In poignancy of truth, though may be betrayed by dint of fate, states like Imo State will preserver in bleeding profusely from injuries of political violence a corollary of missteps of political actors whose allure for selfish gains tipped them over to avaricious preoccupation. A deluge of conjectures and political razzmatazz doing the rounds in several media handles just to hoodwink the reading public about the astronomical spate of brigandage, vendetta amidst other unprintable inhuman acts happily perpetrated in today’s Imo State are in the least helpful to salvage their cascading woes. Until they thread the patriotic paths to come clean on factors, the mismanagement or in the extreme careless disregard plunged the state into its current wave of nightmares, the horizon is still bleak for them.
Certainly, no one denies the universal guiding efficacy of our constitutional precepts as to the demands of clutching public offices particularly the coveted seat of the chief executive of a state. Nevertheless, in a peculiar political climate like ours where personal aggrandizement and ethnic sentiments reign supreme, both state actors and non-state actors and the greater populace have over the years dismounted from the high horse of greed to strike a balance between constitutional democracy and unwritten collective will of the people. The apostles of constitutionalism need no tutorial that it has not worked out as appealing as it portends, given that people who by providence seize power resist all legitimate means to relinquish same. A wielder of power appreciates best what relishes it bear to him and his beloved enclave if at all there would be selfless need to think home. The way out from this democratic fiction and subtle deprivation of others the chances to sniff corridors of administration is rotational government, call it zoning formula. Imo state failed to adhere to this rule, thus her present downthrow.
Enugu State can not gamble on such trickery fault lines.
Down the years, as far back as 1999, the dawn of democracy in the Nigerian checkered history after lengthy years of jackboots interruption of civilian existence. In Enugu State, Enugu East Senatorial Zone let go of her great son, the current serving Sen.Chimaroke Nnamani to the use of Ndi Enugu. By no mean definition, Chima while in office demonstrated exuberance in the service of State and at the twilight of his bearing on power the visionary statesman had recourse to unimpeachable reasoning, qualified by broad principles of equity, fairness an sense of belongingness. Thus, came the birth of power rotation in our brand of democractic dispensation. When the clock beeped time up for, Sen. Chimaroke, scout for his successor beamed torchlight thoroughly in Enugu West Senatorial Zone that saw in office the Udi born scribe and politician, His. Excellency Sullivan Chime.
The Udi man of law held sway in the affairs of the state from 2007-2015 wherein he wrought administrative breakthroughs and developmental heights across borderlines.
Of a truth, is that the rotational culture had conferred upon the incumbent another discretionary lien of raising the hands of his successor exercised in the advantage of the masses. Chimaroke established the precedent and so did his disciple of peace and sportsmanship, Gov. Sullivan Chime followed suit. So why the fuss?
Who is playing the ostrich?
In the early month of May 2015, when the bell echoed for non tinkering with the now inflexibly rooted unwritten precedent for transfer of baton of steering the state’s wheel, the undaunted Sullivan Chime vomited a trusted fellow of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi stock to pick the gauntlet from where the former had dropped it. Gov. Ugwuanyi is holding the billboard of Enugu North Senatorial Zone.
In passing, let’s quickly recap the uncommon serenity that trailed the goodly concession made by these proud sons of Enugu State who had coercive machinery of the state to enforce their backdoor perennial hold unto state lever as customary of other components states nay African man perception of public mandate. No, they altruistically detoured. Criminalities of all species were extinguished, including electoral fight to finish,the ruthless game of who will outfox, out-malpractice and in the sordid occasions outguns one another.
Gov. Ugwuanyi in office for barely six years has also inflicted, kept inflicting in more ways than one wonders virtually in every sector of Enugu State economic fate. Like an octopus, his case is a pragmatic engagement head-on with all deficiencies assailing the state. Ugwuanyi has resolved very many what seemed intractable economic and political ills.
In the area of security, Gov. Ugwuanyi has dunk the ball more than a touchdown and still counting, the gains are better imagined than arithmetically dialogued. A market news now suffocating public space is how Enugu State has morphed into haven for all comers dangerous(neutralized upon setting foot on Enugu soil) and harmless. Ugwuanyi denounced jet life for people oriented policies unlike anti-people socio-economic ambivalence other states foist on her citizens. Ugwuanyi expresses his malcontent with the status of the dregs in words and in his actions.
So, what brought peace and tranquility to the people is ZONING FORMULA, nothing but zoning equidistribution. So why the bedlam?
We should avoid lacerating our sore point and thereafter cry woes of attendant mistrust and betrayal for definitely people left with no choice would seek window to vent their distraught for perilous trajectory we drive ourselves into. George Berkeley, the inimitable philosopher and Bishop rightly enthused, ” We kick up dust then complain we cannot see”.
The good old prelate no doubt without pay had lent his invaluable cautionary wisdom to our use. It takes extraordinary men of wise counsel to heed this moral raticionation and cancel primitivism. The raging debate to capsize vessel of zoning through the binocular of skewed construction of constitutional tenets in a bid to gratify individuality is a road we can’t afford to ply.
Going by constitutional etiquette, Gov. Ugwuanyi will in no far away time bid farewell to Enugu coveted seat, however he reserves a primary duty to fetch a successor in his stead. So, why the intimidation?
Gburugburu we know is a “movement” and “Character” never a mere sobriquet nor moniker. He is more than intrepidly possessed to cave in to diatribes and propaganda originating from distressed principalities. Enugu people have not only pledged their loyalty to the Governor but also total acceptance and support for his choice of successor, which by equitable dictates should stem from Enugu East Senatorial Zone from whence wave began.
Written by
Mrs. Bibian Anekwe
SSA to the Governor of Enugu State on Mobilization and Empowerment
The Director General ( ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT
