Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu: 64 Hearty Cheers To A Career Democrat.
The life of Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu is a study on the moral significance of the biblical exhortation enjoining one not to despise the days of little beginning. Senator Igwe-Nwagu's political career began in a little way but because he did not despise his little beginning, God kept His word and enlarged his coasts. Born on Friday, June 12, 1959, to the family of Chief Igwe Nwagu of Unwu-Oru in the pastoral community of Oriuzor in Ebonyi State, Senator Igwe-Nwagu who is popularly known by his chieftaincy title, Enyiwaauzo, attended Boys' Secondary School, Orsumenyi in Anambra State. He ventured into business in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos. Igwe Nwagu was secretary-general of Igbo Union in Balogun Market, Lagos, between 1983 and 1988. Due to community exigencies, young Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu returned to his Oriuzor community and became the secretary of Oriuzor Community Education Committee. He served in that capacity till 1990 when his diligence and commitment to the common good compelled Oriuzor community to give him the mandate to represent them as councillor in the old Ezza Local Government Area.
Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu deployed his faculties and leadership qualities which included frugality, selflessness, humility, transparency and inclination to justice into his duties. He served as supervisory councillor for education, deputy speaker and speaker of Ezza council legislature from 1991 to 1993. The people who craved credible leadership experienced it in ebullient Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu. The people's testimonies set the young Igwe-Nwagu's political career on a trajectory of leadership roles that spanned the three tiers of government with fully decorated scorecards: Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu became Ebonyi State vice chairman of United Nigeria Congress Party, UNCP, in 1996. He was elected pioneer executive chairman of Ezza North LGA in Ebonyi State and he served between 1999 and 2002. A contented man, Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu turned down the offer for second tenure in respect to the agreed rotation order of the people of Ezza North. Igwe-Nwagu represented Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency between 2007 and 2011; and was later elected into the Nigerian senate to represent Ebonyi Central senatorial district between 2011 and 2015.
It is on record that the durable foundation of infrastructure which Ezza North LGA still depends on was laid by Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu during his years as the council chairman. The council secretariat and many other projects which he built was commissioned by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. For his innumerable multi-sector developmental projects and programmes in Ezza North LGA, Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu was conferred with the Best Council Chairman Award by Obasanjo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. In the National Assembly, Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu was a team player and trusted ally among his colleagues. He was chairman Committee on Rural Development and, later, Police Affairs Committee when he was in the House of Representatives. On winning election into the senate, he also became the chairman of Senate Committee on Police Affairs.
All through his public life, Enyiwaauzo has maintained his commitment to human capital as well as infrastructural development in his constituencies. Beyond giving Ezza North a befitting secretariat, Igwe-Nwagu as a council boss linked the communities and wards of Ezza North with earth roads, culverts and bridges. While in the National Assembly, Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu's constituency projects included rural roads, classroom blocks, hospitals, skill acquisition centres as well as the installation of internal communication equipment and network in Alex Ekwueme Federal University. He mentored about 40 Ebonyi youths who graduated as senior police officers and many others who passed out of police colleges as rank and file.
Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu's love for education is legendary. He loves to learn and he encourages others to learn. Hence, he holds doctorate degrees in political science and law. Through his Enyiwaauzo Foundation, he granted fully paid scholarships to youths of Ebonyi Central to study professional courses. The scholarship scheme has produced over 45 professionals spanning law, medicine and surgery, engineering, nursing, medical laboratory science, accountancy, architecture, computer science and so on. The foundation has equally organised free medical outreaches for his constituents.
Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu is an ambassador of African culture and has continued to promote the culture of his Ezza Ezekuna people. He and his children are practically involved in farming which is the traditional occupation of Ezza Ezekuna people. Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu holds 23 chieftaincy titles and belongs to the famous Ogbo Inya caste. He is at the verge of completing his initiation rites into the membership of the prestigious Jioke which is the penultimate title in Ezza Ezekuna. For all these and more, this family man, career democrat and perfect blend of modernity and tradition has become a crowd-puller, a coveted political asset and man of the people in Ebonyi State. Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu was on a joint ticket with the PDP governorship candidate for Ebonyi State, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, as the deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections which result is under review at the election petition tribunal.
As Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu, a career democrat, turns 64 on June 12, I join his family, friends, well-wishers and teeming supporters to give him 64 hearty cheers.