Onihea of Umuehea -Ibusa
[dropcap]“G[/dropcap]reatness is a property for which no man can receive credit too soon; it must be possessed long before it is acknowledged.” When one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Ralph Waldo Emerson handed down the above words of wisdom, those he had in mind were certainly the likes of Chief Nwanze Roland.
For the trail-blazing business mogul and industrialist par excellence from Umuehea- Ibusa, Delta State, it is certainly impossible to gloss over his attributes for greatness.
The popular cliché, ‘first impression sticks’ is not applicable to Chief Nwanze Roland.If you profile and categorize him based on the spur of the moment kind of judgment, then you have done so using the wrong barometer and faulty premise. This is because at first encounter, you are confronted with a man you could pass for a middle income earner. He wears no airs and there are none around him. He is as simple as air itself. The calm ambience he exudes is just natural. He is just being himself.
Onihea of Umuehea -Ibusa
However, many would be shocked to later learn that this unassuming Youngman who mingles with the lowly and the downtrodden without discrimination is workaholic, a business czar, corporate tiger and sits atop multi-billion dollars investments spanning several interests. Chief Nwanze Roland is a tested Philanthropist, an achiever-a job creator,and an employer of labour . And he makes no noise about these.
In Nigeria those often considered the greatest are the politicians, fraudulent exploiters, violent conquerors and evil geniuses turned heroes and heroines, who have out done others by stealing the community’s common wealth and sharing crumbs amongst their praise singers but Chief Nwanze Roland is neither any if the above, nor is he seeking any political office. His leadership is about a passionate commitment to better the lives of his people by giving them comfort with he ultimate fulfillment to them,his people.
He is a leader par excellence, whose compassion for his poor community, Umuehea Ibuzor, moved him to sink two boreholes for them, free, repaired the government millennium borehole, the only one that works in Ibuzor as at date, provided diesel powered street light, a security gate to curb the menace and excesses of cultists and passage of heavy duty vehicles. Nwanze Roland has gone ahead to smoothen the erosion prone roads in Umuehea,Ibusa with a promise to tar these roads.
In the midst of the crisis of leadership that has bedeviled Ibuzor as a Community, and Umuehea as part of this Community, it is desirable to reflect on the man NWANZE ROLAND and his leadership. Nwanze Roland uses his own lifestyle to teach us, both the mighty and low in Ibuzor that leadership is service, sacrifice and a dynamic enterprise. He assures his people that he is not like the politicians who make people to carry burdens that they politicians would not dare to carry. Nwanze Roland is that young man who eats and understands that his next door neighbour is hungry, needs food and goes ahead to provide it for him. He is that affluent young man who uses his God given wealth to better the lives of his people and sacrifices his own pleasure and comfort for the sake if his community.
Nwanze Roland ’s rise to the top was not a one-step movement. It was a humble beginning for a humble man. The inter play of factors that would established him as one of Nigeria’s reputable Community Developer shaped Nwanze Roland ’s principle and philosophy of life and business-humility, honesty and hard work. His unassuming nature and infectious humility explain why he does not trumpet his numerous philanthropist gestures.
In the midst of poor governance marred with corruption, when men and women are constantly striving to out do one another in the acquisition for power, wealth and privilege, here Nwanze Roland has left a legacy of purpose. He has cause happiness and good name for himself, family and generations yet on born. He had invested his talent to God given purpose and has made his life much bigger than himself. – The entire Ibusa people says Da’alu Shinne ooooooooóo…