By Chigozie Igbo
“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
According to Chinua Achebe of blessed memory, “until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”.
As we prepare for an election year in 2023, and as the life span of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration gradually comes to an end with the inevitable change of guard, negotiations have indeed reached advance stage, as everyone is expectant of who becomes the next President of Nigeria.
There is no gain saying the fact that Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the minister of state education presents a rare hope for Nigeria’s democracy going by his acceptance all over the country.
Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the current minister of state for education born on 20th August, 1967, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989 after he obtained his Master of Laws (‘LL.M) and Doctor of Laws from the University of Lagos and University of Jos respectively.
Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba an astute administrator, has served as House Committee Chairman on Land, Housing and Works when he first represented Okigwe South Federal Constituency at the House Of Representatives in 1999- 2003. Subsequently he joined the race to become the governor of Imo state. He was the former Chairman of Tertiary Education Trust FUND, TETFUND, were he brought to bare his administrative acumen, which helped in a long way in changing the narratives in that agency.
He was also the Secretary of the constitution drafting committee, that produced the constitution of the merger committee to form APC in 2013. And is currently the secretary of the APC convention appeal Committee for the forthcoming APC National Convention.
Nwajiuba in present day Nigeria is seen as the rare hope for our democracy, because of the many issues be-deviling the country, which is however systemic. It will be easy for him to fit into the big shoe, President Buhari will leave for anyone that will succeed him and eventually lead Nigeria to the promise land, as he remains a bridge between the old and new generation. As his party APC, prepare for it’s primary election in May, many Nigerians are of the belief that going by his acceptance and political correctness, that the APC may have no other option than to field him as the candidate of the party. His vast experience in law and dynamics of governance places him at a vantage point at ensuring that Nigerians get the best of democracy dividends across board.
• Igbo, a senior journalist, wrote from Awka.