Ugwumba: The Pride Of His People – By Onwuasoanya FCC Jones
Names are not just given for its sound to the ears, but mostly for its melody to the head and also the heart. Names are the most important identities a person can have. Parents give names to their children based on what they expect their children to turn out to be in future, their wishes from them or even as reflections of their personal experiences either as it directly affects the child in question or experiences that are personal to either of the parents. A good number of the time, these names direct the fate of these children and more.
Chieftaincy titles provide an opportunity for communities to appropriately name those around them according to what roles they have played in that community. Unlike names given to people at childhood, chieftaincy titles tell the story of those who bear them. It is the story of how the community views you and how you have contributed to the growth of that community. Even in the present age, while a good number of chieftaincy titles are given to highest bidders without enough regard for how such names reflect in their daily living and in their activities within the community or its neighbours, there are still chieftaincy titles that are wholly meritorious and the choice of titles fitting.
Ugwumba is not the kind of chieftaincy title that should be accorded to just about anybody, maybe because of his position in government or his status, financially. You must have become somebody worth the name by the things you do for the community or the things you do on your individual capacity that bring pride to the community. For instance, a philanthropist whose source of wealth is not clearly known may take such titles as; Omereoha, Omepuru Onye odiara, Ochiriozuo, etc. these titles do not have anything to do with their integrity as individuals but with what they do with what they have got. It does not also necessarily need to be that their philanthropic gestures are extended to the communities in question, but could be as a result of their philanthropic activities anywhere.
Ugwumba simply means the pride of the land, or the pride of a people. It can also be Onye Mba ji eme onu, meaning, he whom the land or the people gloat about. Ugwumba is an ambassador of the land, a torch bearer, a pacesetter and a role model, who must not only project the community in good light through his actions and adventures, but also stand out in all things good.
Ugwumba Uche Nwosu has so many reasons why he is so deserving of the title. In truth, some of us had disparaged him in the past, arguing that he got to where he is in the present day government, merely because he is the son-in-law to the Governor, or as a result of his longstanding relationship with the Governor. This argument has with time and more research being proven not to be completely correct. One of those I engaged on this topic recently, flogged sense into me with better argument, and some of the questions he asked me that got me rethinking so many things are; Is Uche Nwosu the only person who has ever served Owelle Okorocha? Could there not be something special in him that made him win the confidence of the Governor more than even those aides of the Governor who are even connected with him in blood? Is there any position, the present Chief of Staff has occupied within the lifespan of this government that he does not deserve?
That is the good thing about engaging in polemics with the constructive minded. They will not waste their time and saliva insulting or threatening you, they will take you on, point for point, fact for fact and in any other constructive ways. I was not able to find a way to answer those questions in the negative, and I haven’t completely lost hope of defeating this stubborn defender of the Rescue Mission, so I leave these questions for my readers here to please provide answers for me that I will hit him back with, the next time we shall be talking about this. For your information, I will be most glad to get answers to this question, in the negative. However, I am sure that Uche Nwosu is not the first ever person to have served Owelle, he is not also related to the Governor in blood, before his marriage to the Governor’s daughter. I am also sure that the youthful Chief of Staff is qualified for every position he has ever being appointed into by this government.
In the meantime, the gentleman in question was able to convince me that Ugwumba Uche Nwosu must have been able to rise to where he is today through diligence, honesty, patience, modesty, and some other attributes that are in scarce supply among today’s youths. There are few big men, who will allow the son of someone who does not belong in the class of those assumed to own Nigeria, to marry their daughters. That chap must have shown unusual promises and merited the confidence of not just the man, but also the mother.
This reminds me of a short article I wrote sometime last year, precisely, after the Social Media Merit Award event where the duo of Uche Nwosu and Chike Okafor were recognized with merit awards. The Chief of Staff used that event to tell the youths some secrets of his success. He told a story of how he has remained with the Governor from times when things were very tough till now when things seem to be looking up. He also told a story of how some people who were with the Governor left him after his failed bids at the Senate, governorship, presidency, but he stuck on. A man who remains consistent in the right things, is worth being conferred with the honour of the pride of his people. This is because consistency is rare among people today, both the young and the old. I must be fast to add too, that being consistent in non-beneficial endeavors is a sign of madness. You don’t continue cutting an iroko tree with a razor blade, just because you think that consistency pays.
In government, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu has done a lot for his people, too. He has ensured that utilizes every opportunity that presents itself to bring development to his people of Eziama-Obaire, Nkwere people in general and the entire people of Imo State. I did not have any argument with someone who described him as the shining light of the Rescue Mission Government, for I can confirm that he works overtime. He is one appointee of this government, who is most passionate about the success of the government and the political programs of the Rescue Mission.
For someone with the kind of influence he has in the present Imo State government, Uche Nwosu’s humility is sterling. There are few youths who will have the influence he presently has in both State and Federal government of today, and not become unbearably arrogant. But, the Nkwere born Estate Surveyor turned politician has remained true to himself- humble, accessible and passionate about development.
Apart from his community, another group of people to whom, the young Chief of Staff is a pride to, is the youth community in Imo State. The young politicians has being instrumental to ensuring that a good number of Imo youths are brought in to serve in the government than any other person has done. Instead of alienating his fellow youths for fear of being competed against, he has continued to leave his doors open to them and allowing them opportunities to bring their talents to bear in the service of the State.
Also, Imo State University community also agrees that Chief Nwosu is truly the Ugwumba of that university, as he has continued to do his best to give back to the university where he cut his political teeth for the very first time, having served as the Director of Transports in that University’s Students Union Government, in the early days of that university. It was also in his days as a student activist that he made his first contact with Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In the last five years that he has being serving in this government, Hon. Nwosu has created an endowment fund for the best graduating students from his department, built public toilet for the institution and extended assistance to the Lake Nwaebere campus of that university in more ways than one.
For us in the Alumni Association, there is no single individual who has contributed more than Uche Nwosu to the development of the Alumni Association. The first ever Homecoming event organized by the Alumni was majorly funded by the Chief of Staff, who contributed both finance and assisted in providing logistics for the success of the program. The plan by the leadership of the Alumni to set up a Ten Million Naira Endowment Fund for the University has also received a big boost from the youthful and development loving Chief of Staff.
This is congratulating the ebullient Imo Chief of Staff on the conferment of the chieftaincy title of Ugwumba Nkwere by HRM, the Eshi of Nkwere. May more feathers decorate his cap, as I pray that he gets more insight on how best to serve the people of Imo State in particular and Nigeria in general, as I am sure that the future holds better promises.