By Chimaobi Afiauwa

In any society, it’s an axiomatic fact that development cannot take place in the absence of peace; and without justice, there cannot be peace. This I know as a student of Development Studies.

The absence of those two social virtues in Abia state have immensely contributed to the deplorable conditions of the state, and that’s where Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu steps in to fill the void.

As unifier, he wants to create an atmospheric condition that will put an end to the bickering amongst the political elites, which has made the people suffer. Remember, as the age-long saying goes, “when two elephants fight, the grass suffers for it. Indeed, to put an end the suffering of the people is one of the reasons that propelled him to be contesting for the governorship position.

On the part of justice, he has already demonstrated that he is a lover of social justice by making an Ukwa man, Prof. Akuma as his Deputy candidate. The Ukwa bloc, though rich in oil (both crude and palm), have been marginalized and sidelined in the scheme of things because of their numerical disadvantage.

As a true Abia son, Chief Mascot decried the poor infrastructural condition of Ukwa the last time he visited there. The people of Ukwa, as of today, are practically cut off from other parts of Abia state because of inaccessible roads. This alone encapsulates their misery.

Sadly, Ukwa has become the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs, but has been left malnourished by the poultry
man. That narrative is what Chief Mascot is coming to change through social justice and by disturbing the resources of Abia equitably.