Informal Rotational Government in Enugu State

a watchdog against dictatorship

Written by Sedo Elijah Ebinne

The constant tussle for political power in Nigeria has led to the deafening cries of different zones of the country about marginalization. Considering the rich potentials of Nigeria, the system is seen to be wrought with a vicious cycle of competition for dominance. That notwithstanding, the protagonists of rotational governance strongly insist that the same is the ray of hope for Nigeria’s almost bleak fate.

The concept of rotation is hinged on the principles of equity, fairness and justice. Rotation envisages a government where powers are shared and tasted by all and sundry. This paints a picture where, contrary to the undue wielding of power by the high and mighty, power gets to the grassroots.

Since rotation favours the principles of justice, it works hand in glove with the awe-inspiring, agelong definition of democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people by Abraham Lincoln, a former President of the United States of America (USA).

Rotational governance is anchored on the theories of social contract and legitimacy. The former is an unwritten agreement between the leaders and their followers, where the followers agree to surrender their sovereignty for a period of time to a leader who would act on their behalf with the condition of their leader being accountable.

The social contract is reviewed at the successful competition of an election, wherein the leader is either reconfirmed or a new person is elected. The latter presupposes a situation where the leader obtains his authority upon his victory at an election poll.

Zoning has slowly seeped into the governments of different states like Niger State for instance, where all attempts to restore equity in the system found expression in the concept of zoning.

Power rotation in Nigerian politics is aimed at ensuring political equity where the other political zones decline to aspire to a place of power to the advantage of the favoured zone.

This is with a view that, if properly applied, such anti-developmental indices as ethnicity, religions, sectionalism and so on, will be relegated to the background thereby resulting in a more united political environment. In a political structure like Nigeria, zoning ensures equal distribution of resources (and even preservation of resources) in compliance with the tenets of equity and fairness at the various levels of government.

During the Goodluck Jonathan administration, a National Conference was convened in 2014 and the concept of power rotation was well debated at the committee.

It was the recommendation of the conference that the Presidency would rotate amongst the geo-political zones and similarly, the Governorship seat to rotate amongst the Senatorial districts while the Chairmanship of a Local Government Area would rotate amongst its segments. Sadly, the Power Rotation proposition at the 2014 National Conference was not fully incorporated in the report.

Until recently, zoning and rotation of presidential powers have not been deliberated by national policies and the domination of presidential power by the majority remains apparent in Nigeria. The reverse is the case at the State level.

Zoning has been used as a useful tool to rescue minorities from political obscurity notwithstanding the absence of a constitutional provision on zoning.

Upon the creation of Enugu State in 1991 from old Anambra State by the efforts of late Chukwuma Onoh, Jim Nwobodo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, Cletus Opata, Chief Elechi Onyia and some others, the brightness of the new dawn was soon truncated by complaints of marginalisation.

Following this, these founding fathers deemed it fit to institute a power zoning arrangement amongst the three (3) senatorial zones that made up the state. From 1999 till date, there seems to be a clear zoning arrangement in Enugu as some persons project it to be the rudder, steering the ship that is Enugu State.

It is their resolve that antagonists of the concept of rotation of powers cannot deny that the peace being enjoyed by the inhabitants of Enugu is attributed to power rotation as carried down from the days of Dr Chimaraoke Nnamani of Enugu East in 1999, Sullivan Chime of Enugu West in 2007 and the incumbent Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu North in 2015.

Unfortunately, there is an uproar of naysayers who deny the existence of rotation in Enugu State, claiming that zoning is a guise to perpetuate the dominance of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and therefore, should not be considered come 2023.

The object of zoning is for power to reach and rotate around the three Senatorial areas in Enugu State. Thus far, the system has instilled stability and mutual understanding in Enugu State because of the assurance that power will never endure in perpetuity.

The preferential treatment afforded to the area producing a Governor in Enugu State is very glaring as natives of those areas are expectant for the developments that come with wielding power for the while. This goes a long way in ensuring a sense of belonging for all zones, leaving the rest of the state expectant for an opportunity to break forth.

Since it goes around in circles, zoning serves as a check on different zones to govern well, not just to favour their respective zones, but the State in general. A governor who prefers to please his zone alone does it at the detriment of his zone when governance eventually rotates. One can say it affirms the biblical charge to do to others what one wants to be done to oneself.

The result of power rotation is evident as Governors take a chance at developing their respective zones, whilst still ensuring significant developments that benefit other zones. It was during Dr Chimaraoke Nnamani’s tenure in office that so many roads were constructed in the eastern zone.

There were chants of praises to his magnanimous government for the major shares of developmental projects enjoyed by Enugu East. The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) permanent site, Nigerian Airforce School, amongst others are all testimonies of power rotation.

Upon handing over the mantle of power to Sullivan Chime of Enugu West, Enugu State enjoyed all-around development culminating in the eighth (8th) year of his government. In his book, “The Promise”, the ex-governor recounts the four-point agenda upon which his administration was predicated upon.

This includes physical infrastructure including aesthetics that made Enugu State a serene environment, economic expansion and employment, rural development and service delivery. He ensured timely payment of salaries in the civil service, cleared agelong clogged gratuities of civil servants which were in abeyance before he came into office up until 2007 when he assumed office. When he left office in 2015, a major part of those promises had been fulfilled, serving as a ground-breaking feat for his government.

In 2015, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi assumed office, stepping into the shoes of his predecessors and keeping the ball rolling. Natives of Nsukka have put on their dancing shoes which more or less, have been collecting dust for some time now.

One of the first points of call for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburu Gburu as fondly called) was the approval of the sum of ₦1.5 billion, ₦244 million and ₦200 million for payments of counterpart funds for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme for construction and renovation of more primary and junior secondary school buildings.

On his input in agriculture, the Ada Rice Uzouwani agricultural project is one of the achievements of GburuGburu, not forgetting the State Secretariat Annex in Nsukka, fourteen (14) new Court buildings and open registries in the judicial divisions and magisterial district across the state, thirty-four (34) customary courts, the first-ever Enugu State Customary Court of Appeal Headquarters complex and the Court of Appeal Annex in Enugu, amongst others.

His administration also records the construction of access and internal road networks at Golf Estate Annex located at Abor, in Udi Local Government Area (LGA), which cost the state government an ear-tingling sum of ₦2.08 billion; the rehabilitation of Orie Market-Nkwo Ida-Afor Inyi road junction in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area (LGA); the Agbalaenyi junction, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway link road at Oji River Local Government Area (LGA); the Amaeze Street outflow to Enugu Road catchment box culvert and the New Anglican Road — Obechara Road Junction in Nsukka; the Akpabio Street, GRA, Enugu and the access road at the old Governor’s Lodge, GRA, Enugu.

Also, the construction of the popular Opi-Nsukka Road is a major win for the government of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The fast progress of that project has left wide smiles on the faces of her indigenes and that of the inhabitants of Enugu at large who ply that road steadily.

Others include the Obechara Road junction -Umuakashi Mechanic Village- Ikenga Hotels Junction, the Post Office Roundabout, Odenigbo Roundabout, Ogurugu Road- Ikenga Hotels junction, and the Enugu Road Nsukka Junction, Umezebi-Nru junction-University gate are all under construction within the university town of Nsukka, to mention a few. Dr Walter Ozioko in unveiling the achievements of the incumbent Governor of Enugu State referred to him as an unsung Hero of Infrastructure. With this, be sure to expect thunderous chants for the good work done by the Governor, come 2023 when he vacates office.

Power rotation has proved to be a viable tool for minority protection in Enugu State. This is clear from the fact that some Senatorial Zones have more local governments than the others. Enugu West which has the lowest number of local governments is well protected under rotation. This concept has single-handedly served as a watchdog against dictatorship in Enugu State.

Zoning has also taken root and is being considered for the 2023 gubernatorial elections in other South-eastern states including Anambra State, Abia State and Imo State.

However, Ebonyi State indigenes, under the Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) have kicked against zoning for the 2023 governorship election on the basis that competence and credibility should be the main determinant of a leader, not zoning.

For Enugu State, the argument against the rotation of powers has its tent pitched on the unconstitutionality of the concept. One would wonder why a system that obviously favours the entire state would be kicked against. Granted that the power rotation scheme is at best, a gentleman’s agreement, it still reveals potentials that are beneficial to the state.

As hinted earlier, the case appears to be different at the federal level where the absence of a legal backing on power rotation has amounted to unjust wielding of power by the North. There is an outcry for amendment of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to include power rotation for the office of President, for the protection of the minority groups.

The last twenty-one (21) years in the history of Enugu State have been no doubt blissful and the argument for a continued rotation of power abound. The trail of events leading to the government of the incumbent Governor of Enugu State is proof that the governors are instrumental to the determination of whether or not rotation would continue.

Many still argue that zoning glorifies incompetence by confining governance to a particular zone, whilst obscuring the necessity of credibility and competence of a candidate. If anything, Enugu State is charged to put her best foot forward to protect the sanity of her indigenes by insisting on a government that will foster the tranquillity that has become a subject of admiration for onlookers.

There happen to be two (2) trains of thought on the fate of the power rotation formula in Enugu State. While some strongly believe that it is only natural for the power rotation to continue in the manner as earlier mapped out, the other school of thought posits that since a cycle of rotation has already been completed, governance can then begin anywhere.

Succinctly put, this means that it can even begin with the current holder, Enugu North. If this is the case, is the aim of the proponents of rotation not defeated in its entirety?

Would it not pose a threat to the highly bragged about, unadulterated years of peace in Enugu State?

Whichever be the case, 2023 would tell.

Originally published at http://discoverenugu042.wordpress.com on April 19, 2021.