SYDOK: celebration of humanity, infrastructure development 

 By Samson Ezea 

 His name is Sydney Okechukwu. Our path crossed when I joined the immediate past administration in the state in 2018 to serve as a senior media assistant to the then Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. I was a regular customer at his popular wine and spirit shop at New Haven, Enugu called SYDOK Wine and Spirit. 

 On several occasions, he sold products to me direct even when his workers were there. His approach and demeanor were topnotch. I wasn’t surprised, when he later emerged the Chairman of Nkanu East LGA in the immediate past administration in the state. He was among the few entrepreneurs that emerged as LGA chairmen then. 

 I kept close observation on his administration’s giant strides in Nkanu East, especially in the area of humanity and infrastructural development. He did extremely well and was at home and in peace with his people especially the major stakeholders and downtrodden. Often around him, unlike some of his colleagues then were his people and major stakeholders from his council area. 

In leadership, he was calm, but very strategic in action and implementations of policies. He was mindful of the fact that his council area was among the least developed local government areas in the state then, hence he was more interested and focused on providing infrastructural development than the razzmatazz and euphoria of the office.

Before the 2023 election, we became closer, having examined his personality and come to conclusion that he is a permanent good man with heart of gold. He was the Chairman of Nkanu East LGA during the election. Luckily and fortunately for him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is from the council. 

 It is axiomatic that when majority of the PDP stakeholders, including council chairmen turned snakeholders and traitors at the peak of the 2023 governorship election, after secretly assisting Labour Party to achieve victory in the National Assembly and Presidential election, Sydney Okechukwu was one man that was outstanding and courageously worked hard and stood his ground against all odds, to ensure that PDP won Nkanu East LGA, a development that secured PDP victory in the governorship election. 

 It was not surprising that on assumption of office as Governor after a hard-earned victory, Governor Mbah saw in him a capable leader and dependable ally. He later became the Chairman of Association of Local Government Areas in Nigeria (ALGON) in the state and its National Publicity Secretary.

 During the last local government election in the state, the party and its leadership in the state didn’t betray the expectations of the people especially the people of Nkanu East people, by choosing Okechukwu as the party’s candidate. Since Okechukwu won the re- election and was sworn in, he has continued to break barriers and raise new template in the area of leadership and infrastructural developments in line with Governor Mbah’s disruptive innovation programmes and policies. 

 His administration and person have continued to touch lives at the grassroots and provide plethora of democracy dividends to the people without much noise and fanfare. Anyone who knows Nkanu East LGA before now will attest to Okechukwu administration’s outstanding performance in the council area alongside several giant and people-oriented interventions of Governor Mbah‘s administration that are visible and present across the state.

 Okechukwu has remained focused and articulate in the governance of the council area. That is the reason for peace, collaboration, security and cooperation among people of the council. He has continued to identify with the low and high in the time of needs and celebrations. He has demonstrated humility and capacity with his eyes permanently on the ball. As he celebrates his birthday today, I join millions of his people to wish him the best of birthday celebrations and many more prosperous years ahead. 

* Ezea wrote from Enugu, Enugu State.