By Chukwuebuka Nwatu Simayann
The tragic murder of Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya has triggered a flurry of police activity, high-profile publicity, and even a N10 million bounty for information on his killers. On the surface, this looks like decisive leadership. But beneath the headlines lies a darker truth. In Enugu, tragedy must first become famous before it merits urgency, empathy, or action from those in power.
For months, countless ordinary Ndi Enugu , farmers, traders, students, workers have been kidnapped, murdered, and brutalized, some in broad daylight and in the very heart of Enugu. From Eha-Amufu to Mgbuji to Aguamede, blood has been spilled repeatedly. Families have been left grieving, communities traumatized.
Yet Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has been consistently silent.
No condolence visits.
No official statements.
No meaningful interventions.
Not even a word of sympathy to grieving families.
Their pain has been treated as background noise, invisible because they are not prominent, wealthy, or politically useful.
But now, because the victim is a Catholic priest, Governor Mbah suddenly finds his voice. Suddenly, newspaper headlines trumpet his “efforts” and “manhunt.”
Let’s call this what it is, paid audio propaganda optics meant to create the illusion of a governor who is tough on crime. In reality, Ndi Enugu see only a leader who behaves like a toothless bulldog loud in words, absent in action.
Prominence dictates response, When the victim is famous, the governor acts. When the victim is poor, silence reigns.
Communities in Enugu have faced massacres and kidnappings with little to no state intervention.
Reports indicate that even citizens who raise alarm over insecurity including content creators, have faced intimidation or detention. Instead of protecting lives, government energy is spent silencing critics.
Leadership has become reactive, selective, and cosmetic ,only responding when headlines demand it.
*Governor Peter Mbah’s concern begins and ends where political optics or financial gain exist.*
*The average citizen’s life is not prioritized. The message to Ndi Enugu is clear, “If you are not prominent, you are on your own.”*
As someone residing in Enugu, do not be deceived by staged declarations or newspaper headlines. Until genuine leadership emerges, your security is your sole responsibility.
Communities must remain vigilant, for survival now depends more on self-defense and local unity than on any assurance from Government House.
Enugu deserves far better.
Ndi Enugu deserve a governor who values every life equally , not one who chooses which deaths are worth his sympathy.
