Centuries ago, the sophist and teacher in Athens, Greece, Socrates, made a statement which has come to be accepted as the Socratic dictum: “Man, know thyself.” The dictum approximates appropriately with another credited to Protagoras: “Man is the measure of all things, of what is that it is and what is not that it is not.” He further explained; “knowledge is the creation of the senses and other human faculties and so is a strictly human enterprise.” In a sentence, Protagoras seems to be rooting for “the proper study of mankind is man.”
Taken together, Socrates and Protagoras were two of a kind who, at different times, took it upon themselves to challenge their audiences – the Greeks – to aspire to greatness through the application of their God-given faculties. But such greatness, as Robin George Collingwood would contend, must be anchored on the universal characteristics of the mind exhibited by an individual. Indeed, it was a challenge thrown to the Greeks so that they could shun complacency.
Within the context of Enugu State (at present), the mantra “Tomorrow is Here,” as coined by Barrister Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, appears to have gained some zest and reached a crescendo since its debut. Interestingly, the mantra, like others before it, seems to have generated lots of interpretations – some real and others unreal. To the laymen and political jobbers “tomorrow is here” suggests, among other things, “an invitation to a tea party” and “heaven on earth.”
No doubt, all of the above may be good, in a relative sense. However, if we must be realistic, we should pause to ask ourselves this question: Where on earth has the daily bread ever come by mere asking for it as opposed to working for it? Jesus, the Christ, once declared: “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). And this Apostle Paul will say to the Thessalonians: “… if anyone will not work neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
Put in a proper perspective, “tomorrow is here” is an invitation to work first, and thereafter be rewarded. Having so far taken a circuit on how not to perceive the mantra “tomorrow is here,” the next obvious question may be: In what best way shall we interpret this mantra? In our context, therefore, “tomorrow is here” can best be said to be an expression credited to the brave, skilful and strong-hearted. Thus, when the Igbo say “tomorrow is here,” they seem to be saying (ihe ga-eme echi ya mee taa). Tomorrow, among the Igbo, like it is among other climes, is characterised by uncertainties (Echi di ime).
Yet, the Igbo would always make bold to assert: “Mberede ka-eji mara dike” (The brave are known for ever-readiness). When, therefore, Barrister Peter N. Mbah, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Enugu for this year’s election coined the mantra “Tomorrow is here”, he probably would not have mistaken; he would rather have beaten his chest as one who possesses the capacity and panache to turn things around for the state. The mantra “Tomorrow is Here”, therefore, calls for a team spirit under the direction of Peter Mbah, if the mantra must be actualised.
Also, talking about the success of the mantra calls to mind the concept, “Big Push”. Michael Todaro and Stephen Smith, writing on this concept, have argued that the Big Push concept calls for “a concerted, economy-wide, and probably pubic policy-led effort to initiate or accelerate economic development across a broad spectrum of industries and skills.”
Thus, in dissecting the philosophy vis-à-vis the big push concept, the two sides of the same coin are involved: the government and the governed. While the former is statutorily required to provide the enabling environment (which here may include secure atmosphere, good road networks, portable drinking water, employment opportunities, and the like) the governed would have no alternative but work to correspondingly supply the other side of the coin.
Weeks ago, in another context, I had said that although Roosevelt Delano Roosevelt, the president of the United States of America in the 1930s, was a man who did not possess any comprehensive plan of action before ascending the White Huose, within the first 100 days in office he was able to turn around the social, economic and political fortunes of a near-bankrupt U.S.A. In that context, I had added that if Roosevelt, who did not possess a comprehensive plan, was able to perform in office, Peter Mbah, given his antecedents as Chief of Staff and Finance Commissioner years ago in Enugu State, would likely do better, if given the opportunity as governor of Enugu State.
The other factor that should be reckoned with in dissecting the mantra “tomorrow is here” is Mbah’s rich manifesto, which goes with a rider; “Building a Peaceful and Secure, Highly Developed; and Prosperous State for All”. In the world of a reality, a manifesto remains mere ink on the paper; but this mere paper can be converted to a reality – if and only if, the manifesto is implemented to the letter. Making this come to pass, would at all times, require the services of committed assistants to the chief executive officer (hereinafter referred to as the governor). We are told that the success of Roosevelt as president of the U.S.A. depended, largely, on his eager Congressional collaborators and other top appointees who, on his inauguration, “proceeded in a dozen directions at once, sometimes wisely sometimes not, often at cross purposes with themselves and one another” – in a bid to make the average American citizen feel the impact of a new, progressive government.
In an envisaged new Enugu State under the guidance of Barrister Peter Mbah, there must be a synergy between the government and the governed, if there must be a peaceful, secure and developed society. There must, to this extent, be a cooperative spirit among the people. This is how H. L. Bhatia, an Indian political economist, has put it: “…the members of the society have to enter into social relationships with each other [and one another] for the purposes of social production”. And these relationships, he concludes, are to begin with those which are appropriate to develop the productive powers of the society (including Enugu).
In the envisaged new Enugu State, therefore, our latent, intellectual minds, our God-given diligence at work (among other virtues) must be deployed to sustain the dreams of our founding fathers. We may, to this end, re-invent the Roosevelt magic in Enugu State.
Here is our dissection of the mantra, “Tomorrow is Here”.
Prof. Chukwu, FHSN, is a
Professor of History at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
