Why Senator Araraume was Honoured with National Waves’ Lifetime Achievement Award – Publisher

The publisher/editor-in-chief of National Waves Newspaper and Magazine, Jimmy Enyeh, has said that Senator Godwin Ifeanyi Ararume, who represented Imo North senatorial district in the Senate between 1999 and 2007, was bestowed with the National Waves Newspaper and Magazine Lifetime Achievement award on account of his sterling achievements in politics and bussines.

According to a statement he signed and made available to First Weekly, Tuesday, Enyeh said that Ararume is one of the few politicians of the Fourth Republic “who actually impacted positively on the lives of the people they represented using politics as a vehicle for intervention and transformation for the greater good of their people.”

Enyeh added that, while the astute politician was in the Senate, he impacted positively on the people of Imo North (Okigwe) Senatorial District by sponsoring people’s oriented bills, some of which were passed into law, his philanthropic gesture and abilty to touch the lives of the needy vis-a- vis empowering youths and extending scholarship to students.

He said: “Senator Araraume has performed excellently well in the business sector through Exclusive Stores and other flourishing companies and this made him a role model to many peeople.

“Senator Araraume, who was represented by Hon. Osita Opara at the epoch-making event, stands out among his peers in a land filled with politicians who see politicking as a business and an avenue for self aggrandizement and brazen egotism. Ararume found it as a calling to make the lives of his people and the district he represented better, a reality that has made him a statesman by concrete actions not rhetoric.

“This amiable, self-effacing distinguished senator, who hails from Isiebu, Isiala Mbano L.G.A, was, during his time in the Senate, Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum, Chairman, Senate Committee on Power and Steel, and Vice Chairman Senate Committee on NDDC.

“He was able to leverage on these committee membership and his gravitas as ranking senator to attract federal presence to Imo and neigbouring Abia State, attending with zeal to the demands of his constituency and the state in general.

“He largely bettered the lot and welfare of his constituency and Imo State indigenes generally.

“Among the landmarks of his imprints is the power stations at Ohaji and Alaoji in Imo and Abia States, respectively, in his capacity as Chairman Senate Committee on Power and Steel.

“He was the arrowhead of the inclusion of Imo and Abia States in the NDDC bill, contributing greatly towards ensuring that the Commission was headquartered in Port Harcourt, instead of Yenogoa as presented by the presidency.

“A great lover of community development, it was his zeal and commitment to the good of his people that fired his imagination and propelled him to fight for the citing of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) station in Okigwe, and a power switch over at Anara, in Isiala Mbano LGA.

“He also worked assiduously for the rehabilitation of the Ihiala-Orlu Anara-Umuelemai-Aba Branch-Umuahia Road, when Chief Tony Anenih was Minister of Works. He also tapped into his intimidating network of contacts to secure employment for numerous qualified sons and daughters of Imo State in different state and federal establishments.

“A devout Catholic and Knight of St. John International (KSJI), he has continued to work for the development of his Okigwe zone ever since he left office in 2007.

” A selfless politician, he also played prominent roles in the emergence of Senators S.N. Anyanwu and Ben Uwajumogu, making him a far-sighted politician whose major preoccupation is the development of his people.

“He has used his vast resources for the good of his people, deploying his funds for the construction of rural link roads. He single handedly built a police station with residential quarters in his community, Isiebu, in addition to St. Andrew’s Catholic Parish, parsonage and other facilities, drilled boreholes and provided electricity for many communities in the zone.

“After taking his seat in the Senate in June 1999, Ararume was appointed to committees on Communications, Police Affairs, Federal Character, Finance & Appropriation, Information and Niger Delta (vice chair).

“Ararume won the PDP primaries in 2007 to run for governor of Imo State. The party chose to run Charles Ugwu in his place. Ararume protested this decision and secured a Supreme Court ruling in his favor. The party expelled him and chose not to field a candidate, leaving the field open for Ikedi Ohakim.

“Ararume was born on December 16, 1958 at Isiebu, Umuduru in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria to late Marcus Ararume and Adaezi Grace Ararume (Nee Anyiam). He started his formal education at Saint Christopher Primary School, Umuluwe, Ajirija in Isiala Mbano.

“He completed his secondary education at Dick Tiger Memorial Secondary School, Amaigbo after previously enrolling at Sapele Technical College, now in Delta State. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and a Masters Science Degree (M.SC) in International Relations from the University of Benin.

“It’s on the strength of his contributions to the development of his people, to the development of legislature and his commitment to greater good that the Editorial Board of National Waves honoured him with the Life Time Achievement Award.” First Weekly recalls that on Thursday last week, the Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, renowned lawyer, arbitrator, tutor, orator and civil rights activist, Kayode Abraham Ajulo, National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Christopher Isiguzo and other stakeholders were awarded by the newspaper because of their outstanding contributions to the development of democracy and the tourism industry.