Ochibe-Boki Zoning Proposal: Why It Has Not Fixed Boki’s Insecurity and Underdevelopment

 

Chief Enu Caesar (Pathfinder Boki Security & Development Project), Amb.Soni Abang (Political Leader Boki LGA), Gen.Moses Obi Rtd (Chairman Ochibe Bokyi)

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By Chief Amb.Enu Caesar

The Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, has long struggled with persistent insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment. A recurring strategy to address political tensions in Boki has been the implementation of the Ochibe_Boki zoning proposal, which aims to promote fairness in the election of the LGA’s chairman. While this model seeks to foster unity by rotating leadership among the various wards and clans, the proposal has failed to deliver tangible solutions to Boki’s deep-rooted issues, including insecurity and underdevelopment.

The Ochibe_Boki Zoning Proposal Explained

The Ochibe_Boki zoning proposal is a power-sharing arrangement aimed at ensuring that each of the political zones within Boki LGA has a chance to produce the chairman of the local government. This zoning system was introduced to reduce political rivalry and tribal divisions by allowing all areas within Boki to take turns in leadership positions. In theory, this system fosters inclusivity and equity, ensuring that no single part of the LGA dominates the political landscape.

However, while this proposal may have achieved its goal of preventing inter-tribal conflicts over political leadership, it has not addressed the larger issues that have plagued the area, such as insecurity, poor infrastructure, and poverty.

Why the Zoning Proposal Has Not Solved Insecurity

1. Lack of Comprehensive Security Strategy: The main flaw in the Ochibe_Boki zoning system is its focus on power rotation without tackling the root causes of insecurity. Boki has long been affected by communal conflicts, land disputes, and border tensions. The zoning proposal does not include mechanisms to deal with these underlying issues. A zoning-based leadership system does not automatically guarantee leaders with the right expertise or motivation to address security challenges. Each successive chairman has often been more focused on maintaining political alliances than developing security frameworks to address criminality and violence.

• Short-Term Governance Priorities: Due to the rotational nature of the chairmanship, elected officials have a limited time in office, leading to short-term thinking. Rather than focusing on long-term security planning, local leaders prioritize short-term gains to appease their immediate supporters. Without consistent leadership or follow-through, security initiatives lack the sustainability needed to create lasting peace.

• Weak Law Enforcement Infrastructure: The Boki LGA has a poorly funded and under-resourced security infrastructure. The absence of local policing, limited federal security presence, and a lack of effective crime prevention measures make it difficult for local government leaders, regardless of their zone, to successfully combat rising insecurity. Until substantial investments are made in security, merely rotating political leadership through zoning will not change the situation on the ground.

Why Underdevelopment Persists Despite the Zoning Proposal

• Leadership Quality Variability: The Ochibe_Boki zoning system prioritizes equitable power-sharing over merit. While the rotation of leadership positions among different clans may reduce feelings of political marginalization, it does not ensure that the most competent and qualified individuals are elected. As a result, leadership quality varies significantly from one term to another, and many local leaders lack the vision or experience necessary to drive sustainable development initiatives.

• Political Patronage and Corruption: The zoning system inadvertently encourages political patronage, where leaders prioritize rewarding their supporters over serving the broader interests of the LGA. This fosters a culture of corruption, where resources meant for development projects are diverted for personal enrichment. This has stalled many key development initiatives, including road construction, healthcare improvements, and educational infrastructure development.

• Lack of Continuity in Governance: The rotational system also creates a lack of continuity in policy implementation. Each chairman’s short tenure means that development projects started by one administration may not be completed by the next, as incoming leaders focus on their own initiatives rather than completing existing ones. This discontinuity stalls long-term development efforts, leading to abandoned or poorly executed projects.

• Absence of Developmental Focus in Leadership Agendas: Many candidates who emerge through the zoning system come into power with limited development-focused agendas. With the focus on maintaining political alliances, the emphasis often shifts to political maneuvering rather than pursuing programs that can lift the community out of poverty. The result is that infrastructure projects, healthcare services, and education improvements take a backseat, perpetuating the cycle of underdevelopment.

What Needs to Change

• Merit-Based Leadership Selection: To overcome the limitations of the zoning proposal, there needs to be a shift from focusing purely on rotational power-sharing to also incorporating merit-based leadership. This will ensure that the most competent individuals, regardless of their zone, are put in positions of authority, capable of tackling the LGA’s pressing issues of insecurity and underdevelopment.

• Comprehensive Security Policies: Local government officials need to develop comprehensive security frameworks that address the root causes of insecurity, such as land disputes and criminal activity. This requires a greater investment in local security apparatus, collaboration with state and federal law enforcement, and the engagement of local communities in peacebuilding efforts.

• Long-Term Development Plans: Boki LGA needs long-term development plans that can survive beyond individual political tenures. These plans should be based on broad consensus, ensuring that successive leaders continue projects initiated by their predecessors, thereby preventing the waste of resources on unfinished projects.

• Transparency and Accountability: Addressing corruption and political patronage is essential for ensuring that resources meant for development are properly utilized. There must be stronger mechanisms for accountability in local governance, ensuring that leaders, irrespective of their political zone, are held responsible for mismanagement and underperformance.

Conclusion

While the Ochibe_Boki zoning proposal has fostered political inclusivity and reduced inter-group tensions in Boki LGA, it has not effectively addressed the area’s long-standing issues of insecurity and underdevelopment. To bring about meaningful change, the LGA must look beyond zoning and prioritize competent leadership, transparency, and long-term development planning. Only through such reforms can Boki begin to overcome its security challenges and achieve sustainable growth.