By Cajetan Mmuta Awka
For the people of the South-East geo-political zone, the year 2021 had come and gone with echoes of mixed grills of greater accomplishments for some of the states in diverse areas according to their capabilities to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry and greater pains for the larger number of the residents.

Towards the end of last year, the various executive and legislative arms of governments in the five states of the zone had struggled hard amid positive steps to pass the year 2022 budget appropriations aimed at meeting with expectations of governments and to deal with challenges of the New Year.

These are in keeping with the expressions that to whom much is given (to the chief executives of the states), much is also expected. There is, no doubt, therefore that the southeast commands a strategic position in the country given its huge socio-political and economic potentials.

However, it needs to be pointed out that citizens and residents of the geo-political zone have had a sour taste of socio-economic backlash throughout the year 2021 due to irreconcilable and humongous losses they have been subjected to following the mindlessness of descent by the Nigerian military in the wake of the agitations for self-freedom, equity, and fairness by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) amid endless cries against years of serial and obvious marginalization of the area by successive governments.

Testimonies of ugly socio-economic and development indices for the states abound about the sad tales and physical experiences citizens from far and near encountered with security agencies during the yuletide, especially, those who travelled along all routes leading to the states in the region. The physical and psychological trauma was better narrated than experienced while economic holocaust and stagnation remain a daily sting.

The destruction pillages and deaths are inexplicably alarming with tears of sorrow, pains, and anguish while most homes are now left desolate and deserted. Although, it needs to be pointed out here that the toll of casualties has continued to fester on both sides of IPOB and security agencies on a special mission to restore peace in the troubled zone.

Sadly, the unfolding onslaught by military personnel deployed by the Federal Government in collaboration with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led government of Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodinma has left no one in doubt that it may take the Heartland state many decades to wake up from self-inflicted wounds, nightmare, and backwardness.

The bitter lessons of these inglorious and unfortunate incidents today have left untold sour tastes in the mouths of people and residents of a great many communities Orlu, Orsu, Orsumoghu, Ihiala, Azia, Uli, Akatta, Kwerre, Isu Njaba, Umutanzi, Attah, Mbano, and others in various local government areas of Imo and Anambra states.

The level of human carnage and destruction of properties in Ebonyi state last year cannot be quantified.

The same was visited on people and residents of Enugu and Abia at different times and the narrative had been helplessness, sorrow, and tears.

However, the New Year 2022 comes with a lot of hope, expectation, and desires for both the people and government at all levels, for a better and egalitarian society despite the obvious security challenges.

Speaking on the expectations of people of the geopolitical region, former minister of Aviation during the first republic and an elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi said his position on the expectation of people of the Southeast in 2022 is that they should continue to play a strategic role by ensuring a united Nigeria through peaceful co-existence and total integration while the federal take steps towards giving the people a true sense of belonging.

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He said, “The position of the southeast in Nigeria will be of strategic importance to Nigeria in the areas of peace and peaceful co-existence. There is a need for the people of the southeast to totally and fully integrate into Nigeria for there to be peace. In that regard, two things are required; a responding hand from the rest of Nigeria through the conduct of people of the southeast by themselves and the government to reciprocate accordingly by giving the people a true sense of belonging.”

The Anambra state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Sir. C Don Adinuba said, “We are going to have a new administration headed by Professor Chukwuma Soludo who according to outgoing Governor Willie Obiano will do better than he (Obiano). Soludo has performed very well in his past positions; he has local and international experience, has a first-class in education, and has a record of excellent performance. “Therefore, there is a siege of expectation he will deliver the goods with outstanding results. Therefore, the expectation of our people is not in doubt for a better state this year and beyond.”

Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Anambra state chapter, Mr Jerome Nnubia said there is the need for the Southeast region to be accorded the pride of place and properly accommodated in the scheme of things as well as given the sense of belonging in Nigeria.
According to him, “For me, we expect that in our agitation is that in the scheme of things the southeast should be accommodated properly in the scheme of things because this issue of marginalization and some others have been eating into our fabrics and we are asking for a sense of belonging so that this year we know we are part of this country and in terms of politics, the dividends of democracy and all that will give priority. “I think these are some of the things we are clamouring for and the government at the centre will find a reason to give the southeast a sense of belonging.”

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide said Igbo people of the southeast geo-political zone expect mutual reciprocity from all other ethnic nationalities towards the realization of the Presidency of Nigeria from the Southeast zone.

Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Chief Alex Ogbonnia said what the people of the zone want is that there should be mutual reciprocity; by this, I mean that All the ethnic nationalities should do unto Igbo as Igbo have done unto others; reciprocate to Igbo what they have done to other ethnic nationalities. We supported the Southwest, North, and South-South. “We should be supported for Presidency of Nigeria. That is what Ndigbo expects this year from other Nigerians.”

Ogbonnia, who also spoke against the backdrop of the security challenges in the geo-political zone, called for collective efforts towards the protection of lives and properties of people within the states in the region.

He said, “We expect that before the end of January other Southeast governors should key into Ebube Agu phenomenon just like the governor of Ebonyi state had done. If you have to create collective consciousness and awareness concerning security in the Southeast; security is a collective responsibility, when all the segments of the society are key in the phenomenon at hamlets, villages, communities, and each local government and state-level becomes a collective responsibility.

“So, we expect that other state governors should before the end of this month key into the Ebube Agu phenomenon, for effective protection of lives and properties of people of states in the geo-political zone.”