By Jude Udeachara
The recent election of Engr. Solomon Adaelu has turned out a timely victory for not only the people of Obingwa/Ugwunagbo/Osisioma Federal Constituency but also for the civilised society.
As a keen follower of Adaelu’s political activities for some time now, I was glad to receive the news of his resounding victory in that very House of Representatives’ election. Having fought hard against some worthy opponents, I strongly feel it was the clarity of his message of ‘Hope in the face of uncertainty’ that perfected the victory.
And this victory has proved at least one thing: that the electorate is now much more informed than ever; more conscious and wary of political profiteers who hypnotise people with spurious promises, offering nothing. This they’ve shown by voting for a candidate whose message was both plain and realistic. With this in mind, Adaelu will neither toy nor derail from the task of clearing the backlog of underdevelopment, giving the people yet another reason to advance the course of their collective aspirations. This they’ll do in fervent belief that they’ve truly got a representative in the nation’s hallowed green chamber; a useful envoy, who will not only voice out their feelings, but also bring home the dividends for common good.
Adaelu seems prepared to direct a great amount of attention to power supply, education, health, and infrastructure, particularly now that he’s faced with a tarnished legacy that is further injured by one policy disaster after another. Indeed, these identified sectors have been the thorny areas bothering his people most.
Born in Abayi village of Amaugwu Autonomous Community in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State, he attended Community Primary School, Abayi, earning his First School Leaving Certificate there. He also attended Ngwa High School, Abayi-Aba, where he enrolled for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) in 1993. The impressive outcome of that examination gained him admission to Federal University of Technology, Owerri, from where he graduated with B.Engr. Chemical Engineering in 2002. Adaelu capped this colossal academic feat with M.Sc. Project Management from the same institution in 2012.
He participated in the design and construction of a shell and tube heat exchanger for industrial use at Federal University of Technology, Owerri, in 2002. He became Production Supervisor, Chemlab Nigeria Limited in 2006, a post he held until his appointment as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Neschem Industrial Products Limited.
In 2010, Adaelu was appointed Commissioner for Public Utilities and Water Resources in Abia State. He was re-appointed commissioner in 2011, but this time, for Rural Development, Co-operative and Poverty Reduction, and served in this capacity till 2012. An accomplished engineer, He’s Member, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and Member, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE).
For the Obingwa, Ugwunagbo and Osisioma people, the future signals a strong opening as the uncertainty hanging over their political space has been removed with the election of this gentleman. For them too, Adaelu’s election is a clear choice for an open, united people that totally thrive on issues, not trivialities. And no doubt, his victory will reinforce the people’s partnership to facilitate the return of economic growth to the constituency, to fight unemployment and to find solutions to the crises that threaten them. This is the people’s thinking at the moment, which was why they fought so doggedly to vote him in, believing that any other candidate would have further divided an already fractured constituency, ruining a popular cause.
Adaelu is very pleased with the confidence vested in him, maintaining that whether he really earned their votes or not, he will listen to them. And accepting he has learned from them, they’re about to see a better emissary, one who will massage their toes, not stepping on them. In this fashion, he’ll work for all, even for the unrepentant opposition.
With unemployment still high and the future fragile, Adaelu is offering himself as the man better equipped to improve the lot of the youths and women, ignoring not the men. And so to speak, he will do more to help the poor and the needy, hooking them off the quagmire of hopelessness.
This might have been inflaming the mood of joy and anticipation that has swept across Obingwa, Ugwunagbo, and Osisioma since his election. And Adaelu is doing his best to stoke the cheering crowd, stressing that the journey to this historic point has been long, and promising a new beginning for the best.
I warmly join your good people and other well-wishers in congratulating you on becoming the Member-Elect of Obingwa/Ugwunagbo/Osisioma Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Your victory has greatly demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should relent in dreaming of wanting to change the world into a better place for all.
I note and applaud your commitment to supporting the people’s cause, trusting that you will also make it the mission of your tenure to combat the scourge of poverty and underdevelopment.
I wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days ahead, hoping you will ultimately achieve your dream of making Nigeria a full partner in a community of nations committed to peace and prosperity for all.
Udeachara wrote in from Umuahia.