Changing Our Political Discourse

By

Hamilton Odunze

hodunze@yahoo.com

Weighing the prospects of Igbo presidency was at the heart of this year’s World Igbo Congress held in Boston, Massachusetts. For three days at the Copley Hotel, one of New England’s most prestigious, Ndi Igbo gathered to answer the question – how can an Igbo man be the next resident of the Aso villa? Right off the bat, the question appeared multifaceted and convoluted. Suffice to say many of us left the convention with a reasonably greater dose of skepticism than when we came pertaining to the possibility of an Igbo presidency at the next election. The nitty-gritty of the convention included the good, the bad and the ugly. However, my goal in this article is not to bore you with such details. My goal is to egg on a discussion of the apparent lack of passion and enthusiasm needed for nation building. Before I go on, let me sooth potential critics’ anger by stating the following: my observation is not an indictment on the convention or of Ndi Igbo as a people. I am only speaking out against a growing political trend which negates the fundamentals of systemic growth; a trend which makes it patriotic to lay claim to elective positions based on ethnic quotas as opposed to capability. As the most pragmatic ethnic group in Nigeria, it behooves the Ndi Igbo to facilitate an upgrade of the country’s political discourse to a more astute platform, especially when it is to our advantage. No group has ever gained political capital by discussing issues which do not give them an edge over others.  All hope of redeeming Nigeria from its despondency resides in the hands of the Ndi Igbo. Therefore, it is dispiriting to sit through a convention where one aspirant after another pandered to our sense of ethnic loyalty as opposed to our sense of aptness. I found it very discouraging to look beyond the pandering to appreciate the sophistication of the audience.

The audience included many Nigerians who are not Igbos. Nigerians, regardless of ethnic background, are astute enough to decipher the bearing of a messiah. If Ndi Igbo want to assume a messianic role, our message should clearly articulate how to move the country forward. I would prefer that the underlying reason why we are clamoring to produce the next president of Nigeria is because we are better than the rest, evidenced by the fact they have failed us for more than 40 years, not because it is our turn to produce the next occupant of Aso villa.  My pitch is that Ndi Igbo have what it takes to move the country forward. Reiterating our abilities is undoubtedly our best way forward. I listened and waited patiently for us to pursue that line of discourse which would show a clear understanding of Nigeria’s problems and also lucidly, with dexterity, how to solve them. To my disappointment, none of the people who took the podium as presidential aspirants showed any understanding of the problems we face as a nation, let alone any clue of how to fix them. It may well be that they know our problems better than anybody else but why they did not consider it important to make it the issue of the day is beyond my understanding. It is a disgrace and a slap to all of us who came to hear them give an articulate diagnosis of the problems we face. 

Instead, what we heard was a horrid claim by a female supporter of OUK to ensure that an Igbo man is president, even if he is a rogue. Such statement is almost pornographic. Her excitement was so much that she almost had an orgasm. It’s a good thing we are not in the habit of bringing our kids to political gatherings. It would have been hard to explain such an unguided utterance. She erroneously believed that such statement is a validation of her commitment to our common goal.

Unfortunately, she is not alone. Many people believe that chastising an audience with those words is a validation of deep involvement and support for the course of Ndi Igbo. On the contrary, what it shows is the extent of mediocrity in Nigeria and most importantly amongst the Ndi Igbo.  There is no doubt that Nigeria’s political landscape has evolved at a time when politicians exploit ethnic proclivity to achieve their goals. I agree that it will be sheer callowness on the side of the Ndi Igbo if they refuse to engage in a prevailing and “winning” modus operandi to achieve their political goals. So what is my argument? My argument is that this pattern of political discourse has left a cancerous blotch on our politics. The first logical step in changing Nigeria is restructuring the nature of its political discourse. Our problems as a nation should be discussed in terms of ideas, philosophy and aptness – not in terms of ethnic classifications. In many vibrant political systems, discussing a country’s future in terms of ethnic quotas is at the least suppressed. However, reminiscent of everything else in Nigeria, our discussions follow a retrogressive trend. You can only be objective in any discourse about the future of Nigeria if you are audacious enough to risk being labeled a traitor, villain or controversial.

Indulge me for sounding controversial. I am an Igbo man all right, but I am also a Nigerian who expects that some day a dream Nigeria will emerge from the ruins of today. It will be counter-productive to advocate a presidency based on ethnic propinquity. I could care less which race, gender or religion moves Nigeria to its glorious days. Many Nigerians are of this opinion. It is a mistake for our politicians to perpetuate their abuse of Nigerians by discussing irrelevant matters when in truth we are among the worst-faring citizens in the world.

Hamilton Odunze lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

hodunze@yahoo.com