Guber poll: Ugwuanyi begins campaign in God’s vineyard

In a few days time, the political atmosphere nation-wide would be at feverish pitch. The drums, the singing, sloganeering and political mementos, would take centre stage. The tedious nature of traversing nooks and crannies bellowing political messages, is better imagined, with all the rigours and pains. Campaigns with their attendant demands therefore always prove not to be a tea party.

It is often energy sapping, but very exhilarating watching politicians mount the soap box to propound their plans for the electorate, who in turn in frenzy moods would shout themselves hoarse at every statement expounding the party’s manifestos and if for incumbents, they would concur with such alacrity and support. Exhaustive as they are, stretching logistics and human beings to a dizzying limit, it is therefore no surprise that the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has chosen to kick start his Gubernatorial campaigns by first quietly seeking the face of God.

For one week running, the Governor moves in adherently into God’s Vineyard in a Prayer and Fasting Programme, including the people of the state, his Campaign Organization members, his large following of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which virtually controls the state with all 17Local government chairmen, all members of the State House of Assembly and all members of both Houses of the National Assembly- the Senate and Federal House of Representatives.

It has been the Governor’s penchant and pet style to commit whatever he sets out to do by first dedicating such outing or plans in the hallow Hands of the Almighty God, hence the aphorism of God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the awesome God of David. Enugu State is in the Hands of God. The man occupying the Lion Building , Independence Layout in Enugu, the Nsukka-born three -time Member of the Federal House of Representatives , comes to you with a disarming mien of a personification of a Man of Peace, never able to hurt a fly and perhaps his greatest attribute of humility in and outside corridors of power, is a testimonial for budding youths and leaders not to arrogate power.

Perhaps the sing-song of appellation that rents the airwaves of ‘our amiable Governor’, is an essay for another day, it is however indisputable that he is humble to a point of fault.

Although sometimes could be self-effacing but remains astonishingly a quiet performer who is very prudent with State Finances and that is why the large army of workers including the NLC are dye-in- the wool ‘Gburugburuists’, as his pet name goes, because of his unusual magic wand, he pays workers salaries and entitlements on or before the 25th of every month, whereas his brother Governors are neck deep in debt of several arrears of workers emoluments.

In a recent interview with the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Enugu State, Engineer Greg Nnaji(no relation) , he recalled with nostalgia his playing encounter with Members of the Senate, where he had gone to defend the request for a refund by the Federal Government over roads and projects executed by the State in what really are Federal roads.

Never been to the Senate let alone coming before the Senators, of course he had butterflies running through his stomach. He had done 15 copies of the request from the Ministry nay Enugu State Government even when he was facing 12 members of the Senate Committee on Works . He had watched from the sidelines of the overview Hall waiting for his turn and saw how hard the Senators threw questions and how they drilled most State Commissioners who had also come to defend their state requests for a reimbursement.

So he marched before the Senators and in his opening remarks, Engineer Greg Nnaji said inter alia: ” I bring you good tidings from the Governor of Enugu State, he salutes all of you profoundly with his fraternal greetings”. The engineer Commissioner was stopped in his track. Almost all the Senators echoed at the same time. “Ah your Governor is a good and nice man very responsible. Don’t go further. We shall even disclose to you how much we have approved for your state as refunds for a job well done.”

The commissioner said he was stunned as he simply behaved like the conventional just bow and go. He hardly touched down in Enugu when he raced to see the Governor to explain how the Governor’s name saved him from any gruelling interrogation. Indeed, the symbolism of humility, ability to come down to the level of the low and high in the society, a strong determinant factor why the Governor is loved by all and sundry in Enugu State, both indigenes and non indigenes, he is at home with everyone.

As the chariots and red carpets are rolled out, with party buntings and campaign vehicles bedecked and branded with pictures of different party candidates for the 2019 February General Elections, no one can fault a Governor who has taken his supplications to God and requesting all churches and denominations in the State to observe this somber period of Prayer and Fasting so that there would be peace, concord and harmony and free and fair electioneering campaigns leading to a successful elections.

A Governor at home with all the denominations, the orthodox churches and the Pentecostal churches, undoubtedly would have these churches joining him to the Vineyard of the Creator of the Universe, to achieve the ultimate as the Chief Landlord of the State, the onus no doubt lies on him to ensure a violence free campaigns and elections respectively.

As an advice to the good people of Gombe State, kindly look before you leap in 2019.

• Nnaji is a public analyst