By Olaoluwakitan Babatunde
Reminiscences took the greater part of the recent meeting between the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and his former boss and former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, who described the Senate Number Two man as “an organizer”, “an effective leader”, and “a man, who understands social contract”.
The former Governor and Senatorial flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Enugu East Senatorial District, recalled how he became governor against all odds, noted that himself and Ekweremadu were men of destiny and products of “sheer grace”, hence the slogan “To God be the glory”.
The journey down memory lane took place during a courtesy visit to the former representative of Enugu East senatorial District in the 6th Senate at his Agbani country home by the Deputy President of the Senate at the weekend.
He said: “You are performing. You are a man of conscience. I welcome a man of unparalleled confidence, a man who is well above his peers, a man who is mighty but humble.
“I welcome a man of intellect with a soft touch. I welcome a planner and an organiser, a man who is very effective and I also welcome a man of destiny because in his story, God has carried him along.
“I welcome a man who understands the social contract, understands that his people have expectations for their participation in governance because the common man has expectations because indeed, we share the same expectations, the same goals.
“When you get up and participate in the political enterprise, you must have something to show for it and that is what he is doing. He is giving something back to his people in terms of infrastructural development and human empowerment.
“I welcome somebody, who understands the human dimension, the human concept of politicking, who does not see politics as an abstract, but sees it in real terms of me and you. We share communality and that communality is embedded in service to people. We anchor our faith in God and we have shared destiny, we have a common interest- touching lives.
“We share sadness with our people, we share happiness with our people and we share success with our people. I really salute Ekweremadu. I see myself in him and I see him in myself because we share in people-centered politics”.
“It is kind of emotional for me each time I see you for I know how we all started, but I am happy we are here today and we give God all the glory”.
The former Governor, whom Ekweremadu served under his government as Chief of Staff and subsequently as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), described the lawmaker as a task accomplisher.
“The people that worked with me, the Chief of Staff, SSG, were task accomplishers. The instruction was very simple- in fact as simple as saying this thing is here, after two days let it be here and I go. They did the job. I wouldn’t even enquire because I knew it would be done. I taught them how to accomplish tasks”, he said.
Ekweremadu, on his part, extolled Dr. Nnamani as one who believed in human empowerment.
“I know somebody, who has done so much in human empowerment. I know that Chimaroke Nnamani has produced the President of the Senate of this country. Without you, Ken Nnamani wouldn’t have gone to the Senate and he wouldn’t have been Senate President.
“You have also produced a three-term Deputy President of the Senate of this country and the Senator has been there since 2003. You have produced ministers.
“We need to know all these stories. Two governors including Sullivan Chime and Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi are all his products and several members of the National Assembly.
“So, we have come to pay our respect and then to say welcome you, after a long period you have stayed in the US.
“I want to assure you that as you taught us, we are abiding by it; we have also accomplished so much not only in terms of human development, following your footsteps, but also in terms of infrastructure. We have done our bit and we need to tell you that because you must share in the glory,” he stated.
