The recent unwholesome and preposterous activities of a sectional group called Odimma Nsukka in Enugu State has to be quickly checked by disbanding the group due to the threat it poses to human security and political freedom in the state.
This monster group, if not well contained, may cause disorder which can precipitate anarchy in Enugu State political landscape.
It is on record that this group has been issuing both subtle and open threats to opposing voices and views, especially, in Nsukka Cultural Zone and at each they do, they drop the name of the governor as their sponsor.
Meanwhile, It will be imperative to familiarise ourselves with the origin and relationship between politicking and security as this will enable understand the dangers being incubated by this group.
At the end of the Cold War which was largely characterised by ideological rivalry between the forces of capitalism led by the Western Power Bloc under the hegemony of the United States of America and the forces of Socialism led by the Eastern Power Bloc under the leadership of the defunct Soviet Union (USSR), the international community witnessed a reduction in interstate wars and conflicts.
This was as a result of the fact that interstate wars during the cold war era resulted from the attempt by these ideological camps, actors and agents to take control of different states in different regions of the World.
Therefore, during the period under review, the greatest threats to national security of different states were essentially external. It has been established that quite often, the national security interest of the state is nothing but the security interest of the regime in power or the security interest of the few individuals that make things happen or determine the direction of government programmes.
For instance, In Nigeria, majority of the security personnel, ammunitions, apparatuses or paraphernalia are channeled towards securing individuals and their interests at the detriment of the state. Enugu State is not an exception in this regard.
The major criticism of this approach remains that it ignores the direct relationship between the security of the individual and that of the state . The state cannot be safe if the society that provides the titular sovereignty is not secured and this has been the reason for recent emphasis that security should be prioritised for the individual members of the society as a means of securing the state and their actors.
In emphasising the human-security as a means for enduring statehood as against that of state security as a means of dominating the individual, the underlying factor is the recognition of the desires and tendencies of the individual to progressively explore means of asserting his or her rights and freedoms without which the long-term integrity of state security would not be guaranteed.
The 1948 Global Declaration on the Fundamental Human Rights by the United Nations and its adoption by the African Union as African Charter of Human Rights equally strengthened the clamour for the human-security approach in contemporary security discourse around the whole world.
Now back to the discourse! Many have been left to worry about the intentions of this ill-famed Odimma Nsukka group whose members have been moving around Nsukka Cultural Zone attacking individual freedoms, threatening those opposed to their hegemonic political agenda, injecting fear in the people and suggesting possible ostracisation of those who for reasons of personal choice opt to pitch their political wagons elsewhere.
In all their gatherings and community mobilisations, the message is not that of organic aggregation and constructive inclusion but that of threats of possible bodily and social harm on those who choose to exercise their rights to freedom of political expression differently.
It will be interesting to know if the governor of the state has given his blessings to the queer methodology of fear-mongering, threats of rights violations, intimidation, segregation and disenfranchisement of citizens all in the name of building enhancing political opportunities for themselves.
Who will check and checkmate the potentially destructive activities of Odimma Nsukka? The erroneous messages they are spreading in the state with impunity, especially, Nsukka Cultural Zone, include but not limited to the following:
- That Nsukka people and indeed Enugu State has one leader in His Excellency, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and everyone MUST follow his political directives.
- That those who may choose not to follow him will be doing so at their own peril and will be treated like Boko Haram members.
Meanwhile, while Enugu Rebirth Movement recognises the current leadership of Enugu State under the governor, it rejects the intention to resort to the use of threats to beat ordinary citizens into line.
We, therefore, appeal to our amiable governor to call those using his name to intimidate the people to order.
Odimma Nsukka has been dropping his name as the person that delegated them to intimidate and cow the people of Nsukka. They have to be told in very clear terms of the damage they are doing to the psyche of the people and the larger political fabric of the society by using force and threats of exclusion to build political fortunes for themselves.
Let it be known that efforts to intimidate the people of Enugu State using whatever guise will be resisted with all possible civil and legal means. We will not sit and watch a band of selfish, negligible minority continue in acts capable of stoking anarchy and turmoil by infusing the spirit of regression in the people.
‘Ka anyi mezie Enugu ka odiri anyi ncha mma’
Hon Chuka Eze, Chairman, Enugu Rebirth Movement writes from Enugu
