As politicians nationwide commences subtle moves for strategic positioning in preparation for the 2023 general elections, the people of Nkanu-East in Enugu state have cried out over what they call “persistent marginalisation of their area”.
A three-time member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Anayo Edeh who spoke to IgbereTv on the plight of his people in Nkanu-East Local Government Area, said that the marginalisation or exclusion of the people of Nkanu-East from major appointive and elective positions in government at all levels had led to the impoverishment of the people and caused a sense of exclusion among them.
Hon. Edeh, who comes from Nkanu-East, expressed worry over the ongoing schemings on which of the zones would produce the next Governor of Enugu State without recourse to the State’s zoning formula, regretted a situation where he said no indigene of Nkanu-East had either been elected Governor of Enugu State or Senator of Enugu-East Senatorial District since the Local Government (Nkanu-East) was created in 1996 by late General Sani Abacha.
According to Hon. Edeh, going by the rotation arrangement in Enugu state, it is now the turn of Nkanu-East to produce the next Governor of Enugu State. He added that Nkanu-East has capable sons such as Peter Mbah and Evarest Nnaji (Odengene), who he said could build from where the current Governor, His Excellency, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) would stop.
The issue of who becomes the next Governor of Enugu State after the exit of Governor Ugwuanyi is beginning to cause anxiety among the people of the State.
Despite what is now referred to as the zoning arrangement in the state, citizens from almost all the zones have started jostling for the number one plum position.
Already, some prominent indigenes of the state have started positioning themselves for the office of Governor and have begun consultations across the state to generate support and sympathy for themselves.These include former deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, Chinyeaka Oha and the current speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon.Edward Ubosi among others.
Hon. Edeh described the ambitions of some of these Governorship aspirants as “out of place and improper” since according to him, there is no consideration for equity and fairness in their pursuits. He insisted that Enugu State has a zoning arrangement which he advised should be kept intact in the interest of peace, equity and justice among the three zones in the State.
Hon. Edeh noted that the current zoning arrangement in the present Enugu State began in 1992 with Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo who comes from Enugu-North. He said that Nwodo was succeeded by Senator Chimaraoke Nnamani from Enugu-East Senatorial District. According to him, Sullivan Chime from Enugu-West later became Governor after Senator Nnamani. Hon. Edeh further disclosed that Enugu-North had produced Nwodo and Ugwuanyi; insisting that indigenes of Local Government Areas that had produced Governors should be fair to others, particularly Nkanu-East in Enugu-East Senatorial District which has neither produced a Governor nor a Senator since its creation . He expressed the view that since all the three Senatorial Districts have produced Governors, the rotation should now move back to Enugu-East Senatorial District with Nkanu-East producing one of her own as Governor.
