Ethnic nationalism is still a potent force. The period or era of government by intimidation, coercive integration is over. No one group again can own the nation. Those denied justice may have no interest in peace – Ambassador George Obiozor
As erudite scholar and politician Prof ABC Nwosu was concluding his
thought provoking discourse on Ndigbo in contemporary Nigeria which he
titled, “Ndigbo, let not your heart be troubled” last Thursday, some
Igbo leaders were assembling in Owerri, Imo state capital on the
invitation of the state Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
It was a gathering of who is who in Igbo political, and corporate
family. Perhaps the only person who should have been there physically
but couldn’t is Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Eze Igbo Gburugburu in life and
in death.
Undoubtedly the interest and zeal of Governor Okorocha on Igbo matter
is beginning to reach a point where even his enemies can no longer
ignore. Earlier this year he had assembled senior Journalists of Igbo
extraction to discuss Ndigbo matter, he is also building a befitting
Secretariat for Ohaneze Ndigbo in Enugu and now this. May be at the end
of the day, President Muhammedu Buhari would enter the positive side of
Ndigbo history book, why and how you may ask? President Buhari’s
administration would be recorded as that regime in the history of
Nigeria which so ignored the people that they decided to look and think
outside box. It’s no longer trending that there is no love lust between
the South-East and Buhari administration. It has been sufficiently
reverberated that it’s no longer news.
What is in vogue rather is the fallout of such snub and how the
people can outlast the situation? The historic July 14th, 2016, meeting
in Owerri under the auspices of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Unity Forum stands
out glaring as a huge step towards finding a solution to the Igbo
question in Nigeria project.
Apparently because the Buhari government is not the type which play
politics and courts leaders of the people, this time all the hidden ones
came out to talk like true Igbo sons which they are unlike in the past
when they would be visiting the Villa to castigate and denounce one
another. Even more reassuring is what most of them said at that meeting.
Prof Anya .O. Anya as usual was at his best when he opened the
discussion bringing to the fore his intellectual prowess.
Here him, “we have come because our people say that it is when the
flood threatens to wassh us away that we look for the tall men among us, this
is such a time. This is the time for the sons of Isaka, your assignment
is clear, to help our people chart a new course in this very dangerous
times.
According to these Chinese America culture, Ndigbo is one of the
three old tribes, the other two being the Jews and the Chinese. They are
all unique people but they are not a lovable people. Our task is to be
the pathfinder who will raise the eagle generation that will lead our
people in this 21st century.
Afterall Prank Pranol said that each generation will out of relative
obscurity discover their mission. We are here to help our younger ones
to discover their missions in this 21st century. Continuing the
professor said, “in order to understand and reposition ourselves to
confront this Chevrolet. Let me say that it is clear that we are amongst
the earliest inhabitants to this part of Apula, the Niger area.
Archaeological findings from the Nsukka, Okigwe and from the Afikpo
areas all indicate that we have been in this area for perhaps over the
last 500 years, verifiable and archaeological evidence suggest that the
Yoruba’s worried to meet us in this area 200 yrs later, the evidence of
Igbukwu suggest that by 968 AD a sophisticated archaeological culture
had already flowered and flourished in this area. For Anya, the slow
match into darkness of Nigeria for the Igbo long started but we did not
know.
The reason was simple, we were blindsided and we did not have the
sons of Isaka amongst us. Who are the Sons of Isaka? According to 1st
chronicles 12:32 “the sons of Isaka were those who had understanding of
the time to know what Israel (this time Igbo land) ought to do.
Anya noted that the redemption and rebuilding of ‘ala Igbo’ will not
come from outside Igbo land, it will not come from Abuja, it will not
come from Lagos, it will however need a paradigm shift in our approach
to the problems of Nigeria.
This is why we need to support the ways of democratic opinion
insisting on restructuring Nigeria. After him came the quintessential
diplomat, Ambassador George Obiozor, who said that “Ndigbo have seen
many things and survived and noted that Nigeria is a country full of
optimism but living in uncertainty and doubts.
There must be reasons for this, but he warned that any nation that
disregards ideals can never do well. The secret is that ideals run
nations. Obiozor finally dropped this final message, that a people
denied justice may have no interest in peace.
Ohanaeze President Chief Enwo Igariwey resonated what virtually every
speaker talked about but he put it as a question “Why is it that our
people are investing in everywhere but home? Wealth is not wealth until
it gets home says an Igbo adage“ The irrespressible former number two
citizen, Chief of staff Supreme Headquarters, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe who
we recall lost his job for querying Nigeria’s joining of Islamic body
OIC without it being discussed at the Supreme council level, spoke like
his old self when he said “We have met today and discussed we are not
playing politics, we are facing issues.
Issues that concern us as a people and the nation at large.What I
will tell every Igbo man or youth is to be focused. We cannot plead or
beg. Every Igbo must change his status, change what others may think is a
terrible thing for us, we must not be intimidated by anybody.
We are not going to beg, we will persevere and change our lives”
Second Republic Governor of old Anambra state Jim Nwobodo in his remark
said “we should be proud of ourselves, we should be proud of what we
have, we are equipped as a people.
What we ask ourselves is why are we developing other places and
leaving our place. The time has come for us to develop our land. From
the corporate flank came the board room guru, Paschal Dozie who said
“The future is here”… Our future is here. Why do I say that, because the leadership of the Igbo not only has
decided that the past shall never return, the past of despondency, the
past of self re-ordination and pity. We are now moving forward
forgetting the past and looking forward to the future”.
Nobody perhaps
captured the desire with which they left the meeting better than the
convener himself, Governor Okorocha, who admonished Ndigbo “Let us break
the jinx of disunity caused by politics because what unites us is far
more than the political parties that divide us. We shall know the points
to speak in politics and time to speak as ndi Igbo. Let us know when to
play politics and when to be ndi Igbo…This is the wisdom that underlines us”
All well said with deep
passion but what is left which the meeting didn’t really tackle is
implementation of the beautiful ideas. Maybe Gov. Okorocha needs to
still go further and assemble the traders (investors) the same way, for
proper guide in the new agenda drawn by the expert sons of Isaka whose
main agenda like the days of the Israelites was to know and determine
the auspicious time to proclaim David King.
For Ndigbo the time is now.
God bless Ala Ndigbo.
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PLEASE BE POLITE