By Monday Eze
The best gift a leader can give to his society is peace. The emergence of Senator Kenneth Chukwuemeka Eze in the political setting of Ebonyi Central, nay Ebonyi State, was as gradual as it was peaceful. The computer engineer has continued to symbolise peace; and his attitude of gratitude to both his supporters and the entire constituents irrespective of political or ideological affiliations has further reinforced the peace that the Senator symbolises in Ebonyi Central Senatorial district of Ebonyi State.
Born in Anmegu Mgberemeze kingdom of Ezza South LGA of Ebonyi State, Kenneth Eze had a long walk to power. He made his debut political appearance when he contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship ticket for Ezza South LGA in the 2010 Ebonyi State Local Government election. Both the government of the day and other major contestants realised late that they underrated the unassuming computer engineer at the risk of their over rated political structure.
On the eve of the primaries, concerted efforts were made to create a soft landing for their preferred candidate by asking the computer engineer to step down. Not being desperate for power, Engr. Kenneth Eze stepped down from the contest. The same method was also used to stop him from contesting the House of Assembly seat of Ezza South LGA on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) in 2015. After helping PDP to win the 2015 general elections, he was appointed as Coordinator of Ezza South East Development Centre.
His demonstration of grassroots cred- ibility and political will earned him adoption as consensus chairmanship candidate for Ezza South in the 2020 Ebonyi Local Government election. He won and took up the task of restoring security to his domain which had acquired the inglorious profile of the flashpoint for cult clashes in Ebonyi State.
Here again, Engr. Kenneth Eze, distinguished himself in grassroots governance. At the end of his tenure, the saying that the reward for good work is more work came into play in the life of Engr. Kenneth Eze, tearing the people of Ezza South into two: While one part wanted him to take a second shot at the Ezza South LGA chairmanship to consolidate his good works, others felt that he was an export material fit for national politics and so should take the Ebonyi Central senatorial APC ticket which was zoned to Ezza South LGA.
That positive misunderstanding raged on until the then Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, weighed in on it. In the end, Engr. Kenneth Chukwuemeka Eze (Agunechemba I) won the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Ebonyi Central district. He went on to win the main election into the Nigerian Senate as well as all the election petitions filed against his victory. In the chambers of the Red Chamber, Senator Kenneth Eze, even though a first timer was appointed as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
He was also vice chairman of two other plum committees as well as member of several others. Coming from a part of Ebonyi State noted for youth restiveness, he went to work attracting federal employment for the youths of his constituency. Within six months in the Red Chamber, 13 youths of Ebonyi Central are gainfully employed with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); 10 others work with the Nigeria Tele- vision Authority (NTA); two with the Advertising Regulation Commission of Nigeria; while another one works with the Federal College of Education (Technical), Isu.
In the sphere of advocacy and legislation, the taciturn Senator representing Ebonyi Central stands tall among his peers. He sponsored a bill for the Establishment of Federal Polytechnic, Onueke; and a bill for the Repeal and Re-enactment of the National Broadcasting Commission Act. Both bills have passed second readings. People conversant with the status of Onueke, the capital of Ezza Ezekuna in Ebonyi State as regards the siting of tertiary institutions will understand the import of the Federal Polytechnic, Onueke bill. Senator Eze also has five significant motions to his credit.
Senator Kenneth Eze has ignored pedestrian provocations, choosing to invest his energy in goodwill, peace-making and in discharging the debt of gratitude which he owes his constituents. Apart from staggered private demonstrations of goodwill and support to constituents, the suave chairman of the Senate Committee on Information singled out December 23, 2023 to thank and honour his constituents.
The mobilisation which was total yielded a sea of white, black and coloured heads which overflowed the banks of the distinguished senator’s Olympic-size country home in Anmegu Mgberemeze. The youths, women, traditional rulers and critical stakeholders of Ebonyi Central basked in euphoria as the senator and fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers, through his speech and gifts, demonstrated profound gratitude to them.
In their several goodwill messages, the people of Ebonyi central thanked Senator Ken Eze for proving through his support for his constituents and inclusion of projects needed by Ebonyi Central in the 2024 appropriation Act that “voting for Ken Eze was a profitable investment”. So far, Senator Kenneth Eze (F.N.S.E) has succeeded in setting the pace for soundproof or noiseless representation. In this manner, he has raised the bar of effective representation in Nigeria.