By Raymond Nkannebe
As elected members of the 10th National Assembly get set to mark their 1-year anniversary in office; for the people of Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency in Enugu State, the event provides an auspicious moment to reflect and assess the performance of their elected representative, Rt. Hon. Barr. Sunday Cyriacus Umeha (Ezeabata 1) who on the 13th of June 2023 was duly inaugurated into the Green Chambers of the National Assembly together with his colleagues.
However, at a recent engagement with leaders of the Labour Party in Enugu – both at the State and Local Government levels as well as constituents and supporters, the resounding vote of confidence passed on Hon. Umeha, was the needed proof that his legislative strides in the National Assembly had caught on with the people in just one year, and of course, a potent indication that things can only get better from here. But in his characteristic humility, and undaunting commitment towards a better Ezeagu-Udi Federal Constituency, Hon. Umeha would not be flattered by the overwhelming seal of support and approval of his people. For him, the journey has only but begun.
Indeed, the record of performance of Hon. Umeha at the 10th National Assembly brings to mind the anecdote of the golden fish that has no place to hide. This has seen the Honourable Member take on numerous legislative engagements in the House as a gesture of his capacity and discipline of execution which must have been honed over the course of a diligent and successful legal career.
Whether in substantive role as the Deputy Speaker of the House Committee on Justice; Member of the House Committee on recovery of funds trapped in banks and other financial institutions; Member of Committee on HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Leprosy Control; or Membership of the Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Umeha has distinguished himself as an astute parliamentarian, within a short time, to the approval of not only his peers, but also the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
It is no wonder then, that when the Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution was to be set up, Hon. Umeha was named as one of only 37 lawmakers to undertake that historic exercise on behalf of the Nigerian people. This is a feat that puts Ezeagu-Udi Federal Constituency and indeed the entire people of Enugu in an indelible page of history.
To say that all of these have come with great physical and emotional burden, is to say the obvious; yet, for the Honourable Member, “leadership is a function of service and anyone who is not prepared to do the hard work that leadership imposes, should not throw their hat in the ring”.
Ever alive to the pressing needs of his Constituents, Hon. Umeha has found an uncanny means to combine the excruciating demands of his office with responding to issues that appertain to the security and well-being of his constituents and Nigerians at large.
One of those notable interventions, was the motion moved on the floor of the House to urging it to direct the Federal Government to investigate gruesome murder and killings of Nigerian Citizens at the popular Ugwu Di Nso Junction in Udi Local Government Area, by operatives of the Nigerian Army and to provide succor and relief materials to the families of those who died from the dastardly act. It was a timely and responsive motion which expectedly received the nod of the 10th National Assembly. Another, was the motion calling on the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory to complete the Karshi/Apo Road in order to checkmate traffic gridlock on the ever-busy Keffi/Mararaba/Nyanya/Abuja Road which also received the stamp of the House of Representatives.
Hon. Umeha’s interventions in the core legislative work of law-making, so far, speaks for itself. At the last count, he has actively sponsored at least five Bills targeted at varying socio-economic outcomes. One of those legislative interventions that will potentially reverberate home, is the Bill for an Act to Establish Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skill Acquisition in Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency of Enugu State. In the event that the Bill is passed into Law, Hon. Umeha hopes that it would elevate Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency as the entrepreneurship and skills-acquisition capital of Nigeria.
Others are, a Bill for an Act to Amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004 to Provide for the Abolition of Levies and all Forms of Fees in Public-Primary Schools and for Other Related Matters; A Bill for an Act to amend the NYSC Act, Cap. N84 2004, to make it mandatory for the Service Corps to provide Lie Insurance Policy for Members and for Other Related Matters; a Bill for an Act to Establish the National Football Academy in Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency an for Other Related Matters etc.
In the areas of infrastructure, social utilities, education, job opportunities and security, it is safe to say that Hon. Umeha has been punching well above his weight in spite of the limited resources at his disposal as a first-time lawmaker. Thus, in order to bolster security, he saw the wisdom in the installation of solar-powered street lights in Akama/Amankwo Ward. This intervention, according to many residents of the community has further increased the sense of security and provided more impetus for night-life which helps accelerate economic development.
In line with his Legislative Agenda of providing scholarships to eligible students in the Constituency; the partnership with several secondary schools across the wards in the Constituency to provide free Jamb registration to selected students during the last registration exercise, has been widely received as a gesture of matching words with actions. For the beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme, it would go down in their memories as a significant contribution to their legitimate aspiration for the Golden Fleece.
Hon. Umeha has also not lost sight of his commitment towards job creation for the youths of his Constituency. In that regard; beyond the job opportunities provided to those who serve in his Legislative Office either as aides of liaison officers, Hon. Umeha has gone further to negotiate sustainable job opportunities in Federal Parastatals for many of the Constituents to the extent that they’re duly qualified and have applied for those positions. Plans are also underway to organize week-long skills acquisition training across several technical skills for youths of the Constituency. These would include learning and developing competencies in the areas of soap making, painting, interior decoration, tailoring and fashion design, IT etc. The expectation is that by the end of these curated trainings, the beneficiaries would be able to earn legitimate living out of them and also, potentially create job opportunities for others.
Conscious of the fact that security remains focal to the attainment of these and other lofty Agenda for the Constituency, Hon. Umeha has explored a new approach at solving the intractable security problem within Ezeagu and environs. This would take the shape of what might be called “people policing” whereby every member of the community is actively involved in the policing process by ensuing vigilance, practicing information-sharing with local vigilantes and traditional security agencies such as the Nigerian Police and Military, and also responding to crisis points in unison to apprehend assailants and/or deterring future attacks.
All of this formed part of deliberations and resolutions reached at a recent Security Summit organized by the Honourable Member in collaboration with the Nigerian Army; the Police; the DSS and the Civil Defence Corps. The event which was styled as a townhall was in response to the recent upsurge in kidnappings in Ezeagu and elicited outcomes/recommendations some of which are now been escalated at a higher level with the relevant security operatives by Hon. Umeha.
Further; as accessibility is key in representative governance, Hon. Umeha has remained dedicated to his open-door policy which is critical in running a truly people-oriented representation. Thus, he has made the distance between Abuja and Enugu rather short, and is constantly amongst the people both in their time of celebration and in their time of sorrow to feel their pulse, receive constructive feedbacks with a view to factoring them within his leadership model.
Whilst it has been a very busy year; with a better part of it lost to the needless distractions of the multiple litigations that arose from his God-given mandate, there is yet a growing consensus that Hon. Umeha has hit the ground running. And just in the way a chick that will grow into a cock is spotted on the first day it is hatched, hope abound for the people of Ezeagu and Udi Federal Constituency that tomorrow will surely be better.
Raymond Nkannebe is the Director of Media and Press Affairs to Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Sunday Cyriacus Umeha
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