By Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko
Forty-Eight hours to the Anambra gubernatorial election, it may be necessary to remind our people, especially Anambrarians, that Anambra, as the leading light in this country, must endeavour to get her acts together in order to inspire a new social and political order.
Everything should be done to, manage properly, the quite avoidable and unfortunate untidy sociopolitical environment, created unconsciously by political hubris and leadership errors.
This unpleasant political climate of uncertainty, buck passing, name calling, finger pointing and muddled up cocktail of meaningless recriminations, cannot actually be divorced from the poor handling of agitation closely tied to the painful unwillingness by those in power, and for a very long time, to genuinely address and fairly but firmly resolve the lingering Igbo question within the Nigerian project.
Consistently shying away from the inevitable truth, simply deepened the melee. Applying the wrong strategy, only worsened the mess. That is the unpalatable truth.
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Pushing the truth under the carpet and consistently postponing the evil day, brought us to this impasse.
Absolving oneself or group, while engaging in recriminations, wouldn’t help the situation now. Mistakes were made by all sides. Current fire brigade efforts, clearly aimed at only interim relief, will also not bring lasting peace. Courage must be found, to address the crisis altruistically from the root.
This is where bold and sincere leadership comes in. Our elders and political leaders have floundered for so long, almost abdicating their responsibilities, thereby compounding the crisis.
The situation shouldn’t have degenerated to this shameful level, had the right and needful leadership been shown earlier than now.
Having said this, I humbly call on our aggrieved brothers, to place the security of our land, the welfare of our beleaguered citizens and the future and destiny of our people, into consideration at this delicate period. I call on the authorities to show restraint and to remember that excessive use of force, had only worsened the situation. Finally, after a careful consideration of the leading candidates, and placing the inevitable reshaping of the destiny of Ndigbo at this auspicious moment in history, as guide, it is clear that Charles Chukwuma Soludo, towers heads and shoulders above other candidates.
He has the knowledge and experience, and total grasp of the issues, especially as concerns the Igbo question.
He should be allowed and enabled to come in and correct the poor leadership currently tainting Anambra state.
Moreover, I have every reason to believe that he thoroughly understands the urgency, importance and imperative of restructuring Nigeria and has advocated that publicly.
I hereby ask ndi Anambra to vote for and elect Prof Soludo on Saturday.
If Anambra gets it right, Alaigbo will get it right.
I conclude by sounding a note of warning to the people hounding only Presidential hopefuls from the East, Supreme Court Justice from the East and now entertainment and hospitality businessmen from the East, that this very persecution, suggestive of selective oppression, actually inspired the anger, frustration, bitterness and loss of faith powering and fueling the uncontrollable agitation ravaging the land today.
There’s no wisdom whatsoever, in towing and continuing the same trajectory that brought us here.
Wisdom is profitable to direct.
Evang. Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, is the Founder, Igbo Youth Movement (IYM); Secretary, Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA)