Assessing landmarks of Onyewuchi
By Ikenna Osuoha
The Senate chambers, in line with the functions of the legislature, is primarily a lawmaking coordinating unit in the business of governance.
Democracy thrives with the inalienable role of the legislature in amplifying the voices of the people which is after all the essence of democracy itself.
Therefore, a senator is saddled with the responsibility of setting agenda that would benefit his or her people.
This is after all what Distinguished Sen Ezenwa Onyewuchi, representing Imo East in the Red Chambers, has doggedly accomplished right from his days in the House of Representatives to the Senate.
Sen. Onyewuchi, in accordance with the principle of agenda-setting, has successively made proposals, otherwise called motions, amendments, exercised veto powers and influenced the timing of bills to the credit of Imo East.
In keeping faith with his mandate of lawmaking, Onyewuchi sponsored more than 23 people-oriented bills.
As a senator with empathy and love for humanity, Onyewuchi commendably sponsored the the Older Persons (Rights and Privileges) Bill in 2019.
The bill was predicated on the need to address the growing menace of ageism. The senator showed concern over the plight of Nigeria’s senior citizens who are allegedly abandoned by caregivers and government after retirement.
The bill received global applause from both the UN and other international agencies because it reinforced the Sustainable Development Goals mantra of leaving no one behind.
Far from armchair criticism and sponsored campaigns of calumny in some media spaces, Sen Onyewuchi has carved a niche for himself, Imo East and Nigeria in general in the legislative agenda setting.
In a swift reaction to addressing the spate of insecurity in Nigeria especially the South East, Sen Onyewuchi sponsored the Police Act Amendment Bill aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Nigerian police and other security agencies in the fight against crime and insecurity.
Distinguished Sen Ezenwa Onyewuchi followed the bill up with a similar one entitled Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Bill in 2021 aimed at further tackling insecurity.
Sen Onyewuchi has distinguished himself in accordance with his purpose to bring smiles on the faces of the downtrodden by proposing plethora of motions numbering about twenty.
Many of his motions are targeted at poverty achieving eradication, human capital development and restoring peace and order in the society.
He proposed a motion entitled “Need to Design a Humane Pension Verification and payment policy,” to bring respite to the distressed pensioneers in Nigeria which Imo East is the target considering the gamut of pensioneers in Imo East.
The visionary senator by way of motion called on the federal government to review the downgrade of four federal colleges of Education namely; Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, College of Education, Kano and College of Education, Zaria.
Aristotle in his essay entitled “Republic” categorized humanity into three namely: those who create events, those who watch events and those who discuss events. Unarguably, Sen. Onyewuchi’s achievements in the National Assembly not accentuate his Distinguished personality but resonates his capacity and competence in leadership.
While it is plausible to see criticism as a roadmap to achieving efficiency, it is pertinent to condemn not only subjective, villifying and malignant criticisms founded on nullity, bias, and orchestrated by political vendettas.
In sane climes, Sen Ezenwa Onyewuchi deserve accolades and resounding odes for catapulting Imo East to legislative sublime in terms representation.
This is a man who has defied the political onslaughts of anti-progressive elements and traducers to provide dividends of democracy to his senatorial constituents, irrespective of political party affiliation or local governments.
The people’s senator has made significant impact in the lives of people in the nine local governments; Mbaitoli, Ikeduru, Ngor Okpala, Owerri North, Owerri West, Owerri Municipal, Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Mbaise that make up Imo East.
In pursuit of his firm resolve to eradicate poverty and insecurity in the Senatorial zone, he facilitated employability seminar for youths and women of Aboh Mbaise indigenes.
The high flying Imo East Senator initiated an unprecedented mentorship programme for Aboh Mbaise youths in film production.
Above all, in demonstrating his responsiveness to disease outbreaks, Onyewuchi facilitated the COVID-19 Response Fund for Artisans in Aboh Mbaise geared towards containing the spread.
Elephants they say don’t pray to be big, however, Sen Onyewuchi continued in his giant strides in touching lives and communities with the construction of Obodo Ahiara-Obodo Ujichi-Akabo-Ogwuama link road in Ahiazu Mbaise local government.
The performing Senator instituted the construction and furnishing of class room blocks and teachers’ offices at Amaimo Community Secondary School, Amaimo, Ikeduru local government.
Perturbed with the lingering scarcity of water supply in Umudim, Ikeduru local government, he provided a 10,000 capacity Solar powered borehole at Duruejeme.
Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, in his magnanimity, provided a brand new transformer to Amaruru Ihodimeze, Ikeduru local government, to permanently tackle the problem of epileptic power supply in the area.
To rescue some youths from the shackles of computer savvy, he provided ICT training and provision of brand new laptops for some youths in Mbaitoli.
The people’s lawmaker also facilitated a medical outreach at Orodo in Mbaitoli Local government as a demonstration of his belief in the mantra of health is wealth.
Ostensibly, Sen Onyewuchi has not relented in bringing to fore and fruition the very vision of ensuring a healthy and wealthy constituency.
Having tasked himself with such a lucid and laudable vision, he facilitated the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Business Support Loan for business owners in Mbaitoli Local government.
Programmes like training and empowerment of Mbaitoli women in catering, culinary skills and cake baking were affirmations of the Senator’s belief in women empowerment and economic independence.
With benevolence and determination to alleviate poverty and build human capital development, Sen Onyewuchi facilitated the massive recruitment of Ngor Okpala indigenes and residents into the various Federal government establishments.
He once again illuminated lives in Ngor Okpala especially butchers with the construction of modern market Abbatoir at Eke ukwu Nnorie Market in Ngor Okpala local government.
Beyond providing solar street light some communities in the area, Sen Onyewuchi trained the youths in power point training and provision of brand new Tecno Tablets.
According to the World Bank, it is only businesses unusual by responsible and relevant political office holders in Africa would engender economic stimulus.
Few political office holders like Sen Ezenwa Onyewuchi have domesticated the advice of the World bank by replicating all the aforementioned constituency projects in all the eight local governments that make up Imo East.
It is not erroneous to state that the blind can feel the touch of gold in terms of democratic dividends in Imo East as made possible by Sen Onyewuchi.
As I earlier pointed out, unfounded criticisms being hauled at his person are either hinged on falsehood or peddled by hired goons to discredit him.
Abraham Lincoln said: “in democracy, no one person has the right to rule over another without his consent.” Sen Onyewuchi has sought for the consent of his constituents with practical and evident projects on ground hence his successive victories from the House of Representatives to the Senate.
He has persistently and viably sustained the trust and confidence the people have in him with renewal of his social contract by driving people oriented projects.
We want to urge the good people of Imo East to disregard all manner of unsubstantiated criticism meant to blackmail their illustrious and performing Senator.
Sen Ezenwa Onyewuchi truly is epitomizes transparency , honesty and efficiency in representation whose landmarks are not only unprecedented but unequaled.
Suffice it to say that as a member of the highest lawmaking institution in the country, he has demonstrated his constitutional power of making laws for the peace, order and good governance of Imo East but the Federation at large.
The Orji born Senator has optimally represented he interest, yearnings, aspirations and wellbeing of Imo East citizenry.
In the same vein, the apex Parliamentarian has demonstrated in different dimensions the power of scrutinizing public institutions and officials to ensure probity and accountability in governance.
In retrospect, he has intervened in matters of urgent National interest like insecurity, epidemic, drought, poverty, illiteracy, flood and other national issues.
Sen Onyewuchi has commendably made interventions in resolving disputes between the government and labour unions with a view to ushering in industrial harmony and stabilizing the nation’s polity.
It is therefore appalling to behold pockets of political charlatans actuated by either financial inducement or desperation for power to misinform the good people of Imo East as to play down the laudable and indeed unprecedented achievements of Sen Onyewuchi in the trajectory of Upper Chamber Legislative representation in Imo East and Imo state generally.
Distinguished Sen Ezenwa Onyewuchi has always stood out in matters of national development with his giant leaps in the innovation of gas powered vehicles in his capacity as the Chairman , Senate Committee on National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
As a man of the people whose empathy is unequaled, Sen Onyewuchi has for overtime taken the responsibility of footing for hospital bill s of the less privileged in Imo East under his Health Insurance Programme.
This show of love and care for his constituents started as a free health care which perhaps to him was not wide and efficient enough to provide care for excruciating morbid conditions like Hypertension hence his recent launch of a Multi Million naira Health Insurance Programme to cater for the people’s health.
Thousands of Imo East constituents have unbridled confidence in the political will of Sen Onyewuchi to put smiles on their faces in all ramifications.
