The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Tony Nwizi, has thrown his weight behind the calls for Ebonyi North zone to produce the next governor, come 2023.
Nwizi, in a statement, on Tuesday, titled “Ebonyi Gubernatorial Race and the Call for Equity”, cautioned against thwarting the power rotation template known as “Charter of Equity” that had been set by the founding fathers of the State.
He warned that if the Charter of Equity is not respected in choosing the next governor of the State, going forward, there would be struggles to clinch power and the syndrome of winner takes all, according to him, will set in.
He further explained that since the power has rotated to the three senatorial zones with Ebonyi South currently serving, to complete the circle, it was equitable and just, for power to return to North, where it started, saying, “This is because if it happens that way, the power will touch the different clans that make up the State, one after the other. Then, there will be peace and harmony. Equity begets peace and that is what we are agitating for.”
He, therefore, called on the people to eschew hatred, bickering, infighting and inordinate desires for power, which he said, was capable of jeopardizing the future of the State.
Nwizi said: “Ebonyi is made up of different major clans joined in three senatorial districts. They’re but not limited to Izzi, Ohaukwu, Ezza, Ikwo, Ishielu, Ohaozara, Onicha, Ivo, Afikpo and Edda. These major clans have peculiar cultural values that they hold to high standards. Each of these clans craves to become the Governor of the state one day and the only way to fulfil these yearnings is to draw a programme that will enable this arrangement without rancour and acrimony.
“This was done by our founding fathers through what is called the Charter of Equity. This Charter of Equity has provided that power should rotate among the three senatorial districts to avoid the more populated clans hijacking the governance like what is happening in other states, especially in Benue where some major ethnic groups have held the sit of power for a long time.
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“In 1999, the 1st Executive Governor of Ebonyi state came from Ebonyi North senatorial zone, in 2007, it went to the Central. These two zones have the population to withhold the power for as long as they want without letting it go to the South zone, but in the spirit of equity, justice and fairness, the North and Central decided to galvanize a strong force against all odds and ceded power to the south in the same spirit of Equity in 2015.
“Now that the South have completed their 8 years as Governor, the only reasonable thing to do is to return to status quo and begin from the North again. This is because if it happens that way, the power will touch the different clans enumerated above, one after the other. Then, there will be peace and harmony. Equity begets peace and that is what we are agitating for.
“The implications of thwarting this arrangement are that there will be struggles to clinch the power and the syndrome of winner takes all will set in. The clans in the majority will always conspire. Those other clans in the minority will lose out because the gentleman agreement has been destroyed.
“So, for the prevalent peace in Ebonyi State to sustain, let the power rotation among the three senatorial zones prevail. His Excellency Governor David Nweze Umahi is a product of Equity and has sacrificed so much to sustain this position.
“Let all eschew hatred, bickering, infighting and inordinate desires for power that will jeopardize the future of our generation.”
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