By Ogaraku
It was Mario Puzo, the fabled Italian-American, in his 1969 masterpiece, The Godfather, who sai, “Great men are not born great, they grow great.”
For me, greatness is the capacity of men to break the rules and smash bars of limitations. Humanity is replete with men and women who reached their inner strength, ignored the negative vibes from watchers and bystanders to achieve genuine greatness.
This depicts the story of Most Distinguished Senator Ifeanyichukwu Godwin Araraume.
Despite his humble background, having lost his beloved father early in life, with abiding faith in God, he was able to navigate through the storms and thorns of life to become a phenomenal personality.
After the completion of his secondary education at the famous Dick Tiger Memorial Secondary School, Amigbo, he worked briefly before he travelled to the Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States, where he bagged a degree in Business Administration. Not done yet, on returning home, he enrolled for and completed a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Benin.
With this leadership preparation, Sen. Araraume delved into the world of politics and business at a very tender age. He has exceedingly done very well in both sectors.
Exclusive International Limited, which he founded about 40 years ago, is today a national brand.
He was at a point on the board of Inland Bank Plc, now part of FCMB, and has his pie in real estate and insurance, among others.
From 1989 till date, he has been an active player in the political affairs of this country. From state treasurer of the defunct Liberal Convention to becoming the pioneer state chairman of the former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and, in 1999, he was elected senator representing, Okigwe zone, on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He got re-elected in 2003 because of his superlative outing in the first tenure. With aplomb, he handled all the assignments given to him at the Red Chamber. He was chairman, Senate Committee on Power and Steel, vice-chairman, Senate Committee on the Niger/Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and chairman, Public Hearing Committee for South East Zone on Amendment to the 1999 constitution.
Sen. Araraume was also part of the National Assembly’s South East caucus on the creation of an additional state in the South East, as well as chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts. As the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, he almost single-handedly ensured that the dichotomy of core Niger Delta was removed from the original bill, which was intended to remove Imo and Abia states as part of the Niger Delta basin.
As the chairman of the committee on power and steel, he ensured that the Alaorjii power plant, Aba, benefited from President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government’s intervention in power supply in 2003. New substations were built at Anara and Okigwe. Abandoned greater Okigwe water scheme built by the late sage, Dee Sam Mbakwe, was taken over by the Federal Government.
Sen. Araraume is not known to be playing to the gallery. He used his position as the federal commissioner representing South East zone in the NCC to give sustainable jobs to our people. He attracted NCC interventions to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. No doubt, the new national assignment given to him as the board chairman of the newly incorporated NNPC Ltd by President Muhammadu Buhari is going to be a tasking one. But he and his team have what it takes to turn the fortunes of the place around. As a limited liability company, NNPC Ltd is removed from unnecessary interferences from the Minister of Petroleum. NNPC Ltd will run like its international counterparts, like Petrobras, owned by the government of Brazil. They will reposition the place for more profitability as it is the cornerstone of our national economy.
The board is also aware that the era of fossil energy as the major driver of global economy is almost over. Emphasis now should be on new alternatives and how to harness gas that is being flared in the Niger Delta region.
In conclusion, I will not fail to sincerely thank Mr. President for finding our son worthy to be the captain of this noble team with the task of creatively looking for new ways of making our nation benefit optimally from these God-given natural resources.
•Ogaraku is the head at
Anointed Fingers Limited