A former Enugu North Senatorial Aspirant, Chief Chinedu P. Eya, has described as a “wide-goose-chase” the belief in certain quarters that the incumbent Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial zone in the red Chamber, Barr. Chuka Utazi will relinquish power to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi come 2023.
The party stalwart who narrated that while the Senator publicly Knelt Down and cried to be given return ticket at his hometown in Nkpologu before the Governor, also explained the he too, knelt down in his private room and cried that the zone had lost a beautiful opportunity to rewrite the history of the people.
Chief Eya who spoke to news men in a telephone conversation on Thursday, however, explained that it will take a high level of discipline by any political office holder in the mold of the Senator to think of peacefully relinquishing power to his principal without exchange of hot blows.
Recall that the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had penultimate week, paid a private visit to the hometown of the Senator in Nkpologu, Uzo-Uwani local government area of the state, where it was widely believed that the purpose of the August visit by the helmsman was to cement the bargain for power in the zone, in 2023.
Speaking to news men, Chief Eya listed a number of lessons to be learnt from the Current political tussle raging in the zone, which he believes is geared towards reshaping the events that would throw up changes and eventually culminate in concessions, compromises and acceptance come 2023.
“When I learned about the recent moves aimed at muscling Sen. Chuka to abide by the Green-tree agreement he reached with power brokers in the state in 2019, when he desperately needed a return ticket to the red chamber, I laughed in Swahili.
“Such efforts are not only untenable, it is practically impossible in politics. Our people have suddenly forgotten that the problem is not in giving a monkey water with cup, but in retrieving the cup from the monkey afterwards.
“To the Senator who feels betrayed or blackmailed tremendously by the presumed Governors helmsmen & social media soldiers, this is the battle of his life. And he will fight tooth and nail to save his plum job in the Senate come 2023, irrespective of whose ox is gored.
“As it stands, the Senator is currently playing a very smart game, building new Bridges and alliances, and even ditching the old friends who do not need anything else other than see his back at the Senate.
“As a matter of fact, the red cap Senator can form alliance with anybody, including the Devil to survival the rigors and high political power plays in the state, aimed at dusting him off in 2023.
From another end I feel that the governor hasn’t done enough, as it’s presumed in the state that everything he does is political and doesn’t accommodate the sustainable interest of the masses. People are refusing to see that the only Job the governor creates are temporary jobs that serves only his political interest and will fizzle away when he leaves office, leaving the zone hungrier than ever.
Eya, recounted that Bola Tinubu of Lagos state is extremely celebrated in Lagos state because he was able to create during his tenure 16,000 permanent employment in Lagos, which has immortalized him in the heart of Lagosian and has given him an everlasting bragging right as the Jagaban of Lagos.
The Governor hasn’t also kept his side of the prayer and shouldn’t expect other people to keep to theirs.
Chief Eya however, cautioned that the political actors in the state must exercise restraint and a very high level of maturity when approaching the Senator, as poor handling of the 2023 ambitions of politicians in the state can lead to Chaos.
“When they preferred the Senator ahead of me, even when I had the majority of the constituents clamoring for the return ticket to be given to me, I knew they were in for big trouble.
“Today, what’s making the round across the Social media is that Eya was given 10Million Naira by either the senator or the Governor for me to stepdown for the Senator. And I ask myself, where on Earth did this transaction take place?
“But every lover of truth knows that I never did such anyway. And just as the Governor believes that POWER BELONG TO GOD AND ENUGU STATE IS IN THE HAND OF GOD, so do I.
“And let me tell you Mr. John (talking to the interviewer), what will guarantee peace politically in the zone is simply righting the wrongs of 2019; which will include extending an olive branch to every aggrieved persons. Aside that, it will continue to be one story after another,” Eya concluded.
