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Okechukwu Jombo, writes that the zoning arrangement for the governorship of Abia State to go to Ukwa/Ngwa axis, is raising questions that might scuttle the arrangement if not meticulously handled.
Abia politics seems to be inching closer to a state of confusion, especially concerning the issue of zoning of the governorship position, which was hitherto given to Abia South.
The confusion is coming from that same zone due to their inclinations. Majority of Abia Central and Abia South share the same linage, they are Ngwa people.
Since the creation of Abia State in 1991, the old Bende section has produced the two governors that have served the state since 1999, Chief Orji Kalu and the incumbent, Chief TA Orji (Ochendo Global), from both Abia North and Central respectively leaving out Abia South.
It is for the above reason that the Abia Charter of Equity, which comprised well-meaning Abians, unanimously agreed that it is now the turn of the former Abia South (the Ukwa-Ngwa people) to produce the next governor of Abia State.
This was why Governor Orji went to Aba on February 3, 2014 and officially declared that the next governor of Abia State will come from the old Aba Province, home of the Ukwa-Ngwas. He said Abia would stay true to its zoning formula. “That being the case”, he pledged: “I reiterate that the next governor shall come from the Ukwa-Ngwa … this is the time for the freedom of Ukwa-Ngwa people because they are the only group yet to govern the state”.
Most people thought that the proclamation was indeed true to equity but after a second thought pundits are beginning to pick holes in the postulation pointing out that if it is the turn of Ngwa/Ukwa people, which a majority of Abia Central is part of, then it should not be zoned out.
A little history of Abia State will probably clear this argument, the state like every other state, is divided into three senatorial districts: Abia North, Abia Central and Abia South. But before the senatorial zones were carved out, what is today known as Abia State was composed of two provincial blocs: Bende and Aba.
Bende is the home of the pan-Umuahia communities: Bende, Ozuitem, Ugwueke, the Akoli clans, Isuikwuato, Umunnato (Igbere, Alayi and Item), Abiriba, Nkporo, Ohafia, Abam, Ututu, Ihechiowa and Arochukwu.
The Aba group consists of the seven local government areas populated by the Ngwa people and two others belonging to Ukwa people. The Aba group as a political bloc is also known as “Ukwa-Ngwa”.
A breakdown of the state shows that Abia North comprises Arochukwu; Bende; Isuikwuato; Umunneochi and Ohafia local government.
While Abia Central include: Ikwuano; Isiala Ngwa North; Isiala Ngwa South; Osisioma Ngwa; Umuahia North and Umuahia South LGAs. And Abia South making up of Aba North; Aba South; Obingwa; Ugwunagbo; Ukwa East and Ukwa West local government area.
From the forgoing Abia Central has three local governments Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Isiala Ngwa that are Ngwa people, if the zoning arrangement is stuck to then they have being zoned out.
Other pundits like the Abia Solidarity Group for Democracy, ASGD, described as “unacceptable” the zoning arrangement being allegedly mooted by the Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, for the election of his successor. The group said the arrangement could preclude those who possess the leadership qualities to turn the state around in the next dispensation
Orji, whose second term ends in May 2015, is reportedly rooting for his successor to come from the Abia South Senatorial District. The governor is from Abia Central Senatorial District while his predecessor, Orji Uzor Kalu hails from the Northern Senatorial District.
ASGD asked the governor to concentrate in providing democracy dividends for the people during the last lap of his administration instead of engaging in zoning of the governorship position.
“It is necessary to press our incumbent governor to concentrate on delivering dividends of democracy, especially at this tail part of his administration rather than introducing measures that would deny citizens of the state the opportunity to choose a credible governor … through the introduction of his proposed zoning arrangement …” the group said in a statement by its leader, Peter Elema. The Governor had told them, “Just go and organise yourselves for this cause. I would not like to have problems among you. Organise yourselves”.
The Governor gave this wise counsel in view of the fact that the Ukwa-Ngwa people of Abia State, with their nine out of 17 local government areas, have failed to “grab” the governorship (as the North and Umuahia area of Central were able to do) due mainly to infighting, pettiness, divisions, pull-him-down syndrome and politics of mutual exclusion which their political elite have always played. The Ngwa person has always been his own greatest political enemy.
Sadly, these tendencies are already in play in Ukwa-Ngwaland. It comes in two forms. The first is that the political interests in the Abia South Senatorial Zone have been claiming that the governorship was zoned to them. In other words, they would have it that the people of the three local government areas in Abia Central, who are also of the Ukwa-Ngwa stock, are no longer eligible to vie for governor since Governor Orji is from Umuahia (Bende) clan of Abia Central.
Two major political actors, Dr. Alex Otti (who is speculated to be interested in running for governor on the PDP platform and Senator Nkechi Nwogu (who has already publicly declared her ambition for the same post) will be “disqualified” from the race if the people pushing this agenda have their way.
Isiala Ngwa is said to be the cradle and ancestral homeland of all Ngwa people. It does not make sense to exclude them from the privilege reserved for all Ukwa and Ngwa people simply because of the political convenience of lumping them with Umuahia in the same senatorial zone. It will reduce them to a perpetually marginalised artificial minority in Ngwa politics. Since the zoning formula is to give the entire Ukwa and Ngwa people the opportunity to present the next governor of Abia State, the ploy to exclude the Ngwa people in Abia Central will create a new crisis point in the state if allowed to stand.