Except Uche Ekwunife Is Arrested By The Police

OMIFE I. OMIFE

When late Prof. Dora Akunyili was appointed DG of NAFDAC many people expressed misgiving about her appointment, on the ground that such a top job was not meant for a women who are naturally created to be baby factories.

After her tenure until today, Dora Akunyili is still regarded as the best NAFDAC DG of all time and up till today, many years after her death, her name has continued to ring a bell across Nigeria, Africa and the world as one of Nigeria’s super public officers.

When Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was appointed Finance Minister under Obasanjo, people again protested, saying women were too weak and fragile for such job. But both during and after her tenure, the whole world at regional, continental and international levels were looking for her services, and today, she serves as the first African woman head of the World Trade Organization. Today, she is the toast of every country in the world.

At a time when Aisha Buhari criticized her husband’s government and said it was not doing well, Buhari’s comment in response was that a woman’s place is in the other room, where they will not be heard. May be it is because of this negative impression about women that for a long time in the history of this country, very few women have found their way into the Nigerian Senate.

May be also Uche Ekwunife was not allowed her full tenure in the Senate the first time she won the Anambra Central Senatorial election as became chairman of all important Senate Committee on Petroleum before some people went through the back door to give her the Emeka Ihedioha treatment. I believe this was because some people think that the Senate is made for men only, and not for women.

Come to think of it. Since the 2nd Republic, no woman had represented Anambra Central in the Senate.

Here is the roll call:

Senator Chike Udenze

Senator N. N. Anah

Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina

Senator I. G. Abana

Senator Annie Okonkwo

Senator Chris Ngige

Senator Victor Umeh

I won’t deny that all these men served well to the best of their abilities. But let me observe that as former Chairman of the General Assembly of ASATU and incumbent National President of Association of Past PGs of Anambra State (APPAS), I have gone round all the communities in Anambra State, Anambra Central inclusive.

Let the truth be told. I will swear in the name of all the known gods in Igbo land no Senator in Anambra State has equaled the performance and achievement of Senator Uche Ekwunife in spite of her uncompleted tenure. She simply performed wonders on several fronts encompassing infrastructure, educational projects an programmes, scholarships, job creation, youth employment, name it.

Indeed, if we have ten Uche Ekwunifes in Igboland, I guess all Igbo governors will have little job to do in their respective States, going by Uche Ekwunife’s massive record in Anambra Central.

Anybody therefore, coming up to challenge Senator Uche Ekwunife in the coming Anambra Central Senatorial election or anybody who votes against her simply does not have the interest of Anambra Central constituency at heart. It is as frank as that.

This time around, there is absolutely no vacancy in Anambra Central Senatorial election. Unless Uche Ekwunife is arrested by the Police, which is impossible. The Court will not stop her this time.

Mazi Omife I. Omife

Mbuze Mbaukwu