By Prince Ejeh Josh
The political coast is crystalizing towards a predictable outcome from the pulse of the good people of Enugu state. The pendulum of who succeeds Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, generally adjudged one of the “Most Peaceful Governor” of all time, is swinging towards a direction of equity, justice, fairness and competence. Of course, such direction is readily decipherable even to the passive political watchers. The testamentary dispositions of the general public, through recently unfolding developments and movements, have found express favour in Nkanu East local government area.
Governor Ugwuanyi’s understanding and appreciation of the tripartite norm—equity, justice and fairness—which could be described as the wheels and cardinal pillars on which every progressive democratic society is built has berthed in Nkanu East from the serrate wings that made up Enugu East Senatorial District. In the ordinary course of events, natural justice, which is immutable, is taking its place in the political cycle of Enugu state.
With the founding fathers of Enugu state, including immediate and past governors, senators, ambassadors, ministers, etcetera , deferring what some inconsequential opinion might think of them, and boldly affirming the long established principle of power distribution, otherwise called, zoning, many of them have thrown their weight behind Nkanu East gubernatorial aspiration not because of their love or any special relationship with the people of the council area, but principally motivated by factors such as equity, justice, fairness and competence.
The people of Nkanu East have not been laying claim to the exalted seat of the state as their birthright, rather they strongly believe that there are six local government areas in Enugu East Senatorial Zone’s formation with each local government area having equal right to pursue their cause. Understanding this in clear terms; the accompanying troubled waters and the storms that must be scaled through to ride to the Lion Building, the people of Nkanu East, through different fora, platforms, and establishments, decided to hit the ground running by embarking on vigorous, virile, massive and formidable political consultations to woo members of the public, regardless of party affiliations or ideological leanings, to reason with the people of the local government and earn their support.
In doing this, the people of the council area have left no stone unturned. However, their movements have been ones dictated by decency, conscience, probity, accountability and sincerity of purpose. Fundamental of them all is, respect for other people’s aspiration. Nkanu East is sensitive to the delusional phobia some elements are entertaining about their movements; as such, the leadership of these groups have factored everything into consideration by adroitly defining their modalities or modus operandi such that no section, no matter how highly or lowly placed would feel threatened. This philosophy has driven the people of Nkanu East to imbibe the ecumenical framework of his Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, in their approaches to issues.
It’s, however, saddening, that some people who have been indolently slumbering on the oaks of self-indulgence and insatiable appetite for power would, all of a sudden, be awoken to fan the embers of schism, with irritably wails of oppression instead of working towards their goal, if any. Interestingly, in their propensity for bantering, vituperation and polemic ranting against people innocently minding their business, they forgot that nobody had ever won election on social media, or through carrying of placards or through a 100-kilometers-billboards advertisements. Elections, in every democratic clime, are won through fieldworks—consultations, lobbying, dialogue, handshakes, intellectual negotiations, socio-political movements, etc. And that’s exactly what the Nkanu East people have been doing. They’re touring the nook and cranny of the state, presenting meaningful arguments, evidence-based blueprints for the state, and fundamental assurance that the people of Nkanu East have ably qualified and competent-driven figures with 21st modern economic exposure who could trigger the wave of the much touted fourth industrial revolution in the state without depending on mono carbon as primary source of income.
Today, the world; advanced countries and economies, are speedily moving away from a system of economy driven by raw materials, to one driven by technology, services and information. Look at Nkanu East local government area, and one will observe repletion of people with such intellectual dexterity and technical-know-how that can inspire a rapid transformation of the local economy and place Enugu state on the map. After all, 50 years ago, Dubai was a wasteland. A desert that nobody had envisaged an oasis of hope. But with the right brains who understood what to do to harness the vast potential, Dubai escaped the trap of poverty, desert, curse, hunger, and dystopia, to a shining city on a shinning hill. Dubai is an Emirate in the United Arab Emirates. This can be replicated in Enugu state with the right minds. The late Dr. Michael Okpara and his team, understanding where the world was headed in the First Republic, isolated the old Eastern Region of Nigeria through their standard, visionary driven blueprints, and in a matter of years, the Eastern Region became the fastest growing economy in the world.
For the people of Nkanu East, it’s time for a destructive change that would alter the status quo in Nigeria. Governor Ugwuanyi had already laid the economic foundation, and there’s a strong need for harmonization and continuity of his good governance. The people of Nkanu East are poised to continue with this laudable establishment. Development will be enabled such that the state will be integrated for a thriving economic atmosphere.
Having presented this roadmap for the future of Enugu state, people have started keying into the Nkanu East Project for Lion Building come 2023. Governor Ugwuanyi has simplified leadership, and if the mandate is given to Nkanu East, such simplification will be to consolidate and further push to achieve economic self-sufficiency. It’s not surprising that every stakeholder, aside few clannish elements, is chorusing Nkanu East for the top job in the state.
It’s amusing how some friends have been laying claim to the Lion Building as their birthright in 2023. They’re set out to sandbag the governor, through deliberate design to blackmail the him into conceding power to them. Governor Ugwuanyi, as a man of wisdom, equity, justice and fairness, who also derives satisfaction in competence, will resist the pressure and attempted arm-twisting, and yield to conscience, reality, and judicious judgment of who will give the state a continuous new lease of life. Accidental candidates, driven by godfatherism and clannish sympathy will never find place in Enugu state again. It’s going to be glorification of competence over clannishness. Glorification of political will to drive a fourth industrial revolution over parochial interests. It’s definitely going to be the welfare of the people of the state over swings of emotion. In Nkanu East, just like the people of the state have been yearning; equity, justice, fairness and competence will be the cardinal points that will serve as the tool.
