Much of the political literature bestriding public discuss which to a large extent affords public affairs analysts sonorous monotony with some shouting themselves to hoarse is the compelling need to entrench national unity and coherency in words and actions not the former alone.
Our national dailies bears out enchanting clarion call from all angles for unification of the various warring interest of indigenous people that collapsed into Nigeria as a country. Hardly, can a day expires without one con or rather trickster politician playing to the gallery by overtly canvassing for equity, rule of law, unity of the country, as preconditions to healthy development, mutual tolerance and trust amongst other societal values incidental to modern society. These unification self acclaimed champions in their afflicted unending campaign to save Nigeria marriage at all cost, earned invectives like unity beggers and other rightly awarded pejoratives which ridicule their lips service behind rallying the already hypnotized citizens to perish for a call whose drummers neither share believe in nor by their private and public lives shown zeal to sustain.
Anyone grounded in the affairs of this country, except for entrants into Jerusalem knew what culture and established mores prevails in our political space. In Nigeria, the political gimmicks and demagoguery rule clearly spelt out in machiavellian grandstyle as say a thing and do another. To hold this gang of so called leaders accountable to the tons of wordscraft spewed effortlessly during electioneering is tantamount to running after shadows, an expedition mired in fatalities.
If any topic is due for consignment to journalism bin, that of elusive and seeming impracticable unity extrapolating from the disgusting betrayal of tenets of democracy and unification noises by public officers who fancy wallowing in self-deceit.
In order to appear pious and accommodating of others interest they convey glamorous impressiveness of a people picking themselves together from ashes of mutual hate and distrust to working towards peaceful coexistence and gradually advancing to greater nationhood ends. But at home, the stark opposite has been the case, instead of open-minded concerted effort to achieve the desired existential goal, substantial deviation by their actions and inactions carrys the day.
The truth in moral entreaties by the born African- American civil society leader Martin Luther King Jr, that “We should learn to live together as brothers or perish individually as fools” only exert suasive influence on these brand of leaders rather than practiced wholly as a surefire to healing old wounds than ripping it open and expecting no consequences.
As the chief executive officer of Enugu State, Governor Ugwuanyi has displayed unusual magnanimity and drive to reconcile the perceived intractable differences between ethnic enclaves domiciled in the state. Ugwuanyi conceives the admixture of people of distinct tongues and fate in the state as a human resources that requires harmonisation and accommodation of every cleavage interest in the democratic governance of the state.
Ugwuanyi’s knack for social coherency, peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance and fair play is a thing worth copying by our so-called deceptive folks who chant unity in the open and goes home not only recanting in vigorous cadence their earlier position, but also enforcing dubious measures to frustrate progressive steps towards unification.
Ugwuanyi as a chief executive of the state do not show preference for a particular community either orally or by administrative practices, rather he has proved times and again that he is the father and governor of everyone in the state both natives and non-natives.
The practice of sharing in the Islamic festive periods like the Eid-el-kabir celebrated annually by muslim community in the state is no novel to Ugwuanyi’s embracing governance.
In the words of the Sarkin Hausawa,Enugu State, Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf Sambo who received the presents cheeringly parceled out to the Ummah central Mosque, ranging from bags of rice, cartons of water, fruit drinks, beverages and cows, reaffirmed governor Ugwuanyi consistency in reaching out to them in his “usual gestures”
What has stood Ugwuanyi out from the crowd is his resolute quest for national integration and unity regardless of tribes, opinions or political affiliation. He conceives, the admixture of distinct people of tongue and fate as an enormous human resources with untapped economic potentials requiring adept harmonization and not as a handy tool for unscrupulous leaders who resort to ethnic sentiments to tower high in their selfish ends.
It is beyond argument that unification has been an intractable bane of this country emboldened by clandestine practices systematically engendered by chameleonic politicians who beliefs are far from social coherency and peaceful existence. Their ultimate dream has always been to drive all conglomerates that cobbled to form Nigeria polity into one big dungeon where they can lord it over all.
It is high time every patriot started keying into Ugwuanyi’s solution for this Nigerian Unification project as we stand to gain a considerable lot by such sustainable unity anchored on religious tolerance, mutual respect for each other, social justice, equality opportunities , meritocracy and peaceful coexistence just as we lose a lot by our collective failure to chart a new course of nationhood worth bequeathing on the coming generations.
Written by
Mrs Bibian Anekwe
SSA to the Governor of Enugu State on Mobilization and Empowerment
Enugu Di N’akachukwu Movement (DG)
