The Implication of David Umahi's Second Term Victory For Ebonyi People
Ebonyi 2019 gubernatorial election which held on 9th March was the 6th since the creation of Ebonyi State. According to the Greek philosopher, Plato, "An unexamined life is not worth living". Thus, even though the election has been lost by Sen. Sonni Ogbuorji and other opposition candidates on one hand; and won by His Excellency, Engr. David Nweze Umahi on the other hand, there is need to examine the entire electoral interaction and the implications of Governor Umahi's second-term victory for Ebonyi people.
The first noticeable thing is that the game of power is a team game which requires team spirit. Followers of Ebonyi politics unanimously agree that the major difference between the approach of Governor Umahi to the election and the approaches of the opposition candidates to the election was that while the winner played a team game, the losers, especially the APC candidate, went through the processes as lone rangers and the tin gods whose orders members of their respective parties were supposed to obey. This created crises which divided the opposition political parties. Divided, the opposition candidates failed; while Umahi who operated in unity with the Peoples Democratic Party members stood firm and won the election overwhelmingly with a total score of 392,291 votes while his closest rival, Sonni Ogbuorji, trailed behind with a paltry total of 81, 234 votes!
Secondly, Ebonyi 2019 gubernatorial election has proved once more that power truly belongs to the people and that Ebonyi people are truly a people of honour and integrity who appreciate the evidences of good governance which they have been seeing since the inception of Umahi's administration in 2015 and so voted for the consolidation of good governance. Some of these evidences of good governance are the construction of over 40 % of Ebonyi roads on rigid pavement; the empowerment of over 60,000 Ebonyians through channels like the Ministry of Human Capital Development, Family Succour and Upliftment Programme, the Department of Religious and Welfare Matters, all the Christian denominations and other faith-based organizations; and the highest number of meaningful political appointments in the history of Ebonyi State. Others include the restoration of environmental sanitation to Ebonyi State; the largest waste recycling plant in Nigeria which has over 3000 skilled and unskilled job opportunities for Ebonyi youths and offers Ebonyi people room to earn income through sale of domestic refuse. The enhancement of the aesthetics of Abakaliki Capital Territory through the construction of five beautiful roundabouts, water fountains and the installation of street lights along all the streets in Abakaliki and in satellite towns and council secretariats in the State; sustenance of security of lives and property through subventions to security agencies and the establishment of Ebonyi Neighborhood Security Watch; the first virology centre in southeast Nigeria which Umahi built and equipped in Abakaliki; the upgrading of all the General Hospitals in Ebonyi State; the fullly-accredited School of Nursing Uburu and the revolution of the education and other sectors in Ebonyi State.
By reinvesting their votes in the David Umahi gubernatorial project, Ebonyi people simply said a BIG "Thank you for a job well done in the first tenure" to Engr. David Umahi and his effervescent team. Like our people say, "One who thanked has asked for more". This implies that Ebonyi people expect Engr. David Umahi to put his completed projects like the waste recycling plant and others to efficient use for the benefit of the masses; and to speedily complete his ongoing projects like the Abakaliki Ring road, Effium-Nwekendiagu-Inikiri-Effium road, Abomege overhead bridge, the Ebonyi shopping mall, the new Government House Complex, Abomege overhead bridge; the one-all permanent site of Ebonyi State University and so on. In fact, Ebonyi people's in Umahi's second term is a total manifestation of Umahi's avowed intention of making the entire Ebonyi State a wonderland where every village can boast of rigid pavement roads, portable water, quality schools, good healthcare, security of lives and property. This is certainly a tall expectation, but with a leader like Umahi, it is possible. This is true because the settled word of Almighty God says in the Bible book of Daniel 11:32b that "Those who know their God shall do exploits". The good thing is that for His Excellency, life is all about worshipping God and working for the benefit of mankind. Nothing else explains why Governor Umahi after dedicating his second term victory to God on Sunday, 10th March 2019 proceeded alongside Ebonyi State Commissioner for Works to inspect projects at Ivo and other parts of Ebonyi State. For Umahi and his team, working for the benefit of Ebonyi people holds more attractions than convivialities.
Finally, now that God who is the ultimate dispenser of power has, through Ebonyi electorate, granted Engr. David Nweze Umahi his second tenure as the Governor of Ebonyi State, I encourage Governor Umahi who is the undisputed leader of Ebonyi people to continue to demonstrate his trademark magnanimity in victory. In the same vein, Ebonyi people of all persuations are hereby admonished to sheathe their political swords and support the man whom God has vindicated to consolidate the enthralling positive transformation of Ebonyi State which he started since 2015 and has done to an irreversible extent.
Ebonyi people's prayer is that the glory of Governor Umahi's second term shall be greater than that of his first term. It is well with Ebonyi State!
