WHY OJI RIVER 'MAY' REMAIN POLITICALLY RETARDED
At times people ask themselves some questions pertaining their well-being and survival.
Oji River is one of the local governments in Enugu state that should be showing the way in terms of development and political difference:
This is a council with the population of 126,587 (2006 census) which means -the population to leverage on in discussing development is not in short supply.
Furthermore, the beauty of this council is not in any way in doubt knowing some strategic federal establishments like the police college, The prison, the leper settlement centre, the school of the impaired, etc. These may sound funny but a people with idea can negotiate with the system exploring them.
This council we are currently toiling with by our individual differences is hosting the Federal Thermal station built to serve the purpose of power generation using the Oji River as the pressure point and the popular Enugu coal as a sustainable means.
The station was initially built to produce 10MW of electricity even before Nigerian independence.
It is equally on record that after Nigerian/Biafran war, the thermal station was upgraded to produce 30MW of electricity. What is the state of this station and what is the council or Oji River people doing to restore the integrity of this station on order to meet up to its original intention?
This council is currently hosting the Anglican Diocese of Oji River and its attendant developments and religious pilgrims.
With the above said, people like me wonder the kind of leadership we produced over time that what now occupies the centre stage in Oji River discussion are trivial issues unconnected to the growth of human capital nor the development of the council.
Painfully, this council we are toiling with due to primordial political gains remains the only council that had played host to the Queen of England.
Memory lane reveals that in 28 January 1956, Queen Elizabeth II, on a three-week visit to Nigeria, visited Oji River Local Government Council. The spot that attracted her was the Thermal station and the Leper settlement.
Queen Elizabeth visits the Oji River thermal power station in 1956
Fashola visits the oji river thermal power station for inspection
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| Leper Settlers begging for help |
Queen Elizabeth visits lepers settlers in 1956
The beauty of Oji was never in doubt. The popularity and her sagacity not in question. Her clout politically predated the current Enugu state political shenanigan. We are a people well treated by history. A people so much bestowed with beautiful political cells but over time, the cells died off and we unanimously killed the political cells in that it lacks rejuvenation and as such, can no longer replenish hence, we are today gossiping, bickering and magnifying incendiary comments against one another because we killed opportunities to play strategically at the state and federal levels.
Was Oji River in the status of infamous and yet was visited by the world's most powerful political Monarch?
The contemporary political experimenters owe themselves some historical clarifications if not, history will capture their reign as a period Oji River politics nosedived into inglorious status.
What we are facing today in our council are issues pertaining to individual interests. Somebody will be appointed or elected to hold on trust, public fund or property, they will see themselves as a constituted Mafias unamenable to public scrutiny. This is alien to modern governance and Oji River politics. We must archive the era it all began for posterity sake.
Look at the way the whole platform occupied by Oji River sons and daughters are looking tensed as though somebody died whereas it ought to be a celebration galore. Why? Because the politicians in our midst project their selfishness and survival above the survival of Oji River. They draw support group from within the Oji populace setting brothers and sisters against one another all because of their self interest. It is time to behave like men. Oji River is above individual's political ambition.
We are on this lane today so much divided because alignment and realignment has become a conventional political tool if you must be anointed by these political gladiators to be useful in Oji River politics. It must stop forthwith.
Am even ashamed that we were here struggling with irrelevant political seats which is naturally ours whilst other LGs in Enugu West shared the topnotch positions and here we are today like Aaron empty handed.
Yes, the governor may be attending all these functions if we call him but mind you he's a politician! If you scheme yourself out, don't blame anybody.
The way Oji River is approaching her things, am afraid we may not produce any serious political office holder in near future. In Oyo state yesterday, a young man of 32 emerged as the Speaker of the state house of assembly. All these men causing us disaffections here and there, how old are they? I recommend federal for them if truth won't be mistaken as an insult here.
Only the wise will understand how painful it is to discuss trivial in the place of tangible developmental issues.
Herdsmen are here on our doors yet, we want to die on the house of assembly seat. We want to make it an endless fruitless discourse.
The health centres are in coma in our domains yet we are struggling with the council chairmanship position without any evidence the occupants understand their core duty and responsibilities over our communities.
We are even bickering on how to manage the land in the council. Everything is shrouded in opacity while allegations and counter allegations have taken the centre stage. With this wrong political precedence, Oji River "may" remain politically retarded.
From my personal assessment, Oji River should be above this unproductive approach to politicking.
God bless you all.
By Okah Kingsley (11/06/2019).
