Dr Godwin Maduka @61: A man ahead of his time – – Birthdays are not just about counting years. They are more about the life in the years, the courage, the compassion, the vision and the goals one brings to life.

For Dr Maduka, it’s been a life full of feats, innovations and professional high climbing. It has also been a life that can be measured in its donation, for what is humanity without compassion. It’s been a life dedicated to transformation of other lives, building foundations for future generations and making the world a better place for the entire human race.

Dr Maduka grew up in a rustic village of Umuchukwu. His parents instilled in him strong moral bearing and the art of compassion. With these ethos, he traveled to the United States to improve himself academically, add flair to the profession of his father which borders on saving lives, and make his contribution to human civilization.

His academic success was massive as he immersed himself in hardwork, dedication, focus and stoic discipline.

His foray into the medical practice is a litany of success. Dr Maduka isn’t just a medical doctor. He is one of the best in his field of pain management all over the world. That is the trait of someone who is allergic to mediocrity. What is life if it cannot be lived to the fullest? What is the essence of shooting if we cannot shoot for the moon? It is his abiding philosophy, his vade mecum, to be the best, and by so doing, inspire others to believe that they too can raise their hands and touch the sky. He is the sort who can awaken the gods and challenge the devil to contest his vision. To him, impossible is nothing. And so, just like the Biblical Joseph, he became super successful in a foreign land.

For a man of compassion who understands that humanity is tied in one single garment of destiny, he was angry at the pitiable state of things in his village of Umuchukwu. And so he set out to transform his place and put it on the global map. No town in Anambra State has seen the type of tremendous upliftment Umuchukwu has seen, and the fact that it was all wrought by a single individual from his personal resources makes his stories seem like fable. Alas, it is real.

Dr Maduka bore in his mind and person the storm and stress concomitant to issues in his town. He was restless with ambitions for Umuchukwu. His world class hospital located in his town is a testament to the audacity of hope. His human capacity drive is unparalleled in the history of Anambra State. The infrastructural developments engineered and funded by him are the stuff of Legends.

For Dr Maduka, the reward for hardwork is more work. He is riled up in his spirit due to the state of hopelessness that pervades the atmosphere in his beloved Anambra. It is not enough to play global when your local base is not worthy of the name. Anambra should be the light of the Nation. It isn’t just a slogan. It should be a way of life, and Dr Maduka, having shown capacity in his hometown with his personal resources, stands the best chance to replicate the Umuchukwu miracle across the length and breadth of Anambra State. The time is now. History beckons. Ndi Anambra should harken to it.