Gov. Ugwuanyi News Update

Ugwuanyi: Still Serving Humanity at 62

By Louis Amoke

Completing another existential course around the sun goes beyond a celebration. It is a key milestone and indeed calls for thanksgiving and gratitude to our merciful God, offering ample opportunity for a retrospective narration.

In this month of March, it has pleased God to extend double markers to an outstanding leader whose antecedents and engagements in his private and public life bear uncommon testimonies to the ingenuity of The Almighty as the ultimate decider of man's destiny.

The immediate past governor of Enugu State, and exponentially, the present Nigeria’s Ambassador to The Hellenic Republic (Greece), His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is that outstanding leader enjoying these double milestones.

Ambassador Uguwanyi remains a pillar of humanitarianism and political ecumenism with deep bites of vision, godliness, compassion, humility, peacefulness and ebullience. Ugwuanyi who continues to impact humanity is driven by his solemn desire to appreciate God's unmerited favour, nurture peace, provide selfless service, and unrelentingly alleviate the sufferings of the people.

Clocking 62 on March 20, a few weeks after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu graciously approved his posting to Greece as Nigeria's chief diplomat in the Southeastern European nation known as the cradle of Western civilization, is a great testimony to the glaring fact that Ugwuanyi is a child of destiny.

As a leader standing firmly on the pedestal of uncommon testimonies, the former governor, popularly known as Gburugburu, is one unique personality whose life, decisions, and impact are defined by extraordinary divine intervention, remarkable resilience, with the rare ability to turn difficult challenges into a narrative of grace.

Such leaders are not just managers of resources but are often viewed as living testimonies of faith, whose character stands out because of their ability to remain calm, peaceful, focused, visionary, and principled under extreme pressure and trial.

Ugwuanyi's sound vision and verifiable accomplishments, his commitment to God, his milk of human kindness, unswerving integrity, humility, passion for people's wellbeing, peacefulness, dexterity and vigour in striving to reprieve humanity, tolerate slurs, and accommodate all diverse interests and opinions, irrespective of class, ethnic, religious or political differences, without losing sight of his mandate on good governance and selfless service, have carved an enviable niche for himself as a phenomenal leader, whose shining light from within can never dim.

His maturity in calmly handling the conscienceless acts of ingratitude, betrayal and insatiability, instill in us a lesson that the best portion of a good man's life is his numerous, nameless, unremembered and unappreciated acts of kindness, principled accommodation and love.

Ugwuanyi’s exemplary leadership qualities remind us that "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

His recent ascendancy as a chief diplomat, after his meritorious service as governor for eight years, is a living testimony that "people may not reward or thank you for the good things you have done. But when God is your reason for serving, you will receive greater blessings in return."

It is all about those who bite the hand that fed them and took such act of kindness for granted. It is all about the hearts of men gazing at their conscience, insatiability, and the grave consequences of their untoward actions and inactions, soberly.

Your Excellency, Rt. Hon. Amb. Ugwuanyi, today is indeed a day of thanksgiving to God for His goodness and mercy upon you and your life of kindness, humility, sacrifices, and selfless service to Enugu State, Nigeria and humanity.

It is, therefore, a momentous occasion to relive your sacrifices and remarkable contributions towards the peace, unity and progress of Enugu State in particular and Nigeria in general, at an unfortunate time (2015-2023), the state experienced a perennial shortage of funds under the then administration of President Muhammed Buhari.

This shortage of the state's purse then was occasioned by the nation’s economic downturn and outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, et cetera, that plunged the country into two economic recessions.

The resultant effect of the harsh economic realities during your administration was a 30 per cent drastic reduction of what used to come in, as federal allocations, to the coffers of the state government before you assumed office in 2015.

Today, one is glad to see President Tinubu and present governors testifying that the governors now receive far more abundant financial resources from the federation account that quadruple what the previous governors received to govern their various states.

Besides, your tenure as governor also encountered other unforeseen challenges that became clogs in the wheels of governance. The protests and herder/farmer clashes were among other obstacles that reared their ugly heads against your visionary and people-centred administration.

It is common knowledge that your days as governor were not the best of times to be a governor.

But in all these, you were not daunted or deviated from fulfilling your sound vision and campaign promises. You secured the state and entrenched peace and good governance through robust grassroots development drive, inclusive governance, and people-friendly policies and programmes. It was indeed a government with a human face.

The major beneficiaries of your administration were the ordinary citizens in the rural areas, the long-neglected and underprivileged, who you profoundly describe as the true heroes of democracy.

You did not forget their enthusiasm, and the massive love and support they accorded you during your election as governor of Enugu State in 2015 as well as your 2019 re-election, which you won with 95.54 per cent of the valid votes cast, unprecedented in the annals of our nation's electoral exercise.

In rewarding the people with good governance, you were one of the few governors, under President Buhari's administration, who were able to pay workers' salaries when 27 states could not, in spite of the glaring fact that Enugu is a civil service state-oriented economy.

Only a few days ago, President Tinubu reemphasised that governors, since the inception of his administration in 2023, no longer rush to banks to borrow money to pay workers' salaries in their various states.

Confirming this obvious fact, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, a few days ago, was reported, saying: "This is a wonderful time to be a governor, unlike before, state governors are now sharing N1.9 trillion, N2.7 trillion under Tinubu". These show how fortunate the present governors are.

As a leader passionate about workers' welfare and its trickle-down effects on businesses in the state, especially in favour of market men and women, low and middle income earners, et cetera, during your tenure as governor of Enugu State, you were expedient and legendary in prompt payment of the N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment to the state's workforce when many of your colleagues could not pay because of dearth of funds caused by dwindling federal allocations.

Despite intense pressure from advisers amid popular option of sourcing funds through aggressive taxation, you, in your usual compassionate instinct, organic love for the people and sensitivity to their plights, exempted market traders in Enugu State from paying Personal Income Tax and Market Tax. You went further to launch a novel traders' empowerment scheme, called Enugu State Traders Empowerment Programme, which assisted them to grow their businesses.

Your administration, generally, ran a tax-friendly regime and created a favourable environment for businesses to thrive despite all the temptations and financial constraints it faced.

As a servant leader, your reason for these acts of kindness was that the people were already suffering the adverse effects of the nation's economic meltdown, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, among other challenges, explaining, figuratively, that one does not need to take blood from those suffering from Kwashiorkor.

Your Excellency, you championed massive infrastructural developments in the rural areas through your administration's peace and grassroots development initiatives, opening up the rural areas with meaningful projects and life-saving/changing programmes that have direct positive impact on the dwellers.

The rural development drive which was not largely appreciated by Enugu urban residents for obvious reasons, gave the long-neglected and underprivileged a great sense of belonging.

To maximally protect lives and property in the state, you initiated, launched and equipped the novel Forest Guards of 1,700 trained youths and repositioned the Neighbourhood Watch/Vigilante groups for effective community-based policing and intelligence gathering.

Over 100-unit of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM) patrol vans fitted with communication gadgets were purchased and donated to the security agencies to aid their operations in effectively securing lives and property in the state.

Your administration equally purchased over 260 security vehicles, among other equipment, to aid the operations of the Forest Guards and the Neighbourhood Watch/Vigilante groups.

No wonder Enugu under your watch was widely adjudged as the most peaceful state and one of the safest states in Nigeria.

Today, it is a thing of joy that an average family in Enugu State and beyond can fulfil the dreams of their wards to study professional courses in medical-related fields in the state with ease.

Your establishment and nurturing of the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Igbo-Eno in Nsukka Zone is advertently one of your numerous legacy projects that will outlive you.

In the same vision, you went further to attract a federal polytechnic to Nsukka zone, precisely in Ohodo, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, known as the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo.

SUMAS has grown rapidly beyond a pioneer university of medical education to a veritable platform for indigenes of Enugu State to explore, harness, and mould their future academically.

The university is the current bride in the state for academic excellence both in character and learning, and kudos must be extended to you for investing heavily in the future of the people, especially the younger generation and those yet unborn.

The crown you wear as the second leader, after Zik of Africa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, to bring a university to Nsukka land, is an indelible imprint in the political lexicon of Enugu State in particular, and Nigeria in general.

Your philanthropic gestures, especially the rural-based medical programme, "Gburugburu Free Surgery Programme,” that renders free medical services to underprivileged patients with surgical conditions but lack funds for treatments, is on the prowl, saving lives, and ameliorating people's sufferings.

A lot of indigent students benefited (and still benefit) from your private scholarship scheme and that of your administration under the Enugu State Scholarship Scheme and Loans Board, which made it possible that most of the beneficiaries are enjoying greener pastures today in top countries of the world, across Europe, America, Australia and Asia.

In all, your people-centered administration made great impact virtually in all spheres of development too numerous to mention, such as in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, sports and youth empowerment, human capital development, agriculture, investment promotion and economic growth, judicial reforms, security, urban and rural development drive, workers' welfare, peace and good governance, among others.

At the national scene, the names of leaders who fought tenaciously for the sustenance of our democracy, and upholding of peace and national unity as well as the principles of equity, justice and fairness, preluding the 2023 presidential election, cannot be mentioned without you and your G5 colleagues led by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, and then governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Bar. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Your G5 family grabbed the bull by the horns in its demand that the presidency of Nigeria shift from the northern part of the country to the south in 2023. This act of patriotism by the G5 saw to the emergence of Tinubu as president.

Today, your support for President Tinubu, more especially now you have joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside your successor, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, your hard work, foresight, tenacity, patriotism, peace and bridge-building instincts, and firm belief in the principles of equity, justice and fairness had paid off as Mr. President found you worthy to represent Nigeria in Greece as its Ambassador, to play a diplomatic role in promoting our nation's image and fostering a robust bilateral relations between our country and the Hellenic Republic (Greece).

In this new assignment, you will surely deliver creditably, by God's grace, and through your wealth of experience as a former member of the House of Representatives for three consecutive legislative sessions, and a two-term governor of Enugu State.

Congratulations, the Udulekenyi 1 of Orba Udulekenyi, and many happy returns.

More wins, Your Excellency. The sky is the limit!

*Amoke writes from Enugu*

TRIBUTE

61 Garlands for Ugwuanyi, a Unique Leader

By Louis Amoke

Another year around the sun is always a milestone to celebrate. And when an outstanding personality, a unique leader, completes this existential course, there is even more reason to revel and give thanks to the Almighty Father. Incidentally, a personality who cares little for mundane revelry achieved this milestone today.

He is unassuming. Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi, the immediate past governor of Enugu State, born on March 20, 1964, clocks 61 today.

Your Excellency, as governor, you were intentional in your sheer dexterity and vision to positively touch the lives of the people and give them a sense of belonging.

These folks were mostly the ordinary citizens in the rural areas, the long-neglected and underprivileged, who you describe as the true heroes of democracy.

They came out en masse and stood patiently under the sun and in the rain to cast their votes for your overwhelming election and re-election in 2015 and 2019, respectively.

In actualising this vision, you were focused, strategic and radical in deploying government services towards creating fair and equal opportunity for every willing citizen to make a living and create wealth, educate our children, and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment.

You were also intentional, bold, and resolute in your declaratory inaugural address in 2015. You made it clear that Enugu State, under your watch, will pay special attention to rural development. You justified your stance on the glaring fact that "the majority of our people live in the rural areas." The driving force was all about your passion for the people's wellbeing.

As a grassroots/people-oriented leader with milk of human kindness, you never deviated from your vision to alleviate the sufferings of the people and bring democracy dividends to their doorsteps, irrespective of their social status or remote locations.

Riding on unswerving integrity, you gave Enugu State peace, security, and good governance, notwithstanding the avalanche of challenges your administration encountered.

The fact remains that you stepped into the big shoes of leadership at the wrong time. You became governor of Enugu State in 2015 when Enugu’s purse grew leaner and Nigeria’s economy was in recession as federal allocations dwindled to an all-time low.

The resultant effect of the harsh economic realities was a 30 per cent drastic reduction of what used to come in, as federal allocations, to the coffers of the state government before you assumed office.

As one of the few governors, under the then President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, who were able to pay workers' salaries when 27 states could not pay, one appreciates your firm commitment to the wellbeing of the people, in view of the fact that Enugu is a civil service state-oriented economy.

You paid the N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment to the state's workforce when many of your colleagues could not pay.

You exempted market traders in the state from paying Personal Income Tax and Market Tax and went ahead to launch a novel traders' empowerment scheme, which assisted them to grow their businesses.

One equally applauds the leadership prowess you deployed in keeping the wheels of government moving and ensuring that Enugu became one of the safest states in the country.

Apart from the two cycles of economic recession within five years, we are all witnesses to other unforeseen challenges that confronted your administration, which ate deep into the lean resources of the state. These include the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (which brought a major setback to the entire world in terms of development and growth), the protests, and the herder/farmer clashes, among other national security challenges.

More worrisome is the fact that the socio-economic and security policies of the then federal government were not far-reaching to surmount the nation's challenges or guarantee sustainable platforms for the then governors to actualise their visions fully.

For instance, the monthly federal allocations to the states under President Buhari’s administration have doubled substantially, if not tripled, since the inception of the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu - a major breakthrough that has enabled the present governors to carry out sundry infrastructural projects with ease in their various states.

At various fora, in recent times, President Tinubu made it clear that present governors now receive enough funds from the federation account to work.

As governor and an ardent promoter of national unity and principles of equity, justice and fairness, you played national politics to the peak alongside your colleagues in the G5 family, which saw the emergence of a Southerner, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, as Nigeria's President, today.

Your Excellency, one recalls that in your inaugural address in 2015, you made a disclosure that "a political associate recently told me that this is not the best of times to be the Governor of Enugu State".

You went further to state that the then outgoing Governor, Sullivan Chime, pointed out during the thanksgiving Mass to mark the end of his successful administration that "Enugu's purse is growing leaner as federal allocations dwindle to an all-time low."

Not only that you were the only governor in the history of Enugu State to witness two national economic recessions within the space of five years in the life of your administration, including other ravaging challenges, you were equally the first governor since 1999 to govern Enugu on the political platform (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) that is in opposition to the ruling party at the national level (All Progressives Congress, APC). This also came with its inherent challenges and setbacks in terms of federal patronages and considerations.

Despite all these issues that barked at you as governor, you remained undaunted, focused, and visionary. You never deviated from your commitment to the people's well-being. You ensured that you judiciously utilised the state's meagre resources at your disposal in impacting lives positively, transforming the rural areas and entrenching peace, security, and good governance while running a government with a human face.

Your rare striking traits of humility, godliness, peaceful disposition, compassion, benevolence, kindness, openness, simplicity, vision, hard work and inclusion were the pillars that protected the people, guided your administration throughout the stormy years and ensured the successes it recorded.

Besides being among the few governors who paid the then N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment to the civil servants regularly, the preponderance of state's pensioners comprising those from other South East states who served the old states with Enugu as their capital, also received their pensions and other benefits under your watch. What a huge financial obligation that ate deep into the state’s lean resources!

In fulfilment of your promises in your inaugural address to pay special attention to rural development, and to equip and modernise Nsukka - a university town founded over half a century ago and second largest town in Enugu State, your administration executed most of its development projects in Nsukka zone, and in the rural areas, while also deploying the state’s meager resources to execute and maintain new and existing facilities in Enugu urban respectively.

Though the rural development drive did not go down well with some Enugu urban residents, your passion for the wellbeing of Enugu indigenes living in rural communities, the long-neglected, the lowly and underprivileged, etc, was unprecedented and responsible for that great impact you made in the rural areas.

The feats were propelled by your conscience, your dint of love and compassion for the people and your gravitas to strike a balance and build the Enugu State of the founding fathers' dream, where every indigene of the state, irrespective of class, religion or political affiliation is given equal rights and access to dividends of democracy, and lives in a peaceful and secure environment.

Today, through your administration's peace and grassroots development initiatives, you made it possible that communities in Enugu State that had not experienced democracy dividends before did so.

In ensuring speedy rural development drive, human empowerment, and brighter future for younger generation and those yet unborn, you initiated, established, and nurtured the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS), Igbo-Eno, Enugu State, located in Nsukka zone.

This milestone has inscribed your name in the annals of history as the second leader, after Zik of Africa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, to bring a university to Nsukka land. The Great Zik of blessed memory attracted the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) to Nsukka.

Again, in your foresightedness towards the importance of education and its powers of transforming and galvanising generational change, positively, you went further to attract a federal polytechnic to Nsukka zone, in Ohodo, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, known as the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo.

These higher institutions are doing exceedingly great and have provided Enugu State indigenes veritable platforms to explore, harness, and mould the future academically.

SUMAS, in particular, has provided the teeming youths of Enugu State the platform for increased access to quality university education in professional courses such as medicine.

These milestones are among those people-centered achievements of yours that will outlive you, and history will remain kind to you for deeming it necessary to invest heavily in the future of the people, especially the younger generation and those yet unborn.

While Enugu was battling with survival instinct following the adverse effects of the nation's economic meltdown and state’s dwindling resources, you were able to initiate and execute people-oriented policies, run friendly tax regime and create favourable business environment for the people. You equally entrenched peace and security, ran inclusive governance, and still executed numerous projects in the state.

These projects, too numerous to mention, include: The reconstructed and remodeled 11km ancient, historic and undulating Enugu Milliken Hill-Ngwo-9th Mile road - the state’s roller coaster; the constructed 12km Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway - a state-of-the-art road with underground drainage system fitted with street and traffic lights up to the UNN gate.

Other projects include, the first flyover bridge by Enugu State Government located at T-junction, Nike Lake Road, Enugu; the 31km Udenu Ring Road constructed with two bridges; a befitting State Secretariat Annex at Nsukka with an ultra-modern Conference Centre adjacent to it; the 5,000-seat Township Stadium; the ultra-modern Banquet Hall at the Old Government Lodge, GRA, Enugu also remodeled with the construction of Annex, 10 units of Executive Guest House (Duplex) and 24 units of Guest Flats, including recreational facilities, etc.

Others include, the 13km Nike Lake junction-Harmony Estate-Amorji Nike-Adoration Pilgrimage Centre-Orie Emene road linking the ever-busy Abakpa Nike with Emene satellite town in Enugu East LGA; the Nike Lake Road and Abakpa Nike Road in Enugu East LGA; the Airport Roundabout/Orie-Emene/ St. Patrick’s College/Eke-Obinagu Road in Enugu East LGA; different roads rehabilitated in Enugu City, and in the university town of Nsukka to give the area a major facelift, etc.

In opening up the rural areas, your administration constructed numerous roads and other amenities. These include the 8.8km Nkalagu-Eha Amufu road in Isi-Uzo LGA, neglected for over 35 years, the 26.66km Ukpabi-Nimbo-Ugbene -Ajima-Eziani road in Uzo-Uwani LGA (RAMP-2); the 22.443km Neke-Mbu-Ogbodu Aba-Obollo Etiti inter-community road linking Isi-Uzo and Udenu LGAs (RAMP-2); the 8.2km Inyi-Akpugoeze road in Oji River LGA; Type 3 Healthcare Centres constructed and equipped across the three senatorial zones; massive Amenity Ward Facility located at the upgraded Ogrute General Hospital, Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North LGA; numerous educational facilities across the state, such as classroom blocks, school furniture, etc.

One of your greatest achievements for Nsukka zone was the stepping down of 30MVA in Nsukka from the 132KV Makurdi Feeder by National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), which you facilitated. This milestone has effectively improved the quality of electricity supply to the area and has also enhanced the growth of business activities.

On security, which is fundamental to the people's safety and wellbeing, in spite of the state’s lean resources, your administration purchased and donated 100 units of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) patrol vans with communication gadgets to the security agencies to aid their operations, employed 1,700 forest guards (first in the Southeast zone), repositioned the Vigilante/Neighbourhood Watch groups, and purchased over 260 security vehicles for their community policing operations, and constructed the 76 Police Mobile Force Squadron facility at Ekwegbe, Nsukka, etc.

Many other feats were recorded in education, health, security, judiciary, agriculture, sports, fire service, rural development, empowerment and scholarship schemes, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), housing development, investment promotion vis-à-vis Enugu's fame and outstanding ratings on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, under your watch.

You are the man behind the listing of Enugu as an oil producing state.

You ensured an unprecedented, harmonious working relationship with the other two arms of government (legislature and judiciary), the state workforce and the leaders of the organized labour from the inception of your administration in 2015 to the end, in 2023.

As a unique, humble, and God-fearing leader, you still maintain a peaceful relationship with your predecessors, successor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, and other leaders and members of political, religious, and traditional institutions.

Your superb inter-human relationship with the people, the high and the low, despite the betrayals during the 2023 general elections by those you assisted and empowered, is exemplary.

The world is aware of your philanthropic gestures, especially the rural-based medical programme, that renders free medical services to underprivileged patients with surgical conditions but lack funds for treatments, among others.

This noiseless free medical programme, according to the last records, has successfully saved the life of over 3,000 people through the "Gburugburu Free Surgery Programme”. Thank you for this life-saving initiative.

Today, it is all about a worthy celebration in honour of a good man, peacemaker, phenomenal and visionary leader, nationalist and bridge-builder with unique leadership qualities and rich wealth of political experience, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Your Excellency, as you clock 61 today, bear in mind that your good deeds have always and will always gain you divine favour before God. Also, bear in mind that those 680 indigent engineering students of Institute of Management and Technology, (IMT), Enugu and Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, your administration offered scholarships to; the 22 post-secondary school indigent students your administration sent to study at Mewar University, India; the 40 Enugu State students your administration secured fully funded postgraduate scholarships to study in various parts of Europe, America, Australia and Asia through the Mentorship Masterclass of Enugu State Scholarship Scheme and Loans Board valued at over N3 billion; grateful individuals, families, groups, institutions and communities you touched their lives privately and publicly, etc, will continue to pray for you fervently and wish you peace, joy, good health, long life and many more years of selfless service to your people, our great country Nigeria and humanity.

Today's occasion, therefore goes a long way to place you on a pedestal of greatness as one who has found amazing favour in God's goodness and mercy.

Happy 61st Birthday, Your Excellency, and remain blessed!

*Amoke, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Enugu State Governor on Media (2015-2023), writes from Enugu*

Three Enugu Bishops, over 150 Nsukka priests celebrate Holy Mass for Ugwuanyi at 60

*Sycophancy, betrayal, parts of cross a leader must carry – Bishop Onah tells ex-governor

*Commends his good works, humility, faith in God

*Says truth will catch up with opportunists, egoists who distorted, misinterpreted facts with lies

The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Prof. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, on Saturday, commended the immediate past Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for always demonstrating an unwavering faith and trust in God in all circumstances of life.

Bishop Onah, who lauded Ugwuanyi for entrusting Enugu State to the hands of God during his eight-year tenure, said that the former governor’s accomplishments in public office are testaments to God’s provident hands that have lovingly guided him all along.

Speaking when the three Catholic Bishops in Enugu State and over 150 priests from Nsukka Catholic Diocese converged on Ugwuanyi’s home parish, St Patrick’s Church, Ohom-Orba, Udenu Local Government Area, to concelebrate a Holy Mass as part of activities marking the former governor’s 60th birthday, Bishop Onah also applauded him for “all the good you did for the people of Enugu State in general, and for the people of Nsukka in particular.”

The Bishop stressed that Ugwunayi values prayers offered for him, especially the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Bishop Onah disclosed that Ugwuanyi while in office as governor recorded milestone achievements “in the areas of security, road networks, health, education, sports, job opportunities, support for the church (all denominations) as well as other religious bodies and above all, your humanity and availability.”

He also spoke about the innumerable persons the former governor touched their lives positively by his acts of governance, stating that they will continue to sustain him in their prayers, “and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will surely reward you for those other good deeds that human beings fail to recognize.”

Bishop Onah who pointed out that sycophancy and betrayal are parts of the cross that any leader must carry, told Ugwuanyi that: “Opportunists and egoists may have presented distortions or misinterpretations to you as facts in an attempt to hide their own mischief or failure.

“But, as the Italians say, lies have short legs. The truth soon catches up with it. We pray that God may enlighten you with his truth, so that you may be able to separate the grains from the chaff.

“Those who had hoped that the recent political events in our state would sway your trust in your God and fidelity to your Church are by now, probably disappointed. As Scripture tells us: All things work together for good for those who love God (Rm8:28).

“As we thank God for your life so far, we pray for many more happy, healthy, and fulfilling years. We ask him to continue to bless you and your family and to continue to hide you in the hollow of his hands. I am glad to present to you a parchment of a prayer of blessing from the Holy Father Pope Francis to mark this occasion. May God keep you in his love.”

Bishop Onah thanked Bishop Callistus Onaga of Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Bishop John Ifeanyichukwu Okoye of Catholic Diocese of Awgu, the numerous priests, the religious and lay faithful who found the time to celebrate the Mass.

He equally thanked the group of friends of Ugwuanyi led by Barr. Mogboh Jnr, SAN, for organizing “this well-deserved celebration of and for our worthy son and brother.”

Speaking on gratitude and the story of ten lepers, Bishop Okoye in his sermon appreciated Ugwuanyi for always showing gratitude to God. He told the former governor that, at 60, God has the chance to give him more grace and use him to render more selfless service to the nation and humanity, adding: “God wants you to be testifying his goodness in you all the time.”

Bishop Okoye maintained that Ugwuanyi has a good heart of helping people and urged him not to renege in doing so.

In his speech, the parish priest of St Patrick’s Church Ohom-Orba, Rev. Fr. Dr. Evaristus Emeka Isife, on behalf of the church and the celebrant, thanked all those who participated in the Mass for finding time to come in spite of their tight schedules.

He disclosed that more than 150 priests concelebrated the 60th birthday Mass for Ugwuanyi, revealing that the implication was that “we have celebrated 150 Masses for the former governor today.”

The Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, the Member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, Hon. Anayo Onwuegbu, members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, former State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Engr. Vita Abba, former council chairmen, traditional rulers, were among the dignitaries at the religious event.