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Raymond Ozoji, Awka
A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (Ogilisi Igbo) has eulogised the performance of Senator Victor Umeh in his brief sojourn at the 8th National Assembly. He noted that Umeh who represented Anambra Central in the Senate for a year and few months made more positive impact on the floor of the Senate and on the good people of Anambra Central and Ndigbo generally than those who spent four years and even eight years or more respectively.
Speaking on his expectations from the Igbo members of the Senate and House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly while fielding questions from journalists at an event in Awka at the weekend, Chief Ezeonwuka who is a member of the Board of Trustees of APGA, fronted Senator Umeh as an example of a super performer in the National Assembly. He said Umeh was hard-working and outspoken on issues of immense political interest, economic interest and security interest to Ndigbo on the floor of the Senate.
The Igbo Spiritual leader urged the new crop of Igbo National Assembly members to work hard like Umeh to be able to attract dividends of democracy back home noting that the present situation of things in Nigeria demanded that those at the helm of affairs must work hard to meet the yearnings of those that elected them. He said they should avoid sitting down and watching what others do or even sleep on duty.
“Umeh was hard-working and outspoken in the Senate. I can remember vividly how he spoke against the directive to disarm Vigilante groups in the Southeast issued by the Inspector General of Police; how he spoke on the inclusion of the Southeast in the Railway project; how he spoke on the establishment of Federal College of Education at Aguleri and how he fearlessly stood up to defend the cause of Ndigbo and Nigeria in arguing and defending bills and motions,” he added.
Continuing, Ezeonwuka observed, “Hardly was there any sitting that Umeh was not seen contributing to the issues of the day by moving and supporting motions and bills, as it concerned Anambra Central, Anambra State, Ndigbo and Nigeria in general. On the home front, he brought several meaningful projects and programmes, aimed at adding value to the lives of the good people of his constituency in the name of attracting dividends of democracy back home.”
He gave Senator Umeh a mark of excellence in attracting dividends of democracy back home saying, “he empowered the youth and women with over 30 tricycles known as keke NAPEP, a good number of motorcycles, sewing and grinding machines, hair dresser equipment, issued university scholarships to ten students each from the seven Local Government Areas that make up Anambra Central and gave N50,000 each to 1000 poor rural women made up of widows and aged mothers and Grand mothers.
“How else can a lawmaker give his people valuable representation, if not by always speaking on their behalf when issues are being discussed and debated, and ensuring that their problems are well articulated and properly channeled?
“And like said earlier, he was in the Senate for a year and few months. Umeh is the mark of hard work. So as the Spiritual leader of the Igbo nation, I am calling on the Igbo Senators and House of Reps members to emulate Umeh to work hard and ensure quality representation to those that gave them their mandate to represent them at Abuja.
