By Polycarp Onwubiko
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His Excellency, Dr. Chukwuemeka Pius Ezeife, Okwadike Igboukwu, a former Governor of Anambra state, has played his part in the physical world and departed in a blaze of glory. The Harvard Economist, an enlightened politician who won the Anambra state gubernatorial contest in 1991, piloted the affairs of the then young state from January 1992 to November 1993 as an irresponsible Military junta hijacked the government of the country with frivolous reasons.
The medieval English poet,
William Shakespeare, said that "When beggars die, there is no comet seen,
but heavens blaze forth, the fall of kings". Ezeife will be remembered for
reintroducing development planning in governance, given his rich background as
an Economist trained at one of the reputable institutions of higher learning,
Harvard University, US.
Hitherto, the military regime
that preceded his governance paid lip service to realistic principles guiding
development planning in sub-national governments. Ezeife prioritized state
government policies, programs, and projects; hence his consideration for the
establishment of a housing scheme for public sector workers. Since the state
was young and newly carved out from Old Anambra state, the stark reality of a
shortage of living accommodation stared him in the face, leading him to give
top priority to shelter as one of the basic needs of man, according to
management theorists.
Aged 85, Ezeife left this
mortal realm on the 15th of December, 2023, after battling briefly with illness
and minor ailments that naturally accompany aging in some mortals. Unable to
sustain the battle to overcome the brief ailment and move forward in life, his
spirit had no option but to separate from his mortal body, succumbing to the
cold hand of death.
The ebullient grassroots
politician, who performed creditably in the saddle during the brief period but
could not be allowed to implement his lofty vision to transform Anambra state,
used the term in Igbo language "Agam amanye Anambra state George";
"George" in the hoary past in Igbo land was associated with expensive
women's wrappers, which rich men usually purchased for their loved spouse to
distinguish them in public outings as the wife of a wealthy merchant. Usually,
public servants could not afford that for their wives.
After leaving the office as
Governor, his public life was inimitable, and he was considered fit to occupy
an appointment at the federal level. He became the Special Adviser on political
matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo. As a true patriot, he exhibited the
utmost sense of responsibility and "spoke truth to power," engaging
in research work before presenting his views on crucial public policies to his
principal, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo.
Unfortunately, along the line,
he realized that Nigeria is still far away from governance as observed in the
civilized countries of the world, where well-researched advice is highly
appreciated by the president. When he critically observed that Obasanjo rarely
took his well-meaning and well-intentioned creditable position on critical
issues that border on his deployment, he got sorely exasperated and decided to
resign his appointment. Of course, he was demonstrating what he diligently
observed in the US governance, where political appointees call it quits
whenever their honest efforts are not given credit and highly appreciated.
Thereafter, the great
bureaucrat and accomplished economist, having been a permanent secretary in the
federal civil service, did not relent in making worthwhile contributions to
make Nigeria occupy its place in the comity of developed countries. His views
on national growth and development were creditable, including the strident
advice to President Buhari's administration to embark on the restructuring of
the lopsided Nigerian Federation to restore realistic principles of the federal
system of government. As a chieftain of Ohaneze Ndigbo, he joined other
progressive groups like Afenifere and Middle Belt Forum in canvassing for the
immediate restructuring of the country so that it would record meaningful and
sustainable socioeconomic growth and development in real terms.
He was unequivocal in
condemning the centralized federalism foisted by the military jackboots and
taken as normal by the ultra-conservative phalanx, which made the southern part
of the country be shortchanged in virtually all the sectors of governance. He
was an apostle of equity, fairness, and justice in the distribution of the
commonwealth.
His Excellency, Dr. Ezeife laid
the foundation of a pragmatic roadmap for the socioeconomic growth and
development of Anambra state through his "Think Home" mantra, which
has proved him right and foresighted with the unfortunate development in Lagos
state, hobbling Ndi Igbo and making them have a strategic rethink.
Adieu, the ebullient Governor
and statesman of no mean repute.
Polycarp Onwubiko JP, Author,
and public policy analyst.
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