Southeast Nigeria and our developmental setbacks.

One of the truths we must admit as non-mainstream politically conscious citizens is that in this dispensation, some of our governors are a bit deliberate about governance when compared to their predecessors. This is a great development for the region.

Dr. Alex Otti of LP, Barr. Peter Mbah of PDP and Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo of APGA seem to be showing signs of commitment to developing their states relatively and this is commendable.

These governors in the assessment of their citizens are being seen as worthy of being called leaders in some ways and this is an improvement from where we have been as a people in the past.

However, we must be sincere to say that despite these assumed efficiencies of these governors, we cannot say that as a region that we are anywhere close to the real destination where we should be as a people. We are still being bedeviled by insecurity, poor road networks, poor healthcare infrastructure, lack of adequate education infrastructure and alot of other challenges.

Political patterns in Nigeria and its implication on development.

Nigeria as a country is made up of thirty-six (36) states with six (6) geopolitical regions namely – South-west, South-South, South-east, North -Central, North-East, North-West.

One of the most unfortunate regions which has suffered terribly as a result of poor political leadership by its people over the years is the South-east region, which is made up of Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi states.

Nigeria is a supposed democratic country, but the reality remains that we have our unique form of democracy where anyone who wins any election takes it all. This explains why those in opposition are often starved of resources into realignment with the people in power.

The politics played over the years in Nigeria is outrightly extractive in its consciousness and that explains why the Southeast region is still relatively underdeveloped. The citizens have also not been actively alive to their duties of holding the political class accountable.

The beauty of democracy is that a vibrant opposition helps to keep the people in power in check just as Dr. Alex Otti did to the PDP in the state while he was in opposition. it is rumored that as an opposition figure, that Dr. Alex Otti blocked a loan that the then state government wanted to access. The opposition helps to force these people in power to give their best whenever they are elected to office.

The inability of the opposition to strategically criticize the policies of government in power and mount great pressure on them to deliver their promises to the masses is why we have the level of deficit in infrastructure and quality of governance in the Southeast.

The dearth of political opposition in Southeast and its impact on our development.

Abia State under the leadership of Dr. Alex Otti under this present political disposition is one of the governments in the country that has the organic love and admiration of the masses.

This is as a result of what we can call optics of governance of great quality. This seen is seen in the way the governor speak to the things that matter to the masses the most and also address the needs of the masses which previous government never paid attention to.

Abia State under the leadership of Dr. Alex Otti has enjoyed unprecedented level of support from the Nigerian people such that any propaganda that is pushed in favor of the government gets an overwhelming media mileage instantly as the masses no longer care to verify any news that comes out of the state, as long as it puts the governor in good public image.

While some of these politicians that have defected claim that ditching of their once most beloved political party to either join Labour party at the state or APC which is in charge at the federal level, their primary consideration before making these choices is always outrightly selfish.

As a result of lack of loyalty to political ideology among the Nigerian political class, most politicians in this clime rarely stay back with any party that loses an election, as they always decamp to the party in power so that they can feed atleast.

Having access to power or being close to the corridors of power in Nigeria offers the beneficiaries a form of life that makes it impossible for majority of our politicians to pursue other ambitions apart from politics. They money they make from politics here is insane.

The need for objective criticism of political office holders.

While Anambra State has been under the firm grip of APGA for a minimum of nineteen (19) years, the dearth of virile, dedicated opposition political parties in the state who are loyal to well established ideologies is the reason the governors who had governed on the platform of the party over the years have not developed the state as it should be over these years.

The oppsoition parties are meant to look critically at the policies of the political party in power, criticize them with facts and offer excellent alternatives to the masses such that the fear of being ousted from office by the masses ends up compelling the people in power to give their best.

From hind sight with what is happening in Abia State today, if Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu knew that his party would face such a damning defeat at the polls in 2023 as a result of the protest of the masses about bad governance which happened at the polls, I am sure that his government would have stretched themselves beyond measure to attend to the needs of the masses and as such have his party remain in power.

Dr. Alex Otti irrespective of how excellent he may be performing in office deserves the objective criticism of stakeholders in the Abia project. While these stakeholders must be decent enough to acknowledge the giant strides of the governor without being sycophantic in their engagement, they must be bold enough to look at the policies and actions of the government to criticize them, when necessary, in the interest of the state.

Development of the Southeast – the role of constructive criticism in building a viable region.

Enugu State for over 24 years has been governed by PDP. While this may seem as something good for the party, we must acknowledge that the lack of a fierce opposition in the state is the reason why the politicians elected on the platform have been below par in terms of performance. Would you be shocked if we tell you that the problem of unavailability of portable water for Enugu residents is yet to be solved?

For Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu States the only way that their political office holders can give their very best to the development of their various states is for there to be active opposition institutions which objectively criticize the activities of the various state governments actively and most importantly objective while stating the better alternatives.

While we continue to work for a nation where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) functions independent of extreme manipulation of the process by politicians and powerful Nigerians, we must continue to objectively engage the system by constructively saying the truths even if it hurts the people in power in the best interest of the development of the region.