It is a popular saying that the only thing we learn from history,’ ‘is that men never learn from history’, a sweeping generalization perhaps, but one which the chaos in the world today goes far to confirm.
Well, every age and culture learns from its predecessors, adds some contribution of its own, and passes it on to its successors. If we boycott various periods of history, the origins of the new cultures which succeeded them cannot be explained. Obviously, history is a continuous process which continually develops, changes, reverses , but in general moves forward in a single mighty stream.
To gain a useful insight from history, it is important to study it in terms of the holistic flow of human development and not necessarily by short periods of select countries, people or race.
Objectively, if we sincerely want to ascertain the mechanism that governs the rise and fall of political empires in Nigeria, we should religiously investigate and analyze the political history of our nation and deduce from them the common underlying factor. However, for want of time and space, this article shall fall into the same classical historical pitfall of basing history not on wholistic terms of human development, but on short periods and special units of interest. That may be taken as unavoidable limitations of the writer.
Anambra politics from 1999 till date serves as the unit of interest and short period of review respectively.
Anambra State as well as many other states in Nigeria is replete with histories of rise and fall in political dynasty or godfatherism. Money politics and political godfatherism has bedeviled our electoral process resulting in intimidation, assassination, political falsehood, looting, manipulation of public institutions and security outfits for a partisan political end. Our elites today, have seen and recognize the acquisition of state power as the only means to secure life, property, influence and some sort of freedom. This sole discovery accounts for the kind of political warfare witnessed in many states of the federation (like Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Edo and Anambra) in the name of electioneering. The quest for political power has peddled at the doorsteps of one state to the other; crisis, looting, destruction of private and public properties, underdevelopment, unemployment, bad governance and a harvest of many unprintable atrocities.
The name Chris Uba as a political factor in the politics of Anambra State largely due to his bid to buy the state as a private property become more prominent between 2003 -2007 with the Ngige saga and his elder’s brothers quest to govern Anambra State. Before the Ubas, the Emeka Offor (Sir E ) factor was the leading power for well over four years. Sadly, for mainly on a bad note, the political story book in the state has in its every page the mention of Uba as either represented by Chris or Andy.
Godfathers like them and godfatherism as defined by Mbamara as “the invasion of the political candidate by discarnate powerful sponsor, tending to complete possession for the purpose of selfish gratification.. Mbamara continuing averred that:
The godfather is the political slave merchant while the godson is the political slave or slave boy or political article for sale. The godson is purchased with big sum of money under a demonic oath. Their aims and objectives include appointments, stealing, robbery and looting of government treasury. The decision-making appointments and contract award is usually manipulated by the godfather. It is like drug abuse. (2004:143)
It is pertinent to pause as we read the history book of Anambra politics since the invasion of the Ubas and consider: What would the State be like without the Uba and Ukachukwu species? Can you imagine what our polity might be like without the consequent actions and inactions of the likes of Ubas, and their concept of godfatherism?. Studies have it that concept of godfatherism when practiced in line of mentorship is not bad at all. But, available political records on Anambra since the invasion and reign of the Ubas has shown no known common good, development, progress, peace of mind of either the common man or the elites in the state. Rather it has been a litany of crisis, looting, destruction, political instability, distraction of government and governance, abuse of Court processes and the Judiciary, blackmail, intimidation, hijacking and blockage of dividends of democracy froms getting to the common man.
Surprisingly, their unquenchable infatuation for power exemplified by Andy Uba’s desperate quest to govern Anambra at all cost (even if it is for an additional day – desperate move that commits him to the sin of hybris (a greek word that means ‘“outrageous arrogance.” ) – The greatest mistake to be made by any one in power.
Hubris is the imposition of your will, at all costs. It is fool hardy for the Ubas or anyone to believe that you can do anything you want to and there will be no consequences from either Gods or men. In the ancient greek history, it was this hybris that led Darius to undertake a preemptive war against Athens. It was his moral blindness that believed he would never know defeat.
For the Ubas to tenaciously hold on to the sentiment of ‘eze iga achi rue mgbe ebighi ebi’ the king shall live and reign forever and fall into the same classical pitfall like the Abbasid Khalifs of Baghdad who declared that God had appointed them to rule mankind until the day of judgment or the people of Great Britain whom 80 years ago believed that the empire would endure forever shows that in all ages, the rise and fall of nations vis a vis godfathers has passed unperceived.
The recent event in the state suggests we learn from history that repeatedly we find a small nation, treated as insignificant by its contemporaries, suddenly emerging from its homeland and over-running large areas of the world. Anambra today has witnessed a sudden outbursts characterized by an extraordinary display of energy and courage by men termed insignificance to the supposed ‘Goliathic might’ of the Ubas and the Ukachukwus. The new conquerors are the poor, hardy and enterprising and above all aggressive ordinary men. The decaying empires which they overthrow are wealthy but defensive‑minded enclave.
More so, the ordinary man in the village, okada rider, bus driver, that farmer, market women, artisans, students etc and even the elite being fed and fade up with the piece meal of violence, intimidation, disturbance of government and governance, destruction, plethora of Court cases, fractionalization and factionalisation of state political system and a host of unpalatable dishes served by the Uba’s have made a statement through the PDP delegate election and will make more elaborate statement come Nov 16, 2013 if any party consciously or unconsciously associates itself with the Ubas.
Any local or International Institution is hereby challenged to conduct an opinion poll /survey on the feelings of ordinary and extra-ordinary Anambrarians about the Uba dynasty. This call is so made because I am yet to highlight (I stand to be corrected) any single underlying benefit of the invasion and reign of the Uba Dynasty on the political colony of Anambra State since 2003.
Finally, the basic principle of democracy is to ensure that the people own the power to transform authority to individuals to represent them. Suffice it to say that those who cannot procure the mandate of the electorate through the process of voting do not have the authority of the masses to govern or represent them, thus should not ambush the train of progress with purchased Court Orders, coercion and uncut media personality bleaching.
In view of the above facts, it is very pertinent at this juncture for the presidency and indeed the party leadership to place their ear close to the heartbeat of Anambrarians to hear the pulse of rejection of any form of godfatherism exemplified by the Ubas or the likes of them. There is, there was and there will NEVER be anything good that will come out of the UBAs control of either the Party or government machinery in Anambra State. The records are naked, open and verifiable.
Let Sen. Andy Uba make the best use of his Seat in the Senate as a Senator and for Chris Uba…? to be continued.
Mr. Chidi Ojimmadu writes from Lagos
