Anambra 2025: Hunger, Hardship Now Political Weapons In Nigeria?
By Rev Dr Dan Ejianya
Every sane mind following what has been playing out in this our modern political society must have wondered if there’s any benefit that comes from having poor and hungry people within the polity.
My rhetorical question here is: are there really people who are benefitting from a poverty stricken society? Can poverty actually get contained in a society such as ours? My worry is that even the poor no longer understand the situation.
It has become an undisputed fact that poverty is now a weapon of control used by some persons in government to perpetually hold the loyalty of the masses as a bond!
This assertion could be justified by the way our political leaders boldly share cups of rice packaged like biscuits, sachets of noodles and even N500 to voters at the ballot, just to win elections.
It must have shocked one to observe that some people go to the polling centres purposely to scramble for these items.
We end up returning the mediocres who loot our treasury while in power, only for us to go back to the church to pray for salvation.
“Nigeria in distress!” Yet, we are the reason Nigeria is in distress. I recently heard a sitting governor compelling the church to continue to pray for the government.
After collecting their thanksgiving and offering, the church would compose a prayer that make things happen and share to the congregations, and even at that, preach to them to regard all earthly things as mundane and “vanity upon vanity – all is vanity” while the leaders return to their milking creek called the government house.
Hunger seems to have become an intractable social phenomenon that has perpetually come to stay in Nigeria.The more we cry, the worse it rears its ugly head and gets compounded.
This is simply because we have ignorantly continued to sacrifice our social values and entitlements on the alter of immediate political gains, thereby continually mortgaging our collective destinies.
Until our children begin to accuse us of being cause of their woes, Nigerians would never learn their lesson.
Mr Peter Obi would always say, ” the society we abuse today will take revenge on our children in future”. Many have never pondered on the meaning of this quote.
What we do today is just like a parent who after retirement, collected all his retirement entitlements and squandered all on “stomach infrastructure” leaving their children wandering in total despair.
Most of our political leaders are not just corrupt, they are also irresponsible, heartless, and have no feeling for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Who is that responsible father and head of a house where there is no money for the children’s school fees, hospital bills and even food, who will – in spite of the situation – go to the bank to borrow, NOT for investment, NOT for any of the problems of the household, but for his personal pleasure – cars?
Where on earth is such a father found? But that is the quality of persons that are managing the affairs of Nigeria today!
Yes, Hunger is a weapon and they are effectively using it. According to Maslow, if a man’s deprivation reaches up to the lack of the three Basic Needs of food, clothing and shelter, the person ceases to be a normal human.
All his attention is directed only towards satisfying those basic needs and nothing more. Such a person could do anything to satisfy immediate needs. He could even sell his voter card for a plate of food! And our politicians know this very well.
This is where they have successfully reduced the very weak and vulnerable Nigerians to.
As we are battling for hunger and hardship artificially imposed on us by these unscrupulous rulers, they are busy battling for the next election.
Yet, some of their brainwashed and uniformed foot soldiers would still dash off their pit of hunger to sing their praises. The day of reckoning is indeed near.
Governance is far different from administration. Some persons are destined with the gift of administration, while some are gifted with leadership skills and capacity.
But everyone is rushing for a shot at governance. No one can offer what he does not have.
A governor ought to be someone who must have managed human resources both in the private and public sector.
His experience in the private sector would help draw his attention clearly to the possible conditions of people outside the corridors of government.
This is necessary because it has been observed that some political leaders seem not to understand that there are people who earn less than one dollar per day.
The seat of government ought to be occupied by someone who has printable investments to prove his capacity to invest the state’s resources properly.
Everyone today talk about Peter Obi because even little children can today read his history as an investor. That is the same reason we ought to consider people who are in the same political vehicle with him.
Though not all that glitters are gold, our sense of judgement must not be drawn from the line of deceit and needless bias.
Every other candidate for the Anambra gubernatorial election, including the incumbent may demand support, but may not have it since we in Anambra are as we are: we don’t need a society where property would matter more than people’s life.
The man UGO IGBO is another personality who can lift Anambra to enviable heights again.
Chief Engr. Bart Nwibe (Ugo Igbo) is truly an exemplary product of liberalism.
His records of achievement is built on his chronicles of investment.
Anambrarians are business centered, we need a governor that has investment foresight. We need a governor that would convert our empty bushes into a business hub.
We need a governor that would connect ideas to practicality. Chief Engr Bart Nwibe is indeed a man to reckon with. Ndi-Anambra are special people, we therefore need a special leader. So, we move with Ugo Igbo.
Rev Dr Dan Ejianya Writes from Nnewi
