Lion of the East:By Hon Honorable Simon Oshi.
“First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me”
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me”
This were the Words of a Lutheran Priest Martin Neomoller During the Days of The Nazi Persecution in Germany.Any time I read this poem ,A personality whom I admire so much comes to mind. A man who has never been silent in defending his father land no Matter the persecution.
Many often say that the lion is the king of the Jungle,not because it is feared by many but its attributes as the leader of the pack. There are no words to describe anyone in the East Better than Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Ikeoha as he is fondly called deserves all the accolades for his tenacity and doggedness.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, PhD, CFR hails from Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He holds both Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka as well as Certificates in Leadership from Harvard University and Oxford University. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law from the University of Abuja. Senator Ekweremadu was a career legal practitioner and an Associate Lecturer at his alma mater before running for political office.
He was elected a Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District in 2003. He was re-elected into the Senate in 2007 and 2011. In the Senate, he was unanimously elected the Deputy President of the Senate for two consecutive terms in 2007 and 2011.In 2015, he was again re-elected a senator and re-elected for three consecutive times as the Deputy President of the 8th Senate.
Some of His achievements in the Senate, are numerous,The Senator has a number of Bills and motions to his credit in addition to several co-sponsored Bills. His Bills include the Civil Process Servers Bill, Private Detectives and Investigators Bill, Federal Land Registry (General Provisions) Bill as well as the State of the Nation Address Bill and the River Basins Development Authority (Amendment) Bill both of which have been passed by the two Chambers of the National Assembly. His co-sponsored Bills include the Nigeria Police Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, Abolition of Discrimination Against Women Bill; National Human Rights Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, and the Legal Aid Council Act (Amendment) Bill. Key among his sole sponsored Motions include “The Absence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, “The Surging Incident of Kidnapping and Hostage-taking in Nigeria”; “The Outbreak of Hostilities in Jos”, “The Menace of Gully Erosion and Landslide in the South East of Nigeria”. He has also chaired various important Committees in the Senate, including the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, which at present he heads for three consecutive time. As Chairman of this Committee from 2007 to 2011, Senator Ekweremadu has received recognitions and awards for piloting the first successful amendment of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. The amendment resulted in elaborate electoral reforms that laid the foundation for the widely applauded 2011 General Elections. As Chairman of the Joint steering Committee of the Policy Analysis and Research Project (PARP) of the National Assembly (a capacity building project supported by African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), based in Harare, Zimbabwe) from 2007, Sen Ekweremadu effectively steered the Project to a resounding success, resulting in its transformation into a full-fledged National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS), which Governing Council he chairs at present. As a Member of the Nigerian Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament since 2003, the First Deputy Speaker in 2007 and subsequently the Speaker of the Community Parliament, he has gained wide reputation as a firm believer and courageous defender of democracy in the West African sub-region.
As the Distinguished Senator was inaugurated yesterday into the 9th Senate he should know that there a set of Nigerians who have been observing him and are certain that the prosperity of Nigerian will come through men like him.
Long Live The Lion of the East
Long Live Enugu State
Long live Nigeria at Large.
Long Live Enugu State
Long live Nigeria at Large.
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