By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
One thing is clear: Anambra State under the administration of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is addressing a fundamental philosophical question that is crucial in building a modern society. It would appear true that people do not generally willingly comply with the law, but this is why government became essential in the first place. Everything seen is powered by something unseen. Human societies cannot thrive beyond the meaning they give to things.
It is concerning that the value system, as well as the ethos of hard work and discipline, are fast disappearing. Somehow, many people think that it is okay to do anything they wish to do provided they can do it. They are not afraid of the law or the government. In fact, many do not even understand the implications of the opinions they hold on issues. In search of a different voice, many people have become deformed through misinformation and disinformation. They have been filled with knowledge that is both out of tune with reality and altogether dangerous for them and their community. This is why, despite all the damage caused by secessionist violent groups in the Southeast, there are still people who try to make an excuse or justification for the violence.
Before now, there was an atmosphere of chaos and polluted spiritualism where people were cajoled into all manner of rituals in water bodies for money. It got to a point that these activities became normalized, thereby creating the impression that the basic identity of Anambra is lawlessness, chaos, and absurdity. IPOB was enforcing Monday sit-at-home; fake traditionalists and pastors were taking people to streams openly and offering sacrifices in the full view of the world so that they could become rich by that act. Criminals were running amok, hiding under agitation to kidnap people. The authority of the State was not only diminished, but the state itself was constantly challenged and undermined deliberately by these onslaughts. Meanwhile, people who give impetus to these are the same people who want the government to protect them and ensure security of lives and properties. But they are the same people who join non-state actors to undermine the state. The same people who want the government to perform are the same people who patronize fake spiritualists messing with the psyche of the people.
When Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo moved into action, it was clear that some people want Anambra State to be safe and orderly. But they believe it can start from somewhere else, not from IPOB wreaking havoc and sabotaging the state with their illegal sit-at-home. Some believe it is good to have security, but they don’t see why a criminal native doctor and pastor should not be left alone to do their thing. Some agree that crime must end, but they don’t see why the Governor should shut down Onitsha Main Market to reverse the illegal Monday sit-at-home. They don’t see why any market that complies with the illegal Monday sit-at-home should be closed. So, they agree that while the government must stop the criminals, the Monday sit-at-home should continue. Some argue that it is the individual who owns his shop and can decide to sit-at-home on Monday and that it is not the government’s business. But they don’t see how that individual’s compliance with the illegal sit-at-home is undermining the same government and sabotaging order in the state. This speaks to the depths of confusion and particular disability that trail the conversation, focusing on what the government can do to improve lives and make the state better and safer for residents. It is a fundamental philosophical question of essence. Some people want Governor Soludo to work only to the limits that their narrow or subjective definition of good is not challenged. They say things like: “Do everything but leave this or that for us”. “Do your politics, but leave this or that person alone”. “Give us security but leave IPOB and Monday sit-at-home alone.” They forget that there are others too who hold different opinions, which is why the government governs with the law and not opinions. One thing is obvious; no matter how good-intentioned a person conceives of a non-state actor because it is anti-government, that non-state actor remains an enemy of that person, his family, friends, and the society at large, as well as an enemy of the state. It is the duty of the government to deal with the issue in the manner the law has prescribed with no sentiment. This is what Governor Soludo has done.
Nigeria, it appears, has a philosophical problem. It is not a problem of infrastructure or that of the economy. It is a problem of essence. Our sense of right and wrong, and how the government should behave under the circumstances, is deeply unstable, and once a leader allows himself to be drawn into that confusion, he misses it before he starts. This is what the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, is addressing with a firm stance on order as well as the campaign on value reformation. Everything else finds its place once meaning, right, and wrong have been carved in the minds and conduct of the people. This is the ongoing Anambra rebirth.
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