NGWU, ABARIBE & NWOKO AS THE BEST IGBO SENATORS OF THE YEAR.
The Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo Nigeria (NONIN) led by Professor Ike Oluka has recognised Sen. Osita Ngwu, the Deputy Minority Whip, representing Enugu West Senatorial District; Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District; and Sen. Ned Nwoko representing Delta North Senatorial District as the most reflective and effective Igbo senators in the National Assembly.
As part of the 2025 edition of Iriji Nzuko Ozo Ndigbo Nigeria, a committee was set to assess the performances of the senators of Igbo extraction in the National Assembly. The committee was headed by a renowned scholar, retired permanent secretary, former Director General of the Centre for Black Arts and African Civilisation (CBAAC) and currently a lecturer and the Director, Directorate of Culture and Cultural Dialogue, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu Ozo Ferdinand Anikwe, PhD, KSJI, JP. The committee assessed the Igbo senators based on 10 performance indicators across key areas such as relationship with the grassroots, humility in power, constituency projects, Igbo advocacy, parliamentary eloquence, and social skills amongst others.
In socio-cultural group formations, or a group based political system, legislators are the products of their social and cultural dynamics and as such, quality representation is measured not only by patriotism to the nation but the appropriate response to the expectations of the corporate in-group. In other words, according to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one must be a good Yoruba before being a good Nigerian. Put differently, quality representation implies embodying the sensitiveness, consciousness and responsiveness to the in-group
In May 2025, Sen. Osita Ngwu Osita Ngwu, strongly defended the Igbo interest when he described as “unfair, the treatment of the South East geopolitical zone of the country by the federal government. In a Plenary, Ngwu decried the neglect of the zone, especially, in the area of resource allocation for infrastructure. Ngwu had queried: “With due respect to Senator Wamako who said lion share to the South-West…when will the South East ever have a lion’s share in any particular project? He reminded the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, that “if this is an omission, it is an expensive omission. The South East cannot continually be treated the way Nigeria is treating the southeast.” Ngwu disclosed that no dam project in the South-East received a kobo as allocation by the current government. He continued: “Let me give you an instance, out of the dams that were listed here on the south east, Ivo dam was last funded about 12 years ago, with a 5 billion naira spent on it, and it has been abandoned by Nigeria for the last 12 years” Ngwu lamented that he has “written three letters to the Ministry of Water Resources. We have done everything possible to see if they can bring up Ivo Dam and here, a zone is allocated 66 billion, and the entire South at zero”.
Apart from the courage of his convictions, Ngwu connects with his constituency through Enugu West Academy, an institution that organizes tutorials for secondary school leavers to ensure they gain admissions for choice courses in universities; Football Tournament; Quiz Competition for all the secondary schools in Enugu West senatorial zone; Scholarships to indigent students; Post-graduate scholarship programmes abroad; Road rehabilitations; Solar Powered street lights; Long Vacation Lessons for students and primary school pupils; Vocation Training Centres for youths in Enugu West, etc.
Sen. Eyinna Abaribe has written his name with gold in the minds of the Igbo as one of the most courageous and consistent advocates for Igbo interest. Without pretensions, Abaribe has insisted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would put a stop to the issue of criminalities in the Southeast: “I expect that the President will listen to both his Attorney General and every one of us who have been agitating that the issues in the Southeast; first of all the insurgency, the sit-at-home on Mondays and every other thing we have noticed in the Southeast, what we now know in the Southeast is that criminals and all other people who advocate violence have taken over and using the name Nnamdi Kanu to perpetuate all these their despicable acts. Abaribe has remained steadfast in relationship with his constituents. His humility is nonpareil.
Sen. Ned Nwoko has resurrected Chief Denis Osadebey, the former Premier of the Mid-Western Region, defunct. In 1936, Chief Denis Chikude Osadebey from the present Anioma extraction galvanized all the Igbo elements in Lagos in the formation of the Igbo Federal Union (IFU). And In 1939, Chief Osadebey was elected as the Secretary General of the Union. In 1943, the members of the group in Lagos led by Chief Osadebay launched an aggressive campaign to unite all Igbo unions throughout Nigeria to strengthen the Ibo Federal Union. The footprints and achievements of the Igbo social movement under the leadership of Chief Osadebey, Chief Z C Obi, amongst others are still cherished by the Igbo.
The Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, Nigeria(NONIN) appreciates the obstacles confronting Sen. Nwoko in his bid to recover what the Igbo nation appear to have lost since over 60 years ago. But what is more important is the courage and steadfastness with which Nwoko has aligned himself to the ethno-cultural and historical reality of the Anioma, an acronym formed from Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, and Oshimili by Chief Osadebey in 1951. Nwoko, like many of us, decries the double standards, identity crises and ethnic ambivalence that have pervaded the Igbo of the South-South extraction of Nigeria, since shortly before the Nigerian Biafran war. To be sure, all the Anioma indigenes may not have Igbo roots. There is hardly any society that is ethno-genetically homogenous. The smaller groups or migrants are assimilated within the compass of the majority and thus, rightly defined by its dominant character, eg the British, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, etc. NONIN encourages and supports Nwoko, and assures him that his efforts will never be in vain.
Presenting an award of Service to Humanity and Igbo Nation to Sen. Osita Ngwu at the Enugu Sports Club, Gulf Section, Enugu on Sunday, September 21, 2025, Ozo Anikwe described Ngwu as an exceptional legislator whose quality representation resonates with his constituency in particular and the Igbo nation in general. Anikwe further extols Ngwu as a vibrant jinx breaker, an eloquent parliamentary prodigy with character comeliness, social renown and dispositional humility.
Other dignitaries that were bestowed with awards include The Rt. Hon. Festus Uzor, an outstanding indigene of Enugu State who has served as the Chairman of Ezeagu Local Government; Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly; Commissioner for Health; Commissioner for Education; Commissioner for Special Duties, etc; Federal Population Commission, Chief of Staff to the Government House, Enugu and indeed a highly talented genius. NONIN appreciates his phenomenal rise to stardom by dint of hard work and the audacity of intellect. Others include, Chief Afam Agana for his philanthropy and service to humanity; and Chief Chinedu Ugbo.
The Chairman of the event, Chief Pete Edochie used the opportunity to urge the Igbo leaders to set aside one week as the Iriji (New Yam) festival because of the significance of new yam in Igbo land. The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Enugu State, Hon. Barr. Ugochi Madueke, who spoke in a fluent Igbo advised that the Igbo must not allow their culture to die. She argued that, in the Igbo language and culture are embedded profound and transcendental proverbs, values and wisdom which are necessary tools for Igbo nationalism. Other dignitaries that graced the event include the Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty, Igwe Samuel Asadu, the Ogadagigi and the traditional ruler of Edem Ani Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom; His Majesty, Igwe Aloysius Ogbonna, the Uba-Ojene of Ogugu and the Akajiofor of Ntuegbenese, represented by Chief Augustine Okoli, PhD; eminent member Professors, technocrats and businessmen of NONIN at the event include Ozo Prince Emeka Onyesoh, the National Leader of NONIN; Rt. Hon. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, PhD, the Deputy National Leader; Ozo Johnbosco Offorbuike, Ozo Michael Okechukwu Igbonekwu; Ozo Prof. & Dr. Mrs. Chike Anibueze, Ozo Prof. Ogwugwam Christopher Ezeagwu; Ozo Uche Alor; Ozo Engr. Anthony Amujiogu, PhD; Ozo Sylvester NC Ogbuanu; Ozo Hon. Nnamchi Egbo; Ozo Capt. Edwin Onwuajuase; Ozo Barr Alex Amujiogu, Ozo Joel Eke; Ozo Kingsley Eze, PhD; Ozo Donatus Oguejiofor, Ozo Emma Ugwu, among others.
The Awards to Abaribe and Ned Nwoko will be presented to them in Abuja at a later date.
E-Sign
Rt. Hon. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, PhD, the Deputy National Leader, NONIN
