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By Sunday Ani
A group under the aegis of the Aggrieved Political Veterans of Enugu North senatorial zone has expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of representation the zone had received from its sons and daughters both at the legislative and executive levels of government.
This was made known by members of the group recently when Chief Ikeji Asogwa visited them to solicit their support in the coming by-election to fill the zone’s vacant senatorial seat, following the death of Senator Okey Ezea last year.
A joint statement by the Chairman/Coordinator of the group, Ifeanyi Ugwujah and the Secretary, Chief Linus Eze after their executive meeting at Ikenga Hotels, Nsukka recently expressed the people’s anger, stressing that enough was enough and that the zone is bigger than any individual.
Ugwujah advised Chief Asogwa not to be like those before him, but to be a good ambassador of the zone if elected into the senate.
“If years of power cannot change the people’s condition, then it’s time to give others the chance to lead. Leadership is service and not ownership.
“One thing our people must learn is that leadership is not inheritance. No one should occupy the political space forever while the communities keep suffering the same problems year after year.
“But speaking the truth does not mean hatred; rather it means accountability. And accountability must never be ignored or selective.
Very few people with their allies have benefited from the system and continue to benefit while the majority of populace struggle without seeing meaningful transformation.
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“Our pain is simple: Listen, if those who have held influence, power, connections, and opportunities for years could not truly change the condition of the people, then it is only fair to allow others to step forward so we can see the difference because to whom much is given, much is expected,” he said.
He emphasised that Enugu North does not need leaders who only remember the people during elections but leaders that genuinely care about the farmers, the youths, the widows, the traders, the students and the future of our community. “Leaders whose interest is the progress of the people, not personal empire building or selfish political calculations.
“For too long, many of our youths and women have been conditioned to defend individuals instead of defending development. Politics has turned into blind loyalty instead of honest evaluation,” he stated.
Ugwujah further noted that years of institutional inefficiency, economic hardship, weak representation and policy failures had continued to deepen public frustration, particularly among the grassroots communities that are yearning for responsive leadership and sustainable development.
“If roads are bad, we should speak. If insecurity persists, we should speak. If young people remain unemployed and hopeless, we should speak. If years pass without visible progress, we should ask questions.
“This is not about insults. This is not about bitterness. This is about awakening the political and social consciousness of the people of Enugu North.
“A community grows when new ideas, new minds and new energy are given the opportunity to serve. No family, no individual and no political circle owns the destiny of Enugu,” he submitted.
He also emphasised that the people deserve representatives who understand both the economic realities of the private sector and economic developmental expectations of the rural communities in the zone.
“The future of our land must be bigger than personal loyalty. Enugu North deserves better. We should honestly align with the rising nations to demand for accountable representation, economic revitalisation and leadership that is anchored on competence rather than conventional political rhetoric. And the veterans, youths and women must begin to demand it now,” he added.
