Ezeh: Ebonyi Needs Calm Leadership, People-Centred Development to End Cycles of Violence
By Nkechinyere Ewa
The recent killings in Okporojo, Oso Edda community, have reopened old wounds in Ebonyi State and reignited debates over governance, security, and development.
Zz For Dr. Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, a former governorship aspirant in the 2022–2023 electoral cycle, the tragedy is a reminder that leadership must rise above emotion and focus on long-term solutions.
Breaking his silence on state affairs, Ezeh cautioned that leadership driven by anger and reactive decisions could worsen tensions rather than heal them. He described current government responses as largely short-term interventions that may shock the system but fail to address deeper causes of conflict.
According to him, sustainable peace requires deliberate, community-driven frameworks that tackle the roots of recurring violence. He warned that policies designed for quick impact must not inflict lasting damage on already vulnerable communities.
Ezeh also highlighted the alarming level of poverty in rural areas, describing deprivation as a security and moral crisis that fuels competition over scarce resources. He argued that many communal conflicts are linked to despair and poor political choices that leave citizens economically stranded.
Calling for a shift in priorities, he urged the state to focus less on grand projects and more on human development, skills acquisition, and economic empowerment. “Development must be people-centred, not project-centred,” he said, stressing that lifting people out of poverty is the real foundation for peace.
Dr. Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh hails from Izzi Local Government Area in Ebonyi North Zone and contested the governorship under the PDP in the last electoral cycle.
