By Benard Akoma
One clear message from religious preachers, which makes convincing reasoning even among unbelievers, is that God created every being for a purpose. The pastor of the church where I worship puts it this way: “if the carpenter makes that chair for a purpose, just for you to sit and relax, is there still any doubt that himself, the carpenter, was equally created for a purpose by God?”
Pigeon-holing the man, Anyim Pius Anyim, bearing in mind his life’s trajectory, into the carpenter’s position obviously leaves no one in doubt that the purpose for his own creation is already very visible to every discerning mind. That purpose for his creation was even made manifest very early in his life. The circumstances of Anyim’s birth, for those who know him closely, even the peace, ease and the pace surrounding his growth, leaves no one in doubt about the fact that he does not walk alone. But if the above circumstances are not convincing enough evidence about the hands of God in his affairs, particularly to naysayers, the successes and unblemished records he had packed around his testimonial in every one of his outings are all glaring proof that it can only be God.
Anyim himself does not take all these strides for granted. He always attributes every move he makes not to his strength but all to the glory of God. Recently, while briefing South East Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Enugu about his ambition to vie for the office of Nigeria’s President, he said, “My decision is as a result of years of prayers, introspection and consultations with my God.”
A peep into his yet-to-be-published biography, reveals that Anyim is the only surviving male child from his mother. He became the first to graduate from the university in the family and the one to champion the growth of education among his siblings. These and further developments in his life could only be described as providence, not happenstance.
His election into the Senate, in 1998, under the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), and subsequent re-election into the same Senate in 1999 under the PDP, was not also a chance occurrence but appeared to have followed the path of fulfilment of a purpose. If qualifications, political influence, or evidence of financial war chest were to determine who won the senatorial election in Ebonyi South zone then, Anyim’s hands, no matter how big, would never have been acknowledged when raised for recognition.
When Anyim ventured onto the political scene, he got into the arena as a greenhorn. He never came with the backing of any godfather. He never stood a chance to be counted among the possible winners of any election in his senatorial zone. This was the zone where the likes of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of old Abia State and present Minister of Science and Technology, and Ogbonnaya Ajanwachuku, former scribe of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and son of the first Nigerian Minister of Education, Onyiba Aja Nwachuku, and other political strongmen already dominated the political space.
Yet, Anyim came, saw and truly conquered, brushing aside the stiff influence of Ajanwachuku’s son, his major contender in his party primary, picked the ticket and walked past Onu to defeat his opponent in Onu’s Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) and, later, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to emerge the senator-elect from Ebonyi South senatorial zone.
As in fulfilment of prophecy, “When someone is created for a purpose by God, God goes ahead such an individual and endows him with strength, like the carpenter and chair, to withstand challenges of the assignment. That was how Anyim tread even where the angels dare not. At the Senate, where seasoned politicians, the likes of the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and Evans Enwerem, among others, held sway, nobody gave Anyim the chance of even being recognised on raising his hand on the floor of the Senate to make contributions. His youthful age was not an advantage, as the Senate was not an arena where youth is considered an asset. At 39 years, his imposing divine-inspired presence was visibly noticed when he emerged as the youngest Senate President, from 2001 till date. The dexterity with which Anyim manoeuvred all the ‘land mines and banana peels’ then on the floor of the Senate has never ceased to trigger discussions around his ability, competence willpower and, above all, the guidance and purpose of God in every step he takes.
Again, unknown to many, Anyim never set out to gun for the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF). He never lobbied for it nor imagined that he would be there. Providence, again, brought him into the position. He had told those who approached him for the job, “if it’s to be contested, I’m not interested.”
Indeed, he could not even claim deep knowledge of the workings of the office of the SGF before assuming that position.
Perhaps, he could have merely passed as one of the non-career civil servants to occupy that position. But reports of his stewardship in the SGF’s office have shown otherwise. His tenure as SGF has been attributed with strings of successes and unblemished records, just like his days in the Senate.
This compelling story of excellence in a man’s life ought not to be overlooked when next he resurfaces for any assignment. The truth, particularly for those who believe in divinity, is that it will not be completely out of place to recognise, once more, that Anyim is yet again on another purpose-driven mission, as he seeks to be Nigeria’s President. The good news then is that, if the same forces, which had led him to previous successful outings, are once more at play at this particular time when Nigeria is in dire need of purpose-driven leadership, Nigerians can be hopeful that there’s indeed a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
Anyim has stated clearly in the course of his nationwide consultations that he has a clear idea of what Nigeria’s key challenges are and he has assured all that he has a clear knowledge of what the solutions are.
He had equally reminded his audience that providence had in the past entrusted him with the responsibility to rescue the country. He recalled how he welded the Nigerian Senate, then torn apart by ethnicity, religion, tribe and laying of mines and banana peels on its floor, into one indivisible entity. Call it a miracle, if you would, but with Anyim in charge those divisive tendencies suddenly became non-existent till the end of his tenure as president of the Senate. The same issues that threatened the unity of the nation when Anyim rescued the country’s young democracy appear to have reared their ugly heads again. The interpretation is, therefore, if he had done it in the past in the Senate, he could still do it again, but this time in the executive, just as he is being adjudged today the pillar of support for the success of the President Jonathan administration, where he served as the SGF.
Anyim has minced no words in conveying this message to Nigerians in each of his outings so far. Repeatedly, he has stated, “I am willing and available, ready and equipped, by experience and exposure, temperament and humility, capacity and competence, to lead Nigeria at this point as her President.” Perhaps, this may be yet another opportunity to prove the reason for his birth and still another proof of providence, not happenstance, in his life.
•Akoma, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos