By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights & Good Governance Organisations (SBCHROs) has bemoaned the collapse of good governance and visionary leadership in the South East of Nigeria.
According to the group, “It is no longer news that good governance and charismatic leadership have eluded the Southeast Zone. The zone is now shackled by transactional governance and chronic bad leadership. As a matter of fact, corridors of power in the Southeast are now majorly under the grip of The Anarchists. Art of governance has become transaction of businesses in the corridors of power and shameless display of political rascality and immorality.
SBCHROs made the revelation in a statement signed by its convener, Emeka Umeagbalasi at the end of its meeting held at Sharom Hall of the All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Onitsha, Anambra State recently and made available to Sundiata Post.
The group observed that many, if not most of the legislators in the Southeast geo-political zone are no longer legislating and checkmating the executives for good governance and public good, but transacting by cornering public funds into moveable and immoveable investments.
While informing that use of public funds for public good is now strange and has become a thing of the past in the southeast, the group also stressed that virtually all State and National Assembly legislators in the Southeast Zone now operate or own private revenue windows and task forces.
The group accused university professors of making themselves erand boys for “these anarchists masquerading as executive and legislative public office holders in the zone.” It said: “It is so sad, shocking and disappointing that some university professors and their likes in social settings have now become shoe shiners, dusters of files, carriers of bags, personal assistants and private secretaries to these anarchists and renegades masquerading as executive and legislative public office holders in Nigeria particularly in the Southeast Geopolitical Zone”.
SBCHROs, therefore, resolved to revisit and review critically social, economic, political and security and safety developments in Southeast Zone in the past years covering from 1980 – 2017. It said “The review which will be public interest oriented, will examine the roles played by the key actors and their performance in areas of public governance, social services and security administrations and rate them in terms of ‘best’ or ‘worst’ in the South East.”
Due to the rate of erosion of good governance and visionary leadership in the region, the coalition said it would identify those leaders (dead or alive) with outstanding performance in key sectors and ensure they are celebrated as the best personalities of the South East within the period under review. It stressed that their recognition and celebration have become compelling following the sorry state of governance and its peripherals in the zone.
According to the group, “It is so bad that decency and outstanding achievement no longer have a place in Nigeria’s political space. Failures are beatified and canonized while achievements and their achievers are demonised and marked for destruction.
“In progressive and prospering social climes, achievers and charismatic leaders are celebrated and worshipped as religion and legends; but in Nigeria of today especially under Buhari’s Presidency, such leaders are not only rarely found, but also mocked and hated when found especially by members of the political class or political elites. It is so bad that decency and outstanding achievement no longer have a place in Nigeria’s political space. Failures are beatified and canonised while achievements and their achievers are demonised and marked for destruction,” SBCHROs said.
The group which identified that political class in the south east is dominated by the black sheep, reminded that all that is required for any good leader to incure their wrath is to provide good governance; and they will conspire and supervise your total destruction politically. Infoirming that this was the case with the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi and it is making good government impossible.
SBCHROs said, “It is also no longer hidden that membership of political class in the Zone is now dominated and held by jugulars by the black sheep of the society; thereby making good governance and charismatic leadership attainment an act of impossibility.
“It is so bad that any conscientious political player that operates in the opposite direction while in office (i.e. provides good governance and quality leadership) instantly draws the untamed anger of the immoral members of the political class and marked for total destruction. He or she is further seen and treated as a leper or a deviant.
“A clear case in point is the attack and destructive conspiracies against former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State by members of the political class; just because he insisted on using public funds for public good during his days as the democratically elected Governor of Anambra State (2006-2014).
“His remarkable transformation of the State has, till date, not gone down well with the political elites who attacked him for ‘making them hungry’ during his tenure; instead of allowing them access to public funds to loot and plunder at the teething expense of the people of the state in particular and the Southeast in general.
“Obi’s achievements in office are second to none since the days of late Dede Sam Mbakwe in old Imo State (present Imo and Abia States and a part of Ebonyi State) and Chief Jim Nwobodo in old Anambra State (present Enugu and Anambra States and larger part of Ebonyi State), the group reminded.
SBCHROs therefore, vowed to be celebrating and immortalising the achievers from the Southeast Zone. The group insisted that the trio of late Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo and Chief Peter Gregory Onwubuashi Obi must at all times make the hall of fame as the great achievers of our time during their days as democratically elected Governors of old Imo and Anambra and present Anambra States.
It continued, “If it is to be in other social climes, these great leaders and achievers will eternally be celebrated and immortalized. University faculties, research centres, care or charity foundations and public monuments will be named after them.
“Their achievements in office would also have been theorised and developed into courses of study in the tertiary institutions.
“Those of them still living would have been made visiting or guest lecturers and professors in some reputable universities particularly those in their localities.
“They would also have been invited to chair or sit in the boards of regional and international multi-billion dollar companies and highly respected and influential foundations and bodies”, the group noted.