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Blog, Essays, Monishots

Igbo Political Renaissance Will Begin With IPOB’s Decline.

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  We cannot allow anyone or any group appropriate a sole franchise to define our Igbo identity, much more proselytise it in a despicable and violent manner. We should not justify it or be indifferent to it. Our history and civilisation extol respect for one another. ~ Nnanna Ude Regardless of our usual social media tittle-tattle if one is blessed with some measure of knowledge and quill-wielding, it is proper and even obligatory to put ink to paper in a more concise and intelligible manner on some critical issues affecting your people. So when I read Ezeife’s demand on the 2023 presidency I was reminded of the above succinctly captured statement by Mr Ude shortly after IPOB members attacked Ike Ekweremadu. Its been three years since many Igbos, still reeling from the painful defeat of ‘our brother’ Jonathan embraced IPOB’s call for secession. I wrote an article then in which I opined that the coming years will see Ndi Igbo rise from that unfortunate political miscalculation to assume their rightful place in national politics. Sadly, I was disappointed. During the last campaign, I also stated that piloting Igbos back to mainstream politics should be a priority regardless of the success or otherwise of Obi’s shot at the Vice Presidency. But here we are again still grieving that loss even as other regions have commenced politicking towards 2023. Nevertheless, this piece is neither to validate nor condemn, rather in my usual approach, I will interrogate some factors that may not necessarily be peculiar to the Igbos but have aided in our recent political relegation viz-a-viz the lethargic handling of IPOB and offer my humble suggestions as I believe detailed texts on contemporary issues should do. Permit me to digress a bit with an experience I had in Germany in order to locate the nucleus of Kanu’s IPOB before we proceed. Having arrived in Kassel as my business partner travelled to Belgium for an emergency I decided to visit a friend in Bremen. While hanging out in the local joint where we play poker and chat about the happenings back home a shabbily dressed bloke sauntered in and on learning that I was visiting from Nigeria asked; “Nna, I heard the United Nations recognized the Sovereign State of Biafra declared by MASSOB, owu eziokwu?” (Is it true?) Perplexed, I didn’t know what to make of him or his question. That a man living in Germany would be that misinformed in 2006 was kind of absurd. By the time I gathered myself to respond, I was told to ignore a refugee who hadn’t been home in 14 years. There are many like him across the western world. Young men who embarked on the transatlantic expedition in search of the golden fleece but ended in perpetual stagnation as asylum-seekers. They are the ones that have been smartly exploited by Kanu to bring home an intellect-trashing era of populism through his fact-twisting Radio Biafra. Many of these pendent brothers are the omphalos of his fraudulent agitation. And having been promised a fantasy land, an eldorado of sorts where prosperity will be restored under the guidance of a Supreme Leader ordained by Chukwu Okike Abiama, they are as ready to fund the ‘cause’ as they are willing to uproot any impediment. These are the men Ezeife would want to lead the Igbo nation if Nigeria does not ‘give’ us the presidency. The same man who suggested that Nigeria may not survive till 2023 if Buhari is re-elected just like he predicted the country’s break up if Jonathan is defeated in 2015. And by saying that “Igbos voted for both APC and PDP” he is inadvertently demanding for the two leading parties to zone their presidential tickets to the South East. Laughable if you ask me, and I believe others will be having a good laugh at us too. There is no way the distribution of power in our skewed federalism will be curated on sentiments. But let us even assume that the octogenarian’s dictate is for the PDP where we have largely stored our eggs since 1999. Pray on what premise is he making such demands? Has he analysed the current position of Igbos in the party hierarchy? Is he unaware that Igbos never called the shots even when we had powerful ministers and ranking officers in the legislature under Jonathan? One would expect that the ex-governor should know that you strive to negotiate from a position of strength in politics. You see, Igbos are a heuristic tribe who pride themselves as exceptional people especially blessed by God. In a seminal study published in 1974 by Alex Inkeles and David S. Smith the Igbos alongside the Jews of Eastern Europe, the Swiss Protestants and the Parsis of India were ranked the most resourceful in the world on achievement motivation. The veracity or falsity of these claims very much depends on the prism of perception. However, you are likely to have an Igbo person more than any other as the factotum in any group of Nigerians. We saw it in Japan where all the leaders of the various Nigerian delegations that met President Buhari were Igbos. The South East has never lacked in human and material resources. It is a region that recovered in record time after a devastating civil war and currently leads other regions in almost all the UN developmental indices. And all these were achieved without power at the centre since Ironsi was felled over half a century ago. Unfortunately, Igbos today appear to be poor students of history and strategy. The corollary of which has been the inadequate deployment of our famed ingenuity in Nigerian politics. That is why Ezeife will attempt to blackmail the nation a few months after Ohaneze Ndi Igbo declared that the Igbos do not need the presidency. A classical example of a struggling conflict of extremes driven more by individual rather than collective interest. We have watched the last four years wither through hate-spewing, negativity and a defeatist mentality not even witnessed

Blog, Essays, Monishots

How the South-East should respond to Amotekun.

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“It is the opinion of many great authorities that every nation or people build its future on its past, that is, a past that has been properly studied and understood, and whose seminal experience has been extracted and redeployed for further use”. ~ Prof. Adiele Afigbo Ever since Mohammed Yusuf was extra-judicially murdered by the police in 2007- a costly insurgency that has so far claimed over fifty thousand lives and displaced about three million continues to ravage the nation. The hydra-headed problem turned into a conflagration which continues to oxygenate the activities of bandits in the North-West and killer herdsmen across the nation. The inability of the national defence and security apparatus to contain the insurgents has seen an otherwise localised conflict permeate the other regions in different guises. In the South West kidnapping became so rampant that even the high and mighty were not spared. Chief Olu Falae is lucky to be alive while Pa Fasoranti’s daughter -may her soul rest in peace- wasn’t so lucky. What’s more, President Buhari’s lopsided appointments in the security architecture and his reluctance to replace the service chiefs in the face of perennial insecurity culminated in the birth of Operation Amotekun. Well, so the Yoruba leaders say. I am not sold on that narrative. I believe that Operation Amotekun is actually more about politics than security. Why do I think so? Well, part of the reason should be obvious to the discerning observer. With the exception of some Nordic countries and a few others, even the most liberal democracies have its security framework usually designed with the principal consideration of protecting the ruling elite let alone Nigeria where ours was largely shaped by long years of military dictatorship. Precisely, the established operational paradigm in the country can rightly be described as regime security rather than national security. This is better exemplified in the fact that it is normal to have the number of security operatives attached to the office of a local government chairman supersede what is left to guard the local government area itself. Tinubu himself is very much aware of this. As the political godfather of the South West, his measured statement calling for dialogue with the federal government couldn’t have been better crafted given his rumoured ambition to succeed Buhari. Who wants to stir the applecart? And did his caution prevail? Certainly, the northern dominated federal government is aware of existing security outfits like Hisbah, JTF and the rest. So it makes little sense to boisterously oppose a similar initiative by the politically aligned South West. Moreover, any other amorphous security organisation out there that exceeds set boundaries as the so-called legal framework will definitely outline can always be tamed. Cut to size and reduced to omonile like Obasanjo did to the Oodua Peoples Congress OPC. So, as the Federal Government led pally with South-West Governors on the contentious issues concluded with a mutual agreement public attention will understandably switch to other regions particularly the South-East. Leaders of the region will be inundated with more calls to reproduce something identical. Already we ‘ve had some chest-thumping from usual vocal quarters. While Ohaneze Youth Council called on the conspicuously silent South-East Governors to resuscitate the defunct Bakassi boys, IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu promised to relaunch the disbanded Biafran Security Service with the aim of supporting Amotekun with one million men. However, our leaders need not succumb to these chaotic and discordant demands. There are factors to be taken into account before any coordinated response if at all there will be one as different geopolitical regions in the Nigerian enclave has its peculiarities. This is even more so with the South East. For one, baring Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, the remaining South West Governors will face reelection sooner or later with Akerodolu of Ondo state looking to renew his mandate later this year. The region’s electorate often described as the most politically sophisticated couldn’t care less about the fact that bulk of the governors are members of the ruling APC. Given the opportunity, the Oyo state experience may be replicated in states where the governor’s report card is subpar. Now given that the security of lives and property is always a paramount factor in electioneering campaign and if your people have been lamenting the poor security situation, what better promise than an indigenous outfit to secure the region? Moreso, when it will likely be opposed -as we have seen- by perceived traducers or invaders like Miyetti Allah as Odumakin and Femi Fani Kayode, would have them believe. We can now see the reason behind the collective insistence and perhaps desperation of the governors to fly the spotted cat. Perception is key. In reality, the converse is the case in the South-East. Only Hope Uzodimma will seek re-election. The rest are doing a second term. Moreover, the region has fared best in terms of security over the last two years. According to the statistics released by Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), it had the least percentage (1%) of reported cases of kidnapping between Jan-Sept 2019. Compare that to (43%) in the North West and you can see who really needs to emulate Amotekun. The truth is that silently the South-East governors though often perceived as inept by a majority of her people have performed creditably in the area of security. Gone are the days when the region was notorious for kidnapping. In Anambra state, for instance, Governor Obiano encouraged community policing from day one. Each town union is well funded to maintain a vigilante group who collaborate with the police. The governor also regularly equips the state police command with vehicles, communication and security gadgets including drones. This laudable initiative has earned the state several accolades as the safest in the country and is currently being xeroxed in Abia and Ebonyi states. So Igbo leaders need to be circumspect and proactive here. Ours is a region blessed with abundant natural resources like oil, coal, zinc, limestone, salt and much more which remain largely

Blog, Essays

What Obasanjo And Yar’Adua Told Me ~ Soludo

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A central issue in the quest for Nigeria’s greatness is leadership selection. Some 2,400 years ago, the great philosopher, Plato, argued that “As a just and healthy person is governed by knowledge and reason, a just society must be under the control of society’s most cultivated and best-informed minds, its ‘lovers of wisdom’…” I have chosen to share the thoughts of our two presidents to encourage a debate on the matter, especially given the pervasive indifference or downright loathsomeness to matters of politics and governance by the so-called ‘lovers of wisdom’. I served Nigeria under two presidents. This piece is not part of ‘the book’ on presidential governance. The date was Friday, March 17, 2006. At the morning prayer session with President Olusegun Obasanjo at the ‘red carpet’ in the villa, I raised a special prayer point and asked the congregation to pray for the new governor of my state Anambra, Peter Obi (who was on his way from Abuja to Awka to be sworn in same day), as well as for Anambra State so that Obi’s regime may mark an end to the brigandage and misrule in the state. We were all upstanding. The president cut in, and pointing in my direction remarked: “We shall pray as you have requested but the problem with you people from Anambra is that those of you who have something to offer shy away from politics and hooligans have taken over your state”. To the best of my recollection, that was the only prayer point during the four years of daily devotion that received a commentary.  ‘Baba’, as we fondly call him was basically telling us to ‘get involved or stop complaining’.  Periodically, the three of us from Anambra who were regular members of the prayer group (Oby Ezekwesili, Rev.William Okoye and I) had cause to brainstorm on the challenges and limitations of participation in politics especially by those of us who were ‘technocrats’. While we were obsessed with ‘good governance’, we had little interest in the process of acquiring power. After leaving office as governor of the central bank, I was in London when twice in June 2009 I received calls from Alhaji Mangal to the effect that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua wanted to see me anytime I was in Nigeria. I returned with my family late July and on Sunday, July 26, I received a call that the president wanted to see me by 9:30pm. After a few banter, he asked what I was doing abroad. As I explained the three offers I was considering, he was shaking his head. “Well”, he started, “it is not because you are here, but I have said this several times to you. Given your age, skills, and your accomplishments for our economy and financial system, it would be a waste for you not to continue to be involved in Nigeria’s public service… For example, there is going to be an election in your state early next year and I want to strongly urge you to show interest… You know that your state has been unfortunate with leadership, and our party has been in crisis there…” At that point, my heartbeat was racing. Before I left office, many people from Anambra had suggested that I should run for governor but it did not make any sense to me and my family. As I began my response, Yar’Adua cut in and suggested that I did not need to respond immediately but instead that I should go home and ‘consult’ with some of the political leaders in the state. He then raised his two thumbs and assured that “if you accept to do this, I will come out fully to make sure that you get there”. If he had allowed me to respond immediately, the answer would have been an unambiguous ‘NO’.  I thanked him and left. On getting home, my wife was curious. I summarized what the president said, and she asked: ‘so what was your response?’ I told her the president would not let me respond but asked that I go and ‘consult’. “Then go back tomorrow and tell him that you have finished consulting and that the answer is No”, she ruled. I pleaded with her that we should at least give some time, out of respect, before reporting our decision. I confided in a few people and sought their advice. Within a week, the ‘rumours’ were everywhere. In the meantime, Yar’Adua also told a few people of his plans for Anambra and how he wanted to ‘use Soludo to make Anambra a model state’. He specifically requested Chief Tony Anenih to help him make it happen. My wife and I came under inestimable pressure — ‘to go and serve our people’. Some even said it was a ‘divine call to serve’, etc. My wife loathes politics and can’t stand it. On August 12, 2009, I gave Yar’Adua the ‘preliminary report’ on my consultations. To enable me take a decision, I presented the challenges and threats to his proposal to which he laid out solutions. I told him that after three offices at the Federal Government (as chief economic adviser, de facto Minister of National Planning; and governor of the central bank) I believed I had had my day on duty as far as government was concerned and wanted to return to the international community, academia and private sector. The only reason another public office would make sense to me in the circumstance was if I believed I could really make a fundamental difference. If I would contest, my vision was to transform Anambra’s economy such that after eight years, it would no longer need federation account allocation for recurrent expenditures but would devote 100% of it to capital budget. Consequently, I requested eight things the Federal Government would do to enable me quickly transform the state into an international city, including: an airport; modern seaport for Onitsha and dredging of River Niger to enable medium-sized ship to come to Onitsha; dualisation of

Blog, Essays

Why Igbos need to look beyond Buhari.

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We did not support Abubakar because he was a member of the PDP – we endorsed him because he wanted to restructure the country. We have no regrets not supporting Buhari. We are not making any demands from him. A leopard cannot change its spots except there is a miracle. What he cannot do during his first term, you cannot expect him to do that in the second term. His actions, statements, and body language show that he does not mean well for Ndigbo. So, we are not expecting anything from him~ Ohanaeze Ndigbo With the above excerpt from an interview with the PUNCH Newspapers. National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga affirmed the position of the group that it does not regret supporting Atiku who lost to incumbent President Buhari in the last presidential election. As an Igbo man gifted with intellect and the ability to write I will never be deterred from critically interrogating these kinds of statements from the apex Igbo socio-cultural group. Having spent over 40 years of my life living in Nigeria I am conscious of the Igbo struggle but I am equally aware that the South East region is not lagging in any UN developmental index in comparison to the other regions. Much of this progress in development is attributable to self-help by a group naturally endowed with the gift of entrepreneurship. However, just like any other Igbo person, I am confounded by the seeming political decline that has pervaded my region lately. There is an age long position held by many that the dearth of visionary leadership among the Igbo elite as typified by Ohaneze’s statement above is responsible for the current quandary. But then leaders are part of the people, they did not just drop from Mars, so followership is also part and parcel of the problem. Take for example the unfortunate events that transpired in Vice President Osinbajo’s polling unit in VGC. The gentle pastor — who was once the toast of our people during Buhari’s long absence — was said to have been jeered by a small crowd comprising mainly of Igbo residents as he arrived to cast his vote. Some even popped champagne while passing snide remarks that the Vice President shouldn’t have bothered coming to perform his civic duty since Atiku’s victory was already assured. It is not that we do not have the right to a choice. No, far from it. Neither is it that we do not have the prerogative of casting block votes for our choice. The problem is that fatal flaw which the legendary Chinua Achebe described in his book “There Was A Country” as “the dangers of hubris, overweening pride, and thoughtlessness, which invite envy and hatred or even worse, that can obsess the mind with material success and dispose it to all kinds of crude showiness”.  We can agree that Nigerians have different SI units for measuring societal ills. Depending on the tribe, religion or party what may be deplorable to Emeka could be acceptable to Ayo and perhaps even commendable to Shehu and vice versa. But surely there cannot be a worse evocation of the Achebe’s lamentation as depicted by the few Igbo delinquents at that VGC polling unit. The Vice President deserves our respect even if we dislike him, his principal or his party. Undoubtedly a combination of factors such as ethnicity and elite mentality determined the outcome of the election in the VGC and indeed Eti Osa Local Government Area as a whole. However, that conspicuously offensive display by those charlatans succeeded in giving an ethnic colouration to the predicted defeat of the APC in a neighbourhood that is perhaps more cosmopolitan than any other part of Lagos. My friend, a wealthy businessman who lives in the area was shaking his head in exasperation as he narrated this. Considering the usual cries of victimization from many Igbos in Lagos he wondered how supposedly wise folks from the east could have been oblivious of the high tech security surveillance around the nation’s number two citizen at any given time. The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service could be sending demand letters to their various addresses the following week. O yes, it may sound far-fetched but in Nigeria where tribal sentiments run so deep, it is not impossible. On various online platforms, on the MSM and even on the ground, it is not uncommon to see South Easterners taking panadol for other people’s headache and displaying what I call ‘political bipolarism’. The same people who swore to vote for Atiku even if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar cried more than Kano voters that Ganduje is a thief who deserves to be in jail. The ‘No man’s land’ where Femi Gbajabiamila hails from is now Yoruba land because the APC zoned the position of HOR Speaker to the South West. These are the kind of followers we are, and we will eventually emerge to be the leaders of tomorrow. Now let me come back to leadership. In a previous article, I had stated that the choice of Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate should serve the more important task of stimulating the process of piloting Igbos back to their rightful place in national politics. And despite their defeat, notable Igbos across parties have rightly called on the ruling party to zone one major NASS leadership position to the South East. It will be unthinkable that for the first time there will be no Igbo person in Nigeria’s first 6. For one, the Igbos are a majority tribe who are resident in every nook and cranny of the country. We have contributed as much as any other in the development of the country. And then politically speaking more Igbos voted for Buhari this time than in 2015, as a matter of fact, the region more than doubled their previous vote tally for the president whereas they gave Atiku less than half of what Jonathan got. Honestly,

Blog, Essays, Monishots

Can Peter Obi begin the healing of Igbos?

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Time heals all wounds unless you pick at them~ Shaun Alexander. The American athlete who stated the above must have spoken from practical experience. Athletes are often prone to injuries, however, Shaun is encouraged that any injury will heal over time on the condition that it is not touched after the necessary treatment is administered. In medicine, injuries that refuse to heal are termed chronic and may cause severe trauma that could physically and emotionally drain a patient to permanent deformity. The name Biafra evokes deep emotions. It actuates a reflection on what many refer to as the Nigerian civil war but in the real sense represents the first black-on-black genocide in postcolonial Africa with Igbos at the receiving end. Attempts to erase or deprecate this truth by the west whose interests were served proved futile as there is abundant literature to buttress it. Ndi Igbo, however, ignored Gowon’s rhetorical 3Rs (Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration) after the “No Victor No Vanquished” declaration and moved on. Meandering back to their abandoned outposts they made a tremendous economic recovery in record time and have contributed immensely to a nation left in piteous underdevelopment by decades of misrule. Igbos also made political progress. It took only 9 years to reintegrate back to the center with late Chief Alex Ekwueme as the Vice President alongside prominent Igbo sons like Chuba Okadigbo, Nwafor Orizu, and CC Onoh in the ruling NPN back then. The Great Zik of Africa who led the vibrant duo of Jim Nwobodo and Sam Mbakwe dominated the South East and equally had considerable influence with his NPP in Plateau, Rivers and Lagos states. However, the quest to ascend the throne remained elusive, not for lack of trying though for Azikiwe gave it a shot twice and Ekwueme came very close in 1999. Nevertheless, Igbos continued to be in the reckoning as a tripartite arrangement by the major tribes saw them holding on to the number 3 position all through Obasanjo’s 8-year tenure as the Fourth Republic commenced. It was even more so during the time of Jonathan as Igbos held juicy ministerial positions and reintegration back into the military was deemed to have been accomplished with the appointment of Ihejirika the first ever Igbo Chief of Army Staff in the post-war era. Then came Jonathan’s defeat. We had put our eggs in one basket which was crushed by the same Hausa/Yoruba alliance that gave us the stick during the civil war. Our people were shocked, our leaders in disarray, unsure of what to do or where to go. The Pharaoh who did not know ‘Joseph’ ascended the throne. Rather than spearheading the opposition Ekweremadu who was the highest elected Igbo official in the PDP joined Saraki in the APC Senate leadership. The South-East governors surrendered the party to Wike and our youths became willing tools for unscrupulous politicians. Deafening chants of secession escalated in the region with men of questionable character leading the politicization of Biafra. Indeed, the following two years saw Igbo land overwhelmed by unprecedented political entropy. Well, two weeks they say is a long time in politics. So here we are today with an Igbo son, an exemplary one at that on the ballot of the main opposition party to contest for the nation’s number two job. The restructuring carrot has been dangled once again and Nigeria is no longer a zoo. It is now ‘our country’ which deserves the leadership of Atiku and Obi to prosper. Regardless of your opinion about Peter, that he performed excellently in Anambra is not debatable. He is a consummate administrator whose personal philosophy, prudence, and ability to maximize available resources can never be diminished on the altar of politics. Little wonder the announcement has stirred and continues to stir excitement in the political landscape. A man, however, must have his faults and Peter is human. His approach to politics is commercial and he is deeply immersed in religious politics. His speeches are often dotted with “I did” rather than “We did” exposing a narcissist proclivity and lack of confidence in others. These attributes may have been beneficial on a local level but will likely be inimical in the larger picture of national politics which demands a secular and inclusive appeal. Be that as it may, his choice as Atiku’s running mate is a good one. The problem though is that they will have to navigate labyrinthine impediments to give the incumbent a good fight. For one, though no politician sets out to fail, Atiku’s decision is perceived as politically wrong by many in the sense that the South-West is completely out of the equation in his party. Given the palpable apathy towards the APC in the South-East, the region is already in Turaki’s kitty, so one would have expected a Yoruba running mate in order to make inroads into the second most populous region with a history of vote splitting among the leading parties. All the same, being a veteran in the game, the former Vice President may have an ace up his sleeve and his prerogative must be respected. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how he will convince the Yorubas that the man who sensationally accused Fashola of ethnic discrimination is better than their son Yemi Osinbajo. Secondly, though Atiku is considered a worthy adversary by many he has rarely managed to scratch Buhari’s votes in the north in previous elections. In 2003 as the Vice President and in 2007 with him on the ballot, Buhari swept most of the core northern states with a wide margin. Conceivably, the task of gaining northern votes will be an arduous one given his alleged utterances against the region and even more so with a man regarded as a part of the unsuccessful connivance to usurp their ‘right’ in 2015. Finally, the base has to be consolidated. Peter has to get off his high horse and stoop to conquer. He must rise above the recent self-serving abjuration by the South-East leaders

Blog, Monishots

Opportunity knocks for Ndi Igbo.

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It is about six months to the general elections and conceivably politicking has taken the centre stage. We have already been treated to the ignoble dance of defections, a botched or staged NASS takeover -depending on your perspective- and now we are witnessing the second season of letter writing. No doubt our champion Obansajo will be green with envy as his writing prowess has been eclipsed by that of younger gladiators in a war of attrition that may well shape the political future of the nation. Leading the charge in a frenetic start to the week is Asiwaju Bola Tunubu. In a statement titled ‘They go Away Because We go the Right Way’ the former Lagos state governor and leader of the ruling APC alleged that Saraki and Tambuwal defected to the PDP because they were promised automatic tickets to pursue their political ambition, something he claimed was not possible in his party. In his response, the Senate President accused Tinubu of dishonesty saying that he is still aggrieved at being denied the Vice Presidential ticket in 2014 and that his support for President Buhari’s re-election is solely informed by own his presidential ambition. The debate over this bickering has since dominated the political and media space. Frankly, I don’t give a hoot and you shouldn’t too. Why should we care? It is neither about our betterment nor national interest, what’s more, the discerning political observer should know that both men have said nothing new. Both are ambitious, wealthy and power hungry. Their quest to occupy the seat in Aso Rock is already in the public domain. But it will be unrealistic to expect that Nigerians will disregard this one, we love drama and we are savouring this. More so considering that in the process of fulfilling their ambition politicians may bring progress and development to their people, we must interrogate these statements, albeit without taking sides. In a previous article I posited that the recent defections “may offer some hope for the political lightweights to have a shot at retaining their positions in 2019 but the gladiators are actually battling for relevance in readiness for a post-Buhari Nigeria in 2023”. This position has been buttressed by the events of yesterday. Anybody who still believes that President Buhari will be defeated next February needs to study our political history beginning with social studies. By 2023 power will naturally rotate to the South at least in the APC, and if the PDP is still afloat by then we should expect a similar arrangement assuming they are to seriously give the presidency a shot. Sadly, it is becoming clearer each day that my South East region is not even on the ringside for the political battle of 2023 because while the politicking and positioning were going on our politicians were battling with the chants of “Biafra or I die” from an electorate largely brainwashed by IPOB. Now four years is almost gone with the South-South better placed in the two leading parties to slug it out with other regions for political power. But it is never too late, politics can be dynamic and if we are to work with Saraki’s statement that Asiwaju believes the presidency should go to the South West and ultimately to him then we can expect that 2023 will be more keenly contested. This is because with the exception of Buhari the president of Nigeria rarely goes to those who covet it. Tinubu will meet stiff opposition within his region from potential candidates like Osinbajo and Fashola, he will also have to contend with the resistance from the likes of Saraki and Tambuwal. Likewise in the PDP, governor Wike will face strong dissent in achieving his rumoured desire to ascend Buhari’s throne come 2023. Therein lies the opportunity for Ndi Igbo to stake their cards. This is why we have to quit playing the victim. There is need to replace the brand of politics we played in the past three years with pragmatic and proactive politicking if we are to begin the difficult task of taking back our rightful position in national politics. Its time for Igbo leaders to rise to the occasion, they need to be counted both in the ruling party and in the opposition. Wike and Tinubu must not be allowed to dictate in both parties. They must be pushed all the way. Of course, some will argue that Igbos don’t need the presidency to make progress, that what we need is a restructured and equitable nation to excel. I agree. But I equally agree with the reasoning that it will be equitable for Igbos to produce a Nigerian president after all these years. After all, it is only the South East and North East that are yet to rule since the civil war. Moreover when last did you hear about restructuring? It is a sound whose volume is directly proportional to the distance from Aso rock. Igbos should urge Okorocha, Ngige, Onu, Ekweremadu, Obi, South East governors and other leaders to be more vocal in demanding political power for the sake of equity. Power is not given but taken, so nobody will deliver the presidency on a platter to Ndi Igbo. It will come through hard work, bridge building and strategic alliance. The opportunity beckons in 2023, we could shoot an eagle but to do that we have to aim for the sky.

Blog, Essays, Monishots

Ohaneze and Ekweremadu should rise to the Igbo leadership challenge.

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“The Igbo historical past is very important and at certain times it has been quite tragic. But we cannot remain trapped in our past and as someone once said, we cannot wish away the war that took place but we cannot continue to move forward with our heads slightly inclined backward. You will either trip or not move fast enough. Don’t forget that you are in a race with other groups. Nigeria of the sixties is markedly different from Nigeria of today and the Igbo nation would have to adjust to that reality and strategize accordingly” ~ Rotimi Amaechi Just yesterday a friend had asked, “who do you think can make the candidates’ list for Igbo presidency?” I was lost for a few minutes before replying Rochas Okorocha. When he asked why I told him that realistically he is the only one that has the chance of getting the necessary northern votes and that despite the perception out there I will personally pick Rochas over Jonathan and  Yar’Adua for any top-level job. I won’t bother you with the rest of our repartee but you can be sure my choice of Owelle was not derided as most Igbos would have done. This is a question that regularly pops up in our discourse. Some say that Igbos don’t need the presidency to progress. That what we need is a restructured and equitable nation for the Igbos to excel. I agree. But I equally agree with the reasoning that it will be equitable for Igbos to produce a Nigerian president after all these years.In any case that is just by the way to present some of the discourse that informed this write up. Lately, the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Before the recent legal challenge, he had been controversially mired in what many news outlets sensationally interpreted as a ‘call for coup’. In a ‘sermon’ that saw him mention God over 15 times while commenting on the recent violence in Kogi state, the Senator had asked “Who says that the army cannot takeover in Nigeria? It is possible. Yes it is possible”. Surely James Humes didn’t have Nigerian lawmakers in mind when he stated that “every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership” A lesson or two may be needed from his principal who was dragged around the Code of Conduct Tribunal for several months but never descended to such depths of impolitic flippancy. Being a smart lawyer and an experienced politician one would expect that Ike’s speech will be dotted with properly chosen words, but let us just agree that every now and then we lose it. I had stated then that Ekweremadu’s outburst typified the emotional politics that is, unfortunately, the ubiquitous mindset of many Igbos since the 2015 general elections. Now accused of illicitly acquiring several properties which were allegedly not declared, the suave lawmaker from Aninri is facing an ex parte application filed by the Federal Government seeking the forfeiture of 22 “undeclared” houses in Nigeria and Ohaneze Ndi Igbo is having none of that. Chief Nnia Nwodo, leader of the Pan Igbo Group issued a robust statement in defence of “a revered Igbo son” and accused the federal government of persecuting him alongside others just because they are Igbos. Paradoxically Nwodo is saying this just a couple of weeks after Ekweremadu had dismissed the allegations as “part of the politics of 2019” while stating that the case has further exposed “those who colluded with the dismissed former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike and his cronies to steal and doctor his will.” Moreover, this is not the first time Ekweremadu has been accused of amassing properties illegally. During the last administration, a certain Mr. Steve Igweze of a certain Enugu Salvation Group had among other things alleged that the Senator acquired the Modotel Hotels, Enugu and 1000 plots of land in Enugu for a private university. So what in the world does Nwodo intend to achieve with his impetuous claims? I am trying to imagine the spectacle we would have been treated to if the ACF had stoutly defended the former SGF Babachir Lawal during his grass cutting days. I bet you are too. Have I in any way suggested that we should throw Ike under the bus? Not at all. He is a fine gentleman who humbly sits in the back row with regular guys like me in church. As a matter of fact, I believe he deserves all the political support he can get from Igbos. For one, he has the experience and connections. Secondly, he is still young and will be around long after Buhari has retired. He perhaps offered the best but unheeded advice during the heydays of IPOB. Those who criticised him then for being a major beneficiary of the political establishment that wouldn’t want his table shaken were simply ignorant of the facts of law raised therein. If Igbos stoutly defended Kanu why not Ike? I would rather have him on a table where political strategies and projections are being discussed and developed. However, the current allegations against him bother on illegal acquisition of wealth and have little to do with my struggles as an Igbo man in Nigeria. They are mere allegations anyway, and until proven beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law Ekweremadu will continue to discharge his duties as the Deputy Senate President. I cannot trust any other politician of South East extraction to wriggle out of such legal issues more than I can trust him. So playing the ethnic card in his defence is not only needless but also an inimical portrayal of Igbos as defenders of corruption whereas I know we are not. Of course, Igbos have been in the front line of Nigerian politics since former President Jonathan providentially assumed power and his defeat in 2015 conceivably pitted us against the victors. Have we handled it well? Opinions are divided but

Blog, Essays

The Igbo Nation: Leadership Vacuum or Leadership Usurpation by Kelechi Jeff Eme

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The populist route is laden with cheers and encomiums that men find difficult to resist. The voice of reason is momentarily disparaged but elastically conditioned. My first take is to shred the notion that Igbo land lacked leadership. This completely nullifies the narrative that the IPOB Leader, Prince Nnamdi Kanu only attempted to fill a vacuum deserted by eminent Igbo men and women. On the contrary, the Afara Ukwu Prince was prior to the mayhem in Abia State, a subset of the leadership that is conveniently declared vacuum today. The Igbo establishment adopted the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as its route to national political relevance. It ensured that the revered Dim Emeka Ojukwu was politically humiliated in Igbo land in 2003. It, however, compensated him by ensuring the victory of APGA in his home state of Anambra. Even when the erudite Chuba Okadigbo of blessed memory broke rank and became the Vice Presidential candidate of the present Commander in Chief, the leadership was never pretentious on where to align Igbo interest. The Ohaneze Ndigbo was the first to endorse and order all Igbos to vote for former President Goodluck Jonathan. The entire Igbo land delivered over 97% votes to him in 2011. That was solid leadership and no vacuous spinning can obliterate that. Leadership is about order, direction, followership, and loyalty. The same Ohaneze Ndigbo directed the entire South East to vote for Jonathan in 2015 despite his neglect of Igbo land. The zone obeyed the order and delivered about 90% of its votes to Jonathan. The rest they say is history. My point is that we never had a leadership vacuum. I mentioned earlier that Prince Nnamdi Kanu was a subset of the leadership until recently. He was part of those that obeyed the order decreed by Ohaneze Ndigbo on who to vote for in 2015. He was unrelenting in his verbal annihilation of APC and never minced words in advocating for votes for Jonathan. This was in line with the position of Ohaneze leadership. My point is that Kanu did not occupy a leadership vacuum created by Igbo elders. He only attempted an uprising against the leadership that actually ensured he was released from detention and guaranteed his freedom. It was supposed to be a win-win scenario until he touched the tiger’s tail by decreeing no election in Anambra state. Those in the know will tell you that his violent utterances unsettled the Igbo leadership and prompted the issuance of several warnings to him. The meetings he held with the governors and the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo were all aimed at taming his apparent instigation of the youths to disobey constituted authorities. The big lesson here is that we must identify red lines and deal with such accordingly. The maturity of Abia State governor in handling the days of mayhem is quite commendable. He immediately reached out to the Hausa community, the leadership of recognized unions and traditional rulers to ensure that the situation never got out of control. He simply prevented an Armageddon. That is leadership. The synergy of Governors Ikpeazu, Obiano, Ugwuanyi, Tambuwal, Ganduje and El Rufail worked wonders in maintaining peace and stability during the crisis. This peace is even more needed now. There should be an immediate exchange of goodwill visits by the governors to reassure our citizens that there is happiness in living together. Last line: the same leadership that people are abusing and defecating upon is clearing the mess left by the Utopians.   Kelechi Jeff Eme https://www.facebook.com/kelechi.eme

Blog, Essays, Monishots

Moving forward after the SE Governors meeting.

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Ours is a region blessed with abundant natural resources like oil, coal, zinc, limestone, salt and much more which remain largely untapped. The necessary requirements are also there, we have human resources, capital and most importantly entrepreneurial spirit. What is lacking is the vision and platform.

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Nwodo excited as South-East Governors meet, elect Umahi Chairman.

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The President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has expressed optimism as Governors from the South-East region met in Enugu today. He commended the governors on their synergy and solidarity saying that such tonic was very essential for regional integration and progress. He said that one of the promises made by Ohaneze Ndi Igbo has been fulfilled as the governors were meeting for the first time since the 2015 general elections. Speaking to newsmen after the meeting he said, “I came to congratulate them for their synergy and their new found solidarity and the resurgence of that solidarity. “I have promised that whatever misgivings they have between them is a storm in the tea cup and is grossly exaggerated and you can see that happening now”, adding that there were speculations over the past few years that all is not well in the region due to the inability of the governors to meet, he however explained that there were no real issues except that they have been finding it difficult to meet.  He went on to say that “The headquarters of Ohaneze is in Enugu and it is only courteous that as the president general, I should come and greet them and brief them about our activities as well as wish them well in their deliberations. “All five of them are here. Nobody is represented by the deputy. They are in serious deliberation and I am grateful to God that this is happening”. “I am infused that within two months of my coming into office they are back on the saddle, united and in total solidarity addressing the problems affecting us as a geographical region,” Nwodo said.  The governors also elected Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state as its new Chairman at the meeting which was hosted by Governor Ugwuanyi at Lion Building Enugu. Governor Ikpeazu of Abia state who announced this said that it was the turn of Ebonyi as Abia and Anambra had earlier taken their turns. He said, “I want to specially recognise the oldest members of this forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra. “We have just risen from a meeting and it is my pleasure to officially introduce the chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum in the person of Gov. Dave Umahi. “He is our chairman today because Anambra and Abia have taken their turns in the past and we are moving forward from Ebonyi flank at this moment,” Ikpeazu said. Umahi said he was honoured to lead the forum despite the fact that he might not be the most qualified. “I want to thank my brother governors and to accept the leadership position my colleagues have pushed on me. “Not being the most qualified but they decided that I should be the chairman of the forum at a time like this. I want to thank them with all sense of humility”. The meeting was attended by all the 5 governors themselves unlike previously when they sent their deputies as representatives.   Source: NAN

Blog, Essays, Monishots

Ndi Igbo it’s time to get our priorities right. Pt 1

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Another major issue that had long been identified by credible studies as a negative factor towards the economic and political development of Igbo land is demographic distortion. You will hardly come across any family in the South East which does not have a member or two earning their living elsewhere.

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