13/06/2023
As The Curtain Draws On The 9th Assembly: Ifeanyi Ubah Has Placed Anambra South Senatorial District On The Map Of Astounding Development
_As the 9th Assembly shuts down today with a valedictory session, Anambra South Senatorial District can stand tall, beat hands on the chest, and count their blessings, while looking forward to even greater days ahead, having re-elected their capacity-laden son in preparation for more dividends of democracy in the 10th assembly._
A cursory peep at the Google interpretation of the word "Astounding" shows it to mean something that is surprisingly impressive or notable.
The above best describes the mega feat that Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah was able to achieve in the course of delivering on the mandate handed to him by the good people of Anambra South Senatorial District in 2019 under the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
Senator Ubah, immediately hit the ground running like a man on a mission despite being elected on the platform of a then-new political party whose very first stint at the National Assembly was courtesy of the mandate won by Senator Ubah during the 2019 polls
On arrival at the Red Chambers, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah immediately turned the supposed disadvantage of being the lone Senator elected on the platform of his party (the YPP) into advantage by successfully making a case for inclusion in over 35 committees in the Senate.
This he did by calling for an interpretation of a Senate rule that stipulates that every political party present in the Senate be represented in the various standing committees in the Red Chambers.
Today, a lot of political watchers, including critics alike are awestruck at the level of developmental dividends that Senator Ubah was able to deliver for the Senatorial District in the various sectors (health, education, road rehabilitation, markets, skill acquisition and empowerment programs, security, etc).
All the outstanding projects were delivered as a first-timer despite the various hurdles that played out during the course of the tenure.
Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, on assumption of office as the Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, was confronted with a deluge of court cases from some of the candidates that he defeated at the polls. It became even more bizarre at some point when one Barr. Obinna Uzo, who didn't participate in the electoral contest, procured a doctored judgement from Kubwa High Court that purportedly sacked Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah from office and declared him winner.
Senator Ubah, like the proverbial cat with nine lives, was able to overcome all the hurdles and won the entire court cases, a feat that was greatly celebrated by the good people of Anambra South Senatorial District.
It didn't stop there!
The global pandemic, Covid-19, descended on Nigeria in the following year 2020, with its devastating effects that shook the entire nation and resulted in numerous deaths.
But the Idea Bearer, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, will have none of that. He quickly sent out a war cry to his numerous friends and contacts and rallied them into contributing funds for the building of isolation centres and hospitals that will tackle the health challenge posed by the pandemic head-on and save our people from avoidable deaths.
Over half a billion naira was donated within the space of four months by the Anambra Progressives and Development Union, the group convened by the Senator to rally funds but which also had many of his friends from across the country contributing their quota to the humanitarian course. The above funds would have surpassed the over half a billion Naira generated had Senator Ubah not set the benchmark of one million Naira as the minimum acceptable donation.
May I, at this point, pray for the continued peaceful repose of Senator Buruji Kashamu, who also contributed money towards the building of the isolation centres in Anambra but unfortunately died (aged 62) from complications of Covid-19 in Lagos on the 8th of August 2020 during the rampaging Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
The major story is not just that Senator Ubah built and fully equipped two state-of-the-art hospitals and isolation centres in the two Senatorial Districts in Anambra South and Central while that of Anambra North got delayed due to the petty political antics that the then former Governor Obiano played (a story for another day), the major story also was that Senator Ubah was able to galvanise donations from his friends drawn from different ethnic nationalities in the country in the course of making this laudable project a reality with the hospitals built, fully equipped and delivered in a record 5 months with ambulances procured.
This singular act by Senator Ubah immediately changed the face of the hitherto comatose health sector in Anambra state.
Same Senator Ubah refused to rest on his oars as he has today to his credit, health centres built in majority of the local government areas in Anambra South Senatorial District with two built in Aguata Local Government alone, another in Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government, Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area,with on-going ones in Oraifite in Ekwusigo and Mbosi in Ihiala local government areas.
Next came the Endsars' protests when several youths in the nation embarked on revolt not just against the repulsive brutality meted on them by the anti-robbery department of the Nigerian police force but also revolted against the political class. One may recall how some politicians, including Senator Ndoma Egba's home, got attacked during the melee.
While this prompted political officeholders in the country to go into hiding for their safety, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah took to the streets of his Senatorial District without a single security detail in tow and was able to place his full credentials as a "Grassroot General" well loved by his people on display by commandeering the rampaging youths and decisively quenched the riots thereby saving lots of businesses from destruction. Several police stations that were already facing mob attacks also got saved thanks to the timely intervention from Senator Ubah.
In the course of these distractions, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah made the decision to take his projects to all the wards in his Senatorial District numbering over 119.
With time no longer on his side on delivering on the above intent as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the commencement of the campaigns in preparation for the 2023 polls and also faced with opposition contenders that were busy planting one fake hatchet story after the other and peddling divergent lies and propaganda in a bid to reduce his intimidating support base, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah announced his intention to keep working and delivering projects until a few days to the polls and to commence again a few days after.
While political watchers were busy reading different meanings as to what gave him the confidence to assume that his return to office was sacrosanct, Senator Ubah kept his eyes on the ball and went ahead to declare the now hugely successful "Operation Light-Up and Secure Anambra South" Project.
To his credit today, Ikemba, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, has successfully deployed at least one project in each of the entire 119 wards that make up Anambra South Senatorial District
Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, in the course of the 9th Senate, also broke the record of being the first in the history of the Nigerian Senate to earn a nickname from his colleagues.
He got unanimously proclaimed 'The Prince Of The Ninth Senate' in appreciation of his groundbreaking bill that got passed into Law and that today yields billions yearly in revenue accruals to the coffers of the federal government.
Today, the same Senator Ubah who faced a gruesome attack on his convoy late last year, has taken up the responsibility of tackling head-on the insecurity in the Senatorial District that has adversely affected businesses, the safety of the residents, and driven nightlife away from the zone.
Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah is already recording huge successes with the Anambra South pilot security scheme currently ongoing in Nnewi, which is the economic and political capital of Anambra South Senatorial District.
As the ninth Assembly shuts down today with a valedictory session, Anambra South Senatorial District can stand tall, beat hands on the chest, and count their blessings, while looking forward to even greater days ahead, having re-elected their capacity-laden son in preparation for more dividends of democracy in the 10th Assembly.
Indeed, when the selfless is on the throne, the people greatly rejoice.
Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah has shown great capacity and love for his people with his outstanding legislative strides and project delivery in the Ninth Senate
May God continue to protect and guide his footsteps.
To God be the glory.
Kamen Chuks Ogbonna
Head, Media, and Strategic Communications to Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah.
© 2023
