Bobson Gbinije
Bogep Oils LTD
Warri.
Bobson.gbinije@yahoo.com
Dialectical logicians, political archeologists and theosophical purists are cantankerously at variance on many subjects, but in a form of Antinomy, they tend to agree that good things come to those who wait and that mammoth largess is the portion of those who labour and strive hard. These two perspectives about the approach to success are correct, but they draw their discipleship based on the principles of the collectivity or the individual. Where stands the Igbo nation in the light of the 2011 presidential election after many years of political servitude? Is it political pragmatism or "waiting on the lord" that will give them the presidency?
Demographic statistical data in Nigeria shows that the Igbo people constitute one of the largest ethic groups in Nigeria. They are economic, social and educational giants in their own right. Their spirit of mercantilism and commercial dexterity has made them universally ubiquitous. The Ibos in the Diaspora spread to parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. But at home in Nigeria the Igbo people are political midgets and administrative homunculus. The demoniacal political fire and vibrancy in them is stoked by economic demonolatry.
But for how long will this playing of political second fiddle continue? When will the Igbo nation and the lbo-man be able to take his political destiny in his/their own hands? When will the Igbo people wake up from their politically slumberous stupor? Do they feel the impact of erosion and topographical menace in their land? So they cannot see the hands of neglect and marginalization in their lives. They cannot decipher the glaring prevalence of political cronyism and administrative ethnic cleansing in their so-called fatherland, which implies that an Ibo man is not competent to be the Nigerian President. When will their chains of commercialism wear away?
The English playwright William Shakespeare posited that, " ….. the fault is not in our stars, but in us that we are underlyings” The fault is with the Igbo people themselves. Do they know that Alhaji Tafawa Balewa ruled Nigeria for 6 years, General Yakubu Gowon 9 years, General Murtala Mohammend 6 months, Alhaji Shehu Shagari 4 years, Abiola's Election Disallowed, Earnest Shonekan 3 months, General Sanni Abacha 5 years, General Abdusalam Abubakar 1 year and General/president Olusegun Kikelola Aremu Obasanjo in both military/civilian computation has ruled Nigeria for over 11 years. Where is the South-East or the Ibo man in this political algebra or are they counting the figureheads of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, General Aguiyi lronsi and or Alex Ekwueme as political leaders? What a shame!
Since the institutionalization of the Lugardian albatross of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914, the commencement of the Direct and Indirect Rule System in 1916 and the inception of the political engineering process through constitution making which manifested in the 1922 Sir Clifford's constitution, the 1945 Richard's constitution, the 1946 Milverton constitution, 1951 Alan burns constitution, the 1952 McPherson's constitution, 1954 Littleton's constitution, 1960 Independence constitution, 1963 republican constitution, the military-manipulated 1989 and the 1999 constitution, the 2010 amended constitution etc. the Igbo people have never been at the centre stage of the political process in Nigeria. The 1957 constitutional conference offered Nigerian Nationalist implicit opportunity to proffer a date for Nigeria's independence and not regional autonomy. But whilst other ethnic groups were calling for a fragmented Nigeria the Ibos stood firmly for a united strong and virile Nigeria.
In the Federal elections of 1959 which was meant to usher in the political independence of Nigeria, the Northern people's congress (NPC) won one hundred and forty-eight seats, the National Council of Nigeria and Cameron (NCNC) and the Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU) won eighty-nine seats, the Action Group (AG) and the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) won seventy-five seats. No party won majority vote. This led to grotesque coalition, political manipulations and weird alliances that culminated in Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, former Premier of Eastern Nigeria being sworn in as the first indigenous president of Nigeria under a Parliamentary system of government, which made him a non-Executive figurehead President.
The long sought after independence finally came, but it turned out to be a "Barmecide dish" as our leadership was steeple chasing in the tenebrous abyss of self destruct because of their nepotistic and narcissistic propensities. The Nigerian nation (1960-1966) was wallowing in the labyrinths and crypts of unthinkable corruption, indecent opulence, ludicrous antics, ethno-
bigotry, Political farrago and social gallimaufry. The international community, Nigeria and nay the military institution was disturbed by the dubious machinations, the fundamental errors of judgment and the culpable omission of our leadership and our politicians. One thing led to the
Other giving rise to the putsch of Jan 15th, 1966 (OPERATION DAMISSA). In the resultant coup de tat the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Prime Minister of Nigeria Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Akintola, Chief Okotie-Eboh (Omimi Ejoh) etc were assassinated.
Many political analysts saw the spate of killings to be skewed in favour of the East (Igbo) and called it an "Eastern coup". It will be recalled that politicians of Igbo extraction like Dr. Nmamdi Azikiwe, Akanu Ibiam, and Dr K.O. Mbadiwe etc were not killed or assassinated in the coup and an lbo, major General J.T.U. Aguiyi Ironsi took over as Head of State. These selective killings sent the wrong signals to the Northerners. This political scenario prepared the grounds for the July 2ih 1966 counter coup that led to the death of Major General J.T.U. Aguiyi Ironsi and many soldiers and civilians of Igbo extraction in the North. The genocidal decimation of Easterners led to the call for all Easterners to come back home, setting the plinth for the Nigeria/Biafra Civil war (1967-1970). The Igbo nation and people were killed like flies and reduced to smithereens in the war.
When the war ended, the Nigerian government under General Yakubu Gowon initiated the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation Programme (3R's). But till today the reconstruction, rehabilitation and complete integration of the Igbo people is yet to be fully implemented in Nigeria. Why did the Igbo people decided to fight a war? If they fought a war to break the tentacles of oppression why are they now politically docile, unassertive and acquiescent in the face of palpable neglect? Why are they selling their political birth right for a mess of porridge? Why are they not uniting to fight for the presidential seat they call their own, why are they not fighting to build trust amongst their own rank and file? For how long will they continue to stab themselves in the back? Why are they their own worst enemy?
But we assert in unequivocal terms that any nation will continue to fail and flounder until it ends a system that fails to respect and encourage the various constituent nations in it to aspire the to greater political heights.
The Igbo nation needs to re-invent itself, it needs holistic reorientation and strategic repositioning. The Igbo people need political pragmatism to enable them takes their authentic political position in 2011, which is the producing of the Executive president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Specifically, it is their turn to produce the next president in Nigeria. It is a great disservice to the Igbo course and it is tantamount to pusillanimous tergiversation, political skullduggery, cowardice and judgmental fallacy for Igbo leaders to call and support the then third term agenda of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Indeed, it is a hideous and horrendous pity for some Igbo Governors and Legislators to have supported the third term agenda. It simply means that the Igbos fought the civil war in vain. The Igbo stakeholders could not reach a consensus during the presentation of proposals to the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on constitutional review that sat in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Feb 22nd/23rd, 2006. The pan-Igbo socio-cultural and political organization the Ohaneze Ndigbo, their Governors, Legislators and all Igbo leaders are consummately indictable.
In the Ahiara Declaration (The principles of the Biafran Revolution) the General of the peoples Army, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu said, "our disagreement with the Nigerian Government arose in part from a conflict between two diametrically opposed conception of the end and purpose of the modern African state. It was, and still is, our firm conviction that a modern Negro African government worth the trust placed in it by the people, must build a progressive state that ensures the reign of social and economic justice and of the rule of law. But the Nigerians, under the leadership of the Hausa-Fulani, but now the Political Feudal aristocracy (Italics mine) preferred anarchy and injustice" what a shame that the Igbo people cannot take their political destiny in their own hands. Ojukwu further posited "Our revolution is a historic opportunity given to us to establish a just society; to revive the dignity of our people at home and dignity of the black-man in the world". But where lies the Ibo-man's political dignity?
The Igbo self-induced political quandary and dilemma could be likened to that of the comrades of Ulysses in the cave of the Cyclops in the Greek mythology, Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey. They loved their slavish conditions and servitude like the Ibos love their political servitude in Nigeria. The Igbo people will continue to stew in the oubliette of political slavery in Nigeria because they cannot take the bull by the horn and drive it out of their political china shop. What a shame! They should however note that if they fail to produce the next president in 2011, the South-south will naturally produce the next president after 2011 or 2015, pure and simple. It was the same Igbo people that stabbed their own Alex Ekueme on the back during the PDP CONVENTION THAT LED TO Obasanjo's victory. The people are politically wonderful. Their political idiosyncrasies defy classification and surgeonizotion.
In a letter to forestall the Maradonic political manipulations of the then Head of State, General Babangida, Obasanjo said, "I beg you in the name of Allah not to mistake the silence of our people for acquiescence or weakness and the sycophancy of the greedy and opportunistic people who parade the corridors of power as representative of the true feelings of our people. Nigeria needs peace and stability. It is too fragile to face another commotion. In God's name drag it not into one. This is the time for you to have some memorable exit. May God help you and help our country" In this very apt letter Obasanjo further admonished IBB thus, "But as one has come to know you a little bit more now that you are in power, you could toy with anything believing that Nigerians will shout only for a while and you either silence them with choking largess, intimidation, hack letters or that time will silence them. You have acted and voiced this tendency in the past. But Mr. President every word, work and act of yours goes into history. Nobody is immune from the verdict of history" Yes, Babangida, Obasanjo and the prevaricating Igbo leadership cannot be immune from the verdict of history.
This is an unsolicited, thankless and gratuitous advice to the Igbo people. I am reluctantly compelled to say this not because the Igbo people do not know what is politically wrong with them, but because they lack the political will and matadorial elan to effect a holistic strategic repositioning of themselves within the political ambit of Nigeria. I further dare suggest that the Igbo nation should call for on Igbo National Confab to address the issue of an Ibo President come 2011. We are aware of the existence of many Igbo corybantic political black legs, lily-livered conscience mortgaging stooges and nihilistic revisionist, but the Igbo people must move forward notwithstanding who ox is gored. We are not calling for a reenactment of the Biafran struggle or war, but we are identifying the basic truth that the Igbo people are making rubbish of the glorious revolution by not standing up for their right. It is clear that all the problems that led to the Nigeria/Biafra civil war still exist in Nigeria till today.
It was the Statesman; Barry Goldwater in accepting the presidential nomination, in July 16th, 1964 said "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue". This was corroborated by John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) he said, "those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" and further substantiated by Chairman Mao Tse Tung (1893-1976)" A revolution is not the same as inviting people to dinner, or writing an essay, or painting a picture. It is an insurrection and act of violence by which one class overthrows another". But the revolution must start with the Igbos themselves. They must do a complete radical implosive surgeonisation on themselves so that they can see the political light in the dark tunnel. They have to evolve a new strategy for self entrenchment into the polity based on political pragmatism. They will continue to be shackled in deprogressivism unless they do a 21st century Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of their political structures and their attitude problem. This is the devil's alternative for the Igbo people. All their vaunting in wealth and material abundance will come to naught if they have no political power to back it up.
Finally, as we march with uncertainty towards 2011 let the Igbo nation come to the realization that it is their place, destiny and time to present an Executive President for Nigeria. No other agenda is worthy of pursuit. They should get together and present only one Ibo candidate for the presidential election in 2011 and let every Ibo man stand by that candidate and I know and believe many other Nigerians will stand with the Igbo candidate. The English Playwright William Shakespeare posits that "there is tide in the affairs of man, which when taken at the floods leads on to fortune, omitted all the voyage in their lives is bound in tempestuous waves". A Chinese sage said. "It is the friends and relatives of the madman that are ashamed of him. He is never ashamed of himself'. But I am shamed of the Igbo man's political attitude. I pray they make me proud in the year 2007. Let them not allow the bait of the creation of more states in the South ¬East overwhelm their political position. In 2011 the political battle line is between the Northerners, Jonathan and the Igbos. The Igbos have a great chance.
GBO KWENUI KWEZIENU
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