A young child had a penchant of walking across into a Sabbath house of worship, every morning and simply kneeling down saying, “Lord I have just come to check on you! You are aware I do not know how to pray,” and he leaves. That singular aphorism is a gripping epithet and phenomenon of the mystery surrounding the mere mention of that name in any pursuit.
The present setting in Enugu State, where to all intents and purposes, there are grand evil machinations and designs to simply blackmail and tarnish the reputation of the former distinguished Deputy President of the Senate, a man highly respected worldwide for his intellect, brain and brawn, because he had indicated interest to rebuild and reposition Enugu State, if he becomes Governor in 2023.
Senator Dr Ike Ekweremadu, had made no mistake in identifying not only the core problems facing the state in his 18-points blueprint on societal needs of the people which had since received a wide acceptance all over Enugu State and beyond, but had advanced methodologies of solving and providing the people with quick solutions. So why hound and disparage him, O Lord are you there?
His vision unprecedented in that wallet of program has sent retirees and even teachers owed several years of salaries and entitlements, rejoicing on end. A pensioner, Mrs. Christiana Ozo from Iwolo Oye, who had come into Enugu repeatedly to check on pension benefits told this writer that most of her contemporaries had since died with unpaid wages. A mother of seven, she had lost her husband several years back and as the bread winner, she was almost giving up with life as the hardship and worsening economic situation in the country had taken a devastating toll on her.
A teacher Mr. Silas Ogbodo at Awkunanaw Enugu, said teachers were worse hit and could no longer survive the present meagre salaries owed and not commensurate with modern day salary structure as demanded by the Nigeria Labour Congress in conjunction with the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT.
They wonder at the rat race of the present jamboree in Enugu State, with different pressure groups ending up at the seat of government in unnecessary and not profiting solidarity marches, a wastage of tax payers’ money that would be enough to not only pay their arrears of entitlements but can build new primary schools and equip them adequately and they cry out, O Lord are you dear?
Daily, the social media has really gone berserk, painting and cooking up falsehoods with various online platforms resurrecting over night, simply to add in the barrage of insults and deceits, pulling the wool over the eyes of the gullible citizens. The good thing is that the more they throw these punches and tirades, the more Senator Ekweremadu’s profile continues to shoot through the sky.
The people on whose rescue mission he is coming for, are not deterred and no amount of flood gate of false accusations even as they ebb like the waters of River Niger, can obliterate the place the Senator occupies in the heart of the poor, the needy and the people of Enugu who are desirous that he becomes their next Governor, in the coming year 2023.
Tired of the unhealthy politics that had prevailed in the state about imposition of candidates, the emergent Igbo people look forward to a robust debate preceding the electioneering days and also for the best to emerge and deliver on his promises. For a man who had remained and worked assiduously to revamp the party Peoples’ Democratic Party PDP, when it was in taters after the 2015 defeat, heading most of the critical committees to fashion a way out, traversing the length and breadth of the country to strengthen the faith of PDP members in the party, the least he should expect is vilification.
In the true sense of it, the likes of Senator Ekweremadu should be celebrated by his kith and kin and there should be resounding joy in Enugu State, that he would be bringing to bear his very vast experience drawn from a fountain of legislative and executive excellence both at home and abroad. Will the anxious people of Enugu State, not draw from this fountain of developmental and creative programs. O Lord are you there?
Only last week, the Director General of Dr Ekweremadu ‘s Campaign Organisation, Hon Ogbo Asogwa, had issued an alarming but worrisome News Statement of how those associated with Senator Ekweremadu ‘s organisation and his Oganiru structures in the 17 Local Government areas of the State, were being hounded, beaten and detained. He listed names of those now allegedly detained on spurious charges . It calls for sober reflection and the need for the security agencies and even the Police authorities in the State to provide adequate security to his organisations and not to allow a deterioration of the situation.
For long the issue of brigandage, thuggery, and bloodletting have since vanished from the politics of Enugu State, many thanks to former Governor Sullivan Chime, who stamped out banditry in politics of the state. It should really not find its way back, O Lord, are you there?
The latest in the shenanigans is the unnecessary flexing of muscles by the Chief Executives of the States. Only a few days ago, a hurried meeting was held in Enugu with appendages of the Governors and a few coerced National Officers of the PDP from the zone. The outcome was expected and predictable, with a call strengthening what they termed a non existing zoning formula.
Ever since then, the phony social media in Enugu awash with stories that Senator Ekweremadu and Senator Enyinia Abaribe had been shut out of the Governorship race. Poor fellows, they forget to take into cognizant of the fact that PDP is in a precarious situation in the South East. On paper today, it has only Enugu and Abia where they have Governors. To provoke unhealthy rivalry by stoking the fire instead of going for their best hands to win the elections early next year 2023, would be a calamitous decision.
The National Secretariat of the PDP, with all the good intentions of setting up a 37-member Zoning Committee, the respected members of the PDP National Executive should please be careful and do not generalise their findings in their decisions after the committee submits its report.
The National Executive should not toy with their very formidable members who had kept the party aglow and alive, even when most Governors were not attending meetings of the party in the past but sending their deputies but because of obvious and selfish interests , have begun of late attending all party engagements .
The Enugu scenario is pathetic for the government to sideline its National Assembly members shutting them out from even having the first choice of nominating even a mere Councilor. Whoever does that? After all , the present Governor is a product of National Assembly, and no one during his 12 years at that Green Chambers of the Federal House of Representatives, would treat him that way, O Lord are you there?
The people of Enugu State, are upbeat that Senator Ekweremadu should be encouraged and that there should be a level playing ground for the best in the land to emerge and that there should be no imposition by one man’s idiosyncrasies, and they are hopeful they will not be disappointed, O, Lord are you there?