By Calistus Ebue
In his essay captioned “Masque Of Pandora” James Russell Lowell stated that ” ONCE TO EVERY MAN AND NATION COMES THE MOMENT TO DECIDE” on issues critical to their existential struggle and survival. (emphasis mine).
For the people of Enugu State, that moment comes up on 11th March, 2023, when they will go to the polls to decide who among the candidates of various political parties that applied for the job of Enugu State Governor they will vote for.
The electorate will determine who among the candidates performed best in their job interviews during the electioneering campaign in the art of governance and then hand him over the keys to the LION BUILDING, the seat of government in Enugu State, with the mandate to decide the fate and destiny of the people for the next four years.
Let me also recall what Abraham Lincoln said many years ago that “no man is good enough to govern another man without that other man’s consent”.
But here in Enugu State and for 23 years, the people have been subjected to the PDP mal-administration by fire and by force against their will. They weaponised poverty and at every election, threw the crumbs to the people who are hungry and impoverished by their deliberate policy; while the results were written inside government house.
Thank God, with the introduction of BVAS and the new electoral laws, the moment has come for us to say ENOUGH is ENOUGH, the moment is now upon us the silent majority to use our PVCs to effect a paradigm shift in Enugu State, because the trajectory of our electoral system has changed and will no longer be business as usual. The votes will count, all things being equal, that is eliminating the ” Nigeria Factor ” to the barest minimum and the results will reflect the wishes of the electorate.
In this election, like I have written in my first article on this subject matter – The Dilemma of Enugu Voters – the PDP is divided into two political camps, the EBEANO and NWODO camps. Whether the candidates are putting on the garb of PDP, APC, APGA and LP, they are all members of PDP family in Enugu State, who are part of the problem of Enugu State and cheer leaders for the 23 years of PDP oppressive and suffocating regimes. They have cult loyalties to their principals, the well Atikulated Okwesilieze Nwodo and Jagaban Chimaroke Nnamani.
Therefore, the choice of the electorate is between the PDP family represented by the candidates of APGA, PDP, APC and LP and the rest of other parties and if perchance any of these four candidates won the election, then we are stuck with another four years of PDP in Enugu State and every malfeasance in government will become the rules rather than exception with impunity as usual. They have nothing new to offer.
But there is an emerging THIRD FORCE, non – aligned candidates on the platform of other political parties in the state who have neither godfathers nor godmothers, but are hell bent on ending the political hegemony of the PDP in Enugu State, with its decoys in APGA, APC, and LP.
That force is led by no other person than Comrade Chris Agu, the candidate of Peoples Redemption Party, who is a core Obi dient in all ramifications, not the Atikulated Obi dient that is running under the platform of Labour Party in the state.
Silver and gold he has none, and does not share money like the those who once upon a time have had access to the treasury of Enugu State, and amassed so much wealth they use to oppress the poor masses of the state.
But his background, pedigree and antecedents speak eloquently of his character, competence and capabilities to make a positive difference in the governance of the state. His milk of human kindness and compassion for the down trodden people of Enugu State especially the workers and pensioners are what have endeared him to many of us who are victims of the PDP policy of weaponisation of poverty. Most of us were delighted that he made payment of gratuity and pension arrears one of the cardinal thrusts of his adminstration, including to those who have gone to their early graves as a result of this evil policy introduced by Chimaroke Nnamani and maintained by his successors.
I don’t want to hold brief for him on his manifesto. He can do that effectively for himself, but one other thing I saw in his official website which was in sync with my own values was that the Presidents, Governors and policy makers can be what they choose to be. They can serve the nation and its people or they can serve themselves. That for many men in public office, the mere possession of power is an end in itself, but for him, the mandate he seeks is a divine mandate to do good and serve the people of Enugu State diligently and conscientiously with the fear of God and to the best of his God’s given ability.
Comrade Chris Agu is currently the National Leader Enugu Youth Movement (EYM), the grand son of the first Paramount Ruler of Enugu Ngwo Urban in Enugu East Senatorial District. He holds Certificates in Education from Federal College of Education Katsina and Amadu Bello University Zaria majoring in History/ Education. He taught for years in Secondary School in Kaduna State before joining Radio Nigeria, from where he disengaged to established his own private business in the agricultural sector. Comrade Chris Agu is married with children.
Now the Die is cast; the choice is now left for us, but we must remember that all that glitters is not gold.
VOTE WISELY.
Callistus Ebue, an Enugu based journalist and Media Consultant can be reachbed on
[email protected]
