I’m on rescue mission in Ebonyi South –Ani, senatorial candidate

By Wilson Okereke

Professor Anthony Okorie Ani is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ebonyi South Senatorial bye-election scheduled for February 3, 2024.

In this interview, he speaks on his background as a celebrated scholar, promising that he would represent the district earnestly, if elected.

Since you are venturing into politics for the first time, how do you intend to cope with the desired knowledge?

To represent the zone comprising five council areas at the Upper Chamber of National Assembly cannot be compared with my lecturing job where I have produced my fellow professors and academic doctors.

As I am speaking, many persons who are currently at the peak of their various professions have passed under my tutelage.

Before now, I have handled and managed students and lecturers in different capacities; during these days, I have assisted over 3000 students with admissions and interestingly, these students are not only Ebonyi people or southerners as I am not tribalistic in nature, rather I extended the benevolence beyond my horizon.

Do you think that you are the most qualified candidate for the position?

Yes, I am on a rescue mission. I am out to save my people from the menace of their predecessors and I promise not to be power drunk, though my experiences in the universities have humbled me absolutely.

Thus, I am humbly requesting that they should consider me worthy of true representation in the forthcoming February 3rd bye-election in Ebonyi South Senatorial District.

As an academic genius, I have participated and organized about 34 workshops, seminars and conferences respectively; I have written over one hundred article journals, more than 26 conference proceedings, many text books and enormous unpublished articles.

Among the text books, two have gained universal recognition while the three articles undergoing review have gotten eight Honorary Awards.

I am widely consulted on issues of Agricultural Extension, Methodologies and Educational Development. These are some of the achievements that made me an outstanding candidate among others.

However, I am imploring all eligible sons and daughters of Ebonyi South Senatorial District comprising Afikpo, Edda, Ivo, Onicha and Ohaozara LGAs to come out en masse and vote for me, on February 3.

What is your advice to your teeming supporters?

I am urging them to always engage in lawful politicking and electioneering campaigns rather than using defamatory remarks on opposition candidates and I am equally appealing to other candidates to play the game within the rules of engagement.

Though, my supporters are already committed towards issue-based campaigns instead of heating up the polity and endangering the peace and security of the state.

May we know the offices that you have handled in the university community?

I was engaged as an assistant lecturer with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Federal University of Maiduguri, Borno State in 1994 after completing my master’s programme.

From there, I rose to the rank of a professor on October 1, 2006 and thereafter my services were demanded by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), which I passionately granted on November 1, 2013.

Additionally, I was once the secretary of the committee on Postgraduate Diploma in Agriculture of the University of Maiduguri, from August 1997 -August, 1998, Faculty Coordinator in the division of General Studies of the University of Maiduguri, from June, 2000 to July, 2012 and staff adviser to South East Law Students Association (SELSA), University of Maiduguri, from May 2002 to July, 2013.

I have also handled and still handling the following positions: a reviewer, Article for Journal of Arid Agriculture since 2002 till now, a reviewer, Article for Journal of Arid zone Economy, 2003 to date; Chairman, Faculty of Agriculture Occasional publication committee, University of Maiduguri from August 2004 to July, 2013.

I was the Secretary of Ad-hoc committee on students’ handbook, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria from August 2002-July, 2005, the External Examiner and Examination Moderator, College of Agriculture, Maiduguri from 2004 to date and a member of Commercial Food Product Committee, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Lafia Campus, 2006-2007.

I can affirmatively tell you that I have made a serious impact in the education sector in Nigeria because besides the already mentioned positions, I was also the Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee for Proposal on MSc and PhD programmes of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Lafia Campus, 2006-2007 and Acting HOD, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Nasarawa State University, Keffi from September to November, 2006.

I am also the External Examiner to Postgraduate Students, University of Nigeria, Nsukka from October 2008 till date and a member of Ebonyi State University Governing Council where I served as the Chairman, Statuses and Regulations Committee; Member, Appointments and Promotion Committee, member, Project Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, Member, Finance and General-Purpose Committee and Member, Tenders Board Committee.

I am an External Examiner for Postgraduate Students of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, River State University, Port Harcourt from July 2017 to date, the Team Leader of NUC Accreditation Panel to Faculty of Agriculture of Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto between October and November, 2019.

The Team Leader NUC Accreditation Panel to Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) University, Zaria between 3rd and 7th November, 2019 and Team Leader of Verification Visit to Proposed Undergraduate Programmes in College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, Plateau State in Affiliation with ATBU, Bauchi between 27th and 29th November, 2019.

I am the Director, NEED Assessment Office, Federal University of Technology, Owerri from July 1, 2021 to date and Team Leader of NUC Accreditation Panel to Faculty of Agriculture of Cross River State University, Obubra Campus between 12th and 16th December, 2021.

In summary, I have held numerous positions that cut across examination officer, Team Leader, External Examiner, Chairman, Coordinator, committee member, Editor, Reviewer and Board member to more than 20 Universities in and outside Nigeria.

Which other areas have you impacted lives positively?

I have facilitated the employment of over 100 persons in different sectors. Some persons may likely ask for the names of the beneficiaries but I have not been a politician before now as to keep their records. Therefore, I do not have their records at hand but if the need arises, many of them will come out en masse to defend me and if I could do all these through the efforts of some friends and colleagues, how much more when I am given the chance to do so.