It was the famous war-time British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill who asserted that “among the deficiencies of hindsight is that while we know the consequences of what was done, we do not know the consequences of the other course that was not followed”. As Enugu State print and social media spaces were awash with news, a couple of days ago of the defection to and subsequent anointing as the Gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party by Barr Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga, a former Commissioner for Environment in the Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s cabinet and 2022 PDP Gubernatorial aspirant; many of the people were surprised and taken aback.
Immediately after the PDP Gubernatorial Primaries, the winner, Barr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah shoved aside any form of celebration and moved with speed of light to assure his fellow aspirants – individually and collectively, that the responsibility entrusted to him is a collective one, that requires all hands on deck as one big PDP family. We saw faces of former aspirants including Barr Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga beaming with smiles on our social media platforms and news outlets. Little did we know that such smiles did not permeate the heart!
Several reasons have been adduced as we read from various sources as responsible for this U-turn. However, the questions the Enugu man are asking: Who’s saying the truth? Who’s lying? Who’s to blame? What are the choices before Ndi Enugu? Should we sacrifice our future on the altar of emotions? What have we gained as a people by playing parochial politics? Is Enugu State progressing or retrogressing as we have it now? As we match towards 2023 politicking, let’s ponder on the above questions and make efforts to provide answers individually and collectively, especially to the uniformed. This is because where knowledge is lacking, speculations tend to flourish; and such speculations gets elevated misguidedly to the status of historical facts.
The PDP Gubernatorial standard bearer, Barr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has assured Ndi Enugu State that “Tomorrow is Here”. He means business by that assurance and I can bet that the level of transformation he will bring to Enugu State will dwarf all known theories of growth and development. He has promised Ndi Enugu State a radical disruption of the old order, and that’s exactly what we need at this critical point in time. In the words of Prof Ali A. Mazrui, “Africa has experienced urbanisation without industrialisation, Western tastes without Western skills, capitalist greed without capitalist discipline, Western consumption patterns without production techniques, Western culture of letters without Western culture of numbers”. Hence, Africa nay Enugu State needs people with the tendency to turn things around.
I want to plead and urge our people who are disgruntled over the conduct of the last primaries in the State to sheath their sword. Our problem in this country and State is not where the leader(s) comes from, but the lopsidedness in the distribution of dividends of democracy. Whatever fears you have should be put to rest, Barr (Dr) Peter Ndubuisi Mbah is not the regular politician you know. He’s too polished to promote parochialism!
Enugu State needs salvaging, and it is visible in the lips of everyone. William Shakespeare advised that, “there is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their (our) life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures”.
Ability writes from Achara Layout, Enugu.
Hawk Daily News 
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