There was a carnival in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State yesterday as virtually all the leaders and stakeholders of the council, including the traditional rulers, clergymen, other indigenes, and supporters of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi converged on Premier Primary School, Ukpabi, to reaffirm their unanimous support and resolve to vote massively for the governor at the poll to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The people of Uzo-Uwani LGA also rallied support for the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the party’s candidate for Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Martins Oke, the candidate for Uzo-Uwani Constituency, Hon. Chukwuma Martins Ekwueme, among others, pledging to deliver 99 percent votes to the PDP at the forthcoming elections in the state.
They said that Governor Ugwuanyi is the only leader who had remembered Uzo-Uwani LGA in the scheme of things and brought peace and massive development projects to the council after decades of neglect.
The people expressed gratitude to Governor Ugwuanyi for his dogged and fruitful struggles for Enugu State to enjoy oil producing status in the country, following the discovery and ratification of oil existence in Uzo-Uwani LGA.
The Uzo-Uwani people pointed out that the inherent benefits of the oil discovery to their people and council are enormous and thanked Governor Ugwuanyi specifically for the bold initiative and remarkable accomplishment.
They stressed that Uzo-Uwani people need Governor Ugwuanyi in the Senate more than any other local government area in Enugu North Senatorial District to enable them fully harness the inherent benefits of the oil producing status.
Describing ingratitude as “a crime more despicable than revenge,” the people of Uzo-Uwani LGA dissociated themselves from the strange and unpopular acts by a few “ungrateful elements” among them who they said were returning good deeds with evil by biting the hands that fed them, declaring that they are not part of what the elements are doing.
Stressing that Governor Ugwuanyi’s election to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of the PDP is a fait accompli, the grateful people of Uzo-Uwani LGA stated that the governor’s return to the National Assembly as a Senator will bring enormous democratic dividends to their council in particular and the district in general.
They declared that the smallest appreciation they will show to Governor Ugwuanyi is to deliver him at the poll.
In his speech, an elder statesman and a revered Chieftain of Uzo-Uwani LGA, Chief Maxi Ukuta, described Governor Ugwuanyi as “a worthy son,” and applauded him for carefully giving the people of Enugu State, Peter Mbah to succeed him as governor.
Chief Ukuta who said that “the trouble it took him (Ugwuanyi) to find a material like Peter Mbah can only be comprehended by a person who will carry out a research,” added: “So, by this singular thing His Excellency did, my problem is that he (Ugwuanyi) gave us a presidential candidate in place of a governorship candidate because very soon the young man will explode.”
The elder statesman lauded Governor Ugwuanyi for the pressure and suffering he passed through to make Enugu an oil producing state, stating that the governor, having done so and also established the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Igbo-Eno and opened up the rural areas which “no governor had opened up our rural areas the way you have done” has written his name in gold in the history of Nsukka zone in particular and Enugu State in general.
Chief Ukuta told Governor Ugwuanyi that his good works will continue to speak for him, reassuring him of the maximum support and solidarity of the people of Uzo-Uwani in the upcoming elections and beyond.
Other stakeholders who spoke on behalf of the people of Uzo-Uwani LGA at the colorful rally include the lawmaker representing Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Federal Constituency and PDP candidate for the federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Martins Oke; the Council Chairman, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie; the lawmaker representing Uzo-Uwani Constituency, Hon. Josephat Okika; Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Matthew Idu; Special Advisers to the Governor, Hon. Cornell Onwubuya and Rt. Hon. Jonathan Chukwuma; Deputy Chairman of the Council, Hon. Pius Okeagu; PDP LG Chairman, Hon. Jude Ifeanyi Okonkwo; PDP candidate for Uzo-Uwani Constituency, Hon. Chukwuma Martins Ekwueme; PDP State Woman Leader, Lady Vera Ezeugwu; PDP National Ex-Officio, Princess Edith Nneka Okoro; former Members of House of Assembly, Hon. Anthony Chigbo and Rt. Hon. John Kelvin Ukuta; former Council Chairman, Hon. James Ademu; former PDP LG Chairman, Chief Albert Eze; the Director General of Rt. Hon. Martins Oke Campaign Organisation, Dr. Romanus Ezike; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Godwin Anigbo.
Others were Dr. George Ajogwu; Hon. Barr. Vincent Diugwu, Hon. Fred Chika, Hon. Vitalis Okonkwo; Hon. Richard Egwuma; Chief Chidiebere Oti; Rachael Okonkwo (Nkoli Nwa Nsukka); and the Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Emmanuel Umunna.