By Monday Eze
Three years ago, Hon. Uchenna Stephen Igwe, the scion of the Patrick Igwe Egbarada dynasty of Idembia, Ishieke Mgbomeze, was sworn in as Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters by His Excellency, Builder Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. The appointment of the humble and unassuming young man had every ingredient of destiny: At the end of the 2023 elections, Igwe was fully satisfied that Builder Nwifuru, a man he refers to as, "father" was lifted by God to the exalted position of governor. Because Igwe was not thinking of any position in government, other people who wanted to become commissioners approached him for intercessions. He readily obliged them.
In the end, Governor Francis Nwifuru appointed Igwe into the plum job of the Honourable commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters! At that time, only 67 out of the 140 autonomous communities in Ebonyi State had traditional rulers. The 73 others were deeply divided by royal stool tussles and town union politics. In fact, royal stool conflicts were so rife that the previous administration had to issue an executive order proscribing traditional stool and town union elections.
Communities like Emezaka in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Okpoto in Ishielu Local Government Area and others had spent long periods spanning between eight and twelve years without a traditional ruler or even a substantive town union leadership. Simply put, more than half of Ebonyi grassroots space was in disarray. It was clear that except something was done, Governor Francis Nwifuru's developmental blueprint, otherwise known as Ebonyi People's Charter of Needs, could not take root or thrive on the hostile environment that the larger part of Ebonyi rural space was. The ground must first be watered with peace before developmental projects and programmes could succeed on it.
Obviously, the task of reconciliation and peace-building would require wisdom, dispassion and courage to speak and enforce the truth no matter whose ox was gored: Those qualities were not in short supply in Hon. Uchenna Stephen Igwe. He took off mediating in intra-communal disputes; and by fully democratizing grassroots and royal stool leadership recruitment processes. Through popular will, town union executives emerged and vacant royal stools were filled in various communities in Ebonyi State. At the last count about 80 old and new communities in Ebonyi State, including Emezaka, Ameka, Akeze, Okpoto, Alike, Ohaisu, Alioma, Ukwagba, Nkomoro, Amoffia, Ishieke, Edda among others have either their conflicts peacefully resolved, or their town union leadership and traditional stool vacancies democratically elected and inaugurated. To end the impersonation of town union presidents, Igwe introduced screening and certification of town union presidents in Ebonyi State.
As peace displaced conflicts in the communities, the commissioner charged the council areas and development centres on grassroot development. Dutifully, the chairmen of council areas and Development centre coordinators reticulated the Ebonyi People's Charter of Needs projects and programmes to their respective domains. In Ivo, the chairman, Emmanuel Ajah built roads, bridges and and ultramodern market; Barr Chinedu Uburu built concrete roads, a befitting administrative complex block, community electricity projects among others in Ebonyi LGA; while Ogodoali Nome built concrete roads, bridges, water projects and more in Ezza North. In Ikwo, Edda, Ezza South, Afikpo North, Ishielu, Onicha, Abakaliki, Izzi, Ohaukwu and Ohaozara council areas, the evidences of infrastructural and human capital development abound. The coordinators of Ominyi, Ngbo East, Afikpo Northeast and Afikpo North Development Centres have respectively earned stars for radically developing their constituencies.
Amidst the implementation of Governor Nwifuru's community peace programme and tracking the developmental strides of council chairmen and development centre coordinators, Hon. Uchenna Igwe was saddled with the task of executing the modern royal duplexes which Governor Francis Nwifuru promised the 67 traditional rulers he met on the throne. Governor Nwifuru's knack for patronizing local content informed the choice of all the handlers of the projects locally. However, this factor posed a great problem as most of the handlers of the projects abused the privilege. This time, the courage and wisdom of Hon. Uchenna Igwe and his overriding commitment to deliver programmes and projects domiciled in his ministry came in handy. In Igwe's project tours, he wielded the big stick whenever necessary and made gentle corrections at deserving project sites. As at press time, 41 modern royal duplexes have been completed while the remaining 26 already wear roofs and are at different stages of finishing.
These achievements of Hon. Uchenna Stephen Igwe did not come cheap as he stepped on big toes and bruised the polished ego of the beneficiaries of the old order in order to deliver. Consequently, Igwe became the punching bag of many sacred cows who established a well-oiled blackmail industry against him. Unfounded accusations, mischevious lies, frame-ups and sundry allegations were levied against him even before the governor, but all crumbled under the weight of evidences and Igwe's impervious integrity. It suffices that Igwe took bullets so that rural Ebonyi could breathe peace and development.
For three years, Igwe has been in charge of the grassroots front of Governor Nwifuru's administration. It is on record that Igwe is one commissioner that has never failed on any assignment. Three years in, Igwe's commitment remains the same: To serve Ebonyi State with loyalty, integrity and the same zeal which his duties demand of him.
Congratulations to Hon. Uchenna Stephen Igwe, the champion commissioner!
