Chief Sylvanus Ohaemesi in this interview told Adetutu Audu that zoning will engender peace in Anambra and other states in Nigeria.
A group, Anambra North Unity Forum (ANUF), is currently working hard to ensure that Anambra North Senatorial Zone retains power come 2017 gubernatorial election in the state. The chairman of the group, Chief Sylvanus Ohaemesi (Ochudo), told The Nation that the mandate currently enjoyed by Governor Willie Obiano belongs to the people of the area and why the group is prepared to work round the clock to ensure that Anambra North Senatorial Zone take the second tenure.
Maintaining that zoning is not a means of enthroning mediocrity and therefore should not be done away with, he said, “those saying that zoning will enthrone mediocrity should bear in mind that problems in the country today and within some states arose as a result of people feeling alienated. In dealing with problems, one must device workable solutions. There is no way you get to any of the three senatorial zones, each of which have seven local government areas, without finding a very qualified and competent material for governorship position of the state, and there is no way the rotation arrangement would hamper on quality service delivery.
“This arrangement of zoning to engender peace has worked in other states, and people of like minds in the state, business people, politicians, and elders who are politically experienced evolved this idea with the aim of reducing tension associated with election processes. You can see the communiqué of the traditional rulers of Anambra State, who in their own wisdom came together to state that the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obiano, should be given a second tenure, and in particular the traditional rulers from Anambra-North stated that it would be only fair that the zone be allowed to complete eight years. There is a growing consensus on this.”
On the mission of his group, he said, “Anambra North Unity Forum started early in April 2016; the forum was inspired to keep the people of the zone together and our agenda is to ensure that Anambra North Senatorial Zone be allowed to complete eight years in office; that is joining the first and second tenure.
“Anambra has witnessed phenomenal growth within this democracy but the people of Anambra North had continued to feel alienated and sometime in 2006, a strong agitation for power shift arose. This and other factors led to the entire state agreeing to elect a governor in 2013 from Anambra North. In fact, the major parties presented candidates from Anambra North Senatorial Zone.
“Constitutionally, a person elected as governor is entitled to a maximum of two tenures in office. However, once power rotates to a zone, it must not be for a particular person, the zone should be allowed to complete the eight years either by the political party in power or another party. It is a political arrangement which has the capacity to keep the state in equilibrium, when people are sharing whatever accrues to them, maturity must be employed in sharing. As it stands today, at the completion of the four year tenure of Governor Obiano, Anambra North will still be lagging behind as per the number of years in leadership of the state. For instance, Anambra Central has been in power for 11 years, Anambra South has taken six years; so under a gentleman arrangement, it will be good to allow Anambra North to complete eight years; it can then rotate to the South which has just taken six years.”
Reminded of the complaints of some stakeholders, who have reportedly rated Governor Willie Obiano poorly, he said, “if people are not happy with the present governor, all we are asking is not that power be retained by a person but by the zone; all we are asking again is that Anambra people should give us a second chance to prove that we have better materials for the plum job. We have been moving round the state and people across the state are very happy with what we are canvassing, and many have been signing up. Our message to the people of Anambra State is that they should consider our request and give us a second chance. Like I said before, the governor might come from any political party. Our first acid test is to work towards ensuring that during the primaries of the governorship election, all political parties in the state elect their candidates from Anambra North Senatorial Zone.”
He added that Anambra North Unity Forum is neither an agent nor fronting for any governorship aspirant or any political office aspirant at all. “This group evolved out of the need to bring a lasting peace and mutual understanding in the political atmosphere of our state where every section of the state will have a sense of belonging and love one another. We intend to do so by ensuring that Anambra North Unity Forum is non partisan; it accommodates all the political parties so that every group will go to their party and ensure that their own political party comes up with a candidate from the zone. Some have accused us of working for the incumbent governor, but we are just working for the long term peace of Ndi Anambra and our state. There can only be progress where there is peace and tranquility. In this case the zoning arrangement for any state must start from somewhere and those of us in Anambra North Unity Forum have matured both politically and in age to bring a mutual political arrangement in Anambra State and once our people agree to adhere to this arrangement from now on, the state will join the group of peaceful political arrangement in the federation.