HON. ANAYO EDWIN NWONU:

When the results of the 2015 National Assembly elections for Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency was announced with Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu emerging the winner, some political analysts expressed fears that youthful Anayo Nwonu may not do well as an advocate and representative of his people in an overcrowded and highly competitive setting like we have in the green chambers of the Nigerian legislature. The fears was hinged on the fact that a young man like Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu whose profile did not go beyond philanthropy, sports promotion, business and public office appointment would either be over-awed by other contending voices or ensconced in the enjoyment of the perks of office: Either way, there would be little or no dividends to reward his constituents' labour during the polls.

However, this fear was unreasonable given the fact that Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu (a.k.a. Anatex), was an unrepentant welfarist whose commitment to the wellbeing of his people as a private citizen informed both his unreserved involvement in philanthropy and venture into politics. Within two years in the House of Representatives of the Nigerian National Assembly, Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu has proved bookmakers as well as pundits wrong through his overcrowded mid-term scorecard: At the heels of his induction into the hallowed chambers of the 8th session of the National Assembly, Hon. Peter Anayo Edwin Nwonu (a.k.a. Anatex) donated drugs with which the cholera epidemic which broke out in Ezza North Local Government Area was fought to standstill. He followed this up with eleven federal job placements which he secured through his influence for the youths of his Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency. As at this moment, the list of youths of the constituency who are gainfully employed in choice federal agencies and establishments like Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Nigeria Immigration Service etcetera through the intervention of Hon. Nwonu are over forty! Added to these were several motions to his credit among which was the motion to prioritize and integrate fertility treatment in national health policies. As a defender of his people, Hon. Anayo Nwonu presented petitions of his constituents to the house and has been pursuing same diligently to ensure total redress of the wrongs.

As a young man who has always been in touch with his people, Hon. Anayo Edwin who has been rightly described as a humble but firm youth who holds a lot of promises for his people and the Nigerian nation identified the water need of his constituents and decided to tackle it headlong through his constituency projects: He has done a total of 18 hand-pump boreholes at the following locations in the wards of his constituency. Ngamgbo Ukoro in Okposhi ward, Igwemini village Okposhi ward, Bora Village in Amuda ward, Ameta village in Ntezi ward, Maria Asumpta Catholic Church in Okpoto ward, C.S.S Inyere in Inyere ward, Egu Eke village in Ekka ward and Igbudu Ekka in Ekka Ward. Others are Afor Oshiegbe Market in Oshiegbe ward, Eke Ugwu in Azunyaba ward, Umundegu in Nkomoro ward, Aguefi Amagu in Agba ward, Nduda Ogharugo in Ndeguazu ward, Amaezegba in Nkalaha ward, Onueleke Ndufu in Ogboji ward, Azuegu in Umuhuali ward and Onu Okpuru Odo in Omege ward. He capped the water program up with a motorised borehole at Eguobodo in Ezzaegu ward II, Ishielu Local Government Area.

The ebullient representative of Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency in the 8th session of the National Assembly refused to rest on his oars. Apart from additionally empowering his rural constituents with about ten cars and sixty motorcycles, this federal legislator of a rare breed also distributed instructional materials and exercise books which number runs into four digits to pupils of primary and students of post-primary schools in his constituency. He equally partnered with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, to organize vocational and business training for youths and women of his constituency. He equally empowered them with take-off grants.

An excellent manager of opportunities, Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu used his position as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Rural Development to attract two rural road projects in Ezza North Local Government Area. Added to this is an electricity substation project with its appurtenant extension into the hinterlands of Ezza North council area.

Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu is a firebrand advocate of Umahism and a core supporter of Governor David Nweze Umahi whom he refers to as his mentor and godfather. Consequently, he believes that the best gift that one can give to one's society is peace. Hence, he follows all men with peace; and during the clash of interests that preceded the democratization process of council areas in Ebonyi state, Anatex demonstrated his insurable interest in peace by refunding both the winners and the loses of his party's primary election in all the electoral wards of Ezza North LGA the costs of their nomination forms as a way of soothing frayed nerves and strengthening peace within the polity.

It is instructive to note that within two years in the green chambers of the Nigerian National Assembly, Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu has re - defined legislative advocacy through the infusion of philanthropy, humility, peacefulness, discipline and respect to constituted authorities and elders. For all these and more, Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwonu who has metamorphosed into a human phenomenon of sorts as well as a crowd - puller in his home state of Ebonyi where he was voted in an uncensored online poll in May, 2017 as the Best Federal Legislator in Ebonyi state!

From Hon. Anayo Edwin Neon's midterm scorecard, it suffices to say that he is a virile threat to gerontocracy having proved that Nigerian youths are mature and ready to lead the country out of the woods both today and tomorrow!