Hon. Bar. Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga: The Head That Enugu Governorship Cap Fits.

By Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: For close to 10 months or so now, the campaign to the Lion Building, the Seat of power of Enugu State and the Headquarters of the Igbo nation began. The said campaign is for Enugu people to elect a capable, honest, energetic, workaholic, project deliverer and impeccable replacement for His Excellency, the current occupier of the Lion Building, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Some of us have keenly followed and watched the events till this stage when the fight in the words of ndi Nska, has come to the level of opening the anus (ote abia ne njaye ohu).
At first, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the cynosure of all eyes in this struggle as the major gladiators of the Campaign were in the Party. They included but not limited to the egg head former Power Minister and globally acclaimed Scientist, Prof Barth Nnaji, Chief Chinyeaka Ohaa, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mba, former Chief of Staff and Commissioner in the state, Chief Frank Nweke (Jnr), a former Minister, a Consummate business mogul and philanthropist, Chief Everest Ede Nnaji, popularly known as and called “Odengene”, Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu, former strong man of the Enugu State House of Assembly and Hon. Barr. Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga, a former LG chairman, a former member of the House of Reps, Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency, a former Senior Special Adviser (SPA) to former President Goodluck Jonathan and active member, Enugu State Executive Council for 7 years plus as a Commissioner.
The above are not the glamorous credentials that Barr. Edeoga has. No oo. The most dignifying credential that Edeoga has, is his active participation in the campaign struggle for the sacking of military dictatorship in Nigeria and the enthronement of constitutional democracy in Africa’s largest and most populous society.

Of the 17 Governorship aspirants that ran PDP primaries, Edeoga was singled out as the only aspirant who was not qualified for the job by some elements. His disqualification by his detractors’ estimation was because he is not an Nkanu man by his cultural heritage but an Nsukka citizen who was carved into Enugu East Senatorial District after the creation of Ebonyi state and carving out of Abakaliki out of the old Enugwu State. That was and still their greatest case against him.

At the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium on the day of the PDP’s Governorship primaries, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor of the state and serving Senator, walked up to Edeoga to ask him who authorised him to run for the Office. He (Nnamani) wanted to intimidate the valiant Edeoga who roared back at Nnamani to his chagrin and consternation, standing his feet as a Lion who is truly qualified to replace the incumbent governor,” Nwa David Ugwuanyi” come May 29, 2023.

To demonstrate his capacity to do the job, Edeoga visited all the 17 LGAs in the state where he interfaced with the PDP delegates in each of the LGAs. None among the other Governorship aspirants did this.

When it happened that Edeoga did not emerge as the candidate of the PDP after its primaries, which was indeed a rude shock to his supporters spread across the State, he, Edeoga left for the working people’s party, the Labour Party also known as Obedient Family, to explore further opportunity to achieve his political objective and ambition.

He eventually emerged the flag bearer of the Labour Party and soared higher to the joy of the good people of Ndi-Enugu.

Since his emergence, the Okaa Omee of Eha Amufu has demonstrated the capacity, capability and strength to wear the Lion Building’s big shoes and to serve Enugu State and her citizens more than anyone else since the creation of the state in August, 1991.

More than any of them – both military and civilian ruler since this date, Edeoga has the composure of Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo to replicate what Senator Nwobodo did in old Anambra State mothering three states now within four years and while in an ideological war with the NPN led federal Government.

Of all the Governorship candidates in Enugu State who will stand for election on Saturday, March 18th, 2023, only Barr. Chijioke Edeoga has visited all the communities and wards in Enugu State to abreast himself with the social challenges and needs of these communities. Rather than stay in the comfort of AC offices and tell ndi Enugu what their needs are and how they want them tackled when he (Edeoga) becomes the Governor of Enugu State by the grace of God like his colleagues, he chose to visit the people in their communities.

Each of the communities Edeoga visited, would write down the social amenities that they lack in their communities in order of importance. They would give one copy of the documents to Edeoga and keep their own copies for ease of reference when the time comes.

This new and motivating campaign strategy showing how Enugu State will be run under Labour Party’s Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga as from May 30th, 2023, if elected, is a new innovation in democratic or constitutional democracy.

The Edeoga campaign style can be referred to as the Bottom- up approach rather than Top-Down approach of governance in which the people choose how they would be governed, that’s, the projects they wanted implemented for them and not vice versa in which projects are imposed on them from AC infested offices.

This was the development model that Mwalimu Julius Nyerere developed and implemented in Tanzania which successive ideological governments have continued to implement. In Tanzania today, every cantonment which is an equivalent of our villages has pipe borne water, electricity, health centre, access rural roads, library and good community schools etc.

Above all, in Tanzania, there is a minimum as well as a maximum wage. No worker in that country earns less than N25, 000 or more than N300, 000 of our Naira equivalent.
Edeoga is already thinking ahead of May 30th, 2023, and planning on how to implement this pro- people programmes by God’s grace.

This thought and practice in Tanzania are related to another Bottom-up development strategy developed by Brazil known as “Participatory Budgeting” in which the people choose the projects that they wanted the government to do for them.

Honestly, Hon Barr. Chijioke Edeoga is the Man who the Governorship Cap of Ndi Enugu fits. He wears the shoes of Ndi Enugu and understands, clearly, where they pinch them. Let Chijioke Edeoga who the Governorship cap of Ndi Enugu fits, wear the cap.