“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion”. - Alexander the Great
According to the words of Martin Luther King, Jnr, the ultimate measure of a man is not when he finds himself in a place of comfort or pleasure, but when he sees himself in the midst of challenges and controversies.
The unabated atrocities of Fulani Herdsmen in some states, has revealed leadership qualities that make up some of Nigerian governors.
While some gullible governors, out of sheer cowardice or myopic quest for political correctness, decided to play ostrich while there people were being massacred in their ancestral homes, by bloody-sucking vampires masquerading as herdsmen.
Others, who understand what true leadership is all about, placed security of lives and properties of the governed as their number one constitutional duty.
The case of Governors Ayo Fayose and Ifeanyi Uguwanyi of Ekiti and Enugu States, respectively, brought this classic example of two ends of ideological spectrum to the limelight.
On Friday night of May 20, 2016, Oke Ako community of Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State was thrown into mourning by suspected herdsmen.
These invaded the community while they were sleep, killed two people and butchered others.
Less than 30 hours after the ugly incident, Gov. Fayose as the Chief Security Officer of Ekiti State, rushed back from the PDP Convention in Rivers State.
He condemned the barbaric killing of his people, visited the scene and consequentially issued a severe press release as follows:
“I have come here to commiserate with the people of Oke-Ako over the murder of two of our people by these evil Fulani herdsmen.
“I am also here to assure that this will be the last time your community will be invaded by Fulani herdsmen under whatever guise.
“I have directed that cattle rearing and grazing should stop in Ekiti State and those interested in cattle farming should henceforth do so in their own ranch.”
“No more movement of cattle from one location to another in the State and any cattle seen anywhere in Ekiti State apart from the ranch created for them by their owners will be confiscated by the government and their owners will be prosecuted.
“A bill to this effect will be sent to House of Assembly for passage into law to criminalize cattle owners whose cattle are found moving from one location the other in the State.”
The case of Governors Ayo Fayose and Ifeanyi
Uguwanyi of Ekiti and Enugu States, respectively,
brought this classic example of two ends of
ideological spectrum to the limelight.
After taking a deep introspection on Gov. Fayose’s audacious reaction as regards man inhumanity to man exhibited by these cannibal-like suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti, which propelled him to inaugurate local Vigilante groups to serve as community police.
I tried in vain to juxtapose it with what happened in my state Enugu recently, and the mindboggling lackadaisical cum hypocritical reaction of His Excellency, Gov. Ugwuanyi to the gruesome murder of our people.
Before the Ekiti Killings, there were Benue and Enugu Killings, where over 400 were slaughtered in Benue State.
Another over 40 innocent people were slain in Enugu State, respectively, without much courageous response from these lily-livered governors.
To add salt to injury, Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue Sate attended a meeting of Northern Governors Forum.
There a statement emanated exonerating Fulani herdsmen of any complicity in the sadistic acts, without any counteraction from Gov. Ortom.
This is height of ineptitude, incompetence, gullibility and a great disservice not only to both living and dead Agatus, but entire Benue State in general.
Gov. Ortom’s delinquency of his constitutional responsibilities to protect lives and properties of Benue people irrespective of their tribes, can be said to be mortgaged on the altar of political affiliation with the government at centre.
It failed woefully to curtail menace of Fulani Herdsmen.
What can be said of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s immature and cowardly reaction, owning to the fact to he got security intelligence reports 24 hours before cruel invasion of Ukpabi Nimbo community on 25th of April, 2016 by dreaded Fulani herdsmen?
If APC-controlled Federal Government could not send security officials to save lives of over 40 souls wasted in a space of two hours in Nimbo community, why couldn’t Gov. Ugwuanyi alert entire Enugu people on this calamity before it occurred?
Imagine Gov. Fayose in Ugwuanyi’s shoes:
After getting wind of the attack, would he have allowed Ekiti people to be killed in cold blood not in Kano or Jigawa, but in their ancestral homes in Ekiti State because President Buhari refused to send soldiers to quell the attacks as a result of his political differences with the governor?
Would Gov. Fayose have gone to Nimbo community to cry for the sake of cameras of media men and be seen the next day at Aso Rock slavishly and cowardly shaking hands and having hypocritical smiles with the same Commander-in-Chief who couldn’t protect the massacred people of Nimbo community?
Would Fayose have denied ever placing emergency calls to Villa for help immediately after the master-slave meeting in State House?
Would Fayose even bother to visit a president that did not condemn gruesome butchery of his people via press release; let alone national broadcast?
I want to state categorically clear, that I campaigned, voted, and supported Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as governor of Coal City state during 2015 general election.
But I am not a sycophant that will turn blind eyes when my governor is derailing from his constitutional duties from placing collective interest of Enugu people above his selfish political aspiration.
The lives and properties of Enugu people cannot become pawns in a political chess board.
Enugu is a state of lions and cannot be led by a spineless sheep.
President Buhari and Fulani tribe did not make Ugwuanyi Enugu governor; we made him.
If Gov. Ugwuanyi is afraid of standing for his people not to incur the rot of Fulanis in Abuja, he may end up incurring the wrath of the same people of Enugu who voted him into power.
Everything rises and falls on leadership.
Gov. Fayose has shown exemplary leadership when it mattered most.
If Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State could set up vigilante groups to safeguard Abians, even when Fulani Herdsmen are yet to strike the state, why would Ugwuanyi keep ridiculing Enugu people and making them objects of mockery in the eyes of other Nigerians via his clueless, rudderless, spineless and sheepishly leadership?
Enugu deserves more courageous, decisive and focused leadership than what we are getting now.
2019 is around the corner, political hurricane which may not even come from APC or PDP may sweep him out of Lion Building—Enugu State Government House, if he does not sit up now.
Nwobodo Chidiebere wrote from Abuja; [email protected]
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