Why Godwin Ezeemo Should Be Given a Chance in Anambra 2017 By Hon Shedrack Anakwue -Oronukwu

Why Godwin Ezeemo Should Be Given a Chance in Anambra 2017

By Hon Shedrack Anakwue -Oronukwu

Politicians from Anambra state are staging a mass home coming. There are those who barely visited the state before and were only home during big ceremonies where they will be noticed. But now all are coming home. The reason for the home coming is obvious. The stakes are high and are getting higher daily.

Some of the politicians have little or nothing to show for being citizens of Anambra state. Their major credential is that they belong to the ruling political party either in the state or at national level. Those who doubt the electoral value of their political parties are even jumping to supposedly more viable ones, sheepishly believing that they will be given the party’s ticket to fly its flag in the gubernatorial election.

By individual right, the politicians are entitled to aspire to be governor of Anambra state. Because 2017 is election year in the state every one of them wants to have his fingers on the pie. But the situation also calls for sobre reflection. Why are those hitherto aloof to the business of the state now so much interested in coming home to ‘serve’? Why should they be preferred to those who have settled at home, carry on their businesses at home; offer succour to their kit and kin; offer scholarships; build infrastructure; offer employment and offer ready assistance in times of need?

This is where the likes of Godwin Chukwunenye Ezeemo Achinagbaraoha comes to mind. For a long time, perhaps without politics in mind Ezeemo relocated to his home community of Umuchu in Aguata local council of Anambra state where he invested in many business ventures. Today, he is a farmer, a publisher, a hotelier, a radio broadcasting station owner and an industrialist.

He has one of the largest poultry farms East of the Niger that has over 50,000 birds, a 2000- hectre farm land that engages between 2000 to 3000 workers, and to which he constructed three kilometer road, because he believes that agriculture should be a major employer of labour in Nigeria.

He once said: “Agriculture in my view is the only profession roomy enough to provide jobs to willing unemployed youths.

“Instead of the youth lying fallow seeking for white collar jobs government at all levels should see agriculture as a core means of livelihood and place  more emphasis  on agriculture. If agriculture is well placed in this country it would create jobs more than oil companies  and allow springing up of many industries like palm kernel cracking industry , soap making industry, starch industry among others”.

Besides, he believes that development of agriculture would lead to provision of raw materials to existing industries in the country and attract other industrialists who will avail themselves the raw materials for their industries and other businesses.
Ezeemo also owns a newspaper and magazine outfits marched with printing press, processes and produces table water; runs one of the biggest hotels in Anambra state and owns a radio station.

Save for the printing press that is located in Awka, all the investments are based in Umuchu, his home town in a typical fulfillment of the ‘Aku Ruo Ulo’ ‘Think Home’ Philosophy which the South East yearns for.

In the history of Anambra state no governor has fitted into that mold.
This is acknowledged by leaders of the people. For instance, Ezeemo drew accolades recently from church leaders at the dedication of his HoneyWell hotel at Umuchu. All the bishops who attended the ceremony were unanimous that is an example to be emulated. Bishop of Aguata, Most Rev. Christian Efobi at the occasion called on wealthy Nigerians in Diaspora to think home and invest in rural areas to enhance national development. Describing the hotel as a master piece Bishop Efobi commended him for bringing his wealth home and helping the less privileged.
Efobi urged wealthy individuals in the country to emulate Ezeemo’s ‘rural developmental ideology’ as a way of partnering with the governments in job creation with the aim of bridging the gap of unemployment in the country. Also speaking at the dedication ceremony Bishop Ephraim Ikeakor of Amichi Diocese said that Ezeemo has contributed a lot in development of Umuchu community through his numerous sitting of economic projects. He commended Ezeemo’s for his rural development ideology which has created jobs for people of the area , reduced poverty and  reduced the rate of rural- urban migration in search of jobs.
In his view Ezeemo has used his wealth to change the face of the community through projects he created which has given jobs to many youths in the area thereby reducing youth restiveness.

His views were echoed by former Dean, Anglican Communion, emeritus  Most Rev. Maxwell Anikwenwa who said: “The call to Think Home is apt as recession has shown that wealthy people need not leave development of the human and physical infrastructure to government alone. Other wealthy people in the country should think home, develop home and put smiles on faces of teaming unemployed youths rusting in rural areas. Ezeemo has demonstrated that rural areas could be as vibrant as the urban cities if wealthy individuals join hands with the governments in putting up projects that would create jobs for the people and in turn give the much needed economic fulfillment sought after by the people at urban cities”.

His verdict: “Ezeemo as an individual has shown greater commitment in development of the state. I urge the people of the state to  give him  opportunity to show the stuff he is made of in politics.

Ezeemo is simply exemplary. Talk of philanthropy, talk of community development and service apart from entrepreneurship he is there. He has countless number of students in his scholarship scheme; he has unequalled sympathy for the poor and usually celebrates his birthdays with prisoners where he exhorts them, gives them hope and fills their needs.

When he heard that the people of Igbokenyi in Nzam local council were having transport difficulties two years ago, he quickly went to their rescue by providing a 150 high-capacity engine boat worth over N1million naira. Before then,the Igala speaking community who live on the Island of the River Niger had to pass through Ellah community in Delta state through Onitsha to access their local government headquarters in Anambra state. During the rainy season the only road to the community is flooded and rendered impassible.So, the boat serves as sole means of transportation to the entire residents of Igbokenyi community.
At home he promotes peaceful coexistence through various schemes which Ezeemo Charity Cup is one of. The Charity Ezeemo Unity Cup Football competition is an annual youth soccer event which has been on for years and is for the 144 communities within the Old Aguata Union for youths under the age of 13 – 15 in secondary schools.
In 2015 he built and donated a brand new church: St. Peter’s Anglican Church to his Umuchu community. Also very worthy of note is the gigantic Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat built for journalist- the Ezeemo International Press Centre, Awka just to mention a few of the projects he executed free for the public.

Remarkably, not only the clergy has noticed his service to humanity. Last year he was honoured with Distinguished Meritorious Service award from the Anambra State Peoples’ Assembly (ASPA), Enugu State branch.
Also, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Anambra state chapter, led by their President, Elder Chris Eluemunoh has some good words for Ezeemo and called for support and encouragement for local investors in the state so that they can sustain their strides. On a courtesy call on him in his Umuchu country home, Ohaneze leadership said  decided to pay a courtesy call to “the illustrious and distinguished son of the state to personally convey our respect for your selfless service to humanity.  We have keenly followed your numerous  contributions to infrastructural and human development of the state, among them the modern church complex which you single-handedly built and donated to the Anglican community,Umuchu, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) press centre at Awka , the youth skill Acquisition centre at Umuchu, as well as the Annual football competition instituted for primary and post primary in old Aguata local government area among your other philanthropic gestures”, they concluded.
What remains is for Ezeemo to extend his services in government. He believes that government has a major role to play in providing infrastructure and enabling environment for development to thrive. He has the slogan “Things can get better”. In 2013, he tried his hand in politics when he flew the flag of Progressive Peoples Party (PPA) but did not clinch the mandate to govern. Undaunted, he still carries on with promotion of unity, love and regional integration among the people of the South Eastern Nigeria, despite their places of domicile.
A simple man, Ezeemo regrets that some Igbo leaders play hide and seek game in pursuing Igbo agenda describing some of them as greedy and selfish. He also regrets that many Igbo people are richly blessed but attributes Igbo’s lack of commensurate development  to corruption and insincerity.  “Ndigbo have the intelligence and resources to be a nation but we are using them negatively against ourselves.  The elders deceive the youths, using them to destroy their opponents, he laments.
Can the people of Anambra state give Mr Godwin Chukwunenye Ezeemo a chance to become the next Goevrnor of the state? If God says yes, no man could say no to Ezeemo’s humble aspiration and he merits it exceedinly in all ramifications.



Written by Hon Shedrack Anakwue -Oronukwu, tate Chairman of the Movement For the Greater, Anambra (MOFGAS)