OPINION: Arresting the rising political tension in Ebonyi state by Ani Nwachukwu Agwu
Editor's note: Ani Nwachukwu Agwu, a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria with a strong interest in governance and public policy, writes on the rising political tension in Ebonyi occasioned by the recent defection of Governor Dave Umahi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Following the defection of Ebonyi state governor - David Nweze Umahi - to the ruling party (APC) and his recent outbursts that some stalwarts of the PDP (former political allies) are plotting to destabilize his government using IPOB and cultists is an allegation that shouldn't be treated with kids gloves.
In the outbursts, the governor was detailed and clear enough as he mentioned big names behind the said plot. Accordingly, Umahi met with security agencies in the state with a charge to scuttle and foil the plots from materialising. Is that the governor being proactive to achieve deterrence? I think otherwise.
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There is an elephant in the room. The governor’s outbursts have triggered firm rebuttals or rejoinders from accused persons such as Dr. Sam Egwu and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. Dr. Egwu (a former governor of the state) has distanced himself from the allegations and called for a full investigation.
As I type this piece in my cubicle, the political atmosphere in Ebonyi is turbocharged and could explode. For instance, all appointees of Umahi’s government in Ohaukwu and Ivo local government areas where Dr. Egwu and Senator Anyim hail from respectively have been relieved of their appointments.
Although the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has given reason(s) for the dismissals, the prevailing logic/reasoning is the dilution of the influence of Dr. Egwu and Senator Anyim. Whatever the true position is, what is undeniable is the charged and ready-to-explode political atmosphere in Ebonyi. This must not happen!
In May this year, Ebonyi state was graded/labelled as a major breeding site for poverty and destitution in Nigeria. Herein is the source of my worry or anxiousness: the strong correlation between poverty and armed conflict or violence.
The report, produced/authored by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), was simply damning. In the report: Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria, Ebonyi was the 4th poorest state in the federation and the poorest (number one) in the southern parts of the country. What does this mean for political instability?
It is my candid and considered opinion that the precarious state of Ebonyi and Ebonyians in national poverty ratings must not deteriorate any further. However, this deterioration is inevitable if the tension in the state is allowed to suppurate and fester.
Most obviously, we know that political (armed) conflicts kill and injure people in all economies (developing and developed) but the unintended (indirect) consequences kill even more people. In a typical scenario of politically-induced conflict, mass flight dislocates people into unfamiliar places or villages where they lack natural immunity and adaptation strategies to survive. As a result, much of the dying (deaths) occur after a conflict is declared over.
Although the possibility of instability exists, with uncontrolled political tension, that route must be dreaded by all actors and stakeholders. The fact that people are gravely affected by internal conflicts and tend disproportionately to be among the poorest and most disadvantaged people in society imposes a necessity for politicians to sheath their swords.
Political war will not only degrade the progress the state has recorded in the recent past; it would return Ebonyi to the horrible state of yesteryears, where being an Ebonyian was equated to pity, indignity, and lack of opportunities. We cannot afford it!
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