Names are not just given. They are not accidents. They are given as forms of identification and also nature's gift to mankind.
Each name carries with itself the burden of explaining circumstances that surround the birth of any given child.
Wrapped in the innocence of nature, a newborn child is totally at the mercy of his parents to get identity through name and parenthood.
However, no child had any contribution to the name given to him or her and such discretional responsibility bequeathed from generations to generations remains binding on the child.
So in most cases in Africa and Igbo land in particular, circumstances around one's birth often define his acceptance and name.
In most cases, children born into a family where child mortality is high often get names like Ozoemena (let another evil not happen). Children whose parents have relapsed to fate of giving birth to same gender have also given names like Obumneke, (Am I the Creator), Ogadimma (it shall be well), Nwadiogwa (mixture of gender) among others.
For a child whose birth heralds act of bravery or heroism, you hear names like Agu, Omekagu, Ogbuagu, Dike, Odogwu and so on.
These names are not just for mere identity convenience, they carry the message of rare creative spark which every child is born with. Such messages often characterize the behavior of such child.
One significant and incontrovertible truth about the whole thing is that no child grows up to challenge his parents for giving either older or younger siblings better names as every name defines the mood of the moment, good, bad and ugly.
In Nigeria today, what trends more than necessary is a name (Lion of the South East) a name often associated with the Honourbale Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
Beyond the ridiculous rhetorics of purchasing a presidential form or becoming a presidential candidate as yardstick for such a name as being talked about by a few misguided political analysts, what stands out is the quality of the man who bears the name.
The name, Lion of the South East dates far back as 2018 and 2019 when the burden of keeping Nigeria an indivisible entity on the side of Ndigbo fell on the young shoulders of Umahi as the Chairman of the South East Governors' Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State.
At the moment the region was challenged badly, the zone needed a man who is decisive and courageous to provide leadership and unite the nation from the region. It was a moment of action that was to either make or mar the South East region.
In the face of various challenges the zone faced which included but not limited to insecurity, IPOB upraising and farmers and herders' clashes in some parts of the South East, Umahi as the Chairman of the South East Governors' Forum immediately rose to the occasion. The intermittent crisis arsing from clashes from herders and farmers was to snowball into a full blown security concern if not immediately nipped in the bud.
One of the greatest challenges Ndigbo faced was during the IPOB upraising that created tension in the zone. To suppress the agitation, the Federal government under late President Muhammadu Buhari ordered OPERATION PYTHON DANCE in the zone. Thousands of Igbo youths were marked for elimination if not for prompt intervention and negotiation by Umahi as the leader of the South East at the time.
However a substantial number of Igbo youths were killed but truth of the matter is that a greater number of Igbo youths would have been killed if not the prompt action of Governor Umahi.
While the operation python dance lasted, it left behind blood and horror on the sands of Igbo land. Soldiers danced on the graves of the Igbo youths in major cities of the zone especially in Aba, Okigwe, Onitsha, Umuahia in Abia, Anambra and Imo States. It required a man with the heart of Lion like Umahi to negotiate for peace and ceasefire on behalf of his people.
In one of the joint Stakeholders' meetings convened by Umahi at the Lion House, Enugu prominent Igbo sons and daughters were invited to deliberate with the governors of the zone on how best to handle the issue of agitation by IPOB that was causing a great concern for Ndigbo.
At the time, South East was sitting on a tripod of crisis with IPOB upraising, kidnapping and marginalization of the South East by the Federal government under late President Muhammadu Buhari. It was a moment that required competent leadership. And Umahi provided it.
In attendance were prominent Igbo leaders including late Prof Ben Nwabueze, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezife, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi and Ohaneze Ndigbo President, Prof Obiozor among others.
Others were leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, former governors of the South East except Mr. Peter Obi who was absent in the meeting. Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma and hosts of others attended the meeting. One of the major deliberations was to plead with IPOB to review it's activities to reflect their nonviolent agitation and stop insulting the head of Nigerian government.
Umahi's leadership of the South East offered the zone so many opportunities to connect to the centre through strategic alliance which led to a various development across the region. Under his headship and in alliance with his strategic politics, federal government granted approval for Anambra and Ebonyi States to construct international airports today.
The Federal government perfected the approval of Anambra State under Governor Willie Obiano as an oil producing state and automatic beneficiary of the 13% derivation status.
Under Umahi as the Chairman of the South East, the Federal government started and completed the second Niger bridge which had become a campaign subject in the previous administrations. The Akanu Ibiam airport, Enugu was renovated and upgraded to international status by the Federal government.
Umahi was intentional in his leadership of the zone through his master plan for joint regional projects in the zone like rail tracks to connect the entire five states of the region, unbundling electricity which was one of the biggest challenges facing Ndigbo and joint security to tackle criminals. The region formed Ebubeagu security network, a joint security network in the zone.
His leadership also continued to advocate for additional state for the region as well as total inclusion of the South East into the mainstream of Nigerian project. This yielded significant results through approval of a few federal institutions in the region.
The David Umahi University of Medical Science Uburu was approved and the Federal College of Education, Isu, Ebonyi State was also approved. The upgrading of Federal Polytechnic, Oko was also achieved under Umahi as South East leader.
The zone took a significant leap in the security architecture through appointment of the South East son as Chief of Naval staff among other positions in the Armed Forces of the nation.
On arrest of Nnamdi Kanu. Umahi had led several delegations of Igbo leaders to President Buhari, seeking political solution to the trial of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. In one of the occasions, Umahi, then Governor of Ebonyi State had to bring President Buhari to Ebonyi State where leaders of the zone especially, Chief Mbazuluike Amechi pleaded with Buhari to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Other Igbo leaders fronted by Umahi to plead the cause of Kanu included late Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezife, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Prof Obiozor among others.
It was during the period Senator David Umahi served as Chairman of the South East Governors' Forum and by extension, Co-Chairman Southern Governors' Forum that the zone began the aggressive search for relevance and integration in the country. And today, the region is not only savouring this strategic politics but they are also part of the Nigerian project.
Today, the South East can boast of parading some of their best in the nation's organogram especially in the Federal Executive Council where the South East for the very first time since return of democracy is holding the position of the Minister of Works and also holding other stratagic positions like Minister of Foreign Affairs and many more.
Igbo people use to ask this important question: how many lions will a man kill before he can be called lion-killer? Umahi has provided leadership when it mattered most, when the region was in dire need of vocal and coreageous leader who was ready to sacrifice everything for his people and today, that foundation he laboured to lay is holding the region as one of the six pillars holding Nigeria.
It was perhaps from the foregoing that journalists who came for press briefing after every South East Governors' Forum meetings called Umahi, THE LION OF THE SOUTH EAST.
From that day, the name which matches his character and posture stuck in the lips of the entire South East and till date, that name is fastly taking over the real name of David Umahi. Since no one gives himself a name at birth, Umahi wasn't the one who crowned himself, it was a spontaneous name uttered through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that define the man, David.
For those who out of shere envy and jealousy, marinate on themselves, asking questions about how the name came about and who gave him such a name, I believe I have provided enough but an abridged background on how Umahi became the Lion of the South East.
In conclusion, Ndigbo should not be distracted by a few enemies masquerading as friends, spewing hate on national television, seeking personal aggrandizement in the guise of journalism. What defines a great man is not necessarily ability to purchase a presidential form or becoming a presidential candidate because these are within the constitutional rights of every Nigerian that has come of age, but the question remains, can such dreamer win?
The answer is No.
Let us know that beneath the roar of the Lion lies the true message. Our people say that the dog that barks is trying to save two persons, the landlord and the approaching thief. There is a message beneath the roar of the lion of the South East to Ndigbo and to Nigeria in general and the earlier we accept the fact that one or a few people cannot diminish what Umahi stands for in the South East, the better for all of us.
Long live the Lion of the South East!!!
Post a Comment