I have been inundated with calls and messages by friends and associates who wanted to know my reasons for the open declaration of support for Anatex for the governorship position of Ebonyi State. It has therefore become imperative for me to state the reasons openly.
Recall that a few weeks ago, I made a post on Facebook that I want someone that is humane, humble and humanistic to become the next governor of my state. This desire was borne out of the fact that the current occupiers have turned the state government apparatus to a beast-like institution that instills fear, excruciating pains and dishes out torture and poverty to its citizens.
It is no longer news that while the state of physical infrastructure has improved under the current administration, the rate of extreme poverty also increased astronomically.
Ebonyi State occupies the unenviable position as the the poorest state in Southern Nigeria and the 4th poorest state in the entire country (NBS 2020). The public education system has essentially been destroyed, the health sector is in comatose, while youth unemployment is all time high with many graduates converted to political thugs.
The next governor of Ebonyi State must, therefore, be someone who will prioritize investing in people and lifting them out of poverty. The next governor must be someone with record of wealth creation, someone that will command respect and not fear, someone that is compassionate, someone that has character and is trustworthy, someone that has demonstrated capacity in leadership and someone that places huge value on the happiness of his people.
The person must also be someone that has a demonstrable capacity to win the election for the Official Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nigeria.
The PDP in Ebonyi State is the party to beat in the next election. So far, about 8 aspirants have bought the nomination form to contest for governor. Many of them are good, some are better. but Anatex is the best considering the criteria I enlisted above. I met him for the first time in 2014 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State during one of my #BeatMalaria travels. He was the Special Assistant to Gov. Dickson on Non-Indigenes.
Anytime I traveled to Bayelsa on official assignment, he would always reach out and make me feel at home. I was curious to know how he got such a political appointment in the state and made some findings. I was made to understand that Anatex was a people’s person who championed the welfare of Ebonyi and Igbo people resident in Bayelsa. He became very influential and was courted by Bayelsa politicians who needed their votes.
Anatex has a history many Ebonyi people can relate to. He came from a not-so-economically endowed background, attended public primary and secondary schools and went to learn trade (igba boi) in Onitsha as his parents could not afford to sponsor his tertiary education.
He was so trusted by his boss and was deployed to Bayelsa to open a new branch of their business. He did that so successfully. After he was settled, he stayed in Yenagoa to ply his trade and was successful at it. He attended the University of Port Harcourt and studied Public Administration. He became SA to former Bayelsa Governor, got elected into the Federal House of Representatives in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.
As a Rep, many of his constituents have good stories about his quality of representation. He has reportedly secured jobs for many of his constituents, offered business grants and educational scholarships to many and attracted projects. Many stakeholders see him as a trustworthy person and the elders commend his humility.
He’s the House Committee Chairman on Correctional Services and has used his influence to help many innocent Ebonyi people who were abducted, tortured and thrown into prison by the agents of the state government for criticizing their policies.
In January 2022, Hon. Anayo Edwin Nwoňu invited me to a meeting in his Abuja office. He expressed sadness over the state of the Ebonyi health sector, and told me that HEALTH development will be a major priority of his administration if he becomes governor. He requested that I join his team and help in the #RESCUEEBONYI2023 project.
Seeing the caliber of other members of his think-thank all of whom are highly accomplished professionals in their various fields of endeavor, I knew he meant business and didn’t hesitate to accept his request.
The #Anatex4Governor declaration on 9th April 2022 was a testimony of his influence and the love the Ebonyi people have for him. The venue of the event was filled up hours before the official commencement time. The atmosphere was ecstatic and his message inspired hope and resonated very well across the various strata of the population. Indeed, he’s a breath of fresh air. Ebonyi people can’t wait for the coming of #IkukuNdu2023. Who does not want a breath of fresh air?
Anatex is 46 years old. He’s a bridge between the young and the old. I urge the Ebonyi PDP Delegates to elect him as the party’s candidate. I believe he will win and make Ebonyi people smile again. Ka Ikuku Ndụ kuo n’Ebonyi State!
Dr. Laz Ude Eze, Public Health expert and Ebonyi State PDP member, writes from Abuja.