Facts are sacred and truth when spoken in rawness may taste bitter, but when taken heals a lot.
We are in a season when emotions and facts dove tail, mixing pretty well only a discerning mind gets to separate the two and make informed choices.
Since the independence of Nigeria the dynamics of our political evolution, participation and appointments have been interestingly skewed against the “East” ( both South East and North East) Could this be a natural design or some kind of political master strokes or chess game to perpetually keep them at the lowest ebb of Nigeria’s political ladder?
Sad too, when science has to an extent given the East some kind of natural advantage over the west, the south and the North.
The Sun, the Moon, the planets, and the stars all rise in the east and set in the west. The simple reason for this, scientifically speaking is the spinning of earth toward the East. What an advantage!
At what point did the East miss this natural advantage over the other regions? How come the the rising point of the sun is now being relegated to the last fiddle while the dusk point of the sun takes the center stage, dominating and calling the shots for years?
Since Independence in 1960 Nigeria leaders have come from the following regions
North East:
1)Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Belewa
North West:
1)General Murtala Ramat Mohammed
2)Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, 3)Major General Muhammed Buhari, 4) General Sani Abacha 5)Umaru Musa Yar’adua 6) Major General Muhammed Buhari
North Central:
1) General Yakubu Gowon
2) General Ibrahim Babangida
3)General Abulsalami Abubakar.
South West:
1)General Olusegun Obasanjo
2)Chief Ernest Shonekan
South East:
1)Chief Benjamin Azikiwe
2)Major General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi
South South
1) Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
In summary both the North West and South West have ruled for nine times, North East and South East for three times while South South and North Central four times. From this calculation the East is the least to have ruled.
As the race for2023 presidency thickens, gaps closing and alignment formed one can still feel the obvious neglect and relegation of South East in the whole permutations.
In fairness, equity and justice , the slot for the presidency should have been zoned to South East by the two major political parties. Sadly such was a dream , dead and buried. Even the Vice President slot still was denied them with a sarcasm that is silent but sounds like a bang in any patriotic ear.
For years the political sun of Nigeria has been forced to rise either from the West or the Central not from the East for whatever reason.
The good news is, 2023 comes with a political climate change, resetting the abnormal to the its normal follow come status.
The sun is rising from its natural rising point come 2023 ,nothing will change it again. Beyond the tribal and zonal equity and fairness is a competence that is unarguably unmatched. The wise men are getting ready from all the regions, zones, tribes , religion and no Herod will stop or kill the “mesiah”
We can’t be doing things in the same way and expect a different result. All we need is to get to that Eldarado is a shift in paradigm. A shift not only in zone but in action, in competence, in effectiveness etc dismantling all road blocks of corruption, nepotism and minority blackmail. No zone is a minority and no religion is too. We are all like various parts that make up a body. Each part is as significant and useful as the other. No zone wins election alone and no single religion does too. We are diverse, in this diversity if harnessed well lies our unity and success.
For once let us do things differently, change is the only thing that is permanent.
“Success has nothing to do with what you gain In life or accomplished for yourself. It is what you do for others”— Danny Thomas
What is it that our leaders have done for us? Our zones? Our religion? The obvious beneficiaries are most often their family members, cronies and associates not necessarily out of religious or tribal affinity but more of selfish interest.
Bad economy, epileptic light supply, inflation, insecurity, corruption etc know no religion and tribe. We are all victims, the masses! Religion is good ,tribe is amazing but good governance is the best and whoever guarantees that let him be our new Sheriff. Only a blind man can claim not to see the hand writing on the wall.
Be obedient as we push for a change. This vicious circle is not helping anybody. These are facts not some kind of emotional bla!,bla!!bla!!
#Jarlath Opara