Okonkwo Samuel
By Uchem Obi
As the race for the replacement of late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah heats up, there has been a reassuring breath of fresh air, with Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo joining the race.
The race before now appears to be dominated by three distinct groups of aspirants. The first is the group of yesterday’s men, made up of politicians, who have been this or that in the past and had also, wanted to be this or that in recent times without success, and are now in search of new relevance.
The second is the group of perennial contestants and perennial losers who run in every election and lose in every election. Their ambitions have never measured up with the expectations of the people. They appear to be mere humours in every election.
The third group consist of the epicurean politicians, who are mainly motivated by the quest for stomach infrastructure. The craving for personal empowerment is their main inspiration. They are not in the race to represent anyone but to earn a meal ticket and revive their dwindled economy.
It is therefore reassuring and heart warming, that there is a trusted and reliable hope, who has volunteered to serve. A new breath of fresh air, a new power of vision, hope, responsible and impactful representation, that the people can trust because before now, he had partnered with the people on many fronts, to salvage and empower them.
This is the reason for the infectious enthusiasm which is pervading the seven Council areas of Anambra South, since Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo declared his aspiration to represent the zone in the Senate of the Federal Republic. The enthusiasm is rooted to his pedigree as an iconic philanthropist, who constantly feels the pulse of the people. He is well known, tested and trusted by the people, for over twenty years he has dedicated his personal wealth to the empowerment and uplifting of less privileged people across the state and beyond.
Dr. Onunkwo is the new hope on the horizon, who has come into the race with vast experience and proven records of community services and representation. He is an industrialist, sitting at the head of many high-yielding companies, both in Nigeria and Overseas. He is the Executive Chairman and CEO of Seahorse Lubricants Industries. He is a major player in the Gas and Oil Sector, an automobile components manufacturer. He is successful also in Haulage network in Nigeria and the West African Region.
Comets were not seen and trumpets did not sound on December 3, 1970, when this quintessential entrepreneur was born in Ihembosi, Ekwusigo LGA. With uncommon brilliance, he emerged the best pupil in the National Common Entrance Examinations in Ihiala LGA. He completed his secondary school education in flying colours and veered into business.
Despite prevalent odds, Dr. Onunkwo seemed to have thought ahead of time and prepared himself adequately for the challenges of a fast changing world. This bilingual entrepreneur, fluent in English, Arabic and French, attended the CeBeLae University of Benin Republic. He attended an Economic Development Course at the Western New Mexico University, in the United States of America. He holds double doctorate degrees (Honoris Causa) from the Zoe Life Theological College, Philadelphia, USA and St. Felicite University, Port Novo, Republic of Benin.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Oil and Gas & Hydrocarbon Studies. He was the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Crown Point International School of Health, Ogun State. Onunkwo has been running a scholarship scheme since 2009 – date, for all senior students of Community Secondary School, Ihembosi, which pays both WAEC and NECO fees, ensuring that indigent students do not drop out of school.
In 2018, he was recognized by Guardian Newspapers as one of the 100 most outstanding CEOs.
As this distinguished entrepreneur joins the race for the Anambra South Senatorial seat, he seeks to utilize the enhanced structures of government to continue his dedicated service to the people.
As a representative of the people, he has been tested, having served the entire Igbo community in Benin Republic, first, as Ezendigbo Cotonou and now, since many years, as Ezendigbo Benin Republic.
His massive show of love and goodwill to the people of Ekwusigo LGA in 2019, during the COVID-19, when he distributed 10,000 bags of Rice and other food stuffs, is still fresh in memory. His presence at different occasions in different towns across the state, empowering people, especially in the seven Council areas of Anambra South, before his venture into politics, is the hallmark of true representation and dedication to the wellbeing of the people.
Time may have come for the people of Anambra South to support the best, and today, the best decision is to support Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo, in his quest to give the senatorial zone a new hope and a new vision for quality and resourceful representation.
