Uche Ede: The New Mayor's Birthday!

So why are we here?

It's not to celebrate the inevitable passage of time but something more. Everyone has birthdays but not everyone is my friend, Uche Ede.

Uche, you've reached the 50 milestone. 50 birthdays, that's a whole lot of living. Enough to establish the character of a man, to know who he is. And I've known you through about 30 of them.

Uche, you are unique. And today I'm gladly putting aside my grumbles about birthday speeches, balloons, presents and politics, to honor you.

But seriously folks, aside from his lamentable quirks of character Uche is a friend - a real one. He's there when you need him - offering practical advice on just about everything, from how to play with the big boys to how to meet personal tragedy with courage.

And Uche's not a mere theorist who has read the books. He is patient, very patient. He walks his talk and walks it tall. He is also a comedian with a great sense of humor as some of you who are his friends on Facebook and other social media sites will agree with me.

I know he's shy about having his good deeds displayed in public. A less kind person might say that's because if everybody knew just how helpful he could be, he'd be called upon all the time especially now that he's become the Mayor of Enugu South Local Government Council.

And that would mean no time for sharing some of those quality times and jokes with him online . But I know better. He's modest. However on this occasion I'm going to ignore his finer feelings.

This is a public celebration and Uche, you've been 'outed'.

I thought it would be great to list all the personal and lovable qualities we admire here. I asked around. I had a couple of offers. One from Sammie Echi Agbo who mentioned he is crazy about good governance like yourself. The other was from my son who said he'd be willing to take an official photographs with the Newest Mayor.

Neither was the type of thing I had in mind. So I was forced to think for myself.

Uche, you're a touchstone in my life. For the over 30 years we've known each other, as brothers, we've stood by each other through the good as well as difficult, challenging times.

I value your opinion. I value the way we can agree to disagree and still count each other as brothers, like most recently, and you know exactly what I mean. Yes you do, bro.

I admire your humor and humility. Then there's your persistence which some might call stubbornness. I could go on but because I want to preserve what's left of our brotherhood and myself, I won't.

They say, thoughts can't kill but the one you're giving me now as you read my write-up may spell my doom, but I give thanks to recent accomplishments in technology, where else and how else would I get to drop this on you without being there?

So before I'm forcibly shut-up, I'll do it myself.

In conclusion, Umu Okunano, please raise your glasses to Uche Ede, to friendship, to brotherhood and to birthdays. May you have many more."
- AV Coordinator