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World Igbo Congress: The Challenges Ahead |
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ANNOUNCE THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR FRIENDS! |
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As delegates to the recently concluded convention of World Igbo Congress (WIC) return home to their families, those who missed the show could rely on the images brought back by our dear friend Ruddy. From all accounts, the delegates left the convention with more questions than answers regarding the direction and focus of the organization. The plenary session listened to speaker after speaker and in particular the words of wisdom and great counsel from Eze Ndigbo. At the age of 66 years, Odumegwu Ojukwu described himself as an old man pleading with his children to come forward and take up leadership mantle. Alhaji Abubakar Rimi's presence at the convention floor appeared so unsettling that many a delegate could not digest his comments along with the little food there was, let alone get a good night's sleep afterward. The problem appeared to be centered more on what Rimi did not say. That is perhaps what our dear Godson Offoaro reviewed for us in his Friday September 8, 2000 contribution to Nigeriaworld. While the debate shifts base to the domestic and parochial level within individual households and community centers around the Igbo world there is need to analyze the imports of what happened or did not happen in Dallas, Texas. Obviously a weekend was not enough and should not be enough to solve the problems that afflict and affect the IGBO in Nigeria. Going into the convention, the news was around that President Obasanjo chastised the Ohaneze -Ndigbo for planning and making preparation for IGBO day gathering on September 29, 2000. The comments credited to the President set off firestorm and brimstones all over the Igbo world and beyond. The anger generated by Obasanjo's remarks is enough to sustain energy at NEPA for a long time. Obviously the President has removed the Band-Aid from the wound he helped to inflict by describing an attempt to accord respect and honor to the dead as a threat to Nigeria's security. And so who were the infiltrators and spies sent to walk the convention hall and report back to Obasanjo? The analysis provided by Godson makes it rather difficult for some of us to believe Rimi is one of them. If Rimi is not the President's man why was he there in Dallas? The significance of his presence will be addressed later as we take a second look at the priorities of the IGBO Nation in contemporary Nigeria. Uju, the Okonko Leader has skimmed this issue a few times and we shall get back to it. The Governor of Abia State could not be the person carrying Obasanjo's water in Dallas; Dr. Orji Kalu knows better not to be. I have my reservations on Engineer Iwuanyanwu but I prefer to accord him benefit of the doubt since he is an in-law. Did anybody see a federal minister in that convention hall? Obviously, Ruddy had a brief chat with Ojo Maduekwe, Esquire but forgot to find out if the President sent him to Dallas. The answer then is that we do not know and would not know and do not give a damn who and who were there to report back to Mr. President on the deliberations of the IGBO family worldwide. And so where do we head to after Dallas to formulate the blue print for organizing the IGBO family, tackle the problems confronting us as a people? It is important to come together, as was the case in Dallas, to break bread and commune with ourselves as a family. We shall continue to be faced with organizational problems, logistics and the perennial Igbo attitude of one Igbo towards its own but should that stop us from facing the realities of our time? The true character of the Igboman perhaps makes him ill equipped for Nigerian politics of deceit and arrogance. We are known to say what we mean and mean what we say and damn the consequences. That is an attribute of republicanism, the concepts of straight talk politics. Unfortunately, we have been betrayed by the few among us selected and often handpicked by the enemies of IGBO NATION imposed into position of leadership. We find ourselves being lead by those anointed by the powers inimical to our collective interests. These so-called leaders pretend to be one of us only to sell us short for rice and beans. The time has come for us to know the true and real IGBO LEADERS in whose arms we entrust the OFOR NA OGU of ALA-IGBO. The task before the WIC goes beyond the Dallas Resolutions as passed and issued. The organization must first work towards restructuring the Ohaneze-Ndigbo to become the paramount umbrella of the family union home and away. In doing so, there must be a concise registrar of membership of the Ohaneze-Ndigbo to reflect the Igbo family regardless of state of origin. Each member must be made to swear to an oath and promise solemnly to defend the interest of Ndigbo at all times. The organization's outreach program will include a platform to monitor and assess the progress and plight of our people wherever they may be. We are free to have divergent views on issues but must channel such views properly to achieve the desired pragmatic consensus that leaves no doubt or ambiguity in the eyes and minds of the rest of Nigeria. There are far too many Igbo organizations with each leadership speaking from different sides of its mouth, creating more confusion and weakening the family base. Ohaneze-Ndigbo must harness a large tent to accommodate these other village unions and groups, if only by delegate representation and acclamation. The next question is Biafra. How does the Ohaneze-Ndigbo see Biafra? It was gratifying to hear Ojukwu describe Umezurike as his "BOY". It is important then that the WIC work through Ojukwu to reconcile the areas of disagreement between Umezurike and the Ohaneze. The idea that the apex IGBO community sees Umezurike as an outcast, someone to be avoided and ignored for fear of being branded extremist by the Obasanjo government is absurd. Umezurike has become a symbol of an uncompleted mission; reasonable people can disagree with his approach and tactics, but please for every thing sacred in Igboland, Umezurike must not be abandoned to the wolves that will eat him raw and wait for the rest of us. His cause is noble but the methodology could be addressed better only when we work together to continue to articulate, sustain and contain the purpose of Biafra in an effort to guarantee our collective survival in ONE NIGERIA. Many pundits are already looking ahead of the next presidential and national assembly elections in 2003. Before we get there, the IGBO must put its house in order and prepare the political road map with clear signs for exits and diversions. We know that elections in Nigeria can never be free and fair. It is also certain that only the moneybags win elections in most cases. It is also clear that ethnicity and religion will remain the bread and butter of Nigerian politics. It is equally important to examine and perhaps re-evaluate the role of political parties in fostering and promoting the interest of the IGBO Nation. We saw what happened to PDP and how it was hijacked from Ekwueme especially the horse-trading that went on at the Jos Convention in 1999. Where should the IGBO expend capital and energy, the drive to re-structure Nigeria for a true and real FEDERALISM or an effort towards becoming a majority in a minority party? Re-structuring Nigeria creates the opportunity for ECONOMIC EQUITY, which in the long term becomes easier and feasible to measure and quantify than SOCIAL JUSTICE. Secondly, neither Obasanjo's government nor any of its type or kind that follows later will ever guarantee SOCIAL JUSTICE under current constituent political arrangement. We need to keep our eyes on the ball and begin to moderate our emotions in focus especially in the light of the recent experience with Okadigbo. Every IGBO must be free to belong and participate in any political party of his or her choice; however, the big picture is the fate of our people in the Nigerian theater of the absurd. All those aspiring to play big league politics must first be found worthy by the Ohaneze family to earn the support to serve. There is nothing wrong for the IGBO family to frustrate the effort of any of its sons and daughters whose politics is found to be against the collective good of the IGBO. All those playing "MBALAJA" politics should read the handwriting on the wall. This is the time to solidify your base, win home matches to ensure success in the play-offs. While we ponder on the choice open to the IGBO between now and 2003, Abubakar Rimi's trip to Dallas becomes relevant. I beg to disagree with the notion that the NORTH will concede the number one position again come 2003. The existing political parties are in a state of flux and only God knows how many parties will be eligible to contest the elections. Make no mistake about it, Rimi has never believed in the zoning formula and he has my sympathy in that regard. Every Nigerian should be free to contest election regardless of his ethnicity, religion or regional affiliation. That is the ideal that will never be realized unless and until Nigeria is restructured to eliminate unfairness and crude instruments of operation and deceit. Rimi is aware of the role the IGBO normally and usually play; the kingmaker privileged to dine with royalty but never becomes king. Is he seeking IGBO support as a launch pad? How naïve can anybody be to think that Rimi would expend resources and energy to become a vice-president to play second fiddle. That is not the Rimi that I know. It is equally clear that those IGBO who have been benefiting from the spoils of office in the current Obasanjo administration will campaign strongly for the President's second term in office. Those are the same people who tend to forget that they are Nigerians only because they are IGBO and more importantly alive to be in government today because of Biafra. It is instructive that the Aso Rock Town Crier, Ruben Abati in his Sunday September 3, 2000 musings gave an insight into the President's strategy. According to him, "Obasanjo remains a soldier at heart. His tactics are the tactics of the battlefield: attack, deceive, ambush and destroy the enemy". Unfortunately, in this instance only Obasanjo knows the enemy, but could the IGBO be one? We shall soon find out as the battle lines shape up and become fully defined. And so will Rimi be seeking WIC endorsement when the time comes, definitely not as Obasanjo's spy. How the Ohaneze and WIC address these contending issues of our time will determine in part the fate of the IGBO in the days ahead and certainly the path towards the promise of Biafra. The choice must be ours and clearly so, to RE-STRUCTURE NIGERIA NOW AS A CONDITION FOR A MEANINGFUL MULTI-PARTY POLITICS. 
Uchenna Odogwo |
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