Insecurity: Barr. Chijioke Ezugwu: A New Sherrif Is In Town

By Solomon Gwiyi

Some call it the Barr Chijioke Ezugwu effects. Others Call it the CJ Ezugwu Aura. Yet, some others say it is the CJ phobia. But whatever it is, one thing is crystal clear. That Things have not been the same since Barr. CJ Ezugwu Emerged PDP Chairmanship Candidate in Uzo Uwani LGA. (Apologies to my mentor, Chief Femi Adesina, whose words I borrowed in the above analogy).

In the past two weeks, precisely since 17th of August 2024, when Barr. Chijioke Ezugwu was unanimously elected by our party Delegates to fly the PDP's flag in the October 5th Chairmanship election in Uzo Uwani LGA, uneasiness, has become the key word among the evil-doers across the land.

In all honesty and without being exaggerative, following CJ's emergence, criminality and other forms of anomalies in our God-given LGA, are gradually winding up and fading off for orderliness.

One will recall that before the Chijioke Ezugwu candidacy became reality, there was scarcely any two or three days along our major roads and farmlands without one or two communities, recounting their ordeals in the hands of criminals who on sighting our people, shot at them, as well as watched their victims reel in the pools of their own blood.

Following this carnage, most of our roads and farmlands became deserted by users for fear of being killed. Major among these roads include the Uvuru-Ukpata road, the Edem-Nrobo road and the Nimbo-Adani road, where even with the overwhelming number of security agents along the highway, evil had continued to prevail over good therein.

The worst hit by this pervading insecurity across Uzo Uwani LGA is Opanda, a settlement for both indigenes and none Indigenes alike, who lived in the largely dominated farm settlement, while plying their daily trade of farming, both for subsistence and commercial purposes.

Unarguably, before the ravaging insecurity, there was night life in the once burgeoning Opanda community, with travelers thronging the vicinity to buy farm produce in the largest quantity, mainly for transactional reasons.

The farm produce commonly traded in the area include fresh tomatoes, fresh pepper, garden eggs, grand-nuts, fresh vegetable leaves, rice, cassava-flakes, among others.

Unfortunately, this is not to be anymore.

Although, one would be doing disservice to himself, without recognizing the huge efforts and promptness of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, who worked (and still fighting) tirelessly to sterm this ugly tide in the LGA in the past one year. The Governor has no doubts, done marvellously well, especially in facilitating the deployment of over 50 Naval officers to Adani axis, as well as his provision of logistics to the security agents in the LGA, and further deployment of more soldiers along the Nimbo- Adani road, to end insecurity in the area. But this will be a topic for another day.

...Back to the New Sheriff in town.

So Since CJ's emergence, the birds at home have already whispered to the ones in the bush, that a new Sheriff is in town. And following this realization, it is evidently nearing two weeks and Still counting since his declaration as our party's Flagbearer and one can beat his chest and say that normalcy is gradually returning to the troubled places across the council.

Whether this is by a dint of grace or luck, or whatever interpretation it might be given. Maybe an orchestration by the unseen being in heaven. Or whether it is by the sheer presence of Barr. CJ Ezugwu. Or maybe by whatever reasoning or magic wand, it is however, increasingly becoming clear that peace is steadily taking preeminence over disquietness.

"When a new sheriff comes into town, disorder gives way to order. Chaos flees. Impunity is swept away. Laxity gives way to diligence, and people change their old, unedifying ways. When you have a Wild, Wild West situation prevailing, the new sheriff comes, and stamps his authority. Old things then pass away, behold, everything becomes new;" Femi Adesina who on September 4th, 2015, wrote.

Barr. CJ Ezugwu is the new Sherrif in town. A known security figure with towering experience and uncommon firsthand exposure, who knows our farmlands better, and even knows the track-roads leading to all our farms more than any individual.

Barr. Ezugwu embodies the solution we seek in the security challenges bedeviling our local Council and he would most definitely, bring his many years of practical experience to bear as he mounts the saddle come October.

Let us therefore, support him to bring back the lost Glory of our dear LGA and relaunch our Council as the food basket of Enugu state.

Shalom!

Author: Solomon Gwiyi