By Leo Eke

In the broad context of the word, leadership is the art of leading and guiding human and material resources to the benefit of all, in the value chain. Leadership can be classified as a critical integral of the social sciences as it leverages on human attitude to factors of production, creative thinking and behavioural instincts towards achieving set goals and meeting targets. Leadership in democratic governance can be viewed from three broad arms or perspectives of activities driven by the executive, legislature and judiciary. I will be dwelling largely on the legislature, especially the Senate of the Nigerian National Assembly, as it concerns the Imo North Senatorial District.

The Nigerian 4th Republic democratic governance (1999 – 2025) is now 26years old and still counting. This reporter has been involved, both as a player and indeed as a keen observer across board. It can be said without contradiction that Imo North Senatorial District just woke up from slumber only two years ago by making the right choice of senator. Before 2023, the unwritten criteria for breaking-in, had been, who had the deepest pocket or war chest, who had the connection with the political principalities and powers in both high and low places, and such other factors as who could buy over the electoral umpire and the coercive institutions of state from top to bottom. All of these were to change with a regime in Imo State that believes in good governance, equity and fairness. That was the background to the emergence of Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze, under the keen watch of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Executive Governor of Imo State.

Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze commenced activity as a senator in June, 2023, after the swearing-in ceremony and inauguration of the 10th Assembly of the Senate, with a solemn determination to change the narrative of senatorial leadership or representation of Imo North Senatorial District comprising six local government areas, namely, Okigwe, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano, Ihitte Uboma and Obowo. He was determined to close the dark chasm spanning 24years of rudderless senatorial representation, remarkable for selfish aggrandisement, diversion of critical development projects, self idolation and isolation from the electorate. The result became the obvious state of apathy, lack of federal presence and outright marginalisation of the entire Imo North Senatorial District. Paradigm examples of despondent conditions include the fact that Okigwe LGA, for instance, has been in darkness for the past 15years of the present democratic experiment. It feels like a neglect protesting to heavens for vengeance.

EFFORTS TO POWER OKIGWE ZONE

For the first time in 26years, Okigwe zone now has an urbane senator who demonstrates a high degree of refinement and assurance that comes from wide social experience. Before now, the closest Okigwe got to closing-in on her electric power shutdown was the project 2/30 MVA substation sited by our brother Gen Senator Omar Sanda Ike Nwachukwu, Senate Committee Chairman on Power in year 2000, which was marred by extremely corrupt demands by those in power collaborating with accomplices in the executive arm of the government who awarded the contract. The contract consequently couldn’t go beyond 2years before the contractor abandoned sites to the vandalisation and looting of every tangible material and installations by a combination of internal and external vandals and looters. Nothing was left except skeletons of isolated gantries, broken platforms and rubble of buildings across the length and breadth of the site.

As a thoroughbred engineer himself, Senator Patrick Ndubueze intervened through the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, FGN-Power and the Rural Electrification Agency, backed by the support of His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma. During the past two years of intense activities, the planting of towers and laying of power lines, preparation of the substation site at Okigwe for mounting the 1/60 MOBITRA equipment is expected very soon for installation and activation, while the power transformers which the office of the senator has arranged with the Federal Rural Electrification Agency will also fall in place as soon as the first tranche which will be used to test the switch-on of the substation at Okigwe is ready for activation. It is therefore well in sight that the long stagnated economic activities in Okigwe zone are now at the verge of pulling out of the present state of despondency with regard to public power supply.

Other strides in the area of power distribution include street lighting. The senator has provided over 3000 solar lights in selected facilities/communities in Okigwe zone. This is indeed breathtaking for a zone that had never seen a half of this number in any four year tenure of NASS.

In addition to the above, the Distinguished Senator has ensured the construction of solar powered boreholes in remote areas of the zone including Okigwe, Umuduruegbeaguru and Ikpem.

In the area of health care, he has successfully renovated the Umualumoke model health centre as well as the one in Eziama in Onuimo LGA.

ADDRESSING THE DEARTH OF FEDERAL PRESENCE IN OKIGWE ZONE

1 Education
In his 2025 first leadership meeting/constituency briefing, 23rd April, 2025, Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze declared with relish, “I am proud to announce, for instance, that my pet legislative initiative, namely, the Federal University, Okigwe (Establishment) Bill, 2023 (SB.396) has been passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly and is right now on the table of Mr President for his assent”. The dream for quick Presidential Assent came through barely seven weeks after the above declaration. Mr President gave his assent and appended his signature to the Bill, 14th June, 2025. For those who understand, this is a quantum legislative leap by every standard and especially at the federal level. The meaning is that,
sooner than later, a federal
university, with full complements will spring from a greenfield in Okigwe zone. In the course of fullness of activities, the new citadel would be expected to provide home and workplace for thousands of Nigerians directly and indirectly, with Okigwe zone as primary beneficiary. This is creative leadership by a son of the soil. The senator is already working assiduously with the usual support of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, The Executive Governor of Imo State to ensure physical realisation of this great asset as quickly as possible.

It is note worthy that recently, Senator Patrick Ndubueze secured two postgraduate scholarships abroad in favour of his constituents.

Below is a catalogue of diverse interventions of the senator, beyond the Federal University Okigwe, geared to improve the outlook and standard of education in the entire Imo North Senatorial District:

  1. Selected schools in the zone were provided with ICT equipment and teaching aids to boost education.
  2. Workshop/sensitisation was organised for students and teachers on culture, drug abuse and other social vices.
  3. Science quiz competition was organised for public and private secondary schools where winners went home with laptops, tabletops books etc.
  4. Two ICT centres are currently being put in place as well as road construction works going on in Okigwe and Ehime Mbano LGA linking Añara and Ahiara Mbaise.
  5. Ongoing renovation of Comprehensive Secondary, School Umunakanu-Ama, Ehime Mbano.
  6. Ongoing renovation of Community Secondary School, Umuduru Isiala Mbano.
  7. Agriculture And Food Security
    Nation building is the process and outcome of response to diverse needs and challenges confronting leadership in public governance. At some point in our not too long national evolution, Nigeria was confronted with how to preserve surplus agricultural outputs especially grains, and a policy of strategic grains reserve was conceived and nurtured.

Put simply, grain silos in Nigeria are largely associated with the National Strategic Grains Reserve, a government policy to ensure food security and price stability. These silos constructed by the federal government have substantial storage capacity totalling about 1.3million metric tonnes across 33 facilities including the one at Okigwe. Silos are typical cylindrical structures made of concrete or metal for bulk storage of grains.

However, the silos farm at Ezinachi, by the outskirt of Okigwe Town, has only adorned the skyline for over 17years now, serving no purpose. These twenty cluster of silos have remained but a moribund colossal waste of public funds to date, to say the least. But today, the narrative is changing for good. After a visit with His Excellency, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, the former Governor of Zamfara, to his state on facility tour, Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze decided to reappraise the Okigwe storage infrastructure with a view to complete the project and giving it a new functional life for which it was originally designed like the equivalent across the country. This restructuring and fresh impetus are expected to be completed soon and have the facility function optimally as a new site has been acquired still at Ezinnachi.

It is also important to mention that Senator Ndubueze is a strong and transparent participant in the Federal Government rice palliative and fertiliser distribution programmes. What a man in the gap for his people!!

CAPACITY BUILDING , EMPOWERMENT & ENGAGEMENT

  1. Capacity Building
    The Senator has all the way extended the amplitudes of his office and responsibility to organising or facilitating both local and overseas training and workshop programmes for the benefit of deserving beneficiaries. In March, 2025, the senator’s office sponsored twenty one Imo youths to one month of boot-camp training programme under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Steel Development at the Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha. The programme was designed for proficiency, through technical know-how and hands-on experience in welding/fabrication, industrial foundry/metallurgy, instrument/control system and mechanical maintenance. Successful participants were issued with certificates and enabling tools for meaningful contribution in the competitive but lucrative steel industry.

Similarly, the senator recently facilitated all-expenses-paid trip to China for capacity building in diverse technical and technological specialities for 15 graduates of Okigwe zone. It is heart warming that they all returned with amazing results. According to the senator, “This is without prejudice to my unrelenting pursuit of employment and appointment opportunities for our deserving sons and daughters in the MDAs and even overseas. My office, has for instance, secured opportunities for artisans of Imo State origin to work in Kuwait”.

Fresh in memory, 31st December, 2024, Senator Patrick Ndubueze held an all-embracing briefing and empowerment at the Okigwe Township Stadium, where he gave a detailed account of his stewardship thus far. On that occasion, the senator also gave out 19 mini buses, 10 tricycles, 119 grinders, 96sewing machines, 22 power generating sets, 23 laptops, 23 refrigerators and 12 motorcycles. It was indeed breathtaking and well received by the entire district and Ndi Imo in general.

  1. Empowerment
    It might not be empirical, but it is a tested fact, especially across the third world, that the more the poor segment of the masses are empowered and encouraged to be independent of the state, the faster they are pulled out of poverty and crime rate reduced. Senator Patrick Ndubueze has since keyed into this philosophy as well as set the engagement machines rolling.

In collaboration with the appropriate federal agencies, the senator has organised as much as five training and workshop programmes for women and youths with a view to pulling people out of poverty. His programmes covered such areas as confectionery making, fish farming, installation of 3D panels, bead making and sculptural wall designs etc. Over a thousand youths and women from the six LGAs of the zone benefited from the programmes and all the participants received enabling equipment, tools and start-up funds to commence business. It is important to note his promise that the process will continue.

  1. Direct Employment
    Within the short span of two years in the senate, Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze has successfully deployed his honour, candour and dignity in engaging major institutions, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government across the country to facilitate employment opportunities for his merited constituents. Senator Ndubueze believes that the most practical and surest way of pulling the citizenry out of poverty and stemming crime, is job creation. He accordingly engaged such institutions and MDAs as: National Steel Council , National Assembly Service Commission , National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency , Federal University Teaching Hospital , Owerri ( Former FMC ), University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences , Umuagwo , Nigeria Police Force , Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Airforce .

Beneficiaries of this robust approach include the following:

Keke Elvis Nnaeme

Maduabuchi Ngozi

Onyekaonwu Justina Nnenna

Ike Phubian Nneka

Eboh Emeka Christopher

Onyemelusi Gabriel C.

Dr Loveth Chiebuka Onwuegbu

Ojiridike Ibeh Steve

Egbulonu Uche

Dr Irene Onwuegbute

Azubuike Chinaemerem Patrick

Oti Nzubechi Marcellus

Anyanwu Deborah

Obialor Chinemerem Miriam

Onyejide Elizabeth Ahunna

Uchenna Bonny Chinua

Wilson David Eyo
Collins Clinton Ifeanyi.

The observation of reluctance and outright show of apathy by qualified candidates of southeast extraction joining the armed forces or paramilitary establishments is much in order. But the high commands of the military need confidence building to assure the citizens of Nigeria that the absorption of the so called “repentant terrorists and bandits” into the armed forces is safe, as speculations on the contrary are rife.

However, all of these beneficiaries will undeniably grow in their various callings and contribute their quota to nation building, which is the ultimate goal.

  1. Engagement With Constituencies
    It is evident that Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze couldn’t be doing so much across six local government areas without a network of constituency offices. The senator is in the closest touch with the people he is under oath to serve. He disposes a robust network of constituency office per local government area and contact point per ward and all of these are run by regular staff. During his 2025 first quarter leadership meeting/briefing, he had this to say, “During my constituency briefing in 2024, I had hinted that the appointments of the 82 staff of my constituency offices at the zonal, local government and ward levels would be reviewed where necessary, with a view to injecting more committed, selfless and competent hands to serve our people better. The review exercise has been carried out, and very soon, a new set of Special Advisers and Ward Liaison Officers will be inaugurated.

It is pertinent to note that, at the very inception of the present session of the National Assembly, Senator Patrick Ndubueze facilitated the appointment of five persons of Imo North extraction as Senior Legislative Aides to the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The senator has given 19 youths of IMO North employments in various Federal Government Agencies,the Police and Military. In his words, “expect more shortly”

CORE LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

In the area of primary or core legislative activity, Distinguished Senator Patrick Ndubueze is a smooth operator. He has had his thoughts and actions focused on people oriented socioeconomic issues and challenges with a view to achieving social order and acceleration of economic growth in the overall interest of Nigerians. Senator Patrick Ndubueze is not a legislator that plays to the gallery. He is rather driven by his covenant with Nigeria and her people. He went straight to business immediately upon inauguration.
Check the following Bills and Motions to his initiative and co-sponsorship:

a. Bills Sponsored by Senator Ndubueze

  1. Federal University Okigwe, Imo State (Est) Bill, 2024 (SB.390) Recently Assented to, by Mr President.
  2. Local Automotive Industry Patronage Bill 2024 (SB.613) Ready for Public Hearing.
  3. Project Development Agency (Est) Bill 2023 (SB.49) Awaiting Presidential Assent.
  4. Public Private Partnership Regulatory Commission. Bill 2023 (SB.131) 1st Reading.
  5. National Centre for Cancer Research and Treatment (Est) Bill 2024 (SB.347) 1st Reading.

a. Some Motions Co – sponsored

  1. Need to Investigate the Controversial Huge Expenditure on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS Under the Subsidy/Under Recovery Regime by the NNPCL (11thJuly, 2023)
  2. Need for Holistic Investigation into The Disbursement of Loans by Development Banks (12th July, 2023)
  3. Collapse of Road Infrastructure in Nigeria (19th July, 2023)
  4. Condemning The Disruptive Nature of Sit-at-Home Demonstration in The Southeast (21st July, 2023)
  5. Urgent Need to Balance Geopolitical Representation in Ministerial Appointment (August 7, 2023)
  6. Urgent Need to Upgrade The Eastern Railway Line from Narrow Gauge Rail to Standard Gauge Rail (15th November, 2023)

CONCLUSION
The above discourse would feel like an exaggerated ferry tale, given the experience of the entire Imo North Senatorial District, characterised by conceit, deceit, broken promises and shattered hopes, obviously manifest in the attitude and disposition of previous office holders. The past two years of apparent renaissance, broken chains and deep sigh of relief can be internalised as the elixir to further power Senator Ndubueze all to the glory of God and jubilation over freedom of Imo North Senatorial District. We have seen history made seamlessly and we can only encourage the Distinguished Senator with willful and unmitigated support.

Hon Chief Leo A EKE
Public Commentator & Media Consultant

Editor In Chief, Afro TRADE