Rt. Hon. Chima Obieze, member representing Ezeagu Constituency in Enugu State House of Assembly, has dismissed the claim from some quarters that the people of Enugu West Senatorial zone have been marginalised in the governorship seat in the state.
Obieze who was speaking at Enugu Youth Stakeholders Meeting in Enugu on Thursday said the argument is lame and doesn’t hold any water because the entity ‘Enugu West Senatorial Zone’ never existed until 1999.
“We can’t refer to positions held prior to 1999 because at the time, what we had was completely different. For instance, in 1979 when Jim Nwobodo became Governor, he could not be said to be Governor from Enugu East Senatorial Zone because at that time there was nothing like that. We only had the “Ijekebe (Anambra) zone, the Waawa (Enugu) zone, and the Abakaliki zone. By the time Okwesilieze Nwodo became Governor we had the Nsukka Zone, the Enugu zone (which comprise of present day Enugu East and West Senatorial Zones, with Sen. Bencollins Ndu from Enugu West as their Senator) and Abakaliki zone. It is therefore believed that Both Governors Nwobodo and Onoh were from this Enugu zone and this takes care of Enugu West too, because Enugu West was part of the Enugu zone at the time.
“Therefore, the new Enugu zoning arrangement started in 1999. This does not in anyway negate the fact that there has been zoning all the while, but the circumstances and indices having changed, hence the new zoning arrangement to take care of our present political divide and situation.
Presenting the paper ‘PATH TO ENUGU GOVERNORSHIP IN 2023… Ka Enugu East jee’ the House Committee Chairman on Works and Urban Development said the political activities in the state before 1999 supports a rotational means of selecting a leader.
“As soon as the governorship position fell due in 1991, the founding fathers decided to queue behind the governorship candidate from Nsukka area, now known as Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Dr. Joe Nwodo, and later, Okwesilieze Nwodo, as against candidates from either Enugu Zone, Hyde Onuaguluchi (NRC), and Gbazueagu Nweke Gbazueagu (SDP): or Abakaliki Zone, Chris Nwankwo and Polycarp Nwite.
“Their argument was that since in the old Anambra State, both Chief Jim Nwobodo and Chief C.C. Onoh, who hailed from old Enugu Zone had been Governors, for purposes of unity and inclusiveness, it would be meek and proper for the Governor of the new Enugu State to come from Nsukka zone, and later Abakaliki zone, since the two zones had not produced any Governor before. At that time, Abakaliki zone was still part of Enugu State.
“That was how Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo from Nsukka Zone emerged as the first Executive Governor of Enugu State, with Dr. Icha Ituma from Abakaliki Zone as his Deputy. The two men were in office for barely twenty months before the military struck and disrupted the political process.”
Obieze also opined that zoning doesn’t in any way negate credibility and also called on Enugu East Senatorial Zone to make the contest open to all the groups in the zone.
“Contrary to the general impression that zoning will lead to sacrificing merit on the altar of mediocrity by leaving out credible candidates, there is no part of the country you will go and you will not find competent and qualified candidates who will effectively occupy any position. What matters is to give every section a chance to bring in their best. This is why, we must advocate for macro but not micro zoning. It is important that the a zone looks for their very best in terms in Integrity, capacity, experience and relations with the people.
“Coming to Enugu East Senatorial Zone which I believe that it is their turn to produce the next Governor of the state in 2023, we know that there are six local government areas in the zone – Enugu North, Enugu South, Enugu East, Nkanu West, Nkanu East and Isi-uzo. There are also three notable cultural groups in the area – Nkanu, which are clearly in the majority, Eha, and Ngwo. We should give every group, every section, accommodation, a sense of belonging. There should be no discrimination in the zone.”
Below is the full presentation:
Protocols
I feel highly honoured and privileged to be invited as the Keynote Speaker by the organizers of this workshop tagged: “Ka Nkanu Jee,” but Renamed by me “ka Enugu East jee” otherwise known as Path to Enugu Governorship in 2023.
For quite some time the issue of which zone occupies the Lion Building, Enugu State Government House, after His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, completes his tunure on May 29, 2023, has been on the front burner.
While some people were of the opinion that since the advent of the current democratic governance, the governorship position has gone round the three senatorial zones of the state, therefore, in 2023, the position should shift from where it started in 1999, that is, Enugu East Senatorial Zone, others, however, contend that in accordance with the traditional formula of sharing things, the 2023 governorship should start from where it will end, that is, Enugu North Zone.
Were this formula to be adopted, it then means that Enugu East, which took the first in the slot would have to wait for 32 years before getting into the Lion Building.
Some people are also saying that since the three zones have completed their slots, the next circle can be started from just anywhere.
There is also the postulation that going down memory lane, since Enugu West Senatorial Zone had produced only one Governor from 1979 to date (Sullivan Chime); Enugu North, two Governors, (Okwesilieze Nwodo and the incumbent, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi); and Enugu East, three Governors, (Jim Nwobodo, C.C. Onoh and Chimaroke Nnamani); therefore, Enugu West should be allowed to produce the next Governor in 2023.
Yet, some other people are arguing that the so-called zoning of governorship position in Enugu State does not even exist. This is because according to them there was no time the people of the state had sat down to draw up any agreement, stating how the governorship should rotate among the zones. That, according to them, accounts for why every governorship election in the state since 1999, was contested by people from across the three senatorial zones.
These are some of the perspectives by various groups and individuals with regard to the governorship position of Enugu State as we move towards 2023.
For me, however, the question of who gets what, or who occupies which position in Enugu State, including the governorship position, should not be an issue of serious concern since the founding fathers of the state had already showed us the way to making an enduring and peaceful coexistence among the various inhabitants of the state, anchored on fairness, justice and equity.
For sixty-three years, beginning from May 29, 1928 when Enugu Aborigines Improvement Union was formed, Enugu people had fought relentlessly against political domination, economic exploitation, social injustice and cultural segregation, unleashed on their indigenous population by their better educated and more politically sophisticated Igbo brothers from the southern divide. This was what led to the struggle to have a separate state of their own, which came to fruition on August 27, 1991.
Thus, having realized the state of their own, the founding fathers of Enugu State resolved never to use the same yardstick of discrimination and marginalization to parcel out government patronages or share political offices to their own people. Everything must be placed on the table and shared according to agreed formula.
That was why, as soon as the governorship position fell due in 1991, the founding fathers decided to queue behind the governorship candidate from Nsukka area, now known as Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Dr. Joe Nwodo, and later, Okwesilieze Nwodo, as against candidates from either Enugu Zone, Hyde Onuaguluchi (NRC), and Gbazueagu Nweke Gbazueagu (SDP): or Abakaliki Zone, Chris Nwankwo and Polycarp Nwite.
Their argument was that since in the old Anambra State, both Chief Jim Nwobodo and Chief C.C. Onoh, who hailed from old Enugu Zone had been Governors, for purposes of unity and inclusiveness, it would be meek and proper for the Governor of the new Enugu State to come from Nsukka zone, and later Abakaliki zone, since the two zones had not produced any Governor before. At that time, Abakaliki zone was still part of Enugu State.
That was how Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo from Nsukka Zone emerged as the first Executive Governor of Enugu State, with Dr. Icha Ituma from Abakaliki Zone as his Deputy. The two men were in office for barely twenty months before the military struck and disrupted the political process.
In 1999, with the return of democracy, and with Abakaliki Zone gone to Ebonyi State, the belief was that with what remains of Enugu State re-divided into three zones, there were strong arguments that it would be the turn of Enugu West Zone, which had not produced any Governor before to do so, since both Chief Nwobodo and Chief Onoh who were Governors in the old Anambra State, were from the newly created Enugu East Zone. Others argued that 1999 was a new beginning and that the Governor could come from any zone. Some powerful political forces from Enugu East Zone, would rally round Gov Chimaroke Nnamani, helping him defeat the candidates from Enugu West Zone.
While the likes of Chief Silas Ilo and Chief Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, all from Enugu West, who were then seen as formidable governorship materials were edged out before the primaries, Chief Nduka Agu, also from Enugu West, was defeated in the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in an epic duel between him and Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani from Enugu East, ably backed by Chief Jim Nwobodo. Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani went ahead to win the main election.
With Chimaroke Nnamani from Enugu East, kick-starting what many people now believe is the new zoning process, after his eight-year tenure, he handed over the baton to Barrister Sullivan Chime, from Enugu West, who also spent eight years in the saddle, before handing over to Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, from Enugu North, who would be rounding up his eight-year tenure in 2023.
Where then has this process led us. It has led to the inevitable conclusion that there is indeed zoning of governorship in Enugu State. Even if this was not boldly embodied on a piece of paper, written in black and white, as some critics have been arguing, at least, it has been engraved in the minds of the people, which has made it possible for them to be returning all the “zoning candidates” in every election held since 1999.
This arrangement is referred to as the new zoning, because we could no longer refer to positions held prior to 1999 because at the time, what we had was completely different. For instance, in 1979 when Jim Nwobodo became Governor, he could not be said to be Governor from Enugu East Senatorial Zone because at that time there was nothing like that. We only had the “Ijekebe (Anambra) zone, the Waawa (Enugu) zone, and the Abakaliki zone. By the time Okwesilieze Nwodo became Governor we had the Nsukka Zone, the Enugu zone (which comprise of present day Enugu East and West Senatorial Zones, with Sen. Bencollins Ndu from Enugu West as their Senator) and Abakaliki zone. It is therefore believed that Both Governors Nwobodo and Onoh were from this Enugu zone and this takes care of Enugu West too, because Enugu West was part of the Enugu zone at the time.
Therefore, the new Enugu zoning arrangement started in 1999. This does not in anyway negate the fact that there has been zoning all the while, but the circumstances and indices having changed, hence the new zoning arrangement to take care of our present political divide and situation.
Zoning of political offices does not have expression only in Enugu State. Zoning is part of a political arrangement in a multi-cultural or religiously divided society aimed to give accommodation to every group or every section, without which some people would be complaining of marginalization.
Zoning entered into Nigerian political vocabulary far back in 1979, at the onset of the Second Republic, when the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN) adopted it in its Constitution, to enable it alternate power between the North and the South. Since then, other political parties have started adopting it.
So the idea of rotation and zoning was first introduced during the second republic as part of NPN’s struggle to build a party with national appeal. It was later included in its Constitution vide Article 21 thereof that NPN will strive to achieve ‘national character’ in all its dealings. I believe that this is the origin of the phrase ‘federal character’, which later surfaced in the 1999 Constitution.
Even the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes need for zoning or geographical spread of government positions and appointments across all sections of the country by establishing the Federal Character Commission, which ensures that the intendment of the Constitution is strictly complied with and that government offices are not concentrated in one particular area or section of the country. This would also explain section 223 (1) (b) and (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution, which make it mandatory for all political parties to reflect the principle of federal character in their Constitutions. See also section 14 (3) of the Constitution which stated clearly the need for zoning and power rotation to ensure national cohesion so that there will not be dominance of a particular ethnic group or tribe.
Again it is worthy of note that the Constitution of the 2 major political parties in Nigeria(APC and PDP) also provides for zoning of political offices. Both Constitutions support the principle of zoning and power rotation.
Zoning is not something new, it’s been in the Nigeria political system. The PDP in article 7 of its own constitution specifically stated that it will adhere to the principle of zoning of elective offices between the various regions in Nigeria. Same article 7 in the APC Constitution also specifically says that the party will promote national unity.
Contrary to the general impression that zoning will lead to sacrificing merit on the altar of mediocrity by leaving out credible candidates, there is no part of the country you will go and you will not find competent and qualified candidates who will effectively occupy any position. What matters is to give every section a chance to bring in their best. This is why, we must advocate for macro but not micro zoning. It is important that the a zone looks for their very best in terms in Integrity, capacity, experience and relations with the people.
Coming to Enugu East Senatorial Zone which I believe that it is their turn to produce the next Governor of the state in 2023, we know that there are six local government areas in the zone – Enugu North, Enugu South, Enugu East, Nkanu West, Nkanu East and Isi-uzo. There are also three notable cultural groups in the area – Nkanu, which are clearly in the majority, Eha, and Ngwo. We should give every group, every section, accommodation, a sense of belonging. There should be no discrimination in the zone.
We, the people of the Southeast, are clamouring for the Nigerian Presidency to be zoned to the South East, or to the Igbo. We complain of being marginalized at the national level. At the state level, we should also see it necessary for the governorship to be zoned or rotated across the senatorial zones to avoid such marginalization back home. No matter how powerful any of us gets or any zone in Enugu becomes, we must show respect to this arrangement. Yes, it must not always favour our ambitions but, common, who said it must be “You” or it must be “Me”. Peaceful arrangements such as what we have in Enugu are often truncated or distorted at the alter of a ‘selfish & desperate quest or ambition’ to grab power by every means possible. This happens when powerful individuals use their political weight to change a peaceful system enjoyed by the people. Such ambitions usually leave behind, a broken system, where greed, hate, selfishness, tribalism, disunity, chaos and ethnocentrism thrives. Such we must never allow in Enugu State.
The cliche, Ka Nkanu Jee, which is the theme of this workshop, to me, appears exclusive. It does not suggest inclusiveness or give accommodation to all the other groups in Enugu East zone, who are not Nkanu. It appears to negate the zoning principle, which is meant for the entire residents of Enugu East Zone, including even the so-called none indigenes. It should be “ka Enugu East jee,”.
I am not here to play or champion the cause of sectional divide. We are all from Enugu State and we are looking for who will be our Governor in 2023, someone who will give positive direction to the state as Governor, irrespective of the particular section of the state where he comes from. Constitutionally everyone qualified to run for the office of Governor is free to do so. But it is advised that they respect the existing peaceful arrangement in the state politics. Their ambitions must not be used to bring division or hatred among the people. Hence the need for a peaceful power shift from time to time.
In other words, the campaign of where the next Governor of the state comes from should not be used to cause division or hatred among the people. We should try to carry everybody along, build bridges of cooperation among the people, and carry the campaign with caution and diplomacy, bearing in mind that we are all brothers and sisters, and indigenes of Enugu State. I therefore make a passionate appeal to anyone currently working to distort the peaceful and seamless power sharing process in Enugu State, to please in the interest of our unity, peace and harmony reconsider their positions. Posterity beckons.
God bless you.
