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Whoever Is Pro-Oha-Na-Eze’s 2006 Declaration Speaks For Ndiigbo: It Is That Simple By Chudi Ikwueze, Ph.D.
My letter titled “ It Is Against Ndigbo’s Strategic Interests For Dr. Eddy Oparaoji To Liken Umaru Yaradua With Islamist” was published recently on Gamji.com, and Kwenu.com as well. Expectedly, I received numerous responses in support of my position on the issue from Ndiigbo as well as Nigerians of other nationalities. There were however two responses from Igbo persons who agreed with my position on one hand, but on the hand, questioned whether or not an Igbo person has mandate to apologize on behalf of Ndigbo for a wrong done by another Igbo person. According to them, by implication, the issue should have been left between Dr. Oparaoji and Umaru Yaradua to sort out for themselves. I have since replied them, explaining why I chose to handle the matter the way I did.
A couple of days ago, Dr. Eddy Oparaoji posted a rejoinder on Kwenu.com through a proxy, one Mr. Adindu Nwokolo, under a group named “Umuigbo National Youth Organization”. As always with Dr. Oparaoji’s and cohort’s ways, the rejoinder was full of aspersion against me and others. Among many, the rejoinder informed Nigerians that I was a jihadist’s apologist whose only aim is to serve my jihadist masters, and that my letter was predicated on the reason that my jihadist masters are being attacked. As if that was not enough, in another part, the rejoinder went on as far as warning/threatening me, as follows: “DO NOT, and we repeat DO NOT, ever draw Ndiigbo into fulfilling your obligations to your jihadist masters-----”. Obviously, these guys need prayers and I will pray for them.
Truth be told, what actually caught my interest immediately I read the rejoinder was not the threatening part, but more interestingly, the fact that Dr. Oparaoji and cohorts actually assumed that they have an impetus to speak on behalf of Ndiigbo. Just like in the instances of the two responses from Igbo persons, mentioned above, which had questioned whether or not I have a mandate to apologize to Umaru Yaradua on behalf of Ndiigbo for Dr. Oparaoji’s irresponsible statement; so also, after reading the rejoinder, I began to wonder what on earth would make the rejoinder to assume it has a mandate to speak/threaten or ostracize somebody on behalf of Ndiigbo.
It was then that a picture of a larger concern began to emerge in my mind, a legitimate question at hand, one that I recognized in two previous responses, earlier. For the sake of emphasis, my letter as well as the rejoinder have raised this legitimate question, that of whether or not an Igbo person or group could speak or apologize on behalf of Ndiigbo or ostracize somebody on behalf of Ndiigbo? And if the answer is yes, what is the condition that have to be met for that to be possible? So, instead of joining issues with the emotional outbursts contained in the rejoinder, I have chosen to reflect upon these questions, to the best of my ability, hopefully, at the end of it all, the approach employed would have informed.
Emphatically, the answer to the first question is a YES: an Igbo person or group could speak/apologize on behalf of Ndiigbo for the wrong done by another Igbo person. When it comes to the second question, which is asking what the CONDITION OUGHT TO BE MET for such a mandate to be deemed legitimate, from Ndiigbo’s perspective. The answer to that is that the person who chose to speak or apologize on behalf of Ndiigbo must have spoken a position that is in conformity with OHANAEZE 2006 DECLARATION ob the issue in question.
So, based on the positions taken regarding the questions, we can roundly speaking state that an Igbo person or group could speak or apologize on behalf of Ndiigbo, provided that the position held is in conformity with Ohanaeze’s 2006 Declaration on whatever issue is in question.
Following this understanding, in line with the answer to the first question, I have the mandate to apologize to Umaru Yaradua (if I chose) for Dr. Eddy Oparaoji, on behalf of Ndiigbo, for characterizing the man as Islamist. On the second question of whether the condition was met to speak on behalf of Ndiigbo, we shall explore Ohanaeze’s 2006 Declaration on Igbo Politics?
Below is the concluding part of “Vision for Ohanaeze and Igbo” as enunciated in the “ Ohanaeze Road Map” authored by the Ohanaeze Transition and Caretaker Committee on April 29, 2006; which was published by Acho Orabuchi on Kwenu.com between May 12-18, 2006. The excerpts on Igbo politics read as follows:
(1) “ Igbo politics must change. It has become well known nationwide for factionalization and extra-zonal sponsorship. Everybody, no matter how eminent is in the game for private gain. Even the electorate expects to be paid for its votes”,
(2) “It is time for our elders and civil society leaders to realize that while they rest on the sidelines afraid of taking the risks involved in leadership, some irresponsible ruffians jumped in to fill the gap”,
(3) “Recent events have, however, shown that it is only when politics is based upon community programmes and values, when the electorate gives its mandate freely to trusted leaders to carry out agreed development programmes that democratic processes become transparent and governance itself becomes responsible”,
(4) “We need to once again to take communal control of our politics, to power our cultural institutions, to re-invent Ohanaeze as a council of trusted elders. From now on, we must trust in our own internal strength to keep our politics and politicians in line”,
(5) “The true leaders of the people have a duty to make sure that those whom we choose to contest for political offices are men and women of tested character, persons who are worthy of our trust because they had been leaders in lower ranks of civil society and were not corrupted by the power they exercised. Probity in the new politics will depend upon the right things being done by both the electorate and by the elected. The two things go hand in hand”,
(6) “Moreover, must lean to stand together in politics. We have served Nigeria for 45 years as supporters, deputies, cheer leaders and the henchmen of presidents chosen by other zones. In the 1st and 2nd Republics, we seconded the North in its exercise of exclusive power. During the military era, we were lieutenants of supreme commanders from other zones. Since 1999, we have been bag carriers for a president from South West in a party which we did so much to create. We cannot go like this indefinitely.
(7) “The restructuring of the politics will create firm ground upon which improvements in the community, in educational standards, public security, health services, public sanitation etc. will be based.
The above list deserves careful study, I must emphasis, in order to fully comprehend where Ohanaeze’ Declaration is coming from and seem to be headed. For instance, if items 1,2 and 4 were to be summed up, it suffices to state that Ohanaeze identified that irresponsible, ruffians have taken over Igbo politics and that the situation must change. Virtually all of today’s politicians are self serving, thus, in total disregard of greater Ndiigbo’s interests. And also that Igbo elders shy away from politics because of the risks associated with it, an approach that have left ruffians to take over the destiny of the people.
Without doubts, Ohanaeze’s 2006 Declaration on Igbo politics, explicitly or implicitly, does not support an Igbo whose politics would be to go public to liken any Northerner with Islamist, when such a claim is unsubstantiated. And if the person who made this potentially, inflammatory comment is Dr. Eddy Oparaoji, and the person being characterized as Islamist is Umaru Yaradua (unsubstantiated); then, someone must stand up against such irresponsible behavior. The point is strictly not only about the person of Umaru Yaradua, a potential president of Nigeria, but as well, it is about any other person who may be falsely characterized in any way.
I was therefore right to repudiate this statement in the way and manner that I did it. Surprisingly, I had thought and wished my public apology letter was going to settle this matter, until I read the recent rejoinder by Dr. Oparaoji and cohorts published on Kwenu.com. It should be stated that the rejoinder’s position of characterizing notable “disliked” leaders as Islamists or threatening to ostracize somebody deeply runs contrary to Ohanaeze’s 2006 Declaration on Igbo politics. That brand of politics must be repudiated by well meaning Nigerians, as nobody or group was given such a mandate, explicitly or implicitly, to begin to make such claims, when it is unsubstantiated. To put in the spirit of item 4 of the 2006 Declaration., such persons or groups must be put in line, in place.
For me, in perspective, the rejoinder was a further demonstration of why well meaning Ndiigbo must no longer tolerate Igbo politics to continue to be an all-comers affair, left in the hands of self serving individuals who have continuously abused the trust repose in them by unsuspecting Ndiigbo. These people act and say things that on the surface appeals to Ndiigbo sentiments, but when such actions are subjected to further check, the reason behind such action always, ultimately, turns out to be for their personal interest. So, meaningful Ndiigbo got to begin to check some of these individuals, at least, by repudiating their action when it contradicts the greater Ndiigbo interests.
Having said that, unless he changes his politics, such a brand of politics as espoused by Dr. Eddy Oparaoji and cohorts, at best, could only constrain, rather than improve upon our lots as the originators, great builders and the single largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria. Ndigbo thus have no business playing that brand of politics. We just do not belong to that brand of politics. Relatively speaking, I strongly believe that Ndiigbo would be better off within the framework of Ohanaeze’s 2006 Declaration on Igbo politics. Until such a time when a change in tactics or modifications in the Declaration becomes inevitable, we shall adhere to what is available.
Lastly, for those Ndiigbo, as that is really possible, who may have genuine, legitimate political strategy which they think Ohanaeze should adopt, I suggest that they communicate such to them, in an organized manner, convincingly. Otherwise, any Igbo persons or groups that decided to go public, on their own, must always have at the back of their mind that there is this risk of being put in line (in the spirit and sense, meant in item 4 above) by well meaning Ndigbo, especially when such an action runs parallel to where Ohanaeze’s 2006 Declaration stands on an issue.
Chudi Ikwueze, PhD
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