There is a wise saying that the final test of a gentleman is his sustainable respect for all who come in contact with him, even those who cannot possibly be of any service to him. And there is a gentleman, the chief occupant of the Lion Building, Enugu’s seat of power, whom such description aptly describes. In return, as a natural corollary, encomiums profusely go out for him now and again, and from unusual quarters. Since he assumed office in 2015, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has cut for himself, the image of a phenomenal philosopher king whose record and exploits keep stunning his admirers and foes alike. Bringing with him an amazing admixture of the ruggedness of an astute and consummate politician, the meekness of a quiet philanthropist and the broadmindedness of his disarming humility into the delicate statecraft that has become his mainstay at the moment, he has left no one in doubt that he has become a master of his new environment on a scale that has become a crushing disappointment to his detractors. Fondly called Gburugburu, a name derived from his cherished chieftaincy title, Dunu Gburugburu 1 of Orba, his native town, Governor Ugwuanyi is fast bestriding the political, socio-economic firmaments of the coal city state in the Shakespearean colossal dimension.

It is a feat by every yardstick for an elected governor of a state in  these hard times to get clear approval ratings from outstanding vocal clergymen; from social critic and apostle of socialism, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who led a delegation of leaders of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) to Enugu recently, from former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; from the national leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress; from several diplomats serving in Nigeria; and very commonly, from various critical stakeholders and members of the public in Enugu State. These also include former senate president, Senator Ken Nnamani,  the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and the former information minister and current President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo.  Governor Ugwuanyi has had rare commendations from all of them on several occasions.

Wielding a rising popularity rating across the state at a level never seen before now among the people of the state, the governor has really earned all the indices of positive image ascribed to him from within and beyond Enugu State. Keen observers of the dynamics of his very eventful and very novel style of stewardship have become used to the outpour of heartfelt ovations for Governor Ugwuanyi in all his public outings from people of all walks of life. In fact, this effervescent disposition of the people in appreciating the very amiable governor has become commonplace indeed, in the state, within states in the South East zone, even largely across the country.

However, the clearest indications of Gburugburu’s growing reputation as about the most popular, most amiable, most humble, most grassroots-oriented, most philanthropic, even most God-inclined political office holder across the country, can be gleaned from recent rare verdicts delivered on him from various pulpits manned by very revered religious leaders. And they also include members of the clergy, who used to have endless running battles with his predecessors. Clearly, it has simply taken his ever-deepening sense of respect for all who come in contact with him (even sometimes when circumstances of such encounters offer ruffled environments) for the governor to be in the good books of most political, opinion and religious leaders in Enugu State, as is very obvious at the moment.

For instance, in recent times and on various auspicious occasions, this people’s governor, already a man of history, has garnered rare, nay, remarkable accolades from four of the outstanding men of God in Enugu. Among them are two very vocal, expressly fiery social commentators whose pulpits have in the past decades become a nightmare to any state chief executive in the coal city state whose ways or style of stewardship they see as anti-people. They are the irrepressible Catholic priest and spiritual director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, and the very outspoken Archbishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province (Anglican Communion), Most Rev.(Dr.) Emmanuel Chukwuma. The other two highly revered religious leaders, the Catholic Bishops of Enugu and Nsukka Dioceses – Most Rev. (Dr.) Callistus Onaga and Most Rev.(Prof.) Godfrey Onah, respectively, have been unequivocal in delivering verdicts of approval for Governor Ugwuanyi.

Their declarations have been certainly weighty. Yes, they are prized commendations in the comity of respected personalities, who have been keen observers and direct witnesses to the dynamics of the present administration in the state since Ugwuanyi’s compelling administrative sagacity took the state’s political landscape by storm. The highly respected Catholic Bishops are largely apolitical and known to be somewhat taciturn when it comes to making public comments on political office holders. Correspondingly, each time they invoke the hallowed environments of their respective pulpits to “dabble” into the affairs of a sitting governor in the state, the reason for such comments would often be regarded among their vast congregations as undisputed verdicts.

The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka in his utmost cerebral oratory has the undisputed capacity always to deliver all the halos of religious preaching that easily becomes internalised by his congregation. And in many instances, manoeuvring the spoken and written English words, even local Igbo dialectal variations, the clergy man who rose to become about the first African to ascend the exalted position of Vice Rector of Pontifical Urban University, Rome, rose to the occasion to declare that Governor Ugwuanyi is a rare gift from God. Besides the familiar rare kind words for the governor from the very disciplined and serious-minded priest, he also seized the opportunity of a civic reception for the Enugu’s man of the moment by the people of Imilike communities in Udenu council area of the state to posit that the people of Enugu State have a duty to appreciate the governor. His reason: “Gov. Ugwuanyi believes in good governance and has demonstrated his commitment to the well-being of the people of the state through massive infrastructure development, regular payment of workers’ salaries and restoration of peace in the state.  Ugwuanyi’s achievements in office in the face of daunting economic challenges in the country have been outstanding and need to be well celebrated.”

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Among other occasions, Fr. Mbaka, the fearless, largely unpredictable Catholic priest, who literally walks the corridors of controversy when he issues commentaries from the pulpit but remains unperturbed, has remained on the side of religious and political leaders, who have continued to declare that the Enugu governor is the rarest breed of governor in the recent history of the state, nay the South East zone. That is, in harnessing all the trappings of the exalted office of governor and remaining most humble, down to earth in dealing with all manners and categories of people that he encounters, and yet recording a consummate performance in office as governor. Hence, delivering a sermon recently in a mass to inaugurate the 2016/2017 Legal Year of the Enugu State Judiciary held in  his ministry at Emene, Enugu,  the cleric called for support for Ugwuanyi’s  administration “because it has been anointed by God”. Fr. Mbaka was a thorn in the flesh of Ugwuanyi’s predecessors.

In like manner, Most Rev. Onaga, the Enugu Diocesan Catholic Bishop, delivered this recent verdict on Ugwuanyi’s stewardship so far in Enugu: “As a leader, even when things are very difficult, you’re supposed to give people hope by touching areas that touch their lives. So we are grateful to you, we are not taking any of these things for granted. Keep it up and don’t relent”. This came after he pointed to various instances of the governor’s outstanding performance even in the face of crushing economic recession. Following on the heels of Bishop Onaga’s high rating of the Enugu governor was another recent positive disposition of monks who spoke from their cells at Our Lady of Mount Calvary Monastery, Awhum in Udi Local Government Area of the state who have vowed to continue to pray for the governor and his administration. Their reason? “The governor is a man of the people” who runs a people-centred government with the fear of God guiding him.

In like manner, Archbishop Chukwuma, who officiated during a prayer session to mark the beginning of work after the New Year celebrations at the Lion Building, the seat of power in Enugu, had given the governor a clean bill of health: “l have never seen any governor that is as friendly as this governor. That is how to govern because our Lord Jesus Christ lowered Himself for him to be exalted”.

Beside these ecclesiastical approvals for Gburugburu who has wrought a new lease of life on the political and socio-economic firmaments of the state, Governor Ugwuanyi had also on various other occasions garnered unrivalled kind words and approvals from other eminent Nigerians. Such cherished commendations came from the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhamad Sa”ad Abubakar III. The revered Muslim leader who had visited Enugu last December to take part in the victory celebration of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu and also for a peace mission had told the people of the state that from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on his arrival, the atmosphere as exuded by the people smacked of accolades for the governor. And he said, “Governor Ugwuanyi should be commended for his remarkable leadership style anchored on peace and good governance”.

Of course, the national leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress is among the unending list of persons, groups and institutions that have in the past few months showered encomiums on the governor. The congress which has been tackling state governors in the face of the growing monster of harsh economy and the resultant non-payment of workers’ salaries singled the governor out as the one wielding a magic wand, meeting up with all the recurrent obligations of his administration even with its very lean resources. Said NLC’s head of Industrial Relations, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboajah, in Enugu recently: “Governor Ugwuanyi should share his magic wand to his colleagues because injury to one is injury to all”. He had represented NLC’s national leadership on that occasion in Enugu.

To borrow a word from the legendary William Shakespeare, the list of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s approval ratings could stretch to the crack of doom. And the people of Enugu state, nay Nigeria’s democratic political growth would continue to be the better for it.

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