No doubt, it’s a day for the lavish outpouring of well-deserved encomiums upon him by people from all walks of life – family, friends, associates and well-wishers – who’ll certainly have one positive story or another to tell about the jolly good fellow on the occasion of his 56th birthday. However, above all sentiments and realities, it’s a day to remember that he’s that leader whose words are his bond; who wears integrity, honesty,
Transparency and accountability like a highly treasured apparel and garment. And like is the custom on a day like this, we join all people of good conscience to wish His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON a very happy birthday and many happy returns. Congratulations, Ome nke ahuru anya!
By God’s grace, Imo State must be rebuilt!!
*Ogubundu Nwadike is the State Publicity Secretary, Imo PDP.