The Holy Book was emphatic in the Book of Matthew 5,Vs 9 when it declared that most blessed are the Peace Makers for they shall be called children of God. I’m not too certain if this Biblical injunctions have found home with so many people including our leaders who wore the toga of Christianity as would a farmer clutch his tool of business. But, this is exactly beside the point I am trying to make here.
Fact is that we all claim to know God (Christians and Muslims alike), yet our character and behavior as adherents of the two dominant religions are far removed from what God Almighty has ever demanded of us. When we preach and make peace with our neighbors in our environment and in our little way, we are ultimately gunning for the ultimate prize and that is to be truly recognized as God’s own children and to see God after our race here in His splendor. Peace has remained sine qua non to the growth and development of any society. Peace leverages the impact of good governance.
I make bold to assert that no individual especially aspiring leaders and those in the leadership position can claim to worth their calling if they treat the issues of peace and harmony in their domain with levity. One thing and which is very grave that the absence of peace in a community does is that anarchy will take over. No meaningful development will ever take root and every member of a disharmonious society will be suspicious of one another. Those who have mischievously mocked Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of handing over the affairs of Ndi Enugu to the hands of God must not have not really appreciated the enormous goodwill the scarce commodity called peace or the absence of it has brought to Ndi Enugu and the devastating consequences it had wrecked on other societies as well.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was determined from the beginning of his administration to enthrone peace as one of the cardinal plank of his government. Pockets of communal crisis and a fall out of long drawn festered feuds that defied even previous government’s intervention was gradually laid to rest following his masterstroke interventions in these communities.
The Oruku and Umuode communal crises readily comes to mind. A community at war with self and later claimed the life of her Traditional Ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Mba of blessed memory in a gruesome manner. Reported cases of other infractions in other communities came to the fore as well which necessitated the suspension or outright deposition of their traditional rulers found to have worked at cross-purposes with Ugwuanyi’s policy on peace entrenchment in Enugu communities. Governor Ugwuanyi was to show absolute astuteness and managerial capabilities in the handling of these and extant crisis to bring an enduring peace to those communities.
Today, another crisis is brewing in Ishi-Ozalla community where the community folks are protesting against the imposition of an unpopular person to head the kingdom seemingly by some ‘political cabals’.
It is quite unfortunate that some people in this 21st century have continued to harden their hearts to the Biblical injunctions to make peace in the land as true children of God. By scheming surreptitiously to impose a citizen not acceptable to the generality of the community of Ishi-Ozalla to be their traditional ruler by persons identified as political cabals is to say the least the height of irresponsibility by these individuals. It is imperative to note that these individuals may have equally overreached themselves in Ugwuanyi’s Enugu which has zero tolerance to political brigandage in whatever color or form. Taking to holiganism in the name of installing an unpopular candidate when an already acceptable candidate has been chosen is like hitting a sand filled tipper with bare hands when the Duke of peace is on the throne. It is heart warming that governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has already waded into this matter and these “political cabals” would soon realize that they have embarked in an ignominious journey where Ugwuanyi is involved.
Another important virtue of a good leader is the act of listening. It is on record that governor Ugwuanyi is not only accessible to the governed irrespective of cultural or political affiliations but has never failed to give a listening ear to wide spectrum of Ndi Enugu with diverse issues of concern. To get the Igweship tussle arrested without having to wait until blood is drawn, the governor after listening to the complaints of the concerned indigenes of Ishi-Ozalla have already directed the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Charles Egumgbe to take all necessary steps to address the seeming injustice being perpetrated by agents of disharmony in the community and ensure that justice and peace reigns supreme in the agrarian community located in Nkanu West Local Government Area.
While it is highly desired to commend Governor Ugwuanyi for being alive to his responsibilities as a leader and for his prompt response to the plights of Ndi Ishi-Ozalla, it is also important to appeal to the identified political juggernaut whose actions in cahoot with other likeminded citizens of Ishi-Ozalla to thread softly to usher in the desired peace in the area. Certainly, their actions do not portray the administration of governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in good light neither does the same _*gra-gra*_ to impose unpopular candidate as Igwe of the community define who Ugwuanyi is. It is important to buttress this point by asserting that Ugwuanyi has always allowed the will of the people to prevail especially with regard to the selection of the representative of the people. The last local government election in Enugu State down to the party primaries which threw up the choices of the people is a case in point. In every way of the recent exercises, governor Ugwuanyi stood like a father figure to counsel, supervise and to ensure that the will of the people takes preeminence above sectional or selective interest of the few.
It may be important at this juncture to warn future would be mischief makers that even though the tenure of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi might be ending in June 2023, his legacies of peace and zero tolerance to political _*gra-gra*_ will never end with him. Whoever will step into his big shoes cannot afford to fail Ndi Enugu in that regard. Hopefully, the PDP torch bearer in the scheduled gubernatorial election, Barrister Peter Ndubuisi Mbah might just fit the bill to the glory of God Almighty, Amen.
May Enugu state remain in the hands of God and forever, Amen…
Bibian Anekwe News added: “The best leaders have a high consideration factor. They really care about their people”
© Austin Okechukwu Chijioke.
Public Affairs Commentator,
Media Team Lead for ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT.
www.bibiananekwe.com
