Steadily, the clouds are coming up in the sky. Politicians are either up or down in their trenches digging and hewing up tree stumps that seem to stand in their way to their next political victory. Not that the ever clever politicians have ever had a dull moment in their line of duty. A professional politician know that the best and next move he or she will ever have to make in their political conquest is now and not later. Permutations, alliance, alignment and realignment have always been their garb. As they say, in politics there are no permanent enemies, only interests.
The jostle to occupy sensitive political positions across the nation come 2023 have picked up almost reaching a crescendo. Enugu state being a microcosm of the larger political space have continued to witness these political gladiators with fever pitch innuendos. Quoting copiously from the revered classics of William Shakespeare the TEMPEST, Prof. Ujam of dept. of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka noted and rightly so that “the political hell is empty and all the devils are here”.
At the centre of the political gimmick holding out in Enugu state currently is the debate about who the cap fits as the head of government come 2023 after Gburu-Gburu have served out his second and final term in office and which among the three political zones should replace the incumbent Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in the Lion Building.
Understandably, an attempt and need to eschew rancour and ensure orderliness in leadership selection process in Enugu state noted Prof. Ujam occasioned by the sordid experience that trailed the National Republican Convention governorship primary between Elder Joe Nwodo and Rev. Hyde Onuaguluchi before the current Republic has sent the founding fathers of Enugu state scampering for their thinking cap to formulate measures to ensure lasting peace in the political manoeuvres involving politicians angling for elective positions.
To the glory of God, this largely unwritten convention of alternating head of government of Enugu state among the three senatorial zones have largely achieved the political stability which it sought to emplace in Enugu state.
Although the political contest which threw up His Excellency, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani in 1999 was an open contest of political gladiators of Enugu state origin, leaders of thought later settled for rotational governorship amongst the three main senatorial zones which make up Enugu. Enugu East from where Dr. Chima came from served 8 years, before power shifted base to the people of Enugu West, where Barr. Sullivan Chime held sway for another 8 years. Now the people of Enugu North is enjoying their turn which will come to an end by the grace of God in 2023. Then the debate is who takes or more preferably who starts the next turn?
Avante lovers of peace in the state have maintained that it is only natural to continue with the clockwise rotational formula than turning anti clockwise or putting spanners in the wheel of progress and successes gained with this gentleman agreement. However, the political elites especially those who their minds are made up on quick political gains rather than on a sustainable model that ensures equity, fairness and win win situation are unwavering in their desire to truncate the peace of Ndi Enugu made possible by our loving founding fathers and sustained through the years by the successive governments and even made more remarkable by the astuteness of the present Governor, Rt. Hon Ifeanyichukwu Ugwuanyi.
Only recently, the Ebeano political family under the headship of the former Governor, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani stormed the seat of the government of Enugu state to pledge his loyalty to the sitting Governor as the leader of the PDP which he belongs to and a father of the state by virtue of his position as Governor. During the visit, Dr. Chima Nnamani made it pointedly clear to Gburu-Gburu that as a trust worthy leader that he is, the entire party faithfuls are willing and ready to follow him “wherever he goes… Are ready to abide by whatever decision he takes concerning one who will succeed him… Would be everly ready to support his discretion on the distribution of political offices based on existing political arrangements in the state”. It is important to reiterate here that all these might not have been borne out of sheer political gimmickry, but a sincere move to entrench peace and harmony and ideally send political upheavals, thuggery and brigandage to the dustbin of history in Enugu state.
Interestingly, political watchers have been bemused about how another curious dimension on the issue of rotation have been introduced. The debate is no longer on which among the 3 senatorial zones should produce a replacement of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi but has shifted to the cultural zones something akin to clannish disposition. There is even a clamour coming from the greater Awgu in Agwu local government area to have a go at the Lion Building because it feels marginalized in the scheme of things and wants its zone to be patterned as the “4th zone” based on the old order that made it part of the 3 districts of Enugu state. This emerging scenario though not entirely bad on its own, after all humans are entitled to pursue aspirations and goals but that should not be at the expense of the general good. The present rotational arrangements should no longer be interrogated but allowed to sail continously in the interest of peace in Enugu state. Lending his voice to the course of clockwise rotation, a former National Auditor of PDP, Chief Ray Nnaji was quoted by a national daily to admonish those who are insisting on interrogating the present rotational formula.
“You don’t move anti-clockwise when a circle has gone round. Things are not done that way” .
Political watchers are quick to point to the political gladiators priming to the extreme to have Governor Ugwuanyi endorse a candidate from Isiuzo Fed. Constituency which has a combination of Nkanu and Nsukka cultural domain for the office of the Governor for same vested interests. Professor Ujam was quick to remind the schemers of this episode that though interests counts in politics, yet it has never been able to satisfy a wide spectrum of gap in socio-political configurations. “What the promoters of an Isiuzo governorship slot failed to reckon with, continued Prof. Ujam… is that even within the core Nkanu area, areas like Nkanu East and other border towns have not occupied seats of governance” . Prof. Ujam concluded by throwing this subtle warning… “democracy is a game of numbers. It is not in doubt which area presents the bulk of Enugu East electorate and political actors. Any attempt therefore, to micro zone to Isi-Uzo within the Enugu East Senatorial District would be an invitation to the climate of confusion and mutual suspicion that zoning in Enugu state sought to obliterate”.
In the light of the above, it is hoped that the spotless white caftaned Governor of Enugu state, Rt. Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi under whose jaw these schemings are playing out will rise to the occasion in concert with other peace lovers to continue to make our state a haven of peace, love, harmony and growth. Our prayers is for enabling and sufficient grace of God to abound to enable the emergence of a good replacement of Governor Ugwuanyi come 2023 under a rancour free political climate. So shall it in Jesus name Amen…
BIBIAN ANEKWE NEWS ADDED ” TO HANDLE YOURSELF, USE YOUR HEAD, TO HANDLE OTHERS, USE YOUR HEART. HIS EXCELLENCY GOV IFEANYI UGWUANYI (MR FULFILMENT ) THANKS FOR YOUR HEART OF GOLD UPON NDI ENUGU
Enugu state will forever remain in the hands of God. Iseee!
©Austin Okechukwu Chijioke
An Abuja based Public Relations Practitioner and member of Enugu di n’aka Chukwu movement.
