That axiom with deep biblical correlation that there is time and season for everything created under the sun is a truism. It is God’s own design and desire that there must be growth and progression in human society to actualize destinies and God’s big plan for mankind. Our role as individuals is to work hard and play our noble parts,while God navigates the rest as it pleases him.
It is obvious that the protracted marginalization of the people of Southeast Nigeria appears to have been allowed for divine reasons, until such a time that every section of Nigeria would appreciate the hell of injustice that has been on, over the years against a section of the country for no just cause.At such divinely permitted time,all men of good consciousness and conscience will definitely rise in unison and condemn the deliberate marginalization and scheming out of one of the major ethnic nationalities in Nigeria from the nation’s power configuration .
To say that Ndigbo need justice in Nigeria is not an overstatement but a statement of fact with verifiable evidences that abound. However, the ability to wait for the appointed time for the right thing to be done is a different ball game because nothing under the sun lasts forever.Ndigbo have shown maturity in this regard and having painstakingly waited to be sincerely and genuinely accommodated in a country their forefathers laboured hard to build with others is a big plus to them. They have looked forward for a day when no technical and frivolous reasons would be adduced to scheme them out or relegate them to the background .The waiting has tarried for too long and behold, if truth must be told and the right thing done as supposed, the waiting game should be over at this material thing as Ndigbo have endured and passed over the most ugly phase of their history;an era full of deprivation, scorn and injustices.
Through out the first four years of President Buhari’s administration since 2015,the southeast was not captured in the ceding of key government portfolios at all levels, including the legislative arm of the APC led federal government. Frivolous and technical reasons were given for not accommodating the people of southeast and the most intriguing was what played out in the National Assembly, where the issue of non ranking status of the APC House of Representatives members from the southeast was adduced as reason why no principal office of the Green Chamber was allotted to the zone. It was an unfortunate development that rattled and surprised majority of Southeast stakeholders, who bemoaned their fate over continued marginalization of the region and her people.
While the four years lasted,the zone witnessed series of protests and separatist activism from the vibrant and ever agitating youth section of its population . These youths and their patrons capitalized on this injustices to stir crisis and tension.The good news is that those separatist movements never received the support and endorsement of the Igbo political elites ,especially those of the ruling APC membership.
These patriotic leaders of Southeast APC extraction took the marginalization of the southeast with stoic calmness and condemned in the strongest term,the seeming mischievous politicization of the whole scenario by the disgruntled opposition and anti APC elements in the southeast. That show of loyalty, leadership and consistency of purpose by key APC leaders of Southeast extraction did the magic wand of neutralizing the raging storm of anti APC sentiment in the zone. If not the doggedness and outstanding leadership displayed by some of these Southeast APC patriots,the party was not only faced with total annihilation but would have no structures to provide defensive mechanism to stop the rampaging ,intimidating and galloping anti APC machine deployed to turn the zone into the opposition rigging field.
The fact that APC could not win the southeast never implied that the zone was a free zone for the opposition PDP.Not at all, the activities of Southeast APC patriots was both complimentary, defensive and rejuvenating to the party which needed a base in the geopolitical zone.
Also, the fact that APC did not win the southeast does not mean that APC did not win in my booth, ward and Local Government Area.We delivered APC in our area against all odds.
The impact of our doggedness and that of our leaders were manifest in the just concluded general elections. We blocked all loopholes that would have been exploited to rig out the ruling APC in the zone.
The struggle to sustain the party in the zone was not therefore a tea party and after the whole said and done,APC presence was not only boldly registered but amply boasted with the election of more national legislators from the zone .Another big plus alongside increase of vote garnered in the zone for Mr President was breaking of the jinx of not producing ranking members in the Parliament.Yes,the zone currently parades ranking APC Federal lawmakers.
That Southeast APC could stand the last four years of non inclusion in the privileged ruling circle of the National Assembly and still maintained its unflinching loyalty and eventually broke the jinx of not producing ranking members is not a mean feat.Southeast APC deserves a pat in the back for coordinating a good, successful and unprecedented political fight that sustained the soul and spirit of the party in the zone. The party must not be allowed to die in the zone and the only practical way to keep it afloat is to empower the leaders from area.Those who sustained the party deserve recognition and positions of authority.
Now that Southeast APC has shown commitment and unflinching loyalty, the die is caste for the needful to be done. In the upcoming 9th House of the Federal of Representatives, the expectations are high that selfless display of loyalty and commitment ought to be recognized and duly compensated now.It is also an honour well deserved for that Southeast geopolitical should be given speakership slot at this critical time that the zone requires special intervention to boast the morale of its teeming leadership and membership who had kept faith and fought for the survival of the party even in the face of deliberate denials and deprivation.
The time to give hope to Southeast APC is now and good enough the zone has a vibrant, cerebral and productive ranking legislator whose goodwill and capacity to drive the engine of the Green Chamber is enormously outstanding. To assert that the proverbial season for Southeast’s own political harvest is here makes a big sense.It is both intuitive and reflective because here is a zone that has paid its dues but lacks anything commensurate to show for it.And having painstakingly waited without distraction, it is only natural, fair and just for the zone to be handsomely rewarded.
The zone’s APC has to the Glory of God in the upcoming 9th House,an outstanding ranking legislator from IMO state, in the person of Deacon Chike John Okafor.Chike displayed uncommon leadership qualities as a first term lawmaker.In the last four years, he eventfully sojourned as a committee chairman on health care services and an articulate voice in the hallowed Green Chamber of the National Assembly. Deacon has undoubtedly shown enormous capacity. He has been a leading light in the onerous struggle for the sustenance and survival of the party in the southeast zone. Deacon Chike was able to make judicious use of his Healthcare Committee Chairmanship position to impact positively on his constituents and the entire physical environment which witnessed massive infrastructural development programs and projects. He is one man whose midas touch is second to known and having shown passion for good leadership that is rooted in human capital development, most Nigerians are of the opinion that such a strong character from the zone should be encouraged with the plum position of the speaker so that he could continue the good work of beefing up and consolidating the ruling APC in the zone.
The man Deacon Chike Okafor as unifying figure is hugely accepted across party lines which will eventually lead to influx of political heavy weight in the southeast into APC.This strategy will help the party greatly and that is the only option left to solidify our party amid stiff rivalry the PDP
Apart from unifying factor his position as the speaker will foster, it is evident that a humane,generous, meek,cerebral and vibrant character like Chike will reposition the national Assembly. As a bridge builder,he will takeoff on a strong note to reconcile,reunite and heal the nation.
Many are convinced that having shown good example as a good party man and follower, according leadership to him will be obviously reciprocal and encouraging for more good jobs to be done.The zone will be rejuvenated and reconciled with other parts of Nigeria if given this opportunity to belong to the national powerv configuration that eluded it over the years.
Prince Magnus IK Okeke(Cadillac)