Understanding zoning and the Enugu Governorship Trajectory

I had in different occasions disclosed my witness, probably due to my close association with father, to establishment of zoning political positions, particularly governorship, in Enugu state, dating back to the old Enugu state when it was created in 1991. In my narrative, I told about how Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo emerged as the first civilian governor of the then Enugu state that comprised of two senatorial districts of the present Ebonyi state and Icha Ituma as Nwodo’s deputy governor.

I had also told of how in the present democratic dispensation that stared from 1999, how Okwesilieze Nwodo in the company of Senator Jim Nwobodo and Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani came to my father’s house in Ngwo in 1998, prelude to the election that eventually threw up Dr. Nnamani, as Governor of the present Enugu state on May 29 1999. In my witness accounts, I recalled that the issue of zoning was clearly spelt out from the onset in 1991 by these elder statesmen, noting that Nwodo emerged governor then because at that time the leaders held the opinion that Nsukka zone should produce governor, having not produced it earlier when we that belonged to the old Enugu senatorial zone that now comprises Enugu East and Enugu west senatorial districts had produced governors in the persons of Jim Nwobodo and my father, C.C Onoh in the then Anambra state.

The Abakaliki zone was therefore prevailed upon to nominate a deputy governor with the understanding that it will rotate to Abakliki zone after Nsukka and back to Enugu zone thereafter. they did not know that the military thought otherwise, and then democracy was truncated. Remember that leaders of these three zones were prominent in the struggle for the creation of the proposed Wawa state, which was later named Enugu state.

At the resume of democratic governance again, in 1999, Abakaliki zone had become Ebonyi state and the remainder of the old Enugu state (Enugu and Nsukka zones) were subdivided into three senatorial districts as the 1999 constitution demanded and a part of Nsukka zone (Is-uzo) was carved out together with Enugu-Ngwo to join Nike and Nkanu local government councils to form Enugu east senatorial zone; while Udi and Agwu areas became Enugu west senatorial zone and Enugu north senatorial zone became the exclusive preserve of the six local government councils in the old Nsukka zone.

At that time my father C.C Onoh, Nwobodo and Nwodo who represents the three senatorial districts agreed to recommence the earlier established zoning from Enugu east senatorial zone after which the other two zones will have their turns and the roation will continue in the like manner.

Therefore, I would prefer to set my own records strength and differently from the rotation analogy credited to my good friend and brother, Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who was reported to have rearranged the governorship trajectory of the present Enugu state. The distinguished senator was reported to have recreated the old Anambra and old Enugu states when Senator Jim Nwobodo, Chief C.C Onoh, and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo emerged governors, which should be distinct from the present discussion of Enugu state, starting from 1999 as baseline.

The most distinguished senator ike Ekweremadu, probably forgot that Chief CC Onoh belonged to the Udi division in the Enugu senatorial zone of the old Anambra state that comprised even the the present Aninri local government area. For emphasis, the present Enugu state was made up of only two senatorial zones, which were Enugu and Nsukka senatorial zones. I therefore consider it as embarrassing for anybody cited Senator Jim Nwobodo and Chief C.C Onoh as former governors of Enugu state when in the real sense of it Enugu state was not created at those times. Associating my father C.C Onoh and Nwobodo and even Nwodo with governorship of the present Enugu state, therefore, diminishes the high accomplishments which these statesmen earned at their era.

His Excellency Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo was the governor of Anambra state, same as Chief Christian Chukwuma Chukwuma Onoh, who succeeded Nwobodo in 1983 when most of the present political actors in Enugu state were not there. These men were at their time Governors of Anambra, Enugu, and parts of Ebonyi states. It should be noted that the benchmark for the present argumentative excursion is Enugu state of 1996 and not Anambra state of 1979 and 1983. The same waiver goes to the administration of Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo, who was governor of old Enugu state , included parts of Ebonyi state in 1991.

Come to think of it these three former governors had very brief stints as governors whose administrations were truncated by the military interjections and they never had full course as in the present dispensation where each senatorial districts of the present Enugu state have had complete eight years of two terms each and needs to restart the circle of political inclusion for peace, accommodation and sense of belonging.

Probing this path, the Distinguished Senator ike Ekweremadu whom i hold in highest esteem would have known that Nsukka is the most shortchanged partner in the present Enugu state political chessboard. He ought to have known that Nwobodo, C C Onoh, Sullivan Chime belong to the old Enugu district while Nwodo and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi came from the Nsukka leg of the present Enugu state. Where then lays the equity and fairness when a part of Nsukka (Isi-Uzo) was taken by fiat to make up Enugu zone, which further diminished the old Nsukka zone. Strangely, I just learnt about the mention of four cultural zones in the state, which has never been a base for allocation of the present political offices.

In the case of Chief C.C Onoh, my father, till his demise, voted at Ekeani-Ngwo polling unit in the present Udi local government of Enugu state. Therefore, the late sage belonged to Enugu East senatorial district and it would not do any good to the emancipator of the Wawa people and a founding father of Enugu state who was only given two months governorship to be given a false narrative. My father, therefore, belonged to Udi in the present Enugu West senatorial district and not Enugu East senatorial district. To corroborate this fact, the Nkanu people of the present Enugu East senatorial district supported Jim Nwobodo other than my father C.C Onoh whom they saw as an Udi man in the 1983 election that threw up my father as Governor of the old Anambra state.

Although the zoning of governorship in Enugu state was not written, it serves the interest of the people for inclusiveness and participation in governance. There were governors of the state who would not have tolerated the present divisive interests, but it can only take place under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who offers free speech, liberal democracy and rule of law. History will however not be kind to us if we watched without doing anything to allow the norms established upturned on the altar of political extremism.

There is need to give credit to the other proponents of rotation and equity such as the late Chief Polycarp Nwite, late Dr. Offia Nwali, Chief Mgbada, Retired Justice Emma Odanwu of Ebonyi state who later won the battle for creation of Ebonyi state and were great politicians of their time. The late Chief Charles Abangwu of Nsukka, my late father Chief C.C Onoh and some other living and departed legends, I’m sure would have abhorred the present quest for political relevance and hooliganism that is presently threathening to destroy the labours and tenets established by these founding fathers of Wawa states.

I’ve also read about another existing zoning arrangement agreed upon during the tenure of HE, Sullivan Chime and not being a witness or participant I can neither comment or contribute but on grounds of integrity believe the narration of HE. Okwesilieze Nwodo because he was one of the major and originating foundation which the zoning arrangement was initiated and agreed during the build up to his election in 1991.

Examining the imperatives of zoning in Enugu brings to mind the Isi-uzo subtle campaign for equity and justice for it to produce the next governor of the state in 2023. Looking at the travails of Isi-uzo, the council area should at least be allowed to produce the next senator of Enugu east senatorial zone. to appease its years of political relegation. Enugu north local government which has all the while fathered the state is another council in Enugu state that should be given first line attention in all the present agitations and concerns for equity in the political positions distribution. And be allowed to produce the next governor of Enugu state or Senator to represent Enugu East senatorial district.

Most people tend to forget that Enugu-Ngwo and Ogui nike by order 10 of 1938 was declared a neutral zone, but today people have conscripted the crown colony into whatever partition that massages their ego. Let it however be noted that at the end of the day, when the chips are down, the governor of Enugu, HE. Rt.hon Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, despite his meekness and liberalism, remains the numero uno and a deciding factor in all these disputes.

The instances of governorship performance in Enugu and other states such as in Anambra and Ikwa-Ibom states that have followed the route of governorship mentoring, had nobody to appease since they were mentored by their predecessors. They rather focused on governance than appeasing supporters and those they ran to for crowning as Chief Executives.

Let’s not be deceived by social media euphoria, which gives people a different reality from what exists, political debates, etc. All these are just for entertainment for all politics is local and I assure everyone that claims to know Gburugburu that he’s locally and extremely internally grounded in local politics and to win him and his successor come 2023 by any opposition no matter any angle they are coming from will be political suicide.

I shall continue to hold both Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and Sen. Ken Nnamani in the highest esteemed for putting Enugu state on the globe as the only state to have produced a Senate president and deputy senate president, indeed they are truly great sons of Enugu state while also appreciating HE, Sen. JIM NWOBODO, HE. Okwesilieze Nwodo for that initial support that ushered HE. Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani, whom without his contribution, these proud sons of Enugu state wouldn’t have glittered like a bright star to the pride of Enugu state.

Today, the greatest credit goes to HE, Rt.Hon Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who’s peaceful, calm and tolerant nature and all inclusive political views allowed both opposition and supporters alike to co exist peaceful in Enugu state today offering equal protection to all. My fellow WAWA and especially all politicians of Enugu state, I say, “The purpose of History is to chronicle the record of events ” Behold your history and you can then decide who’s telling the truth about zoning “