Senator David Nweze Umahi, the immediate past Governor of Ebonyi State, currently represents Ebonyi South District in the National Assembly.Lawrence Egede in this media point to a peaceful alliance not lost and frankly hoped for good, pens down his relationship so far with former Governor David Umahi's regime in Ebonyi State and full reports of his contributions towards the development of the state from 2011 to 2023. Among Egede's painful ordeals in the process of delivering his service then as a Media Technical Assistant (TA) to former Governor Umahi were the accidental loss of his eardrums and selling of his car to pay school costs for his child in the university due to his financial challenges.
Read him:
I am giving this report because of my direct and indirect roles played particularly in the regime of Governor Umahi from 2015 to 2023. I did it in and out of the system. The Previous regimes beforehand did not engage my services directly or indirectly.
Other sides of it have to do with the fact that in my family circle, we partook very directly in the fight for the creation of Ebonyi State. We, therefore, cannot be part of pulling down the State, no matter the regime that may come into existence to serve.
I had the first opportunity to know Engr. Chief David Umahi, when Augustine Nwankwegu was the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
The first time that I met Engr. David Nweze Umahi was when the entire House of Assembly members went on an official visit to Uburu, for an Empowerment Program held for the people of the place in the family premises of the Umahi Dynasty.
That was the day I remarked him well as a Social Security Investor, beginning from his home. He became Governor with the same charity habit.
At that time I was working with Honourable Kennedy Ogba my In-law at the Legislative House as an Assistant but was also a member of the Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Sociocultural Organization chapter in Ebonyi State. I later became the State Secretary of the Organization in 2011.
In 2011 Ebonyi State was to hold the Igbo Day Celebration and we notified the government about it. At that time, Engr Chief David Umahi has become the Deputy Governor of the State.
He was mandated by the then Governor Martin Elechi to chair the preparation meetings held between the National, State and LGA Chapters of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo for the Event proper in September of that same year.
He handled the matter very successfully and the Occasion became the best in Igbo Land.
I also remarked to him and later we became friends through his behaviour towards me because we had a temporary Secretariat at the OSBORN Hotel then and only for the Celebration Event.
It was followed by how he was able to successfully handle the Ohanaeze Igbo Day Celebration in 2011. It gave us an edge over others and we were given the position of Ohanaeze President General, and Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey was officially elected.
As Umahi became Governor of Ebonyi State, I was surprised he appointed me a TA Media and Publicity. How he knew I fitted into the Media sector was also surprising to me. I took up the job seriously and diligently did it to the point that became highly expository.
Before Governor Umahi gave me the TA Appointment I was already engaged as a Business Development Consultant to the NDDC, officially representing a Construction Company at Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
It was Ambassador Raph Uwuechue who was then the President General of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo that introduced me to the Managing Director of the NDDC Chris Oboh, during the burial of Ambassador Mathew Mbu at Ogoja in Cross River State. The job was lucrative.
I pulled out reluctantly from the job and took up the new Appointment, without knowing the financial benefits involved.
Throughout the two years that I worked as a TA, my focus first was to introduce to the public Governor Umahi's character of Social Security Investment.
My report was based on his Charity projects, and I also put him in the rank of a workaholic development lord of the century in Ebonyi State and Nigeria.
In the middle of the matter, I came up with reporting about his regime's numerous ongoing development projects in Ebonyi State, which were fantastic.
At last, I came up with the idea of promoting his efforts in the development of Ebonyi State, with the kind of International standards that can't be refuted by anybody anywhere anytime.
I was sure of what I was giving the public as a true report from my previous knowledge of him, at the very first time in Uburu.
As I was doing the job, there were internal Appointments in government Committees, which I also got fixed on call to duty, with more responsibilities to handle. I was so congested.
It started with the Committee on National ID card campaign programs in the State. I was a media reporter for the team.
Another call to duty was the Committee on Environmental Sanitation, which was zoned Alphabetically in order. I was made the Zonal environmental Supervisor of the contractors.
Still doing my job relentlessly, I followed strictly the official activities of the Committees.
It was multiple combinations of onerous tasks ahead tailored together, which didn't give me a single chance to be free for any gallivanting spree of any sort.
Day in and Day out I was always writing all the activity reports of the Committees and that of the media sector. Even during the political campaigns that began in 2019, we were drafted to do our official reporting every time and everywhere we were sent.
There was a day I had much to attend to, but was hospitalized and got an urgent phone call to meet my colleagues at Onueke. I left my drip and rushed there for enumeration amongst those slated for campaign reporting.
During the heat of the work, Governor Umahi bought some Sienna Buses and directed that his Media Squad be given the vehicles each. But surprisingly only a few were given and other ones including myself didn't get any. Till today it died naturally.
Because of it my colleagues who didn't get their shares got angry. They left and joined the opposition and finally returned to PDP when APC surfaced in Ebonyi State. They abhorred it badly and remained contrary.
As for me, I stuck to my guns tenaciously and continued to promote Governor Umahi's regime more than ever before.
I am presently encountering a medical case as a result of an explosive blast, from a public address system that affected my eardrum at the premises of Afikpo Government College, at one of the campaign events in 2019.
Immediately after the 2019 election campaign, we were dissolved forthwith, without being prepared for the sudden exit.
Before the dissolution, I have compiled a big volume of my media outings, ready for timely publication and presentation to the public and the printing Press. But my morale lowered.
Thereafter, some continual reappointment was made in favour of some of us, but I have to renege and under pressure, I requested that one of my sons should replace me. I was dull in fear of another sudden shock.
As time went on for a while the issue of the COVID-19 Epidemic came up. Again immediately after that Anti COVID-19 period of intensive Campaign, the next thing was another dissolution of the Technical Assistants.
That also soft-pedalled me a little while, but I quickly took it easy and embarked on another round of special media outings for the regime. It was more in consistency and impact, again and again, just to ventilate my stifled knowledge of promoting the excellent performances of Governor Umahi's government.
This time it was more or less a voluntary undertaking, just for the joy of continuity without pay and without minding the loss.
I went on like that and got so many public commendations and condemnations, which did me the favour of knowing that I was attracting vast attention.
Those who commended my work invited me privately and we met face-to-face. They even gave me a purse for my upkeep.
I have their names one by one and they are well-to-do people, mostly in the field of education, in politics and business.
Even Overseas, people were impressed and sent me money for my upkeep. It was amazing and my morale and joy rose sky-high. I was highly elated.
Those who loved my media work told me it was a Teachers Digest and not just the merry tales and jokes of the media music entertainment outings.
Those who loved my media work but didn't give money to me only admired it and gave their relevant individual and group voices of advice to me.
Some of them are Clerics and Clergymen, who promised that if they need me they'll invite me again. I never applied their attention to myself at any time. They did it purposely on their initiatives.
Those that hated the way I was going on, in promoting the regime of Governor Umahi did not hesitate to condemn me.
They attacked me Online and some came face to face with anger, asking me how much I earn to warrant wasting my time and becoming an Idiot and a Sycophant good for nothing.
I wasn't pertubed and there's never a time I got tired of doing what was my voluntary choice to do against all odds. I have to continue with the best method I know how to handle so freely.
During this period, some of the EXCO members who knew my promotional inputs to Governor Umahi's regime, sometimes try to reach me with encouraging financial assistance in praise of the work. They commended me seriously and had continued to do so till today without a break.
The last place where I was invited into operation was the Anti-Ponzi Committee, where we halted almost two billion nairas stolen from the victims not to leave the banks where the monies were being harboured.
Most of the members of the Anti-Ponzi Committee were appointed as Directors of each department. I was appointed the Director of Intelligence and Investigation. We were served letters respectively for the job assigned to every position.
At a time the Lawyers, Police and the EFCC took over the job and I learnt the cases are still in Court. We never wanted to be bribed by anybody. We gave our report to the appropriate places to handle. We were never paid a dime, either by the government or by anybody whosoever. We were never even mobilized with cash, from the official quarters of the Human Capital Development Ministry in Ebonyi State at any time. We did our work, just as a Charity Organ of government and as helpers to the victims.
One striking moment that I will never forget was when I had an urgent need, to pay the School Costs for my Son in the UNN. I was forced to sell my Car to do it. I have never idled out time as a lazy and unproductive fellow all my life. It was a bad period for me but I have to bear it.
Another disturbing thing is that the Security Challenges in Nigeria weakened my business movements around the nation.
Apart from market inflation of goods and services bedevilling the situation of many things, I have very low Capital to inject into any elaborate business.
Before the 2023 election, I was invited by Governor Umahi and I went to see him but wasn't able to talk with him at first because of his congested official duties and pressures. I was asked to repeat the visit on a scheduled date.
I know that some people who I didn't tell about it will be eager to know the later outcome of the matter, but I won't reveal it yet. It was a wonderful thing.
As if that one wasn't enough he invited me again for another surprise. It was wonderful still.
Another voluntary undertaking which I embarked upon was to start a wider media spread of massive invitations to the public, in support and solidarity for all the APC Candidates in the 2023 general elections in Ebonyi State.
Most of them won their seats in the election contests. I was not the only media promoter for them on the freelance ground. We did it because Ebonyi State is our own come what may.
Now, I am patiently waiting for the full manifestation of all the wonderful things promised me by Governor Umahi earlier on, before the brand new regime of Governor Francis Nwifuru emerged.
But one thing I won't take now at my age and experience in life so far is political Appointment because I am already a Private Sector man needing finances.
I have served humanity to an extent that won't warrant me to take anything, less than what is going to beef up my business.
Whatsoever the outcome I shall report back, but for now, this is the relationship report of the friendship, between me and David Nweze Umahi ever since 2011 and the events thereof.
In case there is no outcome it means that nothing is lost but nothing gained, yet there is gain in having patience, and even if any loss is encountered, experience is the best teacher. Trust God.
*To God is the glory forever.*
Lawrence Egede is our Guest Writer and Phoenix Public Analyst.
