Emeka Mamah @ 50, What Next? Tribute to a Peoples’ Prince

COLLINS STEVE UGWU

 

Perhaps, the simpler way to discuss a ready golden celebrant of today in the mould of Prince  Emeka Mamah, and save everyone the heck of  revisions, is just to stick to the bare essentials. I mean, the intangible apparel of his character and persona that complement the architecture of his real substance.

 

Young and sporty at 50, he is visible by height, now made easier by a suppressed white crown in constant wish to be given nature’s liberty, to blossom in shiny glitters. Product of royalty, owner of a thriving business ecosystem, a man who read figures and studied bottom lines as an Accountant, a youth who once revelled and rebelled, kicked and got kicked, is now home to a new dawn today, 50th year birthday. You heard me right, five full decades of irreversible earthly blast. Dear folks, does that sound as a joke or a great testimony?

 

As you draw your conclusion, the verdict  is already generous, that our man is good and sure what it is. His wide constituency of friends and associates are happy, ready to rejoice with him, to celebrate and be celebrated.

 

Because first, this very man, a compact husband to an irrepressible soulmate and priceless princess, is solid on family blessings, with offsprings already testing the dusts of adulthood and more. Two, we have a Prince whose privileged background gave no immunity to the fires of business and infernos of politics, yet today he stands truly grateful to God  for  the experiences, not regrets.

 

A man whose depth and diversity grew with every adversity, natural or human, and still maintain open arms comradeship as his best asset. Yes, we felicitate with Prince Emeka, whose scale of accomplishments, are illustrative graph of dividends, not a balance sheet in red deficits. His fidelity to God and family remains unbroken.

 

Fondly called ‘Ide’, by far his most popular title amongst several, or Prince by those who prefer affinity to his pedigree, he cultivated a remarkable class neutrality across board, in parallel to an enviable  virtue of humility and respects to all. Let’s  pause  there.

 

For our celebrant, it hasn’t always been roses of bliss anyway. The Enugu State current Commissioner for Rural Development, ex SSA and others, actually came into active politics from the convenient height of a successful private entrepreneurship.

 

Bowing to  pressures of friends he knew well, and massages of those he thought understood his brand of democratic culture better, he came with zest and zeal and took the bait. He  campaigned for positions with vigour and purpose, walked the mines of deceits, absorbed the pains of betrayals, soaked the stings of miscalculations, ripped holes in his every pocket, and still got the baptism of defeats on the fiery furnace of abundant intrigues. Not a few would have waited a second more, before counting their losses and bidding such terror terrain a hurried bye. But not the ‘Ide’ that the humbling circumstances rather evolved.

 

He converted the distress to a learning rope, rearming his confidence that every opportunity comes at a prize, but real honour comes from true service. Along that maturing expedition, he has booked  exploits as a brief transition Chairman of his Local Government in Enugu State, Igbo Eze North precisely, where his short stint became the most referenced  bar of commitment to good governance till date. Solutions are possibilities made good, not excuses became his service blueprint.

 

With a new reality kit, Emeka’s steel resolve met grace at the bosom of his political benefactor and leader, our governor of repute, His Excellency,  Gov. Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi. The Governor  who superintend Enugu State today with unusual praise worthy modesty to personal adulations, and pecuniary chants of citizens indulgences. A Governor, who quickly leveraged his name Ifeanyichukwu to proclaim the singular most affirmative  canon ‘To God  be the glory’ as his signature reverence to Him who made him possible. That humble action naturally birthed the citizens clarion applause, that  ‘Enugu, is in the hands of God’.

 

Say what you wish or choose who you serve, We are faithful to such profound philosophy of exclusive gratitude to God first, rare in governance, where power is an easy intoxicant, and self pride, a permanent norm. We therefore, say it proudly, that Emeka and friends are grateful to His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyichukwu  Ugwuanyi, who found in Prince Emeka, a capacity that resonates with his stellar governance.

 

Such brotherhood is consistent with the defining essence of our Igbo popular wisdom,  “Onye aghana nwanne ya, maka na Igwebuike,  roughly translated, “together is best for strength and progress”. Again, because the heart is the mirror of the mind, “Obi mmadu ka eji ama uche ya” we say responsibly, Jide ka iji bu otito dike, meaning ” continue your good works is the reserve of great men”.

 

Between a “God-led Gov. “Ifeanyichukwu” and    “a thankful Prince “Chukwuemeka” there has been a synergy of trust, loyalty, inspiration, friendship and respects, with  outcomes seen in their harmony of performance, thanks to Emeka’s wholesome dedication.

 

On the humanitarian corridor, his resume is too tall for this content. It is enough to summarize that  his consistent outreach to the poor, the needy, the unemployed, students, widows, the sick, friends, just name it, is as passionate as his labours to empower and train many. Hundreds of persons and thousands of dependents are sustained by regular  employments in his Nigerian and overseas enterprises.

 

And the icing is that when around in the village,  his home turns to their embassy for reliefs, because his kitchen will run an open clinic for stomach cure. It is no surprise therefore, that the first two days  of his three days birthday program, beginning on March 10, is reserved for succour to his special community of the underprivileged.  It  has been his abiding therapy for peace and inner strength.

 

At the  Rural Development Ministry, his current service posting by his Chief Executive, the engines of growth are being reformatted, actions are bringing results, because seeds of new thinking have taken roots. The fruits of increase is certain, because he believe that when citizens take ownership of government policies, hopes become reality faster.

 

Looking trimmer, fit and confident at 50, it is evident our celebrant is ready for the next service assignment which our legacy Governor will take him along with, after His Excellency’s amazing tenure of extraordinary statecraft. For Emeka, his frequent confession that, “its been nothing less than hilarious and a total spiritual rejuvenation working for the people with a Governor who is a brother and strategic vision actualizer”, there is nothing more to add, than to reinforce as friends and well wishers, that tomorrow’s expectations are today’s  prayers of faith. We will be fervent on that score and patient for what’s next to come through by grace.

 

For now, it is somebody’s special birthday of gratitude to God, and his multitude of well wishers. In everything truly worthy, nothing  better can be said than our State’s praise inspiration, ‘To God be the glory’.

 

*Happy 50th golden birthday to Prince Emeka Mamah, Nsukka global ambassador, unapologetic Wawa state crusader and unrelenting Igbocentric networker.   Bring it on, let’s go dancing on your day.

 

Collins Steve Ugwu wrote from Alor-Uno, Nsukka.

080-3322-8845.

 

For a better society