Official Website of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani

There was no grandiose social party, in Enugu, the Coal City and former capital of the Eastern Nigeria on Wednesday, May 31, 2006. That day, there were not much congratulatory messages in newspapers, on television and radio, wishing the number one citizen of Enugu State happy birthday. This was certainly not because the man involved did not reckon with that day or that people did not recognize his worth. No. It was simply because the celebrator believed that lavish social gatherings and patronizing shows were not the only things that would make the remembrance of one’s birth tick. He believed that such events could be used to show love to the less privileged, with the view to giving them a sense of belonging.

Yes, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, Enugu State governor was 46 on Wednesday. Prior to that day, his compassion came to the fore. At a time people spend millions of naira playing host to friends and associates, as part of their birthdays, he preferred that love be extended to the poor. That was why, ahead of his birthday, he enjoined his friends and associates to make donations to charity instead of blowing money on advertisements.

Said he: "Birthday is a great reminder of when and in what helpless state we entered the world and must be marked in understanding of the reality that as in that day, people abound in this world who will add nothing and hope for nothing, as we did as babies, if not provided for and duly nursed, as parents and families nursed us," urging his friends and associates that instead of sending money on "prestigious banquets, expensive press advertisements and gregarious TV/radio commercials" they should make donations to "charity organizations/groups chosen by such friends, associates and well wishers in my honour."

That was vantage Nnamani, a man who feels for his people.

In the seven years he has been in the saddle as the number one citizen of Enugu State, he has initiated programmes to better their lives. He once said that the Social Contract between those in government and the ruled was that government would provide for the people in exchange for their votes, adding that this could only be done by delivering "the dividend of democracy," a coinage he actually introduced into the vocabulary of the country’s politics. He had said that democracy, for Nigerians, meant good roads, steady electricity, health care, security, good education, housing, affordable food, adding: "I represent a social contract. Remember I left USA and headed home without any guarantee of success.

I headed home because I wanted to be counted. I wanted my story told. Rather than stay outside and criticize, I wanted to be in the corridors of power where decisions are made. I wanted to use signature to change the lives of my people."

Nnamani would be remembered for keeping faith with his promise to, within the limit of the resources of his state, make people feel the impact of government. He has provided, in Enugu, infrastructure that would serve as foundation for development. He has, in seven years, built estates, under his housing programme. He has constructed and rehabilitated roads, within the state capital and in the rural areas. He has built cottage and district hospitals in communities. He has built a teaching hospital. He has constructed the permanent site of the state’s university, Enugu State University of Science and Technology. He built the law school, ultra-modern judiciary headquarters and currently constructing an international conference centre, among many things done since piloting the affairs of the state. He holds the record as perhaps one governor, who has, at a time development is being concentrated in the urban areas, transformed a village to a city. The making of Agbani City, in the Nkanu areas of the state, is one of the wonders of the Nnamani government in the last seven years.

Indeed, Nnamani is mindful of the quality of infrastructure he provides. He once said: "We are building for the future. We are building what will stand the test of time, 50 years, 100 years and compared to any society anywhere in the world. For our hospital, we are building up to the standards of the American Joint Council of Accreditation of Hospitals. The state-of-the-art buildings and architectural designs (in ESUT) are only surpassed, if possible, by the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)." His achievements have brought him fame and commendations. In recognition of his reform programme, the NPC, in collaboration with international donor agencies last year adjudged Enugu State number one in a benchmarking exercise. The state, which scored above 50 percent, in the national assessment, among the 36 states, was rated tops for transparency, budget implementation, due process and other things done in line with the State Economic Empowerment Programme (SEED) and National Economic Empowerment Programme (NEED).

Also, his performance has earned Enugu the confidence of international development agencies, like the DFID and the UNDP, which have gone into partnership with the state government in many areas.

In politics, Nnamani is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, he has inadvertently become a movement and a consciousness. In Enugu, the Ebeano Political Family, which he leads, holds sway and has made many a young politician, who were, hitherto, unknown before the advent of the current political dispensation. The political group produced ministers, senators, all members of the state’s House of Assembly and all the state’s representatives at the House of Representatives. Indeed, the Ebeano Political Family was instrumental to the election of Senate President Ken Nnamani into the Senate.

A dogged politician, Nnamani has fought many political battles. In his first term, he was pitted against his erstwhile political godfather, Chief Jim Nwobodo over the latter’s attempt to make him a sitting duck governor. This disagreement had seen the state’s House of Assembly divided into two, with Nwobodo leading a faction. He was able to triumph in that battle, as in others, owing, mainly, to his clout and grassroots appeal.

In his years in government, Nnamani has not only recorded feats in socio-economic and political spheres but also made a mark in the academia, not only by funding education well or provision of the needed infrastructure but also in intellectual development. To be sure, the governor has gone round the country delivering lectures, in line with his belief that there should be an alternative viewpoint. In his lecture series, he discussed politics, economy, socialization and other issues that touched the people.

Nnamani is certainly not a run-on-the-mill politician. Having trained as a medical doctor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he went to the United States of America to train in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as in Fetal Medicine, specializing in the handling of high-risk pregnancies. This training, no doubt, prepared him for governance, as the management of critical pregnancies requires tact, determination, skill, compassion, drive, focus and courage, all ingredients required in government.

Nnamani’s charm and charisma is impressionistic. You can’t but like him when you encounter him. He’s a leader and a motivator. The Italian ambassador, Marcello Ricoveri, speaking when 13 European ambassadors visited Enugu, had recognized these when he said of him: "What impressed me most was the quality of leadership you have in the state and I tell you sincerely that I do not want to be over-indulgent. It is what struck me most, the capacity of the leadership and the cohesion that exists between the leadership and the people. This is a fundamental factor for development."

Need one add anything more? However, the question that those who know Nnamani’s qualities ask is: Should a man with such pedigree and talent end his political career at the state level, at a time the nation needs professionals and men of vision at the federal level?