Monday Eze
Diogenes Laertius, a Greek author, defined a friend as a single soul dwelling in two bodies. This definition fits Uchenna Stephen Igwe like a customised ornament; and one would not be wrong to describe Igwe as “a single soul dwelling in countless bodies”.
Born on Saturday, February 7, 1976 to the family of Chief Patrick Igwe of the Egbarada Aleke Imeze dynasty of Idembia village in Ishieke Mgbomeze, Ebonyi LGA, Uchenna Stephen Igwe is an alumnus of Ndebor Ishieke Primary School; Izzi High School; Special Science School, Igbeagu; and the prestigious Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki where he graduated with B. Sc in Accountancy.
With this academic laurel in his kitty, Uchenna Igwe, who brimmed with hope and energy, was in Ayingba, Kogi State, in 2009 for the mandatory NYSC.
At every turn and twist, God positioned destiny-helpers who ensured that his NYSC experience was seamless.
Following the passing of Chief Patrick Igwe, who served as the Ebonyi State Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP(, Uchenna Stephen Igwe succeeded his late father.
In Ebonyi State PDP secretariat, the path of Uchenna Igwe crossed that of a fellow young man whom Igwe calls “father” till date for good reasons. That young man is the incumbent governor of Ebonyi State, Builder Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. Hon. Igwe’s encounter with Nwifuru became Uchenna’s password into a robust public service career which trajectory spanned the grassroots and state levels in Nigeria.
Hon. Igwe was appointed coordinator of Ebonyi Development Centre in 2014. Igwe donated transformers to local communities and executed rural electrification projects, drilled boreholes in villages and graded existing feeder roads in Ndebor, Ededeagu, Egvudulegu and Onyirigbo communities.
He constructed a virgin road from Ndebor to Agalegu; empowered the folks of Ebonyi DC with agricultural inputs, funds and motorcycles; and gave educational grants to students. Igwe’s time as the helmsman of Ebonyi Development Centre still stands out as the golden era of that Development Centre.
In 2019, he turned down an imminent reappointment to enable others have their turns in the plum office.
Igwe, who hates idleness, launched a very adventurous mineral and jewelry business which took him to Lagos, Benin Republic, Ghana, Benue, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa, Cameroon and other places.
In 2022, public service beckoned on Hon. Igwe again. He was appointed a commissioner in the Ebonyi State Judicial Service Commission.
By 2023, Hon Uchenna Igwe was at the foundation of the Nwifuru gubernatorial project where he worked like ‘Boxer’ in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’.
He was a foundation member and Ebonyi LGA chairman of Onwa Oferekpe Foundation as well as the chairman of the Divine Mandate 2023 Campaign Organisation in Ndebor ward of Ebonyi LGA.
Hon Igwe’s selflessness came to the fore after the inauguration of his political ally and foster-father, Builder Francis Nwifuru, as the Governor of Ebonyi State in 2023. While others who worked in the Nwifuru project lobbied for plum appointments and often approached Igwe for recommendations, a gesture he often obliged them; Uchenna maintained his cool, trusting God and relying on the new governor, Nwifuru, with whom he shared a long history of confidence and benevolence.
Eagle-eyed Governor Nwifuru, appointed Hon. Igwe, a humble, peaceful ambassador of the common good, as the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Thus, Igwe, the youngest grassroots steward in the history of Ebonyi State went to work delivering Governor Nwifuru’s flagship peace programme to communities and palace projects to 67 traditional rulers the governor met on their thrones.
Over 72 traditional stool conflicts have been peacefully resolved with their kings inaugurated in Ebonyi State. Charismatic Igwe galvanised the council chairmen to escalate the agricultural revolution, women/youth empowerment and other programmes of Governor Francis Nwifuru at the grassroots.
Recently, Igwe began screening and certification of town union presidents in Ebonyi State to stem the tide of impersonation and fraud.
Hon. Uchenna Igwe, a unique silent-giver and personification of contentment serves and honours God through humanity.
Igwe, a committed socialite, has deep social connections in all parts of the state and beyond. This has impacted his tongue to the point that, besides English and Igbo languages, he fluently speaks Ezza, Izhii, Ikwo, Ngbo, Ehugbo and Ohaozara dialects.
Hon. Igwe whose unique hobbies includes lifting the downtrodden and giving hope to the hopeless recently rolled out the Stephen and Judith Igwe International Education Foundation through which scholarships were awarded to 45 financially-challenged undergraduates in the fields of law, medicine and surgery, accountancy, ICT, pharmacy, etc. to enable them fulfill their respective destinies. Many others were provided different means of mobility and welfare hampers.
Hon. Uchenna Stephen Igwe is married to his rib, Judith Chinenye Igwe (Nee Opoke), and the marriage is blessed with children.
Through dedication to human relations and promotion of the common good, the Idembia Ishieke village boy, has within a space of half a century, metamorphosed into a utility person, a crowd-puller, a grassroots steward and a catalyst that prods ordinary people onto their destinies. As Igwe ascends golden age, I join his benefactors to wish him many happy returns.
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