Ebere Uzoukwa
The expectations of many that attended the Adaelu reconvened Ukwa La Ngwa meeting on January 2 were somewhat dashed. Beside the voice votes affirming the retention of the Governorship of Abia State after Dr. Ikpeazu’s 8 years in 2023, no other meaningful discourse was advanced. How the political feet of retaing the Governorship in Ukwa La Ngwa will be achieved was neither dissected.
This, however, tends to validates the notion that the era of hijacking the emotions of the people is gradually giving way for peoples driven democracy. Speakers at the meeting were careful in their words apparently perceiving the dissonnance and mood of the audience.
The Governorship of Abia State has rotated along the three Senatorial Districts and on the basis of two terms of 8 years. While ex-Governor Orji Uzor Kalu guided the shift from Abia North to Abia Central with his former Chief of State and presently the Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District, Sen. Theodore Ahamefule Orji as the beneficiary, the Ibeku-Umuahia-North born civil servant turned politician completed the relay by handing over the baton to the incumbent, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia South Senatorial District. Dr. Ikpeazu was the choice of Sen. T. A Orji and his family.
Suffice it to say that these guided transitions of gubernatorial slot have neither depended democracy nor advanced development in Abia. The ‘God’s Own State’ has since 1999 remained stagnant in terms of development. The people have suffered the agony of hardship arising from bad governance while the political elites who are often conscripted into the conspiracy of “Nnyere Nnyere Ochichi” will always maintained an undignified silence over the administrative malfeasance the has dragged Abia backwards in all ramifications. To them, what matters most is their monthly “alerts” from Government House.
However, the critical question many Abians are beginning to ask is “Is this “Nnyere Nnyere Ochichi” still sustainable”? Will Abians allow Dr. Ikpeazu to impose the next Governor come 2023 just as Sen. T. A Orji imposed him? Do Abians need another ‘Ukwa La Ngwa’ Governor or a Governor of Abia State with capacity and competence to do the job? What is the place of “zoning” in the process of electing a competent Governor in 2023?
This renewed “Ukwa La Ngwa struggle” as events and developments have indicated is nothing but another form of deceit being perfected by some desperate politicians. It is a ploy selfishly designed to deceive the people and obviously ride on provoked sentiments and emotions to grab power.
Rather than advance the cause of development and good governance, the infusion of ethnicity and clannishness in the body of Abia politics has dangerously promoted mediocrity and poor performance. Little wonder Abia has suddenly become a theatre of comedy in recent times.
It is a common stance that 2023 should mark a turning point in the history of Abia State. The era of “Nnyere Nnyere Ochichi should be erased in the history of Abia after Dr. Ikpeazu and his administration. What should be uppermost in the minds of Ndi Abia is a retrieval and repositioning of the God’s Own State through collective efforts and using all instruments of democracy.
Achieving a “New Abia” anchored on meritocracy is possible if Abians reset their mindset ahead of 2023. This is the reason the writer of the article upholds that the three senatorial zones in Abia are fundamentally eligible to contest the 2023 Governorship. This is also the reason this writer declined to criticise the Governorship ambition of Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe. It is unarguably within the boundaries of his fundamental rights to aspire for the Office of the Governor of Abia State anytime he wishes. That the outgoing Governor is his Obingwa kinsman cannot in any manner neutralise his democratic rights.
Instead, Abaribe’s aspiration should be consciously scrutinised and placed side-by-side with his performance as Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District since 2007. What is scorecard? Does his performance as a Senator justify his renewed and 2023 gubernatorial ambition? Are there indications that he can change the face of Abia? Is he the right person for the job especially now that Abia has been reduced to nothing? Is he contesting the Governorship to feather his political nest and advance his personal interest? Is he a liability or asset to his party? Is his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, comfortable handing over her gubernatorial ticket to an Obingwa man after Dr. Ikpeazu? These and several other questions should dominate the thinking of Ndi Abia as well as the PDP and their answers should as well determine Abaribe’s fate at the appropriate time.
It is unfortunate that merit and competence have never been considered in the entire process that threw up Governors of Abia State since 1999. This is majorly why 2023 should be approached differently if the State is to be recovered.
The political parties are also culpable. It is ideologically within the powers of the political parties to encourage and support competent aspirants with capacity to deliver. The electorate will only chose from the candidates presented by the political parties hence there is no provision for independent candidacy. Abia, as a matter of fact, needs a Governor that will dismantle the present system and do things differently for a better result. That man or woman could emerge from Abia South, Central or North. It should be a candidate with a detailed plan on how the job will be done. This, therefore suggests preparedness, knowledge and understanding of the peculiarities of the challenges hindering development in the State. Sentiment, ethnicity and clannishness should be jettisoned completely to pave way for competence and capacity.
Furthermore, the issue of Charter of Equity should not be discussed or entertained in Abia political discourse. The said document has neither solved any political problem nor advanced the cause unity, progress and development. Many Abians believe strongly that the Charter of Equity lacks legal backing, remains unimplementable in a democrat setting as such cancels itself.
On a final note, this topic will not be effectively concluded without offering some words of advice. And this begins with Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the exiting Governor for some obvious reasons.
Your Excellency Sir, the tradition of foisting a successor is not part of the new order Abians yearn for in 2023. Such undemocratic application of incumbency powers has proven to be primitive, injurious and toxic to the State and her people. That you maintained and played along with your benefactors do not suggest that whoever you may succeed in imposing as your successor will do same. You may through this uncivilized political tradition negotiate your way to endless troubles and disaster including becoming a regular guest to EFCC as your imposed successor may turn against you. Give this a thought and allow those aspiring and perching around to succeed you to competitively emerge under merit and acceptability within the confines of the guidelines of your party. Other competing political parties should equally scrutinise and present quality candidates.
The people of Ukwa La Ngwa going forward should begin to think more as Ndi Abia. Though it is permissible to champion an ethic agenda even in a political environment, the issue of 2023 as it concerns the Governorship of Abia State should be considered a collective project that should be anchored on merit and competence. Clannishness should not play any role in electing the next Governor of Abia State. Any candidate with the right credentials and background should be elected no matter where he/she comes from. The issue of zoning should be erased in the mindset of Abia electorate if the right leadership must be entrenched in 2023. Achieving a better Abia is possible if Abians come together.
Thanks for reading.
Ebere Uzoukwa is a Political Activist & Media Practitioner. He Writes From Obingwa.
