• Report of the international colloquium on the Igbo question in Nigeria T he four-day colloquium was rounding off when reasons for the conspicuous absence of the political class emerged. It was not the lack of cohesion amongst them as posited by Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha who attended the opening ceremony, maybe on account of the event holding at his Igbozurume Unity Centre, Emeene-Enugu, opposite Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The edifice belongs to him and he has dedicated it to serve as Igbo centre. Professor Uzodinma T Nwala, renowned academic and historian who was project coordinator and chairman planning committee of the international colloquium: ‘The Igbo Question in Nigeria,’ said political office holders from the zone had stayed away to keep the coast clear for their political pursuits in 2015. They did not want to offend the powers that be and put their projections for 2015 in jeopardy. But their absence did not detract from the rich gathering of intellectual from across the globe. Eighty-five papers presented by as much scholars and professionals in three days of marathon meetings (March 11-13, 2014) sitting in three separate groups daily did not fail to meet its target. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu joined all the governors from the zone in staying away. They left Rochas to take the shine on the opening day where he lampooned political elite in the zone, insisting their disunity has remained their near perpetual bane. He went down memory lane. He recalled that the late Chief Sam Mbakwe, first civilian governor of Imo State did not go as birds of the same feather with Chief Jim Nwobodo, his counterpart in Anambra in the Second Republic even when they both sprouted from the same party. In the current dispensation, party divisions has put a greater wedge between them. He said selfish political interests often blinds the political class to the collective interest of the zone. The same reason it was later learnt, they stayed away. But the event was a resounding success. This is not just because close to 2,000 people came at different times from Nigeria and outside but because the papers touched every facet of human endeavour relating to people from the zone. Expectedly, the zone’s continued stay in the Nigerian entity and the rough and seeming impassable road to power at the centre managed to pervade all strata of dicsuss. In his keynote address Chinweizu struck down by ailment to the wheel chair but not diminished in intellectual prowess said Ndigbo must determine their stake in the Nigerian polity and not remain followers with no purpose. But Professor Ngozichukwu Ugo who teaches at Harvard University and doubles as Special Adviser to the United Nations on Conflict Resolution made her hammer find the nail’s head when she recommended that cessation, that dreaded word that tends to carriy perpetual disdain and fear of the zone across the land, should find its way into the Nigerian constitution. In her experience, that word should be more harmless than dreaded. Inclusion of cessation rights for aggrieved parties in a union hardly results in units raising their fingers to opt out. The ultimate benefit is a conscious effort by central governments to govern with equity, knowing that those constantly receiving short ends of the stick have a last line of defence in that clause. Such proposals, bound to come, willy-nilly must have saved the political class. They stayed away. Senator Uche Chukwumerije did not stay away though he was not at the session where the Harvard professor spoke. The senator did not speak in vain as he chaired one of the sessions. For him, the southeast must extract two promises from President Jonathan if he declares to run in 2015. The president must create one more state in the zone. Chukwumerije says a determined president would create a new state in about 18 months. In his view, the president would have etched his name indelibly in the history books should he correct the structural imbalance which has been a debilitating factor to the zone given that resources are split amonst states, putting the zone in perpetual disadvantge. Next step to rescue the zone is to resort to six zone structure in pursuit of conceding presidential slot in the ruling party. He says the current North-south divide is too amorphous to let the zone get anyone to be the president of Nigeria. ‘People from the South-east should make that demand from President Goodluck Jonathan as conditions to support him should he want to return as president. “But I must say that of all the things Ndigbo lost with the war the worst is the Igbo spirit. The ‘Igbo Kwenu’ spirit is no longer there. We have to bring it back…” said Chuwkumerije. But participants at the colloquium were united in finding new frontiers out of the political, cultural and economic problems besetting the zone. One of the few politicians in attendance, Chief Chekwas Okorie insists that only a political party can make substantial political achievements for the zone. He said the zone was the reason he spearheaded the formation of APGA (All Progressive Grand Alliance) registered on 22 June, 2002. Prominent Igbos lent their financial and moral support in the struggle to meet the rigorous demands before registration. Many gave support in the background even when they were prominent in other political parties because they saw the future with him. Parties that have strong base in certain areas could form alliances and make demands. Chekwas says the party has gone off track in his view, prompting his formation of United Progressive Party to pursue the same political goal APGA set out to accomplish. He said but for APGA it would have been an uphill task to get late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu to stand as a presidential candidate. Ojukwu’s colleagues in the military, before the civil war, who had emerged new helmsmen in the political dispensation of the time threw spanners at the works to truncate Ojuwku’s emergence as presidential candidate but for the vigilance of party leaders. Chekwas says creation of additional state and emergence of president of Nigeria from the zone stand a better chance of being materialized under the ambit of a political party with a strong support base in the zone. In his words ‘…a political party that is strong, focused and supported by the Igbo with the machinery of its national leadership under firm control can make a difference in our elusive quest to create more states in the South-east geo-political zone if a sustained agitation is spear-headed by such political party in collaboration with its elected legislators at various legislative houses at the state and national levels. The creation of Midwest region…was not championed by any cultural association or a religious body, but by a political party, NCNC, which was not controlling the government at the centre but enjoyed followership and influence in Benin and Delta provinces, which made the objective of creating the Mid Western region possible…a political party that is dominant in the South-east geopolitical zone and embraced by other Nigerians who share the same political interest and aspirations with us will ensure that only popular and patriotic candidates emerged at party primary elections…’ The papers were not all hinged on political survival of the zone. Business, a rather strong foothold of the people, stood out as a key area for discuss. Professor Barth Nnaji, renowned scientist and immediate past minister of power told the house that power stands at the root of industrial growth. In his paper captioned ‘Infrastructure and education as basis for industrialization’ he revealed that about 300 physicians from the zone based abroad have begun the process of building Obuaku Medical city in Abia State. The centre would be the largest medical facility in Africa. The highpoint is that medical experts from the South-east currently working in first rate hospitals like John Hopkins, Duke Medical Centre, Texas Medical Centre, Mayo Clinics, Roswell Cancer Clinic and such top-notch health facilities in America and elsewhere would come together to hoist the flag for that medical haven in Africa in the southeast zone. But the underlining factor of production amongst others is power. As things stand, there is severe power shortage for such projects. The Geometric power, where he is chief executive has concluded its power project in Aba to help power such projects as the health facility. As he put it, developing the Aba Independent Power Project is akin to going to the land of the spirits to fetch fire. He was grateful to Diamond Bank for leading in financing the investment. The project is ready to roll. Nnaji advocates that the project could be replicated in such industrial hobs as Nnewi and Onitsha to drive further industrialization of the zone. But industrialization would stand on one wobbly leg in the absence of security. The discuss on security and the seeming continued waste of lives of people from the zone around the country took a historical and contemporary approach. Dr Maxwell Gbanite, a security expert gave insights, not to be made too explicit, on how to curb the problem of kidnapping in the zone. Dr. Luke Aneke took a retrospective look at continued wastage of lives of people from the zone shortly before the civil war and posited that Ndigbo ought to emulate the Jewish approach and make the lives of their people too expensive for anyone to expend. Aneke holds that time has not healed the genocide and war crimes that exterminated the people. Some of the perpetrators are walking the streets. He gave evidence of some of the killings in documents and said that like the Jews, Ndigbo could commission research historians to dig up ‘war crimes’ for which culprits should be prosecuted at the International Court of Justice. He gave numerous examples of people across the globe that committed war crimes. Such prosecutions would make people know that the lives of people are no longer so cheap that it could be expended at the slightest provocation. Such historical perspectives of the Igbo question led to papers that brought attention to nations with people of Igbo extraction, with Haiti as the most notable. Dr Okechukwu Ugorji and Holden Anele, both amongst the scores of Igbos attending the colloquim from the Diaspora said there are people from such far-flung places as Brazil whose origins roots in Igbo land. They advocate deliberate moves to relate with such nations on political and economic spheres. The media as a voice of the people was not glossed over. Chief Eddie Iroh, Ray Udeaja, Abia Onyika and Okechuwku Udoji spoke on ownership and control of the media and political hegemony. The high rate of demise in media houses, especially the print media was not domiciled in the zone, but paucity of investment in the medias seems to be. It was pointed out that while such newspapers as Tribune has lasted for decades on account of constant and continued patronage by those whose interest it represents, people from the South-east have lately begun to take more than their usual republican look at some publications. But the paucity of investments in that area remains a challenge. A critical area of challenge is the preservation of Igbo language which Professor Pita Ejiofo says is sliding down the slope of extinction. Parents in the area and those in the Diaspora have watched their children jettison their language and do nothing about it. Some encourage the children to speak English as their first language. This must be reversed as he challenged the people to defend their language or let it die. Several people attended the event. Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, Chief Dozie Ikedife, Chief Ralph Obioha, Emeka Enejere, Maria Okwor, Elder Kalu.U. Kalu, Joe Nwaorgu, Prof. Gini Mbanefo, Dr Uma Eleazu, Princess Alu Ibiam, Regeant of Afikpo, Prof. Ukwu. I. Ukwu, Ben Gbulie, Prof. Autstin Okwu, Prof. Ben Obumselu, Pro. F.Nwagbara, Charles Effiong whose father surrendered to the federal forces after the civil war, Dr Tony Nwaezeigwe, Ojimba Christian Chinyeremaka, Dr Ify Isaiah, Ihediwa Nkemjika, Col. Justino Ezeoke, Mazi Chike Chidolue, Dr. Victor Ukaogo, Prof [Igwe] Amaechi Onyia, Prof. E.C Ejiogu, Prof. Elo Amuchazi, Dr Okechukwu Mezu, Sam Ohuabunwa, Prof Dennis Odionenfe Balogu, Daniel Olisa Iweze, Ebele Okeke, Prof Vin Anigbogu, Prof Mark Odo, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Bishop Obi Onubogu and many others. At a point in the programme, some of the religious leaders in the house began an argument about what they call the spiritually negative impact of the the Igbo symbol known in the language as ofo na ogu. Several contributors including Reverend fathers and Dr, Uma Eleazu said there was nothing wrong with the symbol. They said it was an instument of conscience and justice for which the typical Igbo man is known. It represented the rebublican nature where justice is sacred and makes everyone equal before the law. It heightens the aphorism ofEgbe bere Ugobere [let the eagle also allow the kite to perch in the same tree; no one should drive away the other]. The matter was resolved in favour of retaining the symbol. At the end it was resolved that the Nigerian nation owes the Igbo nation what the kite owes the eagle, the opportunity to exist without being cheated and made to be ‘the sacrificial lamb’ as Dozie Ikedife put it. Many of those representing the zone at the current National Conference attended the colloquim. The onus is on them to pass the message of equity to the nation.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 16:03:32 +0000
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