By Ozo Ginger Ibeneme II

On the 7th August 2021, a huge crowd gathered at Awgu for a political rally tagged Ifemelumma Enugu West Unity Rally. Before now, there had been several other rallies like Odinma Nsukka and Oganiru Enugu East.

These rallies have some things in common and are targeted at same purpose: a group of political jobbers are organizing and scheming to take over from the incumbent come 2023.

If you look at the pedigree of the propagators of this scheme, you would notice that some infamous Ebeano boys of 1999-2007 are hovering to take back the state. And they are applying the same tricks that worked for them in the past: propaganda, clannish sentiment, half-truths, outright lies, misinformation and glamorous campaigns – to hoodwink the people.

These goons are pushing the narrative that zoning has been entrenched into Enugu governorship politics; this is a half-truth in all ramifications. The truth is that whereas the three senatorial zones have had a stint to the seat, there was never a day that it was agreed in any forum whatsoever to apply zoning/rotation in the state.

For if zoning had been discussed, factors beyond mere senatorial zones (which were created just yesterday) would have been considered. For instance, it is well known that Oji River, Awgu and Aninri, which make up the old Awgu division are the minorities in the state and ironically, there has always been a plot to leave out the minority from the political equation of the state.

I have also seen a few documents about zoning. It is usually thorough and unambiguous. It details how the zoning would happen both in the index case and in the near future. It at times goes all the way down the line to describe how the zoning would affect especially minority interests in a particular zone. Where is the interest of greater Awgu in this purported zoning?

Beyond this obvious anomaly and continued marginalisation being pushed by some elements who are apparently prodded by their hate for one man – Senator Ike Ekweremadu (who is rumored to be interested in running and is from Greater Awgu) is the blatant distraction and wastefulness of this misplaced priority in the name of rallies.

As it were, and as at today the only state having rallies for 2023 general elections is Enugu State. In fact Anambra state that has elections in a couple of months have not had the number of rallies being held in Enugu State. The question is why? For what really? To what end?

It would not be wrong to conclude that desperate politicians are scrambling to dominate again. And they have chosen the infamous route of distracting the governor while at it.

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It is noteworthy that many of these men have been guests severally in the past to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over mismanagement of public funds. Yet they are regrouping to refill their leaking pockets once more.

The Enugu West rally was however not without drama. Senator Ben Collins Ndu set the stage by reading out a document, which he claimed was written and signed some time in 2013 where they agreed to zone the governorship sit to Nsukka in 2015.

Senator Ndu said that there was a purported understanding that after Nsukka, it would be Enugu East next. The implication is that their claims of zoning agreement since the return to democracy in 1999 never happened.

Recall that in 2015, a lot of intrigues occurred in Enugu Politics between the then governor Mr Sullivan Chime and Senator Ike Ekweremadu. I recall vividly a particular rally at Oji River where Sullivan boasted that he was going to retire Ekweremadu from politics. He asked Ekweremadu to come back home, and that governorship was going to Nsukka.

Eventually, Ikeoha completely outwitted Sullivan, taking over all state party structures and 100% delegates. Ike was coasting home to pocket all political tickets in the party. Sullivan, knowing that he didn’t have the political clout to make headway from another political platform, smartly capitulated.

A truce was called and Ike Ekweremadu allowed Sullivan to have his way, while he kept his senatorial seat. Not long after Chime finished his tenure, he quietly joined the APC and has been enjoying his retirement under the umbrella of the ruling party.

Where was zoning then? Ironically, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu (Omeiheukwu), one of the organisers in a popular interview few years ago reiterated the fact that there has never been any agreement on zoning in Enugu State and that if anything old Awgu Division has been perpetually short-changed in the state politics in terms of governorship position.

Now, come back to the blatant distraction of this exercise, which is alleged to be co-sponsored by one of the aspirants from Nkanu, a former Accountant-General of the State.

While I have a personal opinion that the sitting governor has done fairly well, I do not in any way support the idea of ceding the responsibility to singlehandedly pick his own successor. I am actually worried and, in fact, petrified of this ominous evolving political culture in my state.

For selfish reasons, I am not a “calm” person or one to be seen as “loyal” in the parlance here. So, I stand no chance of ever being “picked “ by a godfather. The political culture in Enugu has been one that truncates every kind of decency or even rationality in leadership recruitment.

From the ward up to the local government and state, politicians tend to handpick the most docile of their stooges to occupy and be promoted to political positions. This has greatly depleted the quality of youths groomed into serious offices and positions. The untoward effect of this devilish approach to power brokerage is obvious.

In my own assessment, the state government has made genuine efforts to empower the youths and provide opportunities. I would rather love to see campaigns of awareness to bring to the knowledge of Enugu West and Enugu Youths all the projects the government has developed to empower and improve their lives, rather than gather them in unproductive political rallies where half truths, lies, and crass indoctrination into primordial political culture are the sole agenda.

For instance, how aware are our people about the state government SME programs that provide apprenticeship training and start-up funding for Enugu Youths? How many Enugu West youths have benefitted from it? Of course, Ifemelumma organizers do not give a hoot about those.

It’s better to dress the youths in orange T-shirts to dance and clap in anticipation of their next round of looting. The state government has built a brand new College of Medicine and ESUT teaching hospital in Enugu North Senatorial Zone. Whither are we in the West? Which reference hospital is currently in operation in the entire Enugu West?

Civil Defense Training Center is located in Achi. How many of our people are being recruited into the program? How do our people benefit from employments into the Police College in Oji River, School of Health, Federal Cooperative College and other establishments in Enugu West?

How many rallies have we held to agitate for a better life for our teeming youths? Enugu state government recently began to roll out ICT hubs. Couldn’t our dear “stakeholders “ influence the siting of one hub in our zone to benefit our teaming youths?

It is obvious that these so-called stakeholders are into another round of selfish agenda, to position themselves for the take! No wonder Senator Hyde Onuaguluchi took the opportunity to take a swipe at all the pretenders at the said rally.

Odenigbo didn’t mince word in telling them that no matter how many times a lie is repeated, it could never turn into truth. And the truth remains that there has never been a time zoning was discussed in Enugu State to the extent of establishing it. There has never been any documents signed by the people to establish how to rotate governorship seat in Enugu State.

Personally, I do not like distributive democracy, which ensures the perpetuation of a political cartel, whose emergence has nothing to do with merit or manifesto, but the manipulation of a primitive political arrangement to favor established interests.

However, in a political atmosphere dominated by sub-intellectuals, if zoning is what works for the players, it is only fair that Old Awgu Division levels up with other zones in occupying the governorship sit of Enugu State for once. This to me is equity.

Ozo Ginger Ibeneme II (MBBS), Ozo Ikirikpom Inyikiriputu Na Achi, writes from the Rock Palace, Elugwu Akwu Achi

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