Who cast a spell on us? (part 22)

To attain the desired heights of insight, I will start this column with a reflective postulation of Israelmore Ayivor: “We do not necessarily need atomic bombs to destroy a nation. Politicians who value their pockets than the life of citizens always do that every day.”

Juxtapose this assumption with recent happenings in Abia State, chiefly the ignominious hullabaloo over power shift, in the thick of our doldrums; you will concur that a handful of Abia politicians are raving egomaniacs who do not merit the eminent nomenclature – leader -.

The past few weeks have seen the so-called marginalisation of the prehistoric Aba zone by paid amateur writers rose to a clamour on social media. Reminiscent of pantomime, these hired neophytes (who have borderline knowledge of Abia political history) rhapsodised about the defunct Aba zone retaining power for another eight years for equity sake. Can you imagine!

Anyways, I am not surprised because little minds, they say, attract its ilk. I guess it is the reason young men who bed wet in 1999 look appealing to these self-centred politicians to promote the balderdash – power retention – against their obligatory PDP rotational treaty or policy.

For those of us who execrate mischief and are open to learning, the power rotation is a PDP national policy that was wisely espoused by Abia State PDP to ensure equilibrium between senatorial districts. It is not in compliance with the so-called Abia Charter of Equity; a merely proposed document that lacked legitimacy and further rendered useless by the creation of Ebonyi State in 1996.

The same applies to the outmoded political zones they always refer to when promoting schism for political interests. During the Second Republic in 1979, the old Imo State – comprising of today’s Abia and part of Ebonyi States – had five political zones – Aba zone, Owerri/Mbaise zone, Bende/Umuahia zone, Afikpo zone and Orlu/Okigwe zone. Note there was no zone called the old Bende.

These zones were duly represented in the senate in 1979 by the late Senator Jaja Wachukwu (Aba), the late Senator Tony Anyanwu, (Owerri/Mbaise), the late Senator Simeon Mba Ojukwu, (Bende/Umuahia), the late Senator Elijah Emejie (Afikpo) and the late Senator Emeka Patrick Echeruo, (Orlu/Okigwe).

For proper understanding, the word, zone is similar to, district. In other words, they are the same. The creation of new states/LGAs across the Federation (including, Abia State) only modernised the old political blocs to meet the Federal government contemporary plan of expediting development. In other words, Abia Central, Abia North and Abia South Senatorial Districts are upgrades of the old political blocs – Aba, Bende/Umuahia and Isuikwuato zones.

For the sake of example, the new order disentangled Ikwuano from Umuahia LGA and divided Umuahia into two – North and South -. It also gave birth to Isiala Ngwa North/South and Osisioma – Abia Central -. Separated, Ohafia from Arochukwu, Bende from Isuikwuato and Umunneochi – Abia North -. It also divided Aba metropolis into two – North/South -. Gave birth to Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East/West and granted full autonomy to Obingwa – Abia South -.

The analogy above is devoid of ambiguity; hence the need to ignore the mischief-makers. However, we may also kindly subject them to mandatory psychiatric test to ascertain their mental state because it is baffling how some people still live in the medieval era.

If there should be an alteration to the current PDP zoning arrangement in Abia State, it should not come from the current crops of PDP politicians who hold or have held elective positions in the past. They are all products of zoning. Nobody eats his/her cake and have it.

I, therefore urge the PDP to preserve its integrity by upholding zoning – its most viable campaign strategy – that has contributed to keeping it in power since 1999. The attempt by politicians, like a bear with a sore head, to muddle it as Abia Charter of Equity’s precepts is roguish. The Abia Charter of Equity is obsolete and illegitimate to provide a model for the new Abia State.

Any acceptable alteration to this zoning arrangement should happen when another opposition political party dislodge the PDP in Abia State. Only then would the debate for anticlockwise rotation be necessary. For the sake of decency, I also urge Abians to ignore the ranting of some toddlers on social media. They were bedwetting in 1999. In other words, they are too insignificant to tell us about power rotation.

To be continued.