When Imo Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, Built Houses For The Poor

Source: By Okwuaku A. I. Okwuaku

The deputy governor of Imo state, His Excellency Prince Eze Madumere, is changing lives and giving hope to the poor and the less privileged in Imo state through unprecedented philanthropic gestures. But what happened in Ubahaeze Orodo in Mbaitoli Local Government of Imo state a few days ago is an incredible pace-setting move and a legacy worth emulating by the political class and those who are privileged to have enough in the society. On the said date, the deputy governor was at the interior village to officially present a modern bungalow he built and donated to a poor woman, Mrs. Victoria Osuchukwu and her family. This is just one of the many philanthropic gestures of the deputy governor and as he once said it is also his “little way of contributing to ensure that the dividends of democracy are given to those who ordinarily may never get it”.

Like millions of poor families out there, the story of the Osuchukwus is a touching one which we will hear later, but the humanitarian intervention of the No. 2 citizen of the state has changed the family's story in a way like never seen before in the history of governance in Imo state. The gesture took a more commendable dimension when the deputy governor told his audience of a mammoth crowd that he built the house not as a deputy governor but as Prince Eze Madumere, an ordinary citizen moved by the sufferings of others. He humbly noted that it is in line with a powerful example set by The First Lady of Imo State, Her Excellency Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, who has set a timeless record in humanitarian services by clothing and building over 150 houses of modern standard for indigent widows. Madumere's story and his romancing with the poor remind me of what the legendary catholic pontiff, John Paul II, told a gathering of the political class and leaders from around the world.

In an address to a gathering of world leaders the late catholic pontiff, Pope John Paul II told his audience that leadership and politicking are not about winning elections, holding positions of authority or making rules to hold people in obeisance. For the polish born pontiff these two things are about giving a minimum decent living to those who may never achieve it on their own; providing shelter to the homeless, clothing the naked subjects and ensuring that conditions are met to help all families get daily bread. Leadership and politics for the pope are about delivering the highest good to the commonest of the common people. For me and those who share my view, politics should be measured by how much you can compete with your opponents in giving meaning to the life of the poor and the less privileged in the society.

In a typical Nigerian setting where politics is a game of how much you can grab for your personal ego polishing and how much you can save for your next political ambition, the pope's address to a typical Nigerian politician will be like giving a university textbook to a nursery school child. It will be of no use to the child except to flip over the pages and dump it. However, in Imo state one man is making a difference; the deputy governor of Imo state, Prince Eze Madumere is building houses for the poor and the less privileged, setting another milestone after the First Lady of Imo State, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, who has built over 150 bungalows for Indigent widows drawn from the 27 local governments of Imo state. .

It was on the 17th of September, 2014. I and a few fellows were part of the entourage of the deputy governor of Imo state, His Excellency Prince Eze Madumere, for an inspection tour to Orlu. However, before then the deputy governor had informed a crowd of staff and visitors who had gathered in his private office for the midday prayer that he would be on his way to Orlu to visit a site of flood disaster. Of course, since Gov. Rochas Okorocha came to power in 2011 he introduced midday prayer program as a vital element of his rescue mission administration. The deputy governor on his own accord made it a point of duty that every staff or visitor within the premises of the Twin Tower which houses his office complex and that of the First Lady must join the midday prayer. In his usual humility and characteristic simplicity the midday prayer is held in the deputy governor's private office any time he is around. On the above date the deputy governor took time to personally introduce every visitor that joined the prayer session. He also announced to his audience that his principal, the governor, His Excellency Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha, had asked him to urgently respond to a call by victims of flood disaster at Orlu.

As the convoy sped off along the Orlu-Owerri express which is speedily being dualized by the Rescue Mission government of Gov Okorocha, along Orodo axis of the road, a signal came from a voice like that of Corp. Musa Usman “Come in pilot! All stations slow down!! We are turning left!!!” Musa is the calm-speaking ADC to the deputy governor. I was as surprised as everyone in the vehicle. Even the Chief of Staff Operations, Chief Jerry Okolie, was even more surprised. But the deputy governor calmed his curiosity by telling him, “Chief Jerry! Let's stop a bit and greet our people over there!” Suddenly there was gun salute, and our convoy was heading into a rural narrow road into the hinterland. We were still curious when our entourage was swallowed up by an unimaginable mammoth crowd of youths, women and men, including children.

As I alighted I saw an array of notable traditional rulers led by the Eze Imo and Chairman of The Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Sam Ohiri, numerous youth groups and women groups in different attires. I sited a great number of the political leaders of thought from Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe extractions, including Chief Maxwell Nlemigbo, the former state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is now an avowed supporter of the APC's Rescue Mission Government of Governor Okorocha. In different corners I saw groups dancing, with women ululating. And as I looked at the deputy governor's countenance I discovered that he too was even more shocked and surprised than I and others were. In a second Prince Eze Madumere was swallowed up by visibly joyous crowd of women and men, and he began to dance. The scene was typical of what happened along Douglas Road on the day Owelle Anayo Okorocha defeated the then Gov. Ikedi Ohakim in the most popular mandate during the 2011 historic elections. On that day frenzied crowds set Imo state ablaze with wild wild jubilations. That day I saw a young man with a live cock, women ululated, and there was a young lady strapping a baby on her back and weeping tears of joy. I also saw the crowd dancing with the army in military camouflage around a young man holding a live Ikiri animal singing “Ikiri bu onye Ohi, a cynical reference to then Gov. Ikedi Ohakim alleged to have defrauded the state.

As I surged through the crowd in Ubahaeze Orodo to escape being stampeded because of my small size and still asking what in the hec was going on, I saw an imposing modern home with ribbons; a sprawling bungalow that seemed to intimidate the surrounding houses in the rural setting. It was a modern house with all the facilities needed for a comfortable life or a minimum decent living. I saw a man dropping tears of admirations for the No.2 citizen, so I asked him “Oga please what is going on, sir?” “The deputy governor built this house for a poor family”, the man replied. The man is a very good man, he muttered further. I was relieved immediately as Eze Madumere's philanthropic gestures for the poor and less privileged are no longer a surprise to me and many others. Of course his birthdays are celebrated every year with the children of the Red Cross center Owerri and the inmates of Nigerian Prisons Owerri.

During the event everybody wanted to speak, but only a few could do so because of time. Among all who spoke, everybody was saying the same thing “Prince Eze Madumere has set a record in exemplary leadership that considers the plight of the poor as his primary concern.” It was all encomiums for a leader of the masses described as a replica of his boss, the governor of Imo state, Owelle Anayo Okorocha and his wife, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha. Nothing of sort has happened in the history of the state where a deputy governor built houses for the poor. And this was done with zero publicity to the extent that even the deputy governor's staff team was completely unaware of the development.

If anyone thought that the deputy governor was done with the beneficiary, Mrs Osuchukwu, then that person was in for more surprises. He told his audience that building a house for the less privileged is not enough but ensuring that they too can live a good life. The announcement of a further N500,000 donation to the family by His Excellency Prince Eze Madumere sent the crowd rolling with applause. He also called on the political leaders in the APC party present to contribute their quota in giving a new life to the poor family. That attracted donations from supporters of the deputy governor which saw Mrs. Osuchukwu and her family going home with close to a million naira.

As I noted earlier, Mrs Victoria Osuchukwu's story is one that calls for sympathy, and the deputy governor's connection to it is an interesting one that encourages patience. Mrs. Osuchukwu is a poor woman but a well known supporter of the APC party and the Rescue Mission government of Governor Okorocha. In one of the meetings she was absent. On enquiry by the deputy governor he was told that Mrs Osuchukwu lost her child to pneumonia because she and her husband had no good house. He was moved by the story and in a moment he had given the family a new life with a modern 2 bedroom bungalow. In his speech the deputy governor told his audience that his only desire is to give the poor and the less privileged a taste of good life, and to empower young people and women to be the best they can be.

The beneficiary, Mrs Victoria Osuchkwu and her husband told their guests that Prince Eze Madumere has amazed them for life when they never imagined the possibility of a new life of comfort and financial prosperity. They described their benefactor as God-sent and a man who lives his life for the poor and the less privileged.

As soon as the deputy governor commissioned the house and officially handed it over to the beneficiary, we drove off to Amaifeke and Umunna where he met the victims of flood disaster in the company of the officials of the State Disaster Management Agency, and conveyed a message from Governor Anayo Okorocha promising an urgent intervention and compensation for the victims who lost a lot in the disaster.

We have gone to Orodo and left but Prince Eze Madumere has set a record, although he is not new to philanthropy and selfless gestures to the masses. His foundation, The Prince Eze Initiative, through which Mrs Osuchukwu's house was built and donated, has undertaken numerous projects in charity, ranging from free scholarships and paid-off educational programs for the youths, Empowerment programs for youths and rural women. In the last days of the December of 2013, the deputy governor brought activities in the state to halt when his foundation organized and sponsored the Mbaike talent hunt event that brought many homegrown artists and upcoming models together to sell their talents. He has also empowered numerous individuals from around the state. His surprise gesture in Orodo attracted the admiration of many loyalists of APGA and PDP parties who asked to be accepted into the APC party, all for the sake of Prince Eze Madumere's characteristic humility, his philanthropic gestures and his sense of rewards towards the APC party faithful as has never been seen before.

Okwuaku A. I. Okwuaku is a media strategist and writes from Owerri