When a man's values in life are dictated by his belly, he becomes the lowliest of slaves. This reminds me of the very moving statement which I am now forced to drag out of the pages of history.
"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves" - Harriet Tubman.
The question now is: *are Esan politicians enslaved by their quest for political places and economic significance in their fatherland or the developmental stride in Esanland is enslaved?
Yes, arrows and swords are being thrown at any person who dares deviate from tradition of "Atalefoh" ( Thou had concluded it already ) and "that is how it is played" philosophy. If things were working smoothly in the land, would there be a cry of self-inflicted marginalization by the Edo central people? If no, the next question is what are the problems? So in proffering a solution, the cry should not be blaming people from the north or the south but those inside with a readiness to deal with it. I mean the real issue. True change starts from within. We must overcome the enemies within before going out.
I' m yet to see handbills/flyers, and oh, yes, am yet to hear jingles on radio/tv, or anywhere of our people being taught about the ills of selfish interests in politics or condemning the terror of witch-hunting against perceived enemies from Esanland. The political tradition of our people should be redirected. I keep saying it but we are not listening. Why do we hate ourselves so much?
Even outside the sphere of politics. I listen to complains always that some Esan people have this thing when their brethren meets them outside where they hold sway and greets them in Esan language, they respond if at all in English. Some Esan persons do not care about brethren's feeling and would rather bypass his qualified Esan person for someone elsewhere as if they were competing. Meanwhile other tribes respond favorably towards their own even when they do not qualify. This is a bad disease that needs curing and in politics is it not very crucially needed!
In my observations, party affiliation sentiments override our local, and intrinsic interests. Today, Esanland is fragile, disintegrated by selfish and divisive party affiliations that have no benefits to Esan people.
In our political tradition, every politician has the right to invest into his political future. Politics is the game of power, you must fight to earn it. Do we have Esan politicians that are ready to genuinely serve Esan people as late Prof. Ambrose Alli did then? Yes, Esan land has produced quality leaders in the past and would produce more of this kind now and in the future. Amen.
Yes! I am fully aware and conscious of the facts that Esan is in a period of diminishing returns, it is a normal life circle. We dominated the political space for some times, and sadly, it only benefited few individuals. We shall rebound soon and this time deliver good to and for our people. Esan people are like the Israelites surrounded by Arabs. In a nation of 180 million people, Esan people are only around Seven Hundred Thousand. It is like a single rose growing amongst millions of roses. In the midst of millions of voices there is a tiny Esan voice but always heard neat and clear. How will this voice be heard without been overshadowed or silent by hundreds of voices of other tribes which Esans people peacefully co-exist with? A misery that neighbors must fight to unfold but remember destiny can hardly been destroyed except God has hands in it.
The recent impeachment videos of two Esan speakers within months stressed the arrow to that self-inflicted marginalization, and I know hope would only come if we learn from this present ugly scenario that witch-hunting and degrading genuine Esan persons’ morale and psyche will not serve any useful purpose now or in the near future, rather we should immediately strategize to break the present isolationist path we have ignorantly chosen to take these while. We should learn to live together and avoid politics of backstabbing, bitterness, rancour, vendetta and greed.
I know we can overcome if we want to halt neighbors` sinister plans to isolate Edo central;
"When oppressed people willingly accept their oppressor they only serve to give the oppressor a convenient justification for his acts. Often the oppressor goes along unaware of the evil involved in his oppression so long as the oppressed accept it. So in order to be true to one’s conscience and true to God, a righteous man has no alternative but to refuse to cooperate with an evil system:” Martin Luther King Jr.
Thank you..
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