In line with our resolve last week, we shall be assessing the roles played by Senator Ayogu Eze and Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi while both served Enugu North and Igbo Eze North/Udenu Constituency at the National Assembly, and it is important for us to be constructive in so doing. One, because of the statuses of the prominent aspirants and two, because of the formal and informal relationships we share with them. The aim is that our people be provided with the requisite information that may influence their voting choice. And as we do this, I want to remind us to keep in mind that the determining factor of who wins/becomes the next governor of Enugu State come 2019, does not lie solely with Igbo Eze North/Udenu. Enugu North is just a fraction of the entire State playing a role in the outcome of the 2019 election even though the zone is producing the governor. A special appeal is that we exchange healthy communications and analysis while focusing on the issues and individuals concerned…
As a parliamentarian for twelve years spanning 2003 to 2015, Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi served in House Committee on Public Service Matters and House Committee on Pensions between 2003 and 2007. In the later part of 2007 he was made Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport. During this period, Hon Ugwuanyi was reputed for ensuring that Nigeria’s Marine Transport Sector was equipped in line with international standard. He was appointed Chairman House Committee on Marine Transport in 2011, having been re-elected as Honorable member to represent Igbo Eze North/Udenu constituency for the third time.
His philanthropic endeavors included care for the less-privileged, especially widows in Igbo Eze North/Udenu, scholarships to needy students, infrastructure development in educational institutions and churches; drilling of boreholes and provision of electric transformers for various communities in the constituency. – copied from the Governor’s Profile @ www.enugustate.gov.ng .
Hon. Ugwuanyi also personally disclosed to the media in 2014 that ‘certain number of employees of the Maritime Authority’ from Igbo Eze North/Udenu got their employment through his influence.
Unfortunately, I am neither able to establish details of the aforementioned projects nor am I able to say what agencies the said employees are serving because I do not have the information. Efforts to obtain same from the Governor’s staff and some contacts from Udenu have not been successful up to the time of putting up this post. I am therefore, hopeful that those who have details of information on the constituency projects championed by Honourable Ugwuanyi and on those he secured employments for while he represented Igbo Eze North/Udenu will perhaps, oblige Enugu people with same after reading this piece to put everyone in better perspective.
Distinguished Senator Ayogu Eze on the other hand, performed creditably well too while he held sway at the Red Chambers and provided appreciable services to his people. Senator Eze was member Senate Committees on Police Affairs and National Planning. Later he was appointed Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Media and finally Chairman, Senate Committee on Works before his exit from the National Assembly.
He was reputed as one who effectively manned the information machinery of the Senate; the Nigerian media was particularly enthralled by the Senator’s prowess in handling the Senate’s media affairs; he was the professional to behold; articulate in debates on plenary motions, particularly on the collapse of the road infrastructure in the country. Eze is still being described as one of the finest Senators Nigeria has produced.
The work of the Legislature is executed through motions, bills and oversight supervisions. Senator Eze sponsored quite a number of high-impact bills and motions including but not limited to the following:
A Bills
1. First Degree/Higher National Diploma Abolition and Prohibition of Dichotomy and Discrimination and Other Related Matters Bill, 2008 (SB:45)
2. Compulsory Military Training and Related Matters in Nigeria Bill, 2008 (SB:46)
3. Boards and Heads of Federal Statutory Bodies (Appointment, Removal and Related Matters Bill, 2008 (SB:47)
4. Nigeria Deposit Insurance Act (Amendment) Bill, 2008 (SB:56)
5. Lobbying Act, 2009 (SB:342)
6. Unclaimed Dividends Trust Act, 2009 (SB:343)
7.
B Motions
1. Rising Domestic Debts to Local Contractors
2. The Ambush and Killing of the Nigerian/African Union Peace Keepers in Darfur, Sudan
3. Plight of Nigerian Coal Corporation Pensioners
4. Collapse of the Transportation Sector in the Face of Monumental Waste of Public Funds
5. Deplorable State of Nigerian Roads, a Wake Up Call on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA)
6. Increasing Armed Robbery and Breach of Security
ETC
As regards constituency service to his people and to the best of my knowledge, the following are some of his projects and services executed/still ongoing, and provided by the Senator to his people.
EMPLOYMENT
More than two hundred people working today in VON, FRCN, APCON, NOA, NBC, PCN, NESREA, MULTICHOICE/DSTV, NIGERIAN ARMY, UNIVERSITIES, NFVCB, FERMA, NLRC, NPF, CBN, NCC, NPS, PHCN, FRSC, FRI, NTA, etc got their jobs by the influence of Senator Ayogu Eze. Time and space will not allow me to publish the names of these individuals here, more so as I do not have the permission from any of them so to do. However, I know many of them personally because we sometimes meet to share tales about how we are either being persecuted and or taunted as the ‘untouchable children of Senator Ayogu Eze’ in our different places of work – Lol.
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION WITH TRANSFORMERS LOCATED AT THE FOLLOWING AREAS
1. Umuoshene, Igbo Eze North
2. Umuadogwa, Igbo Eze North
3. Umuaji, Igbo Eze North
4. Amogugu, Aku in Igbo Etiti
5. Ukehe, Igbo Etiti
6. Lejja, Igbo Etiti
7. Agudele, Obukpa
8. Okpe, Obukpa
9. Ibagwa Aka, Igbo Eze South
10. Catholic Diocese, Nsukka
CONSTRUCTION OF CLASSROOMS AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
1. Central School, Umuida, Igbo Eze North
2. C.S.S. Ette, Igbo Eze North
3. T.S. Ubahu Immilike, Udenu
4. Lejja High School
5. Model Primary School Nsukka
6. C.P.S Ezi-Ukehe, Igbo Etiti
SUPPLY OF SCHOOL FURNITURES, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS & GENERATORS AND LOCATIONS
1. CPS Amachalla, Igbo Eze North (Furniture
2. CS Umuida, Igbo Eze Norht (Furniture)
3. CSS Ette, Igbo Eze North (Furniture)
4. CS Aji, Igbo Eze North (Educational Materials)
5. TS Ubahu Immilike, Udenu (Furniture)
6. Lejja High School, Nsukka (Furniture & Generator)
7. TS Ibagwa Aka, Igbo Eze South (Furniture)
8. CSS Ogurugu, Uzo Uwani (Furniture)
9. Model Primary School, Nsukka (Furniture)
10. CPS Ezi Ukehe, Igbo Etiti (Furniture)
BOREHOLES DRILLED AND LOCATIONS
1. Motorized Borehole at Inyere Umuida, Igbo Eze North
2. Motorized Borehole at Nkpo Agu, Igbo Eze North
3. Motorized Borehole at Umuoshene, Igbo Eze North
4. Motorized Borehole at Umuadoagwa, Igbo Eze North
5. Motorized Borehole at Ogurute, Igbo Eze North
6. Motorized Borehole at Onitsha-Enugu, Igbo Eze North
7. Motorized Borehole at Umuitodo Market, Obollo Etiti,
Udenu
8. Motorized Borehole at Ogbozalla Opi, Nsukka LGA
9. Motorized Borehole at Iheakpu, Igbo Eze South LGA
10. Motorized Borehole at Ogbozalla Opi, Nsukka LGA
OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS
1. Health Centre under construction in Umuida, Igbo Eze North
2. Town Hall under construction in Inyere, Igbo Eze North
3. Vocational Centre under construction at Ogurute, Igbo Eze North
4. Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) FM Station, Nsukka
5. Adada Dam and Associated Works (under construction), Nsukka
6. Nsukka-Ovoko-Iheaka-Obollo Afro-Ikem-Eha Amufu-Nkalagu Road Project
7. NTA Nsukka (Awaiting completion)
8. NTA Udi (Awaiting completion)
9. Digital Bridge Institution located at Nike
Written by
Nkechi Itodo
