“My path with Iyom crossed again in February 2018 after I wrote a promotional article for a popular politician and had to reference Iyom’s good works in one of the paragraphs based on my experiences from living with her in Iyiagu. I want to, on behalf of the residents of my childhood neighbourhood, thank Governor Soludo for his effort. These are the little things that matter.”
I should have written this earlier but I guess it is better late than never.
I want to sincerely thank Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his team for the water project he recently rehabilitated at Iyiagu Housing Estate Senior Staff Quarters, Awka.
My parents moved to Iyiagu Housing Estate Awka when I was 8 and about completing primary school education. I lived with them and was only able to rent my own apartment at 28, after completing my primary, secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate education while under the same roof with my family.
I went on to become the pioneer President of Iyiagu Youth Association after my service year. The association was largely founded by a group of unemployed and underemployed graduates and students who at first wanted to find a means to mitigate the frustration that usually comes with not being gainfully employed after school.
I remember how we organised seminars and debates for children in the estate and engaged in clean up exercises. We visited orphanages and once visited the leprosy settlement centre in Oji River. Parents in the estates were quite supportive and donated to our projects.
The association became my spring board to utilising my writing skills in service to public office holders and seekers. It also helped to ensure that my path crossed with Senator Uche Ekwunife who intentionally changed my life and that of a number of young persons in the estate. I would go on to become the Head of the senator’s media team. The senator was [and still is] a resident of Iyiagu and I knew her even as a 10 year old.
As the last born of the family, I ran errands which included purchasing bags of Cresent Spring satchet water manufactured at a yellow up stair at the back of the estate were Iyom lived with her family, years before she ventured into politics.
My becoming an aide to Senator Ekwunife can best be described as a leap from watching Iyom and her entourage drive through our street football field as we played the beautiful game, to sitting with her debating, discussing and perfecting official press statements.
But even Iyom has no idea of our first encounter, which for me, was one of my first lessons on how to show compassion and love to people who may never be in a position to pay back.
My first encounter with Senator Ekwunife gave no iota of hint of what my future with her would be. On that faithful day, I found myself offloading bags of rice at Senator Uche Ekwunife’s campaign office circa 2014 with some other young residents of the estate. The senator who was then a member of House of Representatives brought about two trailers of rice to share to some of her constituents, and about five of us got hint of it and lobbied to offload one of the trailers.
The payment was attractive and we wanted to earn big by offloading one trailer of rice ourselves. The lesser our number, the more the earning for each individual. What a near suicide mission that was!
To cut the story short, it was on that day that I knew that such strenuous work was not my calling. If not for the intervention of some Hausa guys who assisted us to finish the job at a cost, I and some of the five persons would have been needing an ambulance!
Shortly before we concluded the assignment, Hon Uche Ekwunife, as she then was, came in to supervise the work. Iyom did not recruit us directly, however. I was marvelled at her show of compassion by instructing that we go home with some bags of rice in addition to our full payment.
It is important to note that at the time of this event, I had already completed my NYSC. Three out of the five of us were graduates.
I must say that Iyiagu residents enjoyed so many largess, courtesy of Senator Ekwunife who would occasionally share food items to residents. Iyom donated streetlights to the three estates, constructed estate access roads, powered the transformer in Iyiagu and occasionally held meetings with leaders of the estates. She was our big neighbour!
Every election cycle, Senator Ekwunife would always visit estate occupants to seek for votes. In one of such gatherings in 2015, we organised a welcome song for her and I remember convincing Ada, another job-hunting female graduate in the estate, to lead the children who sang the welcome song. Iyom would later facilitate a federal employment for Ada and I badly wished I was in Ada’s place – employment was up in my prayer points at the time.
After six months in the Senate, Senator Ekwunife’s mandate was nullified and this was heartbreaking for Ndi Iyiagu. It equally dashed the hope of some us who hoped that the senator would somehow save us from the clutches of unemployment and underemployment.
When she won at the Tribunal (first court), I and some members of our then newly-formed association made effort to pay her a courtesy visit. However, we couldn’t achieve our goal. We could not pass protocol.
Undetered, we opted to hang a congratulatory banner close to Iyom’s gate, before the Appeal Court judgement struck, aborting a representation that I believe would have transformed the lives of Ndi Anambra Central in an unprecedented manner.
In a twist of fate, my path with Iyom crossed again in February 2018 after I wrote a promotional article for a popular politician and had to reference Iyom’s good works in one of the paragraphs based on my experiences from living with her in Iyiagu. Iyom read my article and invited me via WhatsApp.
To cut the long story short, Ekwunife, who was then out of office and seeking to contest the 2019 senatorial election, gave me opportunities that made many of my prayers come true.
Being a first class witness to Senator Ekwunife’s journey to and through her four years in the 9th Senate was life-changing. It will require a full book to talk about my five year journey with the Amazon.
Characteristic of me, I would always disagree with things I don’t feel strongly about and critic decisions that ordinarily no one would dare challenge. But Iyom, in her graciousness, would always give a listening ear. She was one chat away, one phone call away, active and available – an extraordinary workaholic who demands nothing but the best results.
The outcome of the 2023 general election didn’t stop Ekwunife from appreciating some of her staff and supporters. When I received the news that Iyom had released a Sienna bus to me as a gift some weeks after the election, I was speechless and honestly didn’t think I was most deserving of it, as there were many who equally gave their all during the very tedious campaign.
I always feel the need to give way and allow other struggling young people on our team feel the touch of the Amazon and she did not disappoint. Witnessing Iyom change the lives of some young members of our team who had nothing and nobody other than their hardwork and dedication to duty, truly inspire.
Before my very eyes, Abagana-born Uche Uforoh became a proud owner a fully-finished 3-bedroom bungalow for showing dedication in his work. Uche is an orphan. His task was to carry the campaign organisation’s microphone system, but he did it with so much joy and dedication which earned him the reward.
Uche is just one out of many who benefitted from Senator Ekwunife’s widely-celebrated housing project for the less-privileged. The media team, which was my immediate constituency, was full of young people who just needed a platform to showcase their capabilities. I watched the senator lift and empower some of these young persons to the best of her ability.
In closing, last month I visited Iyiagu to see my parents and was greeted by the already stated laudable intervention by the Soludo-led government. A solar-powered water project facilitated by a state government may not be a big deal to some, but it means a lot to me and many ageing inhabitant of the 25-old government-owned Estate, some of whom are pensioners. The project serves over 40 residential flats in the estate and has brought succour to families.
In the words of my mum when I visited and asked about the project: “Emeka water is no longer our problem”. Emeka, the abridged version of Chukwuemeka is my native name!
I want to on behalf of the residents of my childhood neighbourhood thank Governor Soludo for his effort. These are the little things that matter.
•Ubani is a writer, political enthusiast and lecturer of Computer Science.
