A PROPHET people say, is often times without honour in his home town. But it does appear that this timeless adage was discountenanced February. It was at the convocation ceremony of University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN when Dr. Sam Egwu, the governor of Ebonyi State, and an alumnus of that unique citadel, was honoured with a doctorate degree (honoris causa) in social science.

Surely, only a few prophets are with honour in their home town. In this special class and among this distinguished breed is the governor of Ebonyi State. It is certainly not surprise that Egwu is being recognized by his own university. For whilst in the university community, he distinguished himself. He bagged all his major degrees - bachelor's, master's and doctorate - from the UNN.

Upon entering into the wider world from the microcosm that was the university community, the governor kept the flag flying. He shone like a star. He went into the outside world with all the knowledge, discipline and orientation garnered at UNN. Indeed, a father knows his son too well. UNN followed his steady rise to stardom. From a career as an academia to a commissioner and now a governor, Egwu has never wavered in his determination to make his environment better than he found it.

Any wonder, then, that since his assumption of office in Ebonyi State, Egwu's performance has attracted accolades for him from far and wide. He was honoured by West African students in far away Ghana. He was voted the golden governor of the South east. In all assessments of the performance of governors in Nigeria, Egwu's government has been hailed.

These signpost an appreciation of the good work which the governor is doing in Ebonyi State. The transformation of the state and the giant strides by the government have combined to make Ebonyi State a household name in Nigeria. It has also placed the state in the world map and positioned it appropriately in the comity of Nigerian states.

A visit to the state conveys the feeling of a new and wholesome dawn in that state. To prepare the ground for a revolution in Ebonyi State, Egwu announced a policy of free education. Hitherto, young Ebonyians were out of school. They settled for employment as artisans, motorcyclists, masons and the like. The administration reversed the ugly trend as education is now a major industry in Ebonyi State. Young Ebonyians have now returned to school. The essence of education in any society in search of a positive way forward can scarcely be overemphasized.

Education edifies the mind and the soul. It is the driving engine for socio-economic progress. An illiterate society is a society drowned. This explains the rationale for the pragmatic approach of the Egwu administration to issues verging on education. With the current trend in Ebonyi State and the enthusiasm with which the citizenry have responded to the call for a return of all young people to school, it is a matter of time before Ehonyi State overtakes her rivals in education.

The state enjoys absolute peace and stability. This is a vital factor for development. It is also an ingredient for investment. With this enabling environment in place, the sky appears to be the limit for the state. There is absolute calm in the state because the government accommodates all tendencies and shades of opinion.

There are also non-Ebonyian contractors contributing their quota in various ways to push the state forward. In the area of road construction and maintenance, the Egwu administration report is excellent. Many roads have been built in both the urban centres and the rural areas. Electrification projects are going on all over the state.

Many towns have been connected to the national grid. Rural electrification projects are on-going throughout the state. Hitherto, the rural communities in the state did not enjoy electricity supply.

Ebonyi State has always been the food basket of the South east. Egwu has done much to step up efforts in agriculture. Seedlings are made available to farmers. Fertilizers are distributed ex-gratia or at unbelievably subsidized rates. Many farms are being established all over the state. It is only in Ebonyi State that viewers watch different international television stations without paying a kobo through the establishment of a cable television in Abakaliki by the governor.

Egwu's government has impacted positively on the lives of Ebonyians and Nigerians at large. This award by UNN, in addition to the recent fellowship bestowed on Egwu by the Federal Polytechnic, Oko alongside the former vice-president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, is a clear testimony to the fact that education is the citadel for the restoration of the dignity of man and human development/consciousness.

On this occasion of the conferment of the doctorate degree on the governor, it is hoped that the honour will re-energize him to continue the good work.

Okpala is a political analyst.