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Enugu 2023: Isi Uzo’s Self-Pity and Attempts to Distort History

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By Prince Ejeh Josh

Moments ago, a friend adverted my attention to a certain mind-numbing article written by one Ifeanyi Ogenyi from Isi Uzo local government area with the caption: *Enugu 2023: Give Isi-Uzo A Chance To Occupy The Lion Building; Don’t Treat Them As Politically Displaced People*.

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It was interesting reading through the title which had appeared like an appeal to the political conscience of the people of Enugu East Senatorial zone, and indeed, the entire people of Enugu state. I had expected Ogenyi would do justice to the topic by pointing out, with facts and figures, why the people of Isi Uzo deserved the top job, and who is knowledgeable, competent and ably qualified enough from that side to fly the ticket, and move the state forward. There must be a substantial, convincing and realistic evidence laying credence to that.

It’s, however, to my chagrin and that of other feelers that had dedicated their pricey time to run through the lengthy article, that the author had superficially embarked on a voyage of perpetual discovery, wandering in his search to hurl blame game and present the people from the other divide in a bad light. Ogenyi had accused the good and loving people of Enugu East Senatorial zone to the exclusion of Isi-Uzo enclave of “greed” and wanton discrimination in his opening paragraph. From the prefatory lines, one could feel the bitterness and anger bottled up against innocent people who daily mind their usual, legal and constitutionally guaranteed businesses.

The lines read: “Justice has been wounded in Enugu East Senatorial Zone against Isi-Uzo people. How long will justice, equity and fairness in sharing of political positions in Enugu East Senatorial Zone be crucified? How long will Isi-Uzo be marginalized in the zone? The subjugation of Isi-Uzo people in their senatorial zone appears to have left us standing bare, naked and dejected like orphans. Has the gate of justice perpetually closed against my people?” The above was an extract from the author. In his desperate attempt to take recourse to self-pity—a notoriously known destructive vice—and demonise a people who are even more occupied with their own worries in order to browbeat the state into ceding ticket to the council area, the author has brazenly undone himself and did his people no good.

The questions are: How are the people of Isi-Uzo being marginalized? Who is marginalizing the Isi-Uzoars? What is the author’s understanding and definition of justice, equity and fairness? Must the author join the gullible bandwagon of those blowing the false flute of injustice even without understanding the basic tenet of the word? That, it appears to me. The sneaky trick of the author and his bed-fellow alarmists is that, by accusing the other councils of oppression, they would be forced or browbeaten to relegate their interest and allow the people of Isi-Uzo to have the democratically and constitutionally universal right on a platter.

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Sadly, as Dale Carnegie would bluntly submit: Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition is not only a waste of time and energy but the worst habit you could possibly have. Self-pity has kept many people immobilized to the extent that their future is no different from the past. Whingeing while standing akimbo, expecting people to spoon-feed you is the height of laziness a people could ever entertain. Shelling a bombardment of political campaign of calumny against a peace-loving people would only boomerang, and depict the wailers as unserious and lethargic.

While Mr. Ogenyi dabbled on the Communique recently issued by Enugu East Senatorial Zone on the preservation, defence and continuation of the zoning tradition in Enugu State which has enabled development and political stability in the state, the author had exhibited a mortifying and strange act of suspicion about the people behind the meeting even when he appeared to have concurred with the letters of the resolution. That’s a yet to be reconciled confusion and self-contradiction Mr. Ogenyi has mired himself with. Probably, he needs some help and direction. He needs some lecture too.

It’s on record that the said Enugu East Senatorial zone “Stakeholders’ Meeting” was well attended and had the presence of the major players from the six local councils making up the zone. The questions Ogenyi, then, refused to clarify are: What did he mean by: “Notwithstanding the body languages and political posturing of some of the stakeholders within the senatorial zone?” Whose body languages and political posturing? Who are the stakeholders from the zone with such behavioral incongruities? The shallow submission could have borne out of collective suspicion and propelled through the author to the public. The allegations made by Ogenyi and his sponsors smack of reality, and could have been conceived out of spuriousness. It’s just a conception from the figment of imagination. The people of Nkanu and Enugu East senatorial zone in general are staunch believers in democracy, and will not do anything to pervert anybody, however the minority posture a group or community may be. Level playing ground has always been the core article of faith for the people.

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Notwithstanding the above, nobody or group of people will fold their arms and plead with Isi-Uzo people to take what belongs to the people in general. It is time for the pampered bride to wean herself and become mature. In Enugu East senatorial zone, there are three local government areas yet to produce governor—Nkanu East, Enugu East and Isi-Uzo. Statistically, Nkanu East is the lest developed but—most qualified out of the three councils. The reason is crystal-clear: protracted abandonment. So, why are the people of Isi-Uzo crying more than the bereaved?

Interestingly, Ogenyi wrote: “The history and facts about the state of power distribution in the zone are glaringly up there for anyone to see and pass judgment in favour of Isi-Uzo….But more than ever, we are optimistic that there is always an end to every ugly situation faced by a man or a people. The injustices of yesteryears can be rederess (sic) now of which conceding the governorship position to Ndi Isi-Uzo by our brothers from the other parts of the zone by 2023 would naturally soothe our ill-feelings”. Such a comical hypothesis! In terms of power distribution and appointments in the zone, the people of Isi-Uzo have been floating atop most of the other parts. In terms of development in infrastructure, successive administrations have given them a large chunk of the projects meant for the zone. Yet, these people are basking in infamous sense of entitlement. Typical of fulanization attempt of other parts. That’s weird and absolutely unfair. The purported ill-feelings being rigidly nursed is as a result of their inability to take eclectic view of the state of affairs and appreciate that the zone belongs to all.

Each time these set of travelers present distorted facts in a desperate but calculated step to attract sympathy to themselves, I feel ashamed and confounded by their deliberate act of mendacity. That won’t help them, anyway. So, no matter how many times a lie is told, or multiple of times falsehood is propagated, it does not negate the truth to become false. False is false, twist it. According to them, the other councils have been enmeshed with “indiscriminate share of positions in the zone” to their exclusion. Such a brazen audacity of lie.

They could have forgotten that Isi-Uzo once had Hon. Late Senator Isaiah Ani from Isi-Uzo as the representative of the people. Whether he represented the people under the whatever Republic is no issue. He was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Their attempts to limit their arguments to the Fourth Republic have given them away as co-travellers paddling with lies. It’s an effort to distort history and hoodwink those with a “slanted sense of history”.

They would deceitfully refuse to tell the world that Festus Ugwu from the council area was once appointed a Managing Director, Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, or that Hon. Ejike Eze was a Federal Commissioner at the National Population Commission, or that Hon. Chijioke Edeoga was a Presidential Liasion Officer to the National Assembly, or even that His Excellency, Hon. Kingsley Ebenyi has had to serve Nigeria as a super Ambassador to Spain and the Vatican. This is in addition to the many times they’ve been elected to the National Assembly to represent the zone in the Green Chambers. All these gigantic offices were meant for the people from the zone. Yet, their “brothers from the other parts” are not complaining, instead, they have been supportive.

Embarking on a journey induced by self-pity will not do Ogenyi and his cohorts any good. That reminds me the time-tested pronouncement of John Gardner that self-pity is easily the most destructive of non-pharmaceutical narcotics. It’s addictive; gives pleasure and separates the victims from reality. Indulging in the voyage of treadmill instead of the people presenting a viable candidate, capable of matching qualifications and competency with their “brothers from the other parts” will only end in self- annihilation and regrets. We should all be our brothers’ keepers.

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