‘What Enugu people expect from Chime’s successor’

Engr Frank Ikechukwu Odo is the President, Ezike Diamond Club, Nigeria. The club is made up of graduates and professionals from Enugu Ezike, the most populous town in Enugu North Senatorial zone who have excelled in their different fields. In this interview, he speaks on various issues including political developments in Enugu State, the club’s 2014 annual lecture among others. Excerpts:
Who are the Diamond Club members and what do you stand to achieve?
The members of the Ezike Diamond Club, Nigeria are drawn from Enugu-Ezike, the most populous town in Nsukka senatorial district. The Club members are graduates and professionals in various fields of endeavours. The club is a non-political and non-governmental socio-cultural organization whose members are bound by the unique desire for Excellence and united by a passion to drive the much-needed change in our society through the commitment to the progress and development of our rural communities and the larger society. Our primary aim is to create, nurture and promote the spirit of brotherhood among members while contributing to the overall development of our community through youth empowerment programmes. We are engaged in various other ways of attracting development to our community.
You club organizes lectures yearly; what is the purpose of the Diamond Lecture?
The Diamond Annual Lecture is actually the Flagship of the Ezike Diamond club activities since its inception. The 2014 lecture is the 9^th in the series and the main theme of the day is “Enugu State Beyond 2015”. We are using this lecture to discuss the governance expectations in Enugu State post 2015 general elections which characterizes end of statutory tenure for most of the incumbent state executives. In Enugu State, it is significant because a new helmsman will take charge of the new government. This year’s theme is in tandem with the 8^th lecture held last year in Enugu with the theme ‘Re-engineering “Inclusivity “ in Governance: The Enugu state Example’ We shall bring to the table an agenda that will set a genuine template for good governance in Enugu state. The colloquium, which will feature contributions from different public analysts and scholars across Enugu State, will set an agenda and define the right priorities for the incoming dispensation.  As the change of baton is already drawing keen interest within and outside the political circle, it is the right time for the public to begin to advance their expectations for the new government. One missing link in our polity has been the fact that the public do not engage the government in a constructive discourse and agenda setting. Often times, government is regarded as an isolated institution where the Chief executive appears solely in charge leading either to a personal accolade or reproach. Good governance, however, must be viewed from the prism of the people’s expectations in order to match the definition of democracy. What then should be done differently post 2015? How will the people become stakeholders in the enterprise? What are the priorities that government need to set in 2015 based on the current realities and where is the place of the youths in setting these priorities? How can Enugu state become self-sustaining and then what is the Enugu of our dream beyond 2015? These questions, as simple as they seem, have answers located in a carefully articulated discourse of the stakeholders. It is in seeking to provide answers to these questions that the Ezike Diamond Club, Nigeria has undertaken to assemble stakeholders at the University town of Nsukka on 18^th October 2014 for a colloquium on the theme: ENUGU STATE BEYOND 2015. As Malcolm would say, “the future belongs to those who prepare for it today”.
Please can you assess political developments in Enugu State?
The political development in Enugu state is something every peace-loving citizen of Enugu state should be happy about. Enugu state politics is originally bounded by the theory of triangular equilibrium which sole purpose is to create peace and tranquillity, inclusivity in governance through equitable distribution of resources in terms of both capital and human resources within the three senatorial districts that make up Enugu state.  We are glad that the current leadership in Enugu had showed a lot political maturity and integrity by the decision to sustain the triangular equilibrium. The decision to zone the position of the incoming Governor of the state to Enugu North is really a political masterstroke and revolutionary. It is indeed a mark of political courage on the part of the current leadership to have taken this decision to maintain the equilibrium and eliminate the seemly imbalance that has existed before. We hope and pray that this will be actualised come 2015. What is even more gladdening   here is the peaceful manner with which Enugu citizens are speaking with one voice in coming up with a consensus candidate for this position. We hope also that other Political Parties will toe the same line in bringing up a credible alternative also from the same Enugu North senatorial district. As a non-political group we in Ezike Diamond club are only interested in ensuring that the right candidate of Nsukka extraction is given the opportunity to lead Enugu state and take the state to the next level. We will give our full support and resources to the successful candidate to better govern Enugu state.
Assess the current government of Enugu State under Barr. Sullivan Chime?
I will state unequivocally that, to the best of my knowledge, the current Government of Enugu state under the watchful eyes of Barr. Sullivan Iheanacho Chime has done very well in all its ramifications. The current peaceful atmosphere in Enugu state is a pointer that all is well with Enugu. The government of Barr. Sullivan I. Chime has tried to strengthen democracy in Enugu State, improving respect for human rights, engendering a relatively secure state and delivering commendable infrastructural development. The current Government in Enugu has been accountable to the people of the state. A current analysis by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, by the respective state government in Nigeria show that Enugu state is ranked 3^rd coming after Lagos and Rivers states respectively. This is a rare achievement especially when one considers the fact that Enugu state is currently not one of the oil producing states and the development of the only known mineral resource in the state, Coal, has been highly ignored by the respective Federal Government. It takes good strategy, economic prudency and transparent leadership to achieve the IGR status as recorded.  I think also that the current Leadership in Enugu has achieved some remarkable milestones in terms the basic principles of good governance which includes, among others, accountability and transparency. I will recall that, in the light of the excellent performance by the Government of the day in Enugu, the Ezike Diamond Club, Nigeria, had in 2013 given an award of Excellence to the Governor, His Excellency, Barr. Sullivan Chime. The incoming leadership should be encouraged to continue the good works of the Governor.