ODINMA NSUKKA, IS A LIP SERVICE: WHO IS OUR COMMON ENEMY?

ODINMA NSUKKA, IS A LIP SERVICE: WHO IS OUR COMMON ENEMY?

Nsukka Unity Rally or Mega Rally, call it what you wish took place at Nsukka few months ago. Understandably a people of same history, culture, dialects and above all, same destiny should always seek to be united. Unity brings progress, development and the bedrock for a formidable front to fight their battles. In similar fashion, united, the people of Nsukka can fight their common enemy. But who are our common enemies? 

This rally has come and gone! The success or failure of the rally is open for debate. But what is clear now is that the more the organizers shout unity, the more divided we become. The organizers did not ask themselves, why are we divided in the first place? When you fail to do root cause analysis, you will equally fail to find or implement or take needed corrective actions that will bring lasting solution and achieve the lasting unity we seek.

The ongoing visit of the organizers to some political leaders and office holders from Nsukka, preaching peace and unity is a confirmation that they still do not understand the yearnings of the ordinary Nsukka man. Peace and unity is not a cosmetic or a costume that we can wear to an event or just for a visit. Unity starts and ends in the heart of people and becomes expressed in our conducts. 

Let me use this opportunity to express my opinion on issues and questions of Nsukka Unity, otherwise ODINMA NSUKKA. The people and land of Nsukka has always been united. I have not heard or read of any part of Nsukka at war with each other. We love ourselves and rarely stand against a fellow Nsukka man or woman if a contest involves other non-Nsukka people. We maintained remarkable unity of faith and purpose until a political class emerged 22 years ago.

These Nsukka born politicians that took the stage and are still on stage since 22 years ago enjoyed the support and loyalty of our people. We voted for whosoever they imposed on us in all elections. Through unquestionable and dependable support of the people, many of these men and women held and / or are still holding political offices from National assembly, State legislature, Executive Council members, Chairman and Governors. Nothing is wrong with being in the political stage for a long time if they are doing well. Our people ask for simple things. Just give us the political dividends that other parts of the state enjoy. Instead our own political leaders turned us to beggars they only remember during campaign and elections.

The division began when our people started noticing that after elections, these same political class become richer and our people becomes poorer.  What brought the division is lack of employment, lack of infrastructure, simple drinking water for communities, electricity, functional health centers, schools with educational materials and furniture ignited the anger in the minds of the ordinary Nsukka man and women. 

Ordinary Nsukka citizen could not do anything. Confrontation with this political group was not an option or thinkable. They have the money and the authority. So the governed minded their business. The division between the political class and the people got wider. The division between the poor and the rich is on the increase. All attempts to make it look like ideological division or political alignment is falsehood. 

In 2015, once again Nsukka political class and the ordinary people united in an unbelievable manner to bring Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to power as the Governor of Enugu State. If it was possible for our domestic animals to vote, they would have all voted in the spirit of Nsukka Unity. But why? The hope was that a change will come. A change that will recognize the unique challenges of Nsukka nation. The hope for development, prosperity and unpresidented attention to the cries of Ndi-Nsukka. Our people expected a government led by a new committed officials. What did we get? 

The Governor entrusted the power of governance to same cream of people that has held our people hostage for many years. The same group of people that have treated us all like slaves were used to fill all positions of authority granted to Nsukka. We thought that it will be for a moment but we were wrong. We began to see corruption like never before. Lands are being taken away without compensation and in some cases, not even a discussion with the real owners. The biggest sales or convertion of government properties to individuals began to take place. Government GRA at Nsukka disappeared. AdaRice is dead and given out. Ikenga Hotel is gone for 50 years. Orba boys gone and handed to the Army. Now ordinary families cannot afford to send their children to same Orba boys where, some of government officials attend for almost free of charge. Igbo Ano communities were treated like no man's land. To make matters worse, now they are going ahead to encroach of family land far beyond the Igbo Ano land space. My own family land taken without even a word to my family. How do you preach unity to people treated like strangers on their own land?

The cry for water, road, jobs, functional health facilities and equipped schools are not heard. Our children still seat on the floor at our primary schools. Our boreholes are out of service. The suffering of the commoners continues. THIS IS WHY DIVISION EMERGED AGAIN. THIS IS WHY DISUNITY HAS TAKEN OVER. We are looking for solutions to our common problem and common enemy. Our enemy are same people going around preaching unity. 

The division we have in Nsukka can be likened to the relationship between a hungry cow and those milking her dry. The cow had to learn how to bite or kick to protest the injustice and lack of fairness. 

HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE UNITY

1. Leaders to lead well. 

2. Those that has failed Nsukka People to understand that the people are tired of them and respectfully exist the stage. 

3. To have the courage to tell ourselves the truth about were and how our disunity started and how it can be ended. 

4. To stop looking at some of us speaking for the people as the cause of disunity. The failure of the political class is the cause of the division. 

5. Parading the same people, that Nsukka people do not wish to hear their names again in the name of seeking unity makes all your efforts futile. I sincerely believe that it is the greatest height of insensitivity on the part of this organizers. 

6. Looking outside Nsukka in search of our common enemy is pretending not to know the root cause. Nsukka political class is our common enemy. Their collective failure to address our needs, or represent us well or lead us well is our common enemy. Corruption and manipulation of the entire Nsukka Communities by this group is the source of our division.

My advice to a few of these leaders who I still have huge respect for, is to disassociate themselves and their political interests, involvement, and investment from those that has ruined Nsukka and stalled our development. You cannot be working with Hitlers and hope that your message of unity will be received the Jewish People.

Those of you who still believe that we must work with our own (Nsukka man or woman) even if he or she is a daylight demon or armed robber, will suffer same consequences of emerging political revolution in Nsukka.

To me, ODINMA NSUKKA is about addressing how we can sanction the bad leaders of Nsukka origin. The ODINMA will emerge when we blacklist those that have taken our people for a ride. Many have died of curable diseases that could have been cured at our health centers if they were truly functional. Many people's future were wasted for the opportunities they were denied.

The ODINMA NSUKKA for these victims is finding a lasting solution to end these ugly experiences. Ask a man dispossessed of his land without compensation, the ODINMA to him is being compensated. The true unity and reconciliation must address the needs of the victims of bad governance and NOT trying to unite the peptrators for 2023. It is similar to a case where citizens are uniting to fight crime and the criminals are coming together to form a great threat to security of the people. 

I have no problem supporting our own when we find one that is doing well. I will also not hesitate to denounce my own when necessary and right to do so.

Finally I have no doubt that changes will come on Nsukka land some day at the right time. God on his own will do the needful. Let no political leader be immersed in river of illusion that things will continue to be as it has always been. There is a revival going on and no amount of money or intimidation can stop it. Nsukka People are wiser now. To God be the glory. 

Better Days Ahead! 

Cele Okanya.

Nsukka Unity Rally or Mega Rally, call it what you wish took place at Nsukka few months ago. Understandably a people of same history, culture, dialects and above all, same destiny should always seek to be united. Unity brings progress, development and the bedrock for a formidable front to fight their battles. In similar fashion, united, the people of Nsukka can fight their common enemy. But who are our common enemies? 

This rally has come and gone! The success or failure of the rally is open for debate. But what is clear now is that the more the organizers shout unity, the more divided we become. The organizers did not ask themselves, why are we divided in the first place? When you fail to do root cause analysis, you will equally fail to find or implement or take needed corrective actions that will bring lasting solution and achieve the lasting unity we seek.

The ongoing visit of the organizers to some political leaders and office holders from Nsukka, preaching peace and unity is a confirmation that they still do not understand the yearnings of the ordinary Nsukka man. Peace and unity is not a cosmetic or a costume that we can wear to an event or just for a visit. Unity starts and ends in the heart of people and becomes expressed in our conducts. 

Let me use this opportunity to express my opinion on issues and questions of Nsukka Unity, otherwise ODINMA NSUKKA. The people and land of Nsukka has always been united. I have not heard or read of any part of Nsukka at war with each other. We love ourselves and rarely stand against a fellow Nsukka man or woman if a contest involves other non-Nsukka people. We maintained remarkable unity of faith and purpose until a political class emerged 22 years ago.

These Nsukka born politicians that took the stage and are still on stage since 22 years ago enjoyed the support and loyalty of our people. We voted for whosoever they imposed on us in all elections. Through unquestionable and dependable support of the people, many of these men and women held and / or are still holding political offices from National assembly, State legislature, Executive Council members, Chairman and Governors. Nothing is wrong with being in the political stage for a long time if they are doing well. Our people ask for simple things. Just give us the political dividends that other parts of the state enjoy. Instead our own political leaders turned us to beggars they only remember during campaign and elections.

The division began when our people started noticing that after elections, these same political class become richer and our people becomes poorer.  What brought the division is lack of employment, lack of infrastructure, simple drinking water for communities, electricity, functional health centers, schools with educational materials and furniture ignited the anger in the minds of the ordinary Nsukka man and women. 

Ordinary Nsukka citizen could not do anything. Confrontation with this political group was not an option or thinkable. They have the money and the authority. So the governed minded their business. The division between the political class and the people got wider. The division between the poor and the rich is on the increase. All attempts to make it look like ideological division or political alignment is falsehood. 

In 2015, once again Nsukka political class and the ordinary people united in an unbelievable manner to bring Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to power as the Governor of Enugu State. If it was possible for our domestic animals to vote, they would have all voted in the spirit of Nsukka Unity. But why? The hope was that a change will come. A change that will recognize the unique challenges of Nsukka nation. The hope for development, prosperity and unpresidented attention to the cries of Ndi-Nsukka. Our people expected a government led by a new committed officials. What did we get? 

The Governor entrusted the power of governance to same cream of people that has held our people hostage for many years. The same group of people that have treated us all like slaves were used to fill all positions of authority granted to Nsukka. We thought that it will be for a moment but we were wrong. We began to see corruption like never before. Lands are being taken away without compensation and in some cases, not even a discussion with the real owners. The biggest sales or convertion of government properties to individuals began to take place. Government GRA at Nsukka disappeared. AdaRice is dead and given out. Ikenga Hotel is gone for 50 years. Orba boys gone and handed to the Army. Now ordinary families cannot afford to send their children to same Orba boys where, some of government officials attend for almost free of charge. Igbo Ano communities were treated like no man's land. To make matters worse, now they are going ahead to encroach of family land far beyond the Igbo Ano land space. My own family land taken without even a word to my family. How do you preach unity to people treated like strangers on their own land?

The cry for water, road, jobs, functional health facilities and equipped schools are not heard. Our children still seat on the floor at our primary schools. Our boreholes are out of service. The suffering of the commoners continues. THIS IS WHY DIVISION EMERGED AGAIN. THIS IS WHY DISUNITY HAS TAKEN OVER. We are looking for solutions to our common problem and common enemy. Our enemy are same people going around preaching unity. 

The division we have in Nsukka can be likened to the relationship between a hungry cow and those milking her dry. The cow had to learn how to bite or kick to protest the injustice and lack of fairness. 

HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE UNITY

1. Leaders to lead well. 

2. Those that has failed Nsukka People to understand that the people are tired of them and respectfully exist the stage. 

3. To have the courage to tell ourselves the truth about were and how our disunity started and how it can be ended. 

4. To stop looking at some of us speaking for the people as the cause of disunity. The failure of the political class is the cause of the division. 

5. Parading the same people, that Nsukka people do not wish to hear their names again in the name of seeking unity makes all your efforts futile. I sincerely believe that it is the greatest height of insensitivity on the part of this organizers. 

6. Looking outside Nsukka in search of our common enemy is pretending not to know the root cause. Nsukka political class is our common enemy. Their collective failure to address our needs, or represent us well or lead us well is our common enemy. Corruption and manipulation of the entire Nsukka Communities by this group is the source of our division.

My advice to a few of these leaders who I still have huge respect for, is to disassociate themselves and their political interests, involvement, and investment from those that has ruined Nsukka and stalled our development. You cannot be working with Hitlers and hope that your message of unity will be received the Jewish People.

Those of you who still believe that we must work with our own (Nsukka man or woman) even if he or she is a daylight demon or armed robber, will suffer same consequences of emerging political revolution in Nsukka.

To me, ODINMA NSUKKA is about addressing how we can sanction the bad leaders of Nsukka origin. The ODINMA will emerge when we blacklist those that have taken our people for a ride. Many have died of curable diseases that could have been cured at our health centers if they were truly functional. Many people's future were wasted for the opportunities they were denied.

The ODINMA NSUKKA for these victims is finding a lasting solution to end these ugly experiences. Ask a man dispossessed of his land without compensation, the ODINMA to him is being compensated. The true unity and reconciliation must address the needs of the victims of bad governance and NOT trying to unite the peptrators for 2023. It is similar to a case where citizens are uniting to fight crime and the criminals are coming together to form a great threat to security of the people. 

I have no problem supporting our own when we find one that is doing well. I will also not hesitate to denounce my own when necessary and right to do so.

Finally I have no doubt that changes will come on Nsukka land some day at the right time. God on his own will do the needful. Let no political leader be immersed in river of illusion that things will continue to be as it has always been. There is a revival going on and no amount of money or intimidation can stop it. Nsukka People are wiser now. To God be the glory. 

Better Days Ahead! 

Cele Okanya.