By Jeff Ejiofor

A great Russian philosopher, African Spir, said that when a man makes of his personal interests the mainspring of his life and he is greedy to make use of everything that can benefit him, he naturally enters into conflict with other persons, acting also in their interests, hence the disagreements that can become a hundred years old, and drive whole generations to mutual hate. This view captures what transpired in Enugu last week when, out of desperation, some selfish politicians, determined to undermine the goodwill of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, hijacked a peaceful protest by Enugu youths against police brutality and turned it into a political witchhunt.

These self-serving elements went as far as hiring popular musicians of other extractions to mock the government and the good people of Enugu State. It is on record that the current EndSARS protests across the country have goals that have been collectively articulated by the initiators which cannot be localized by any means. The sudden appearance of some popular igbo musicians believed to be working for fifth columnists in Enugu State at the protest venue to disrupt the peace is most regrettable and condemnable.

Apparently, there is a limit to everything life, and It is obvious most of us are frustrated because of the nation’s economic challenges, but the pertinent fact we have refused to realize is whether the limited resources available to states now are sufficient enough to address the various problems of our people.

Nobody wants to consider this obvious fact. What we do is to sit down with our smartphones and ignorantly abuse those in government with so much disdain.

In Enugu State, for instance, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi came into office when the country and the whole world were in an economic recession. Unlike his predecessor, Sullivan Chime, who enjoyed excess crude oil funds and huge federal allocations, he has been doing his best to pay the new minimum wage to state workers, which most states in Nigeria are yet to implement.

In spite of all that, he has carried out numerous developmental projects especially in the rural areas which are the primary focus of his administration. He has also continued to maintain existing facilities, service inherited debt, and keep the state peaceful and secure.

As a man with a conscience, Gov. Ugwuanyi ensured that those in the rural areas, who have the population strength of the state and are unfortunately not on social media to express their joy, were given a sense of belonging.

Despite doing all these, his administration has not borrowed loans to finance projects. Even the FG bailout funds given to the 36 states in 2015 were judiciously used in Enugu and the Senate confirmed it. Enugu under Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has refused to play to the gallery by mortgaging the future of the next generation as some states like Ebonyi are doing with white elephant projects. Ugwuanyi does not want to create a problem for the next generation in the name of borrowing to finance projects that may be of no immediate economic value. He works within the framework of the current economic realities and he is achieving results.

The past governments did little in the rural areas of Enugu State in terms of development and that is the gap Ugwuanyi is diligently trying to bridge.

In this COVID-19 era, Ugwuanyi has demonstrated quality leadership in responding to the challenges of protecting the health of Ndi Enugu.

Nobody here can deny that the evidence is glaring for all to see. Enugu was among the few states that did not lose souls to security agencies at the peak of lockdown when some state chief executives exposed their citizens to danger in a bid to enforce sit at home order. Enugu is getting its first-ever Infectious Disease Hospital, courtesy Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

His only sin is that he is concentrating development in rural areas where the population constitute the silent majority. Those that were abandoned for ages and had accepted their fate.

Even at that, the rural development policy of his administration has paid off and it reflected on his reelection victory last year, which he won with an overwhelming 95.54 percent of valid votes cast. However, this his good intention to remember the poor, long-neglected and lowly, did not go down well with the youth in Enugu city whose only hobby is to post and comment irresponsibly on social media, where they express their anger freely without knowing the socio-political implications.

Nonetheless, patriotic and well-meaning Enugu youths are aware of the gimmicks, and therefore urge our amiable governor not to be discouraged, but remain calm, undaunted, and focused in his determination to maintain peace and order in Enugu State. We implore him to continue providing dividends of democracy to Ndi Enugu irrespective of the provocation from any angle. We are with him, and we remain resolutely behind him.

For those selfish and desperate politicians bent on undermining the interest of Enugu people at any slightest opportunity, the time for reckoning is near. Phyno and Flavour, who allowed themselves to be used for such an inglorious dirty outing should also know that Nigerians are wiser and will pay them back in equal measures when the chips are down. Those seeking to politicize Peaceful protest designed by the youths of Nigeria to press home our collective grievances will not go unpunished, posterity will judge them someday. They should know that nothing is hidden under the sun, people are seeing them and all what they are doing in the name of activism. What a man sows, he reaps.

Enugu is in the hands of God Almighty

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share