By Reuben Onyishi
(Ugoachataberu)
The administration of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State would not pander to the divisive manner by which some folks gaze at the state. Natural man is selfish,and so thinks self. For him, the natural man, it is all about what comes to himself as an individua- personal benefits. 'My' is constant on his lips, and he has no place for others in his worldview. The beast of self is tied to a stake in the muck of his mind. But education has a way of untying the beast, and exorcize it off his mind.
The Greek identified three sets of people in line with this understanding. They are the idiots, the tribesmen and the citizens. The idiots are not tied to the strict sense of the meaning of the word. Idiots here represent those who think self. They don't care about others. The tribesmen are only concerned about what benefits their tribe. The citizens are the patriotic ones who are concerned about the good of the state, the society, the people and others. Report has it that only 10% of Africans are citizens. The rest are idiots and tribesmen. Perhaps this accounts for why a greater number of us thinks the structure rather than the whole.
Pockets of analysis of how one structure is favoured and the other neglected have been all the rage since Governor Mbah made his first appointment. Prior to that, Governor Mbah had appointed Prof. Chidiebere Onyia the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). The first question on the lips of some folks was where he came from. No one called his competence to question. Competence and qualification do not matter so long as the person appointed is from "beanyi". Well, Governor Mbah is interested in the deliverables to the people, and so seems to align with Mathew Arnold's "disinterested endeavour to appropriate the best that is known in all the world" ( see Arnold , "The Function of Criticism at the Present Time'). It may be argued that competence may be found everywhere, yet the prerogative to pick competence from anywhere lies with governor without prejudice to power balancing.
The appointment list as released last week apart from reflecting the quality of human capital Governor. Mbah has brought to bear, also balances power in line with the three structural zones. The SSG is from Enugu East, the Chief of Staff Enugu West and Head of Service Enugu North. The other ones are Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants. These are personal aides of the governor picked from those whose capacity he personally knows. The hue and cry from some quarters over the list is uncalled for. His Excellency's, Barr. Mbah's, thoughts for Enugu State are thoughts of good and not of evil, thoughts of exponential economic growth of the state; thoughts of zero percent poverty headcount index, thoughts of a peaceful Enugu State; thoughts of the welfare of the people. His Excellency, Governor Mbah has begun on a sound note and has hit the ground running in order to implement his lofty objectives as contained in his manifesto.
For Mbah's Enugu State, there is neither Jew nor Gentile. Or to put it in the Nigeria-Biadra way of Gowon, no victor; no vanquished. Mbah is interested in the progress and development of Enugu State whole and entire. He is the governor of Enugu State, and not the governor of any section. Enugu State is one. So whoever thinks marginalisation anywhere to see in Mbah's Enugu State thinks what never was is nor ever shall be. Appointment is an ongoing thing. Commissioners shall be appointed. Boards, parastatals and government agencies shall be populated in due course with capable hands.
Therefore, those who orchestrate divisive thoughts and flesh them out in incediary comments should stop chasing shadows. Governor Mbah is sound and highly cerebral. He is a citizen in the Greek sense whose heartbeat is the wellbeing of Ndi Enugu State. Here in Enugu, there is neither Jew nor Gentile.
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