A NEW MINDSET THAT WILL LIBERATE ABIA STATE

Emmanuel Ugwumba

Simon Kolawole’s article edited for the good people of Abia

“Sadiq Daba, the actor, ran into some serious health issues recently. He cried out for financial help to undergo foreign treatment. Pronto, Nigerians reacted overwhelmingly. But wait. I did not hear anybody talk about Daba’s religion or ethnic group. The people who tweeted and retweeted his appeal for help, and those who contributed money, were certainly not from his village. I was so so so so so happy. It confirmed, yet again, my pet theory about Nigeria — that we do not hate each other. We are just victims of the unending political manipulation of ethnic and religious identities for selfish gain. Evidently, ordinary Nigerians have the “Nigerian spirit” in their DNA”

Yet in Abia State some people are still making desperate efforts to divide the state into Ngwa, Isukwuato, Ukwa, Bende, Afikpo and all what not.

Yet people are raising hate comments and articles against fellow Abians simply because they belong to different political parties.

Yet some people are still deceiving fellow Abians to believe that some political parties belong to people of certain tribe who they must see as enemies and reject some of the best hands in these parties that could help deliver the state from underdevelopment.

Yet some people who obviously don’t have anything to offer are telling Abia people to decide their future based on zoning, political parties and such nonsensical basis.

Yet Abia people who live and earn their living in Yoruba and Hausa land are being lured to hate their fellow Abians and reject their intentions to bring development to the state simply on the basis that they belong to parties they described as Hausa and Yoruba parties.

Yet most of those who are pushing these cheap propaganda have been in government, looted monies meant for Abia’s development. And when they loot Abia State they go to Lagos and Abuja which are Yoruba and Hausa land to invest and hide their loot. And then return to Abia to look for opportunity to loot more by telling people not to vote for those who can make a difference in the state simply because according to them, they belong to Hausa and Yoruba parties. It doesn’t matter if they are Abia indigenes.

Oh what foolishness!

“Indeed. I have met extremists and chauvinists from across religions races” and political parties  (Ngwa, Ohuhu, PDP, APC and APGA). “I am yet to hear anyone declare that we were not created by the same God”

“One of the most astonishing things about life, to me, is the fact that although we can choose to be Muslims or Christians (PDP, APC or APGA), and so on, nobody can choose to be Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba (Ngwa, Isukwuato, Bende, Arochukwu, Ukwa) or whatever. We just woke up one day to find ourselves as members of one ethnic (or sub ethnic) group or the other. It was not our making”

“So why should you discriminate against me, and hate me, on the basis of an ethnic (or sub ethnic) identity that is beyond my control? Is it my fault that I was born into a family that was clearly not my choice?”

“In this “mindsets” series, my goal is to challenge the way we think about Nigeria (and Abia State). I am fully persuaded that since we have been doing things the same way for ages and we have been getting essentially the same results, the time has come for us to challenge our fundamental assumptions and thinking — and begin to consciously do things differently”

The good people of Abia should forget zoning, sub-ethnic prejudice and political parties people belong to. As long they are Abia indigenes, it should not matter where the individual comes from and what political parties, we should go for the best and the brightest from any party.

Abia should concern herself with who will bring development to the state and not stupid argument about political parties and zones.

“As many commentators, analysts and public speakers have been pointing out over time, we need to reform our mindsets. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. A mind molded with hate, prejudice, greed and inordinate ambition will produce nothing but hate, prejudice, greed and inordinate ambition”

“I challenged our obsession with seasonal political calculations and permutations. We build our hopes on false dawns and heat-of-the-moment excitements every four years — and end up with more of the same. Something has to change”

“We need to cultivate new mindsets to be able to build a new mindset” AND HELP BRING NEEDED DEVELOPMENT TO ABIA STATE.