By James Peter
With the new year celebration, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, preparing for the 2023 national Election, politicians from different divides are working hard, strategizing to position themselves to be picked by their individual parties to fly the parties flag as a candidate.
However, with the evolution of the Nigerian election system, many are of the opinion that the next election will not be tea party as usual, especially with the continuous improvement of the electoral system, and educational awareness of the people, especially the hyper-active youths in the country.
It’s a well known facts that for more than twenty years, the selection processes of candidates of the various political parties, especially the major political parties had been fraught with issues, which often ends up in the tribunals or courts, what this portents is the judiciary decides who will represent us, or who will be the President or Governor of a state in Nigeria, especially when it’s an established fact, that the three arms of government; executive, legislature and judiciary are considered independent, though with a provision to check each other to avoid abuse of office. But when, in an election, where the people were established in the constitution to have the franchise to elect who or those who will represent them, is now swept off the electorates feet, it becomes worrisome. The case of Rivers State between Omehia Vs Amaechi, is a good case to remember.
Another scenario is when, the party wrongly selects an unpopular candidate, this will rather than unite the party, will cause members to be disenchanted, and will be filled with ill feelings towards the party, and often you see the majority of party members involved in anti-party, and it’s only through unconstitutional means, up to the tribunal that such persons will remain as the people elected officers, but their actions after the victory, tells the rest story, as they will be lost, and not remember the electorates till close to the next election year.
One of the effects of wrong selection of candidates, with the supports of the powers that be is the lack of visible representation in our communities. For years, the present Ndokwa East of Delta State, despite its vast in natural resources is the worst in terms of development indices. The local government is seated on a vast land of natural gas deposit, arable land for farming, and natural water for aquatic farming. It’s also endowed with great people, educated and spread far and wide.
Ndokwa East, is the home of the great Aboh Kingdom of old, which today, traditionally is not given its rightful place in the classification of Delta Traditional Council. All these can be traced to the relegation of the Ndokwa people by successive government of the state. The Aboh traditional seat, is supposed to be an envy to the people of Ndokwa, but today it’s just a shadow of itself.
Despite the aforementioned downsides of the local government, which presently has no connecting roads to many of the communities in the area, an area where most of the means of transport is by canoe and pontoon, there is still hope, as we approach another election year, the people of Ndokwa East will be better for it, if a person with the pedigree for self development, love for entrepreneurial skill, love for the youths, have the drive to make a genuine living without depending on pay job, or politics as a profession is selected from any of the parties that is in the area.
But for the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, they will be in good hands, cruise to victory, come 2023 if the person of Engr Chukwumah Phillip Ugbomah, who preferred to be called the “Bricklayer” is elected to fly the parties flag as its candidate, in the House of Assembly Election in 2023.
The question is who Chukwumah Philip Ugbomah
Born on May 19, 1984, to the family of Chief & Mrs Cyril Chukwumah, young Phillip was practically raised in God’s vineyard by two Roman Catholic Priests, Rev. Fr Oliver Ofor and later Rev. Fr. Chris Ekabo, who saw in him a shining light that must be protected at all cost. He grew up learning to serve God and humanity in truth and virtuousness. His father, Late Chief C.E Chukwumah, a well-respected high Chief of Ndokwa nation, a strict disciplinarian and a seasoned bureaucrat who rose through the ranks to become the Director-General of the Federal Railway Cooperation, thoroughly imbibed in him and the rest of his siblings the need to be hardworking and diligent in whatever they chose to undertake in life. This explains why Phillip is today a workaholic and a goal getter who would stop at nothing to get the job done.
In preaching social reforms the world over, one very illustrious personality that comes to mind is Evita Ochel; a Canadian Social consciousness teacher, Nutritionist, writer and scholar, who holds strongly the view that the most luxuriant way to positively impact our society is to first work on the minds of the young adults. She stated in one of her papers thus; “until you realize how easily it is for your mind to be manipulated, you remain the puppet of someone else’s game.
This is the message Chukwumah Philip Ugbomah lives and sleeps for. He believes in the emancipation of those who are down, socially or economically. His drive for the reawakening of the social consciousness of the youths of Ndokwa East to rise up to the dynamic challenges of the time is so active, that change makers who love development of the area should key into it.
Philip attended Ogwezi Primary School Aboh, where in 1994 he obtained his first primary school leaving certificate, then proceeded to Aboh Grammar School, Aboh, and same year. After six years of rigorous academic drilling, he successfully passed his National Examinations Council (NECO) exams and graduated from the school in the year 2000.
Like a child fully prepared for greatness, Phillip progressed to the prestigious Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, to study Civil and Structural Engineering, graduating in the year 2007, as one of the best students in the faculty. He undertook his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program in 2008 as a Classroom teacher in St. John of God Catholic School, Awka, Anambra State.
As a student in AAU, Ekpoma, Phillip left his footprints in the sands of time. He was in the institution not only for the acquisition of paper certificates, but also for the rigorous but bountiful self-purification for the herculean task ahead. In the university, Phillip cut his teeth in politics, winning all of the positions he ever contested for. He ran for the office of the department’s Director of Socials and won in a landslide. He however proceeded to run for same office at Students’ Union Government (SUG) level, and won as well. He left the institution with several medals for academic astuteness, student activism and unequalled indefatigability.
Today, the story of Chukwumah Phillip Ugbomah can be told with piquant breadth by those who witnessed his gentle metamorphosis to greatness. He represent an embryonic portent of a total paradigm shift for his generation. He is the employer that has never been employed. Apart from his two times Industrial training as a student on IT. With Delta state direct labour Agency and COGIPPA construction LT. Port Harcourt. He left the passing out parade ground in Awka, proceeding straight to Asaba to birth the CPU Construction LLT Nig LTD, a firm that is at the moment one of the fastest growing indigenous construction companies in Delta State, Nigeria and Africa, with a workforce of over two hundred (200) direct and more than six hundred and fifty (650) indirect employees.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was lockdown, he went out of his way as usual, using the CPU Foundation distributed over 500 cartons of Noodles, and 500 bags of rice to the people of Ndokwa east. During the just end of year celebration, he repeated same gesture, when he dole out millions to many in the area, especially to constituent supporters, the 10 ward working committees, executives and leadership of the party in LGA.
In politics, he is viewed by his friends as one of the most fascinating and compelling player in Ndokwa East politics. As the Director-General of Okowanisation Group; a body of professionals and businessmen who heavily supported the governorship ambition of His Excellency Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in 2015, Chukwumah remains an enigma wrapped inside a super-imperial political brainteaser.
In giving back to the society, Chukwumah has never been found wanting. His CPU Foundation have for the past five years awarded innumerable forms and packages of scholarship to deserving Ndokwa students. He has trained countless numbers of youths in artisanship, and has given employment to many. He is presently the leading financier of five orphanage homes run by Catholic Nuns across the country. He is a leading light to this generation.
In 2015 and 2019, he contested to represent his people in the State House of Assembly, in a primary that should be best allowed to rest. He spent his money, went through the primary, though lost, but came out stronger.
Despite the loss during both primaries, Chukwumah Philip Ugbomah, and today a Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the State Governor on Project Monitoring, is still much available to bring his vast knowledge to bear in the social-economic development of the area.
He is a sturdy campaigner for the amelioration of the pathetic condition of his people, if not total emancipation. His personality comes off as the amiable eccentricity often associated with princes sporting social consciousness. He is the bridge between the old and the young, the future and now. A great mobiliser, friend to the youths and the elderly.
By James Peter, Bel Media Consult LTD, Contact: belmediaconsult@gmail.com
