Enugu Bishop Urges Christians To Be Politically Active, Says ‘God Ordained Politics’

Contrary to insinuations that politics is a dirty game, a clergyman, Sosthenes Eze, says ‘God ordained politics’.

Speaking Thursday at the People&Politics zonal lecture 2021 and the presentation of the book, ‘Clash of Interest’ in Enugu, Bishop Eze, who is the bishop of Enugu North Diocese of Anglican Communion, said, “God is the origin of politics, where He laid emphasis on abilities to organise a city. God organised the office of leadership. There is a foundation of morality in politics. I call on the political class to revert to God for guidance.”

Eze further urged followers of Christ to actively participate in politics to avoid being led by those without leadership abilities.

The guest lecturer and former speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo, who delivered a paper on the concept of zoning, called on the political class to factor zoning as a principle to give every part of Nigeria a sense of belonging.

He said, “Zoning douses fears of minorities; it prevents domination. Those averse to zoning fail to realise that it leads to stability in government and its general acceptance. It is also captured in Section 14, Subsection 3 of the Nigerian constitution. The draft constitution of the Third Republic would have solved this problem, but it did not see the light of the day.”

Odo called on every Nigerian to be part and parcel of politics, otherwise, ‘we surrender our fate to the uneducated; people without conscience’.

On the zoning pattern in Enugu State, Mr Odo said, “Zoning of the governorship position started in the state in 1999, although it is not written anywhere. To some extent, it has calmed political nerves, although people from other zones contest against even the zone purportedly zoned the slot to. What is obtainable however is a system where power is transferred from one godfather to his godson. But ahead of the 2023 election, I advise that the slot go to Enugu East zone by conduct. I also call for a conference of all political parties where they deliberate on zoning arrangements to give every part of the country a sense of belonging.”
General JOJ Okoroagu (rtrd), at the event, called on the Igbo to join political parties that are sensitive to their plight ahead of the 2023 presidential election. He said it was only by zoning the slot to the Southeast that the people of the zone would be given a sense of belonging.

The editor of ThisDAY, Bolaji Adebiyi, regretted the manner Igbo people ‘are joining the All Progressives Congress, where’, according to him, ‘they have no strong root’. Adebiyi said they should have consolidated their stronghold in the Peoples Democratic Party to be taken seriously.

The organiser and publisher of People&Politics, Sheddy Ozoene, said the event was part of the publication’s mandates since 2003 when it started operations. In his words, “We designed that we will organise a lecture/awards ceremony every year where topical issues of national political relevance will be discussed. This year’s edition is unique because the lecture is about zoning which is perhaps the most contentious political issue in the country today.

“It is one issue that will define the upcoming general elections in Nigeria, especially for the Southeast geopolitical zone, which seems to have pegged their political future on the party that recognises zoning and prioritises the policy in the nomination of its 2023 presidential candidate.”

The event attracted people from all walks of life.