As the battle of who succeeds Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state hots up, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, has thrown his weight behind the agitation of the people of Nkanu East Local Government Area to produce the next governor of Enugu state in 2023.
Senator Nnamani took the bold step while addressing leaders of Nkanu East Consultative Forum led by the former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji who paid him a visit in his Amechi Awkunanaw country home in Enugu, recently.
The former Senate President also asked the Nkanu East leaders to be sportsmanlike in their effort and to recognize that other parts of the state could also aspire to the same office, stating that the Nigerian constitution guarantees their inalienable right to do so.
However, he reasoned that in all fairness, other parts of the Enugu East senatorial zone have enjoyed governorship positions and have received more government patronages whereas the Nkanu East Local Government Area was yet to receive even a serious government appointment.
Prof Nnaji had sought the support of Senator Ken Nnamani in the quest for Nkanu East to have the total support of other council areas in Enugu East Senatorial District and beyond to produce the candidate for governor based on zoning.
According to Nnaji, apart from the fact that some other council areas in the zone have had a shot at the guber position, “Nkanu East is a very neglected area of Nkanu land without a single all-season road or government presence (federal or state).”
He complained that the need for a good road network was acute, so much so that the greater majority of the council area has to detour through five other local government areas before accessing their council headquarters at Amagunze.
He observed that whereas the area is brimming with solid minerals and agricultural potentialities lying unexploited due to road problems, all it would take to easily address the problem is to put a bridge across the Idodo River and connect the vast areas with good roads.
Prof. Nnaji said: “We have sons who are well qualified to advance the interest of Enugu State. We are not asking to make any of them governor in order to help just our own localities; all we are hoping for is that if our son becomes governor, some of the winds of development that he initiates in the state will also blow in our area. This will end our marginalized condition and give us a sense of belonging. This is why we are appealing to you as a major pillar in this state, nay in the whole country, to lend us your support and speak up for us in our cause”.
Happy with Nnaji’s position, the former Senate President, Nnamani retorted: “You used the term marginalization to describe the situation in Nkanu East, I would rather you use the word backwardness. It is part of it”.
