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Everyone agreed with the 19th century Danish theologian and existentialist philosopher — Soren Kierkegaard, that: “Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards.” But years after, another theologian, C S Lewis argued that “experience is the brutal of all teachers.” Lewis’s contemporary and fellow Irish, Oscar Wilde crowned it all when he said: “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
These exegetical analysis of true definition of “experience” helped the world to know that experience is actually not the best teacher, because you must have been hurt prior to the lesson. Some summarize it thus: “experience is a wicked teacher, for it sets the exams before teaching the lesson.”
An anonymous Igbo ballad has it that once upon a time, in the jungle, during famine, three animals were sampled by the cat family (who are the indisputable kings of the jungle) to demonstrate to the game that they should be a step ahead, by learning from the experience of others, if they will survive the draught that brought food scarcity.
The goat was asked: how many times will it suffer misfortune before it takes precaution? And the goat replied: “three times.” The panelists shook their heads in dismay and knew why the goat was a universal metaphor for foolishness. The sheep was asked and it retorted: “twice only.” And it was profiled in the goat’s ledger.
The third and final animal in the queue was tortoise. And before the question landed it had smartly said it won’t permit the slightest of misfortune, as it will learn from the experience of the goat and the sheep. And that was the end of the admonition session.
How does this folklore relate to us as a people in the forthcoming election?
In 2015, Nigeria made the most dramatic electoral adventure in her 62 years of nationhood. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — the party that grabbed Nigeria from the military and gave power back to the people in 1999, was losing its relevance among the people. A hurricane of what appeared to be a genuine crusade to enthrone a ‘corruption-free’ government shored up our political landscape.
Political irredentist groups pulled their arsenals together and requested to be born anew as a political party. They were sent to the labour room by INEC and a pre-term labour was induced. Within a paltry space of three hours on 6th February, 2013 a party that was conceived four months before, was born and named All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a flash plainly hatched plans of nation-grabbing, a certain Muhammadu Buhari — an octogenarian war veteran, and ex general was foisted on Nigerians as the horse-riding messiah who will redeem our ‘sinful’ country.
The organizers of this subtle revolution preyed on Nigeria’s ethnic and religious diversity which ordinarily should’ve been our strength, but unfortunately had been our undoing.
Seven and half years down the line, and the messiah had become the ultimate undertaker of Nigeria’s fortunes. As you read this, every indices of a failed nation is starring us in the face.
APC has colossally failed Nigeria!
Every hope now rests on 2023 for respite. But something akin to pre-2015 errors is in the offing again. Emotionally charged citizenry are out in hunt for credible leadership to give them back their country. But under such emotional complexes, chances of repeating same fatal mistakes are high.
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Labour Party (LP), which was founded 20byears ago had been an obscured political party in Nigeria till 2007 when it produced its first governor in Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state. Comrade Adams Oshiomole would claim another winner in the court a year later which could have made it two for LP (if he hadn’t taken the party in Edo into alliance with Action Congress Party ACP). They barely produced two members of the House of Reps and one senator in their two decades history.
But Peter Obi’s defection to the party has transformed its obscurity into a mainstream political giant. And the frenzy has begun again as in 2015.
In Enugu, the hubris is rife. An erstwhile PDP loyalist, and Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s mentee — Hon. Chijioke Edoga has caught a stray ticket of the party after losing out in the PDP primary election. He has transposed into a saint in the trending LP’s ‘popularity.’ His comical campaign mantra hinges on telling Ndi Enugu that “PDP is bad.” He forgot that we are aware he was a product of the ‘bad’ PDP.
Drawing from the above narrative of learning from past or others’ experience, we would love to ask: “Ndi Enugu, will you allow 2015 national mishaps repeat itself in Enugu?”
“Atuoro Omara O mara” (a word is enough for the wise).
Ndigbo are unanimous in agreement that “osisi anaghi akpo mmadu n’ anya ugboro abuo.” (Wiseman don’t make same mistake twice).
Barr. Peter Mba and Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai have been going around (like Goodluck Jonathan did some seven years back) reminding Ndi Enugu not to give in to the emotional blackmail of these opposition politicians. Like the tortoise in our opening folklore, let us learn from Nigeria’s mistake of 2015 and firmly stand by the “Tomorrow is here” project and winning team of Peter Mba. Several memos has gone off from Jack Solo’s Support Group to Ndi Nsukka specifically, urging them to support the known credible leaders that PDP has given us in the state.
Mba, a wealth creator, has proved himself a man of integrity in both his previous public and current private engagements. Lined along with him for an all-round colourful outing for our people in the coming dispensation, are Hon. Solomon Izuchukwu Onah (Jack Solo) for House of Assembly Udenu Constituency, Hon. Simon Atigwe for House of Reps Udenu/Igbo Eze North Federal Constituency, Engr. Vita Abbah for House of Reps Nsukka/Igbo Eze South Federal Constituency, and Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for Senate Enugu North Senatorial district.
May your days be long in good health to witness the historic blueprints they are bringing to our state come 2023.
© Jack Solo Support Group.
