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For those still
trying to conjecture why the Special Adviser to the President on Power,
Barth Nnaji, is fast developing gray hairs, two reasons came from the
horse’s mouth at the weekend in Abuja: ‘suffering’ and his presidential
assignment.

Though Mr Nnaji,
who was responding to a toast to his achievements at a special dinner
organised in his honour by ‘Friends of Barth Nnaji’, did not expatiate
on what he meant, he, however, assured them of the present
administration’s commitment to deliver on its promise to give Nigerians
reliable electricity supply before long.

President of the
South-east and South-south Professionals, Emeka Ugbuoju, who said Mr
Nnaji was his former classmate back in St Patrick’s Secondary School,
Emene, Enugu State, had eulogised him for remaining a worthy ambassador
of his generation.

But Mr Nnaji told
his audience, including the Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Emmanuel
Egbogah; former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),
Paul Usoro, that he has been wondering why his former classmate (Mr
Ugbuojo) has managed to look fresh, while he is graying all over.

“Emeka Ugbuoju said
he used to sit next to me in school. But, look at my hair and look at
his,” he told guests, as he made gestures at the graying hairs on his
head.

“It is suffering
that brought these things. And then, the President decided to heap the
challenge of electricity industry on my head, and literarily said that
my neck is on the line here. So, he gave me more gray hairs.” Mr Nnaji,
who appeared overwhelmed by the gathering, thanked his friends for the
gesture. He described it as humbling, acknowledging that though he is a
people’s person, he always prefers celebrating others than being
celebrated.

The former
Chairman, Geometric Power, who was accompanied by his wife and son,
then declared to his audience: “What I can promise you is that the work
that the president is doing, we, the people in the trenches, who are
working with him, will do everything to deliver electricity for Nigeria
in a reliable way.”

Blazing trails

Don Adinuba of
Discovery International Communicators, who proposed the toast on behalf
of the group, described Mr Nnaji as one of the nicest human beings he
has ever come across.

“We are gathered to
celebrate a man who has risen to the top, but has not lost the common
touch; one who has broken all records and still remains very humble in
his modesty,” he declared, adding that Mr Nnaji has sponsored the
training of about 300 people from primary school to university level,
most of who are currently pursuing different professional careers both
within and outside the country.

Mr Adinuba
described Mr Nnaji’s academic accomplishments as exemplary, as he not
only became a professor before the age of 30, he also broke a 120 years
record in the history of St. John’s University, New York to emerge the
institution’s first black to be named its best graduating student in
1980.

Before presenting a
giant portrait of Mr Nnaji’s image, Barth Okonkwo recalled his tenure
as Chairman of the Nigerian Peoples Forum, an umbrella organisation of
Nigerians in the United States.

He said it was under his leadership that Nigerians, on behalf of the
whole Africa, made a bold statement in American politics, by donating
about $350,000 to Al Gore’s presidential campaign.