It is often said that: “Whatever a man sows, that he shall reap”. This is manifest in the life and family of Distinguished Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu, an outstanding grassroots leader, apostle of the common good, a lover of knowledge who has sowed so much in the development of people and the society.

On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, all roads led to the country home of Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu, Esq, in Unwuoru Oriuzor, Ezza North LGA of Ebonyi State for the double celebration of the 65th birthday thanksgiving of the Senator as well as the reception in honour of the 10 children of Senator Igwe-Nwagu who graduated this year from universities within and outside the country.

The life of Senator Igwe-Nwagu, a man whom God had led through the valley of the shadow of death and brought to green pastures is worth celebrating every day. Born on Friday, June 12, 1959, Senator Igwe-Nwagu’s (Enyi-waa-uzo) public life began when he served as the Secretary of Oriuzor Community Education Committee.

In 1990 he represented Oriuzor ward as councillor in the old Ezza LGA. He served as Supervisory Councillor for Education, Deputy Speaker and Speaker of Ezza Council Legislature from 1990 to 1991.

Igwe-Nwagu’s track record set his political career on a trajectory of leadership roles that spanned both the local and federal tiers of government in Nigeria.

He was elected pioneer Executive Chairman of Ezza North LGA in Ebonyi State and he served his full term between 1999 and 2002. Senator Igwe-Nwagu subsequently turned down the offer for second tenure in respect to the agreed rotation order of the people of Ezza North. He later won election to represent Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency between 2007 and 2011.

After that, he was elected into the Senate where he represented Ebonyi Central between 2011 and 2015. Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu was on a joint ticket with the PDP governorship candidate for Ebonyi State, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukuwma Odii, as the deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections. Senator Igwe-Nwagu’s periods in public offices have fully decorated scorecards.

In Ezza North LGA, he built a befitting council secretariat and many roads, schools, bridges and health centres which are still in use at this moment. For laying a durable infrastructural foundation in Ezza North LGA and more, young Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu was decorated as the Best Council Chairman in Nigeria by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In the National Assembly, Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu was a team player and trusted ally among his colleagues. Between 2007 and 2011 when he was in the House of Representatives, he was Chairman Committee on Rural Development and, later, Police Affairs Committee.

During his time in the Senate from 2011 – 2015, Igwe-Nwagu also served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs. In his eight years in the National Assembly, Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu’s scholarship scheme produced over 45 professionals spanning law, medicine and surgery, engineering, nursing, medical laboratory science, accountancy, architecture, computer science and so on.

He mentored about 40 Ebonyi youths who graduated as senior police officers and many others who passed out of police colleges in the category of rank and file. The harvest of graduates which is the second limb of Senator Igwe-Nwagu’s celebration is in honour of his children who graduated from various local and foreign universities.

The graduates include: Prince Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu Jnr (Law); Prince Patrick Nnaemeka Igwe-Nwagu (History and International Relations); Princess Linda Oduburu Igwe-Nwagu (Business Administration); Princess Ogochukwu Igwe-Nwagu (Applied Microbiology); Prince Engr. Clinton Chigozie Igwe-Nwagu (Engineering); Princess Queeneth Nwafor Igwe-Nwagu (Public Administration); Princess Blessing Nwafor Igwe-Nwagu (Health Science); Princess Estabel Nwafor Igwe-Nwagu (Industrial Chemistry); Princess Sandra Nwafor Igwe-Nwagu (Public Administration); and Princess Precious Anyigor Igwe-Nwagu (Economics).

In the light of the biblical injunction which holds that: “As a man sows, so shall he reap”, Igwe-Nwagu’s harvest of 10 graduates is correctly seen as a deserved divine reward for his investments in other people’s lives and careers.

Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu is an ambassador of African culture and has continued to promote the culture of his Ezza Ezekuna people. He and his children are practically involved in farming which is the traditional occupation of Ezza Ezekuna people.

He is a member of the prestigious Jioke caste which is the penultimate title in Ezza Ezekuna. For all these and more, this family man, career democrat and perfect blend of tradition and modernity has become a crowd-puller, a coveted political asset and leader of thought in Ebonyi State.

As Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu, a career democrat, celebrated his 65 fruitful years and honoured his 10 graduating children, his family, friends, well-wishers, and teeming supporters gave him 65 hearty cheers and wished the young graduates God’s graces as they launched out to carve their respective niches and make the world a better place. The accomplishments of Senator Igwe-Nwagu and his children were expected to inspire others to strive for excellence.

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