MR GODWIN ABONYI: PLEASE DON’T GO …a tribute to leadership driven by achievements. “the only true way to appreciate a leader; elected or appointed, who in the true tradition of great men has left solid and stellar imprints on the sands of time is to pray for his longevity in office, so that his constituents will continue to enjoy a constant and uninterrupted stream of quality leadership” Ugwu Onyekachi Ahmed Riding on this altruistic plank, and convinced that I am speaking the minds of the generality of Udenu people, permit me the modest request of prayerfully and dutifully inviting Dr. Godwin Ejikeme Abonyi, our Executive Chairman who is on the verge of completing his second term in office, to offer himself for a third term. I am not in the least ignorant of the Constitutional limitation of the tenure to two terms, but I am embarrassed that the same constitution that amply expresses my freedom of choice and power to choose who should be my leader makes bold to conscript that same right. To this extent, even if the constitution wins, what cannot be denied me is my freedom of speech. Having made consultations far and wide in Udenu, I have no qualms in imploring him to present himself. I do this; afraid that the present crop of young men jostling to assume that position come the November Local Government Council elections do not have the sort of magic wand and midas touch which is the forte of our present chairman. And this is a serious matter for concern. Leadership is an issue that touches on the very poignant interest of the people, predicated on delivering the deliverables and fulfilling the utilitarian concept of politics which is the greatest happiness of the greatest number. To this degree, this invitation to our Chairman is a demonstration of our belief in his leadership, which has catapulted us from the murky waters of maladministration to glorious years of super infrastructural development. It is my candid plea to all those masquerading as aspirants to replace Dr. Abonyi as Chairman to respect themselves and the wishes of our people by sheathing their aspiration like a sword. They must of course sheath that ambition, unless they wish to end up as saboteurs of good leadership and epithets of opprobrium. Our Chairman has delivered on promise. He has delivered. Or are we not witnesses to how this brand new leader transformed the local government into an eldorado with landmark achievements? Can we reasonably feign blindness to how in four years, this Chairman was able, out of our limited resources, asphalted the old road – new road link road which Chimaroke Nnamani abandoned since 2007? Unless flaunting selective myopia has become fashionable, only then would we blindfold ourselves to how the mayor humbly responded to the wishes of Udenu stakeholders and all of us by asphalting of Imilike Ani – Ezimo – Ogbodu Aba – Umuosigide – Umuitodo – Amalla ring road, and is rearing to give a facelift to Udenu local government headquarter by commissioning the asphalting of Amalla – Obollo – Orba road? Would anyone in his right senses not think like the rest of us by pleading with this transformative leadership to continue to lead us? Need we shout to high heavens for anyone to appreciate the breath of life the administration breathed to Obollo Afor by the provision of a new borehole to assuage the people’s long awaited call for water supply? Oh! We have wallowed and languished in acute shortage of water since the exit of sole administrators in the early 90’s. No administration in the council area had realized that Obollo Afor, which had grown into an economic nerve centre of Nsukka Zone needed water supply to serve the growing population occasioned by influx of business men from across the nation. Thank God for this kind hearted Chairman. Every nook and cranny of Obollo Afor now has access to tap water. This is just the kpokponge side of the matter. What a Chairman! He has demonstrated clear-cut understanding of our traditional heritage of water being the most essential gift one gives to a visitor as well as his own people. Could any reasonable person dream of supplanting a working administration? As the drum of the local government elections come closer, and the certainty of Dr. Godwin Abonyi approaching the twilights of his term, I could hear his faint but still audible voice celebrating his achievements in very solemn thanks to God thus “I asked of God that he should give success to the high task I sought for him to do. I asked that every hindrance might grow less and that my hour of weakness might be few. I asked that far and lofty heights be scaled and now, I humbly thank him that I have come this far”. Yes and truly yes. A man of God; a son of God who has sown his life to true service should be glad to God for realizing his ambition to serve a people whose fate appeared irredeemable and to change it to better. And this administration has amply demonstrated its God driven intents. It is perhaps on this plank that St Mary Catholic Church Obollo Etiti honoured the Chairman with an award and handed him a giant crucifix, making him the first to receive such an honour. Christ was handed a crucifix by those who crucified him but his was not unto honour but unto condemnation. But that of our Mayor was unto honour. As if that was not enough, he organized and hosted a birthday for Virgin Mary, making Udenu a pride before God and Christendom. Can anyone of those wanting to replace him beat this lofty and honourable achievement? No is the candid answer, hence we would still want our achieving Chairman to accept the honour of a third Term; another first. Of our women and their children, their clarion calls for our chairman’s continuation in office have reached high heavens. How wouldn’t they, when unlike before, new maternities have sprang up like mushroom in all the wards, thus bringing health care delivery to the doorsteps of our people. Meeting the Millennium Development Goal’s ambition in area of maternal and infant mortality is a feat that runs pari pasu with United Nations Health for all campaign. And did the UN – POLAC not consider him for an award for this noble feat, garlanding his neck with another first? To add to this stellar achievement in the health sector, he remodeled one the old houses in Obollo Afor Health Centre into a neuropsychiatry….. desiring to rehabilitate over 350, 000 indigenes of Udenu who have manifest insanity. Youth empowerment through capacity building is a cardinal imperative in the development stride of any responsible government/ administration. It focuses on harnessing individual youth energies and propensity to lead a life of enterprise into a collective force and momentum for society development. This administration, determined to be different has roundly changed the fortune of Udenu Youths. Promptly, it collated the data of unemployed youths and with deft maneuvers unleashed them into various fields and engagements. Today, 70% of Udenu youths have become gainfully self employed, they no longer hang around the motor parks and local government secretariat to eek out a living. Okada business has become a thing of the past in Udenu. For those that not self employed, the Council absorbed them into the resurrected Udenu Local Government Mass Transit Scheme. The scheme alone provided job for over 200 youths. The rest were deployed to Apo junction to load vehicles and make reasonable ends. Facilitating yet another level of youth capacity building and utilization was the ambitious and lofty agenda of providing an ICT centre situate in the local government headquarters. This magnificent building is well equipped and furnished into an ultra modern information technology acquisition centre. Little wonder, Bill Gate is contemplating having a silicon valley in Udenu. In so short a time Udenu will assume the status of the eastern gateway in technology related matter in our nation. What an administration! Our stakeholders and people are bent on their knees begging him to run for third term. Remember his life has the trappings of firsts….. A catalogue of firsts follows only distinguished person. Dr Godwin Abonyi is well cut out for firsts……. The first Veterinary Doctor to become our chairman. The first Chairman to be handed a second term in Udenu. The first Chairman in Nigeria to receive an award as best Chairman of Council area with a car as an award plaque. The first Chairman to turn his office into a mini Chapel. The first to receive a crucifix as an award insignia. The first Chairman to have the four walls of his office decorated with several awards. The first this, first that. No one matches his credentials. One can only take a tour of Udenu to see and feel what we feel. Our primary schools have been turned into model primary schools with newly constructed school blocks dotting our landscape. It can be figured why we are desperate to have our mayor add another first as the First Chairman of Council area in Nigeria to be awarded third term. Achievement is our parameter. To be continued
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:58:37 +0000
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