Esans Are Like The Jews Surrounded By Arabs

Image by BenBlack. Ubiaja Cultural Troup

By WPPraise

In a nation of over 200 million and something people, Esan folks are only 1.5million people. Is like a single rose growing amongst millions of roses. In the midst of millions of voices, there is a tiny Esan voice. How will this voice be heard without been overshadow and silent by the majority voices of other tribes, which Esan folks peacefully co-exist with.

Whether 1.5million is accurate or not, what can’t be disputed by Esan intellectuals is the mere fact, Esan’s are and will continue to remain a minority in Nigeria – the largest black nation on earth. We can’t change that, but we can change the destiny of our people by redefining our National Esan Agenda, to push for collective infrastructural developments in Esanland. If we want to solve Esan’s problems, we must not only deal with the symptoms of our problems, but we must root out the causes of our underdevelopment. In Esanland/Nigeria, we lack cohesive organize structure, as such our potentials are hinder. Without structure, there can’t be sustainable development.

In raising national political leaders Esanland partially succeeds but in turning national position to Esanland advantage, Esan political elites failed woefully. Political and party affiliation overrides their local interest. Today, Esanland is fragile, disintegrated by personal ambitions and divisive party affiliations that have no benefits to Esan folks. Most of the old premium colleges in Esanland like Uromi Technical College, Pilgrims Baptist Grammar School, and Saint John Bosco, Ewu Tech etc. are in a dilapidated state, in total disrepair. Ewohimi Palm Company destroyed and burn down. Agbor Uromi road, majority of federal highsway crisscrossing Esanland has collapsed – dilapidated. This applied to all the major roads and infrastructure in the entire Esanland and Nigeria. With community almost caught off from each other. Schools in Esanland has no teachers, clinic lack doctors and nurses, pipe borne water doesn’t exist yet we have living spring river across Esanland. Water boards abandoned and in disrepairs state. Esanland can’t boast of one functioning technical college in Esanland.

The legacy of those who took over the mantle of leadership in Esanland/Nigeria after independence is nothing to write home about. They never strengthening true nationalism or promote Esan unity and focus on infrastructural development. Instead, they destroyed what they inherit. Turn us against us by sowing division for the benefits of their political parties. Esan folks, we need to redirect the ships which we are sailing on to a progressive path.

We Are Where We Are Today Because Of Yesterday.

Unfortunately, we are own worst enemy. For a better Esanland/Nigeria with better-organized structures and infrastructural developments, Esanland need reorganization TODAY. Genuine Esan patriot must rise up and rescue Esanland and our folks from political babowa’s – prostitute, who short change Esan folks for their personal and selfish gains.

“How much money can you spend in your lifetime? You may have houses in every country of the world, but God has made it impossible to sleep in more than one house at a time. The thieves can adorn their wardrobes with every kind of fashion, but if you wear more than one dress at a time, people will believe you've gone bonkers. You can have a hundred of the most expensive cars in your yard, but you can drive or ride in only one at a time. Stock up the most delicious foods in your freezer and employ the best chefs from every region in the world, you cannot eat more than your stomach can contain. Then later in life, when your sun starts to set, you get scared at the thought of leaving all these behinds. You realize that you have indeed been foolish and extremely poor, very poor, very, very poor!”

“The contented man is never poor; the discontented man, never rich.” American proverb

“A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.” 1 Timothy 6:6-11”

Esanland is fractured battered by long years of non-purposeful leadership, with a legacy of disorganization and unorganized region, without a united national lobby group, who will speak with one voice for the collective development of Esanland and its people. Without organization, there is no structure. Without structures, we cannot have meaningful development. Whereas a minority tribe, like Esan folks, who are like the Jews surrounded by the Arabs ought to have a united national body, a vision that work for the progress of entire Esanland. Not sectional narrow-minded ideology that limits our destinies. Rather, a collective approach that improves the lives of our people and our land.

Narrow-minded leadership breed and promotes divisions, superstitions, mediocrity, hate, fear, prisoners of conscience, incompetency, inadequacy, poverty of the mind and body, which holds the masses bound to the mercy of their oppressors. When the masses basic civil rights are denied by their oppressors it gives them more power to continue to perpetuate their oppression. Unfortunately, is only in Nigeria the oppressed celebrates their oppressor's. Reject your oppressors today my brothers and sisters and set yourself free from the shackles of thief’s and looters who feed fat on our commonwealth. “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

When oppressed people willingly accept their oppressor they only serve to give the oppressor a convenient justification for his acts. Often the oppressor goes along unaware of the evil involved in his oppression so long as the oppressed accept it. So in order to be true to one’s conscience and true to God, a righteous man has no alternative but refuse to cooperate with an evil system: - Martin Luther King Jr.

I do not speak to bring no man down, but the mistakes of others are for our learning. It’s left to us now to learn and remedy the mistakes of those before us, who never lead by example. Today generation must begin from the scratch to rebuild Esanland/Nigeria that’s better organized. We cannot build destiny on sand and deceit. “Truth creates wealth and lies destroy it.” A man cannot walk with his two legs up and two hands down. He who cast a horse before a snail lack reason and understanding.

We must change our conversation and reengage ourselves, commit to collective progress of Esanland and Nigeria.

In Esanland, we need a New National Lobby Group, a viable non-political national body, with a clear vision and mandate, private sector driving to lobby for collective development of entire Esanland. Devoid of narrow or sectional minds, but broadminded individuals whose primary objective is to work for the betterment and progress of entire Esanland and Nigeria.

In Esanland/Nigeria, we need a rebirth of our collective thoughts, ideas, a coming together of organized minds and hearts, to disengage disorganized and crooked minds. Redefine and colour our collective destinies with a new brush of integrity, create better-organized structures in Esanland and Nigeria. “It takes us to help us. It takes two to make one strong and stable.” Two is better than one. “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African proverb

Presently, the majority of those who publish themselves as Esanland leader on the national and to some extent on the state level, unfortunately, are married to their political parties and their manifesto. Without the possibility of divorce of the old ideology. They are driving and imprisoned by sectional agenda, selfish personal interest than the collective desires of the majority of Esan folks. Although this is not peculiar to Esanland it's a national disease in Nigeria. With the majority of the masses stranded at the bottom of the ladder, disfranchised by decades of inefficient leadership, characterized by maladministration, looting, infrastructural deficit, with the majority of the minds of our people ruin by disorganized chaos, need urgent rescue.

If a bowl of soup is not sweet is the chef that bears the blames. So, those who looted Nigerian blind are the cause of Nigeria shame and under development. It's a legacy that will continue to mock and shame them. We cannot run away from our shadows and history will judge us by what we do. If the wrong step was taking yesterday we can't take a new step to the future today except we go back to where we miss our step yesterday, retake our step then we can get our next step right today. If you are not ready to remedy your recurrent mistakes you are not yet ready to move forward. You are the greatest obstacle to your miracle. Osanobua God has already given us everything we need to meet all our needs, but mortal greed ruins good deeds.

It's going to take a new generation of leaders in this 21st century who are willing to lead by example and re-orientate the minds of our people from the present gra gra – unorganized way of living – plant your yam tonight harvest it tomorrow mentality to more realistic philosophy, that will help them find balance in their quest for real yams, butter and honey, to a better organized Esanland and Nigeria, whose leaders motive is people oriented. That's my humble supplication for Esanland and Nigeria. Ise and Amen! Merciful God, deliver us from our self-imposed limitations.

The making of a nation doesn’t happen overnight but people with vision and plans must lead the way to the road where the fruits fall. The night may be long but a brand new day always follows a dark night. For our eyes see better at night than in the day. The true eyes of the body is the mind. If the mind is reason blind the whole body is in perpetual darkness. It’s better to be physically blind than be spiritually blind.

This is the time Genuine Esan sons and daughters must rise up and reclaim our lost Glory.

Infrastructural development will eradicate ignorant and superstitions amongst our people. The absence of development drives physical and mental poverty. When the mind is poor the whole body is enslaved. Mental handicap is worse than a physical handicap.

The most honourable sons and daughters of Esanland, there's a sun shining at yonder land, follow that ray of light and make Esanland and Nigeria a better place for all TODAY!

The making of a great nation is our collective responsibilities. “Nothing will happen in any nation, in our society which did not first happen in our minds. If wrong is rampant, if indiscipline is rife, if corruption is the order of the day, we have to search our individual minds for that is where it all starts.” Mr Justice Oputa

When you grow up, get an education, marry and have children, own a house and cars, take a vacation, that's the ordinary life. Everybody achieve that. But when you achieve all these and reach out and invest in people - changing lives for good, that's an extraordinary life. History will not remember you for the kind of food you ate or the beautiful wife or handsome husband you marry or the beautiful children you have, or the mansion you built, No! Those are the extras toppings and reward for your labour in this world we came and will leave behind. But you will be remembered on how well you share opportunities and make life better for underprivileged people, how much you care and love. If there is any good deed that I can do today, let me do it NOW! I shall not pass this road but once. I shall not live this life but once.