By Cecil Onosolease Esekhaigbe
ESAN AGENDA has continued to rent the air in contemporary political discourse in Edo State. It became a household lexicon in the last gubernatorial election in our dear State. Simply put, it is a well thought out understanding of the need for Esan to produce the next Governor of Edo State come 2024. While I understand the philosophy behind this reasonable thought process, the title Esan AGENDA needs a cursory examination.
What is the meaning of AGENDA? The Oxford learners dictionary’s definition literally means a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting. It also defined it as an appointment diary. The Webster corroborated Oxford’s first definition but offers a route to the thought process of the understanding of professors of Esan AGENDA albeit limited. It says a plan or goal that guides someone’s behaviour and that is often kept secret (an underlying often ideological plan or program). The conceptual definition can be connected when we look at the synonyms especially the word STRUGGLE.
It is an undeniable fact that for equity sake, Esan should be given a chance to produce the next Governor with the clear support of the other 2 senatorial disticts. If this materialises by the grace of God, the Esan Governor would be a Governor for all Edo people irrespective of their senatorial disticts.The term Esan AGENDA may construe different meanings for different people as if the Esan Governor is going to execute Esan AGENDA. I have interfaced with politicians and other stakeholders from the other senatorial Districts on the the need for POWER to shift to Edo Central for equity sake and sense of belonging. While they are not oblivious of the equity demands, they are however uncomfortable with the term Esan Agenda. Our Agenda is to govern all the senatorial disticts in Edo State and the STRUGGLE to produce an Esan Governor would make more meaning with the support of all Edolites. Our people must bury the rhetorics of “Esan MUST produce the next Governor and whether they LIKE IT OR NOT and it is OUR TURN”.These are illusory facts of a wrong appreciation. Evidence abounds to show that Esan had produced Governors irrespective of what our detractors’ conspiracy theories would want to preach.According to themes and,Esan is the least in population and geographical size and Esan people are not united in politics.Those who are good in history would tell us that the tonic needed to actualize our struggle is the strength of reaching out to the other senatorial districts while actively mobilising our people for electoral processes.
The time to re-christen our struggle is now. The wisdom is not in the narrow prism of the term Esan Agenda but POWER SHIFT with humility and rapprochement. According to late Prof Ali Mazuri a celebrated Historian, ” wisdom begins when you know your limitations.” The term Esan Agenda has been over used and over flogged and its beginning to lose it’s meaning.Let it not negate the spirit of Cooperation alliances and sense of belonging. Esan can produce the next Governor and a good one for that matter. We have abundant qualified men and women but we must get it right. While our faith is strong, the scripture says ” faith without good works amounts to nothing”. The time to for soul searching is now. May God bless the works of our hands. Amen.
Maj Gen Cecil Onosolease Esekhaigbe rtd. PhD
