That the governor of Enugu state, Rt. Honorable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has demonstrated an uncommon courage to institutionalize and entrench peace in Enugu state remains an incontrovertible fact even among political foes. An embodiment of confidence and peace builder par excellence, governor Ugwuanyi dared to be different to preach the true gospel of love, peace and harmony among the component communities in Enugu state. Perhaps, it is in the realization of the far reaching impacts of peace in his avowed developmental trajectories that formed his unrepentant stance in peace building efforts across the state. And just perhaps too, the realization that no genuine government efforts will make any meaningful impact on the lives of the citizens where rancor, crises and disharmony exists. Peace therefore remains a sine qua non to the progress and genuine development of any society.
It is in view of the foregoing that all advocates of peace particularly in our state will continue to applaud and support Ugwuanyi’s trajectories in the area of peace. The state was actually jolted with a sad news which emanated from an agrarian community of Oruku in the Nkanu East council area which culminated in the hacking to death by the agents of disharmony of the late traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Emmanuel Chidiebele Mba while he was addressing a town hall meeting of his community in late December 2020. It was indeed a particular dastardly act too many. While it cast a slur on the repeated efforts of the successive governments before Ugwuanyi to bring permanent solution to the intractable fatricidal war of ego as it were, it took the Oruku community further years back as the loss of a community leader or any human life for that matter cannot be quantified and further dampened the moral of lovers of peace anywhere in the world.
But governor Ugwuanyi quickly took the bull by the horn as a courageous leader that he is to institute a high powered commission of enquiry to look into the remote and immediate circumstances of the communal conflict and make recommendations thereof and headed by the noble jurist Harold Eya. Although I have earlier commented on this peace efforts in Oruku while admonishing the Panel set up by the government to write their name on gold by taking the task before them seriously and justify the confidence reposed on them by the government of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. I have actually reminded the Commission to be thorough in the assignment, as several past efforts in this regard have yielded little fruits otherwise the crisis would have abated.
It was heart warming therefore to hear in the news on the 13th of April 2021, that the same Commission of enquiry set up by Gov. Ugwuanyi submitted its findings and recommendations in a record time to the state government. While receiving the report, Governor Ugwuanyi was reportedly quoted as assuring of his government’s commitment to diligently study the entire report and expeditiously implement the far reaching recommendations of the Panel while he urged the people of Oruku Community to stay the course of peace, which his administration has striven to entrench and nurture in the state. This is the height of sensitivity of a noble leader who sleeps peace, drinks peace and thinks peace for Ndi Enugu. We commend Justice Eya and his team for listening to good counsel and carrying out a thorough job while we trust our peaceful governor to make good his promise.
Blessed are indeed the peace makers for they shall be addressed as the children of God (Mat 5:9). We move!
Written by
Austin Okechukwu Chijioke.
Public Affairs Commentator
Media team member of Enugu di n’akachukwu movement.
