ENUGU: Aftermath of Tinubu’s visit, A 13,000 bed space hostel at UNN may be named after him

By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.

His concern for the dilapidated Zik Hostel at the University of Nigeria was what drove him home to see the value he could add. But his desire to see the renovation of the infrastructure named after the first President of Nigeria, Dr Nnmadi Azikiwe was not to be, due to the bureaucratic bottleneck of the civil service system. He opted to build a mind blowing 13,000 bed space Hostel from scratch. That dream is nearing completion. This generous soul who is publicity shy has endorsed President Tinubu as the “orekelewa” of Enugu.

In view of 2027, it is of strategic importance that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu builds political goodwill in the Region. Reflecting on his tortuous journey to the villa in 2023. The South East as a whole, gave the President 136,521 votes. Thank God for the earliest intervention of the Supreme Court in the politics of the Region that saw Hope Uzodinma through to the Government House in January 2020. From Imo came the highest votes in the region of 66,408, followed by Ebonyi 42,402, Abia 8,914, Anambra 5,111, if the President’s performance in the region in 2023 was abysmal, Enugu State was the worse for it, giving him only 4,772 votes of his total 8,794,726 with which INEC declared him the President. A state that gave Atiku 15,749 and Obi 428,640 votes, gave the President just 4,772 votes.

 

Politicians in Lagos, the base of the President didn’t help issues, their recourse to tribal politics, unleashed “war” against the Igbo that left many observers worried about future elections in the country.

Intended or not “Awa lokan”, gave the President out as a tribal lord in pursuit of the conquest of Nigeria for his tribe. The Yoruba jumped on this and marketed him among his tribe, with such phrases as; “omo eni ki se idi bebere, ka fi ileke si idi omo elo miran”. Meaning; you can’t have a child with a robust waist and put waist beads on another person’s daughter’s.

Politics, someone once said, is war without blood and war, is politics with blood. This philosophy, more than anything, is what is lost on many of us who are advocates of a civilized political process. 2023, was no doubt a political “war”!

Was it with or without blood?

Beyond the media hype are our various encounters, from Rivers to Lagos, Kano, Delta and Anambra. The Tracker placed to record their findings, Kano State recorded the highest deaths, consequence of electoral violence at 20 deaths, a total of 109 stories were of blood. In spite of scoring less than 0.06, the peace that produced the result in Enugu no one should deny. While leaving you to decide on the bloodiness of 2023, one thing is clear, it was fiercely fought by the side in power today.

Ours is a divided country, along the line of tribes and religion. This however gets widened during the political seasons. There is no such thing as fairness at war, except victory! To a Generalissimo, peace can wait till after the victory is obtained.

This is the lesson from the visit of the President to Enugu State. The war is over, it is time for peace. Particularly with a State that peacefully established their political preference. The mission of the President in my estimation is the need for peace before the next electoral war.

It is amusing that the “ajagun gbade” of Nigeria who scored 4,772 votes in the last election, like an ancient warlord arrived at Enugu to the chanting of songs by the women in Enugu State, all dressed in white blouses and red wrappers with matching head gears.

Many songs were sung, but one caught my attention;

“Eke eke, with the chorus, “Asiwaju”.

Eke eke, Asiwaju,
Orekelewa, Asiwaju,
2027, Asiwaju.
2027 ki Olorun gbega!
“Iku Kole muyin”; a prayer line that death wouldn’t snatch him, also made the line of the song. The leader, welcomed the President in Yoruba; with “Your Excellency, e kaabo si ilu Enugu”!

It was followed by Peter Mbah’s street genre: Peter Mbah is here! Our tomorrow is here. If 2027 is tomorrow and Peter Mbah as the symbol of that tomorrow is set to fly APC brand, Tinubu obviously can’t produce the same result he did in Enugu in 2023 come 2027.

The Omo Eni of the Yoruba Nation whose waist was decorated with beads of political power of the office of the President, had the purpose of the bead on his waist realized when he arrived to a warm welcome of over 4,772 citizens of Enugu State. The word “orekelewa” interjected the songs of the women from time to time. Added “Ewa” is the goal of fixing beads on the waist of one’s daughter, “oreke” is the swinging seductive movement made by a waist that is decorated with beads. The Omo Eni of the Yoruba Nation as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been confirmed as the “orekelewa” of Enugu State, will this seductive visit lead to a happy marriage between the state and the “orekelewa” presented to the people by His Excellency Peter Mbah, come 2027? Time and engagements will determine the faith of the beautiful bride that President Tinubu has become to the people of Enugu state.

 

Significantly remarkable is this visit, being President Tinubu’s first official visit to any state this year. The President commissioned many completed, ongoing and near-completion legacy, people-oriented, developmental projects. Some inherited from the previous administration, many of which were initiated, commenced and completed by Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah since assuming office nineteen months ago.
Major among projects commissioned by President Tinubu include some completed Smart Green Schools, Dazzling International Conference Centre that has made Enugu a conferencing state of international standard and first of its type in any state in Nigeria, completed primary healthcare centres, several kilometres of asphalted urban and rural roads, completed modern bus terminals and others.
President Tinubu’s visit, I believe has confirmed and affirmed the testimonies and statements others who had visited the state before him, among such is Alhaji Kashim Shettima, and other federal government appointees who had seen and testified to Governor Mbah’s outstanding performance, good governance and giant strides that have transformed and changed the landscape of Enugu State within a short period like never before.

Amplifying the relevance of the President’s support for Local Government Autonomy as a means of grassroots political control and development ahead of 2027 is a statement personally signed by, Dr. Ndu the Chairman of
Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, “This commissioning visit will undoubtedly stimulate the anticipated economic growth of our state and reinforce the confidence of Ndi Enugu in your administration as well as that of our esteemed Governor, His Excellency Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.”

The statement reads;
Ndi Ezeagu heartily welcomes our amiable President, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria to our dear Enugu state.

Sir, your project commissioning visit indeed will stimulate the expected Economic growth of our state and reaffirm the confidence of Ndi Enugu on your administration and that of our beloved Governor; His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
Ndi Ezeagu joyfully congratulates our dear polyfunctional Governor, His Excellency Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for his giant developmental strides and massive infrastructural impacts on Ezeagu LGA”.

He went on to list the projects that touched the lives of his people in Ezeagu Local Government Area as;

1. Construction of 44.8km Ama Brewery -Eke – Akama – Iwollo- Olo to Umulokpa Road with a spur (Completed) to Aguobu Owa.

2. On-going construction of the 39km Omughu- Obeleagu- Obunofia – Aguobu Umumba- Ugwuoba Road.

3. On-going construction of 21km Aguobu Umumba- Orie Engine – Umumba Ndiagu – Ebenebe border Road.

4. Construction of 20 Enugu Green smart schools across the 20 wards in Ezeagu Local Government Area

 

5. Construction of 20 type 2 primary health care facilities in 20 wards in Ezeagu Local Government Area

6. Revitalisation of the United Palm Project for integrated Palm project in Ibite Olo Ezeagu LGA and many more.

He cast the dice of the 2027 game, when he said; “God has blessed our state and nation with the best leaders of our time. Indeed our tomorrow is here!

Will the President play along with Mbah in the ‘tomorrow’s’ game?

 

The visit also offered President Tinubu the opportunity to see why Governor Mbah’s administration has consistently been in the news for good reasons and remained a reference point for good governance and intentional leadership in Nigeria, in recent times.
President Tinubu’s visit to Enugu State to see and commission some completed and ongoing projects, despite party differences with Gov. Mbah is clearly a steward of Nation, and a Nation Builder’s approach to leadership against the unfortunate practice of political enmities that has robbed us of leadership productivity. Mbah, is a leader who understands the dynamics and limitations of opposition politics and how to balance the same for the good people of Enugu to attract development to his State.

If Governor Mbah is elected to do what he is doing, there are sons and daughters of Enugu State whose appreciation of Mr President as a result of the visit is further decorating the “orekelewa” that the President has become in Enugu. Such generous individuals, particularly some of whom are residents of Lagos. Governor Mbah and the President should be partnering with. Worthy of mention is the effort of a Lagos born, ‘bred and buttered’ business mogul, an Apostle, and a nation builder, who has exported the goodwill of his sojourn in Lagos back to Enugu State.

The CEO Viagem Property and Investment, said he is prepared to name the facility after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, if given the opportunity to immortalise the visit of the President to Enugu on the Campus of UNN and to embark on the renovation of the monument named after the Zik of Africa at the UNN.

The 13,000 bed space project began in 2020. When I asked him why he would do a thing like that? He said, contrary to what many in the East are fed with, the Yorubas are friendly to the Igbos amongst them and Lagos as the home and political base of the President has been so kind to him.

The project:

The VIAGEM / UNN Build-Operate-Transfer Students Hostels, designed to accommodate on full completion, about 13,000 students of the University Of Nigeria Nsukka is a Project being solely financed by Viagem Property & Investment Limited; a Construction Company solely owned by our modern day “Joseph of Arimathea”.
The Project construction works began in the year 2020 and since then 14 foundations of the proposed 25 buildings have been fully completed. The 14 buildings with fully completed foundations are at various completion stages, with 3 now at the roofing stages structurally.

 

The 3 buildings that are at the roofing stages need to be made ready for the use of about two thousand five hundred and sixty students before the 4th quarter of 2025.

In his words, education is the biggest value that Enugu has added to Nigeria, through the University of Nigeria Nsukka. Hence the need to cite his first education intervention project on the campus of UNN. His plan is to have such facilities across all the regions of the country as his contribution to education.

Some prominent politicians who graduated from the University of Nigeria (UNN) are, Peter Obi, the Candidate of Labour party who swept Enugu clean and denied other candidates the required 25% to qualify them for two third majority. Other politicians and leaders from UNN are; Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, Ike Ekweremadu, former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Chimaroke Nnamani, former Governor of Enugu State. In Art and Entertainment are; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, renowned author and writer and Waje, a singer and songwriter, etc.

Beyond government projects, monumental presentations of Asiwaju by persons from the South-East, resident in the South-West back at home, may be the bond required for a new development alliance between the regions.

The pendulum swinger in 2027 may be the Lagos Residents who are Indigenes of the SouthEast Region. How many of such are hidden from politics to avoid the war of tribes that comes with it? The President stands to gain if politics is de-tribialised and the likes of our Joseph of Arimathea are allowed to trade the goodwills of Lagos in their home states without fear of political consequences of such commitment. There are 36 governors and 774 Local Government Chairmen; if Abuja is added for a state it will be 37 Governors and 780 Area Councils Chairmen.

Whereas there are a thousand and one persons of such a large hearted individual across Lagos whose support for Mr President is beyond the mundanity of politics but driven by nation building values. The question is, would they be recognized and encouraged to invade the South East to trade in the goodwills of Lagos for the benefit of the idi ileke of Yoruba land and the “orekelewa of Enugu; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.

Email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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