This is a subject that has given me the greatest concern since my early exposure to the Igbo dilemma after the Biafra-Nigeria War at the temple of the Igbo Forum founded in 1976 which metamorphosed into Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 1979. There were no better leaders to deliberate and speak about Ndigbo in Nigeria than the leaders of Ohanaeze at that time which included, Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, the First and only Patron Ohanaeze ever had, Dr. AkanuIbiam (Chairman), Justice Daddy Onyeama (Vice Chairman), Chief Jerome Udoji (Secretary), Mr. Jacob UkejeAgwu (my Uncle) – Assistant Secretary and many other notable leaders most of whom have joined their ancestors.

It was a great source of inspiration and a divine privilege which only God can grant that enabled me to drink directly from the fountain of knowledge and experience of the founding fathers of Nigerian nationalism and Igbo preeminence in Nigeria before the advent of the Biafra-Nigeria War in 1967.

It can also be said that it was this early exposure to the Igbo situation in Nigeria at such an impressionable age that has defined my world view and socio-political direction.

NDIGBO AS A LATENT POLITICAL FORCE

It rings loud and clear in my ears all the time, the concern frequently expressed by the late Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, the first indigenous Governor General of Nigeria before Independence and Ceremonial President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces, that the greatest affliction of any race that has lost a Civil War is the loss of the Self-esteem of its people, in this case, Ndigbo. He cautioned that it usually took a long time for such a race to recover its lost self-esteem. He advised that it would take a conscientious, focused, selfless and patriotic leadership to hasten the recovery of the lost Self-esteem. It pains my heart that Ndigbo have not been lucky to be blessed with the leadership that possess the characteristics defined by the great Igbo legend. It is for this reason that in 45 years after the end of the Biafria-Nigeria War we have retrogressed politically to the extent that we have even admitted to ourselves that we are less than second class citizens in a country our forebears spearheaded its political Independence without shedding any blood. The unfortunate part is that we have tended at all times to blame others for our dilemma.

We pride ourselves as the Jews of Africa. Like the Jews we indeed share similarities in many aspects in our characteristics and culture. We are enterprising, adventurous, hardworking, resilient and progressive. We are Republican and individualistic in our ways. We also have great sense of self-help in community development, innovative and very competitive. This, like the Jews is a major source of envy from our neighbours and other non-Igbo communities where we are domiciled in Nigeria outside Igboland.

When Adolf Hitler, the late German dictator unleashed what was termed the final solution to the Jewish problem, the rest of the European countries and America showed no direct interest or serious sympathy to the victims of the holocaust similar to the attitude of World Powers to our people during he war. Jews lost out, and were scattered all over the world. The one lesson the Jews learnt from their painful experience and which they internalized was never to ignore the politics of any environment they found themselves in. While they blossomed after the holocaust in enterprise and achieved great accomplishments, in industry, agriculture, science and technology, etc. all over the world, they committed certain percentage of their wealth to influence, support, sponsor, patronize or participate in the politics of their environment. In this way, they influenced policies and cultivated alliances and friendships at all levels of government, from the local council to the national leadership. They identified in every clime political parties that showed inclination or sympathy to their aspirations and protection of their interests. They supported such parties strongly without being noisy about it and without alienating other political tendencies, especially those that have influence in the places where they are domiciled.

Unlike the Jews, Ndigbo have gone about their business in Nigeria as if nothing happened to them in their recent history. We have prospered in spite of man-made constraints and obnoxious policies targeted at our people but we have not taken the vital steps in matters of politics and influence, if only to halt and check the enunciation and implementation of these hostile policies. It is common knowledge that Ndigbo especially our business elite have enormous investments in trillions of naira outside Igboland, with the highest concentration of these investments in Lagos, Abuja, Kano etc. 

I have out of curiosity searched through historical records and accounts without finding anywhere else in the history of nations in the world where a victorious government declared the property and assets of a defeated race as abandoned. The same is applicable to the Policy of Confiscating the Cash deposits of everyone of the defeated people and handing out to them a flat rate of £20 each irrespective of what the victims and their enterprises had in the banks before the outbreak of the Civil War. The policy of indigenization, quota system and the educationally disadvantaged States are all post-war policies that were targeted at our people. Some of these policies have remained in place 45 years after the war.

Igbo leaders have participated in every National Conference and Constitutional Conference to seek the restructuring of Nigeria to create the room for true federalism. All of these efforts have been sabotaged or undermined by Nigeria’s political leadership at every turn, because it is in the interest of those controlling the lever of power to maintain the status quo. However, the tragic part is what is clearly Igbo political naivety and apathy. I have had the privilege of touring Nigeria several times over in the cause of reaching out to our people across the country either as a cultural leader or a political leader. Either in the cause of honouring invitations such as this one or in the cause of political campaigns. I can confirm without any fear of contradiction that Ndigbo constitute, unarguably, the second largest population in 31 of Nigeria’s 36 States plus the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, while constituting about 99% of the population in the remaining 5 States that make up the South-East geopolitical zone.

With this enormous population and spread there is no reason on earth why Ndigbo should blame anybody else for our political irrelevance in the affairs of Nigeria. A politically conscious Igbo with a patriotic and focused leadership can dominate a political party of their choice or a political party that is sympathetic to their aspirations and agenda, to sponsor and support candidates for various elective offices from Local Council to the Presidency in a well structured alliances and collaborations with like-minded political parties and political blocs. We must say no to a situation where God has given us the wherewithal to rise above our present situation and still remain irrelevant.

WAKE UP CALL

I shudder to consider what a tragedy it will be to the hard enterprising Ndigbo if another civil disturbance of the magnitude of the Biafra-Nigeria civil war should occur in Nigeria again. While we pray to God not to allow the repeat of such occurrence, there is so much we can do for ourselves to prevent it. It is a common saying that God helps those who help themselves. Ndigbo should be able to ensure that by their attitude and effort that they are indeed serious on the issue of self-determination. Self determination cannot be achieved by sloganeering, civil disobedience or even war in a country like Nigeria. Self-determination can be achieved by deliberate effort at re-orientation, promotion of political consciousness and focused political action. The recent Referendum in Scotland and similar exercises in the French-speaking Quebec in Canada are some of the ways and means of going about it. Talking about political solution.

If you find yourself in an environment where you are generally despised based on envy for no fault of yours, you should be able to conduct yourself in a manner in which you either earn respect or you are feared for what you are capable of doing if prompted. This attribute of being respected or feared can only be attained through concerted political action. It is defeatist and indeed naïve to claim that one is a businessman and not a politician, that one is a clergyman and not a politician, that one is a civil/public servant and not a politician or that one is a professional and not a politician. Policies of government affect your worship, your business, your profession, and your job in all its entirety. One of the things that underscores Igbo political irrelevance in Nigeria today is the fact that there is not a single Igbo person commanding any of Nigeria’s security services. This was unthinkable until recently. The implication is that the Igbo are not represented in the Nation’s Security Council where policies bordering on security of Nigeria are formulated and implemented.

It is not helpful to cry over an already spilled milk or to continue to wallow in self pity, lamentation and blame others for our woes. What this time calls for is to arouse the sleeping giant from its slumber. We have to activate and oil the necessary machinery to arouse, educate and promote Igbo political consciousness for a resurgence. We have ample time between now and the next democratic encounter in 2019, to embark on this mission of arousing the Tiger to roar again in the Nigerian political jungle.

The clamour for self-determination by several ethnic nationalities and sections of Nigeria is fuelled by the fact that government after government in Nigeria have paid deaf ear to the issue of restructuring the country to pave the way for true federalism that will allow the various geopolitical components of Nigeria to develop at their own pace and engender economic development and create employment opportunities in the country.

What is clearly evident is that in addition to the South-East geopolitical zone, the ethnic nationalities and people of the South-South, South-West, North-Central and sections of the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones of Nigeria also clamour for self-determination of some sort.

The positive implication of the mood of the nation at this time is that a political movement anchored by Ndigbo on the platform of a Political Party favourably disposed to Igbo political aspirations and interests, will attract the collaboration and alliances of various ethnic and Political blocs that are similarly inclined.

In the same token, the recent surprising endorsement of an Igbo President of Nigeria come 2019 by one of Nigeria’s foremost leaders and an Elder-statesman, General Ibrahim Babangida, is a powerful wake up call to Ndigbo in general, irrespective of each person’s inclination or persuasion.

General  Babangida is fully aware that the two foremost Political Parties today in the country are not available to Ndigbo to promote a Presidential Candidate for 2019 Presidential Election. His early endorsement is therefore an added motivation for us to put our acts together and begin now to build the necessary bridges across the political divide. The prospects for more high profile endorsements from well-meaning leaders outside the Igbo extraction and even from outside Nigeria are very bright. I believe that the opportunity of a life time is out there beckoning on us to stand to be counted.

CHIEF DR. CHEKWAS OKORIE

(OJE-OZI NDIGBO)

NATIONAL CHAIRMAN UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY (UPP)