According to Alexander Hamilton, an American scholar, “those who stands for nothing fall for nothing”. This postulation does not apply to one of Imo State’s illustrious sons, ThankGod Ezeani. The business mogul and politician has, over the years, demonstrated that, whether in politics or business, he stands for something: the general good of Imo people, especially those from Imo West Senatorial District (Orlu zone).
This explains the clamour by the people of the zone for him to represent them in the Senate in the next democratic dispensation. The former member of the House of Representatives (1999-2003) has since bowed to the wishes of his people by joining the Orlu 2015 senatorial election fray. A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Ezeani is contesting next month’s senatorial election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Going by the current mood of electorate in the senatorial district, Ezeani’s victory in the election is a fait accompli. Ezeani’s victory in the polls will give Orlu a new lease of life in the form of quality representation in the upper legislative chamber a well as harvest of dividends of democracy.
With a rich legislative experience in his kitty, Ezeani’s presence in the Senate, political pundits opine, could lift Imo West out of the doldrums it currently finds itself due to rudderless representation. An entrepreneur and business man with bias in the oil and gas sector, Ezeani is a visionary politician who had already served his people, Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
While in the House, Ezeani made three cardinal things his guiding light: his integrity, his constituency and the less-privileged. He delivered on these three via positive and robust lawmaking. As member of the lower federal legislative chamber, the APGA senatorial candidate was very vibrant. A strong voice in the House, Ezeani pursued just and dependable course for his constituency.
With his possible triumph as Orlu senatorial zone’s eyes and ears in the Senate, Ezeani will for sure replicate the people-oriented representation he brought to bear on his people in Ideato North and South constituency.
Not the typical Nigerian politician who glory in vainglories, Ezeani, at every juncture, has demonstrated that his empathy is with his people. This is exemplified by some of the projects he has single-handedly executed for his constituency, both as a public office holder and in his private capacity as a businessman and a philanthropist. Some of his projects include the construction of six kilometre road from Uzii, his home town, to Osina, for easy access to the other parts of Ideato.
Ezeani has built magnificent oil and gas company in his home town, Uzii, a project he could have easily sited in one of the industry hubs in Nigeria, to compete favorably in the industry and maximise profit. Right now, over 500 people from Ideato and other parts of the South East are in the employ of the company.
This community development czar knows the importance of education, having himself acquired quality education up to doctorate degree level, hence many Ideato youths are currently on scholarship in various tertiary institution in Nigeria on his bill.
The APGA senatorial candidate places God first in all his endeavours. This explains his unquenchable thirst for Him. Being a successful businessman and seasoned politician has not prevented Ezeani from working for God. He demonstrated this by single-handedly building a magnificent church edifice for the Anglican Communion in Uzii.
And apparently to bring university education closer home to the people of Orlu Zone, he is currently setting up a private university in the zone.
Born in 1958, Ezeani commands a state-wide goodwill as far as Imo politics is concerned. This could be gleaned from the array of political heavyweights across the state that graced his marriage silver jubilee on Saturday, April 19, 2014.
Since 1983 when he joined the United African Company of Nigeria (UACN), he has gained ample experience at supervisory and managerial levels in various departments and in various organisations which have helped in developing his entrepreneurial and leadership potentials.
With a rich working experience, he ventured into entrepreneurship where he broke new grounds both in production of goods and services which later enabled him venture into the downstream sector of oil and gas industry with establishment of MENNOIL Petroleum and Petrochemical Company Limited in Kaduna.
In 1999, Ezeani veered into politics. Against all odds, he was elected into the National Assembly as a member of the House of Representatives. He served as the Deputy Chairman, House of Committee on power and steel. To his credit also is the establishment of the first door-to-door free mobile clinic in Ideato. It is worthy of note that the duo of Hon. Ezeani and Senator Ike Nwachukwu were instrumental in the massive power infrastructure attracted to the South East and, in particular, the Alaoji power plant. As an astute entrepreneur and business executive, he is presently the chairman/chief executive officer of one of the fastest growing private sector chain in Nigeria – the Index Group of companies which has given employment to thousands of Nigerian youths thereby giving impetus to the transformation agenda.
As a member of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming dispensation, Ezeani is strongly driven to touch lives and fast-track sustainable development of Orlu zone through job creation, skill acquisition, gender equity and women empowerment, scholarships and education aid, human capacity development, infrastructural development and welfare for widows, physically challenged persons, unemployed persons.
• Igbokwe wrote in from Eziachi Orlu, Imo State.