By Ochereome Nnanna The Vanguard Thursday, February 13, 2003
The recent conventions of the political parties in Abuja where most of them picked their presidential flag bearers produced a number of consequences for the Igbo nation. One, their number one aspirant, former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, lost the People’s Democratic Party PDP) nomination to the incumbent President, General Olusegun Obasanjo, through a well-organised process that Ekwueme described as "a charade". In the rival All Nigerian People’s Party, there were four Igbo aspirants to the presidency. They all lost the nomination, and the Igbo aspirants were accused of not coming together to present one aspirant to realise their Igbo president dream.
Before the season of conventions ended in Abuja, however, three presidential candidates had emerged in three newly-registered political parties. Right now, thee are no less than six Igbo presidential aspirants. One funny and (for many Igbo, sad) aspect of the PDP primaries was that the Igbo camp became the only one that, through the machinations of the PDP governors, allowed themselves to be bought over by the Obasanjo camp. When Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which had been championing the cause of Ndigbo producing the next president of Nigeria after the April polls reviewed the roles of the various internal and external forces at play, not only during the PDP convention but also throughout the 1999 - 2003 political season, it reached the conclusion that the Igbo would no longer support the political aspiration and leadership of General Obasanjo. The five cash-and-carry governors of the South-East were also roundly censured for their role in the apparent sabotage of the Igbo presidency project.
These were the news events that motivated two of my friends and colleagues, Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, Special Assistant to Transport Minister, and Prince Emeka Obasi, former Commissioner for Information and Culture under the Orji Uzor Kalu administration in Abia State, to embark on their recently published write-ups, responding to fallouts from the above-reported events. Ikechukwu, wrote to counter the Ohanaeze proclamations, taking the personal liberty of questioning the Igbo umbrella’s legitimacy and capacity to carry out effectively the decision to sanction the President and any Igbo identified to be working against Igbo interest. Having interacted and worked with Ikechukwu for years and knowing his real personal feelings about Obasanjo and the Igbo, which contrasted sharply with his position in his article: "Ohanaeze, this bird won’t fly" (which is more of his employer, Ojo Maduekwe’s identifiable drift) we are left with the conclusion that someone is grappling with a live snake thrust into his hands.
During the same week, another close friend, Prince Obasi, writing also on the fallout of the above narrated political events, also reminded me of a person who had just managed to throw away a snake in his hands, but still had to tread with extreme caution in his article: " My regrets, Ojo Maduekwe". In summary, Obasi’s write-up is generally a "book of lamentations". You could see the tears dripping down the writer’s cheeks throughout the rather inspired copy. Jeremiah, the Prophet, couldn’t have done better in bemoaning the calamity that was about to descend on the people of Israel the way Obasi wept over the disappointment he and other genuine Igbo suffered as a result of the perfidy Igbo politicians in the PDP. You see, Orji Uzor Kalu is the only governor in the 36 states who appointed three set of commissioners in his cabinet in three years. In fact, he went all of six months between the last time he dissolved his cabinet before he reconstituted the current group. If you asked him he was wont to tell tales of "corruption" and all that jazz, but we all know that Orji’s primary reason for choosing and sacking his cabinet is politics. Senate President, Chief Pius Anyim put it so aptly when he said that Orji knows when to make enemies and fight and when to go crawling on all fours. He does these - and any other thing he considers necessary - when his political need demands it. And so, there was a time he wanted Emeka Obasi "badly". So, even though Obasi initially had problems getting past the House of Assembly screening, Orji put in the necessary beef to get Obasi cleared to handle the Information and Culure portfolio. Obasi was the most attractive choice open to Orji to handle his image, publicity and propaganda at this time when Orji found himself at great odds with President Obasanjo. The governor made a hobby out of lobbing verbal broadsides at Baba Iyabo.
Orji was one of the few South-East governors-elect that openly supported Obasanjo at the 1999 Jos convention. But a few months after he became governor, and in spite of the fact that he was already eyeing a second term in office (which the president could make of mar) people wondered why Orji was confronting Obasanjo, despite pressures from his pro-Obasanjo "Mother Excellency" to drop the fight. It soon became clear that Orji was fighting Obasanjo because, having allegedly contributed some money towards the Obasanjo campaign he had expected to be allowed to nominate all the federal functionaries allocated to Abia State. Obasanjo disappointed him (as he did many others from around the country) and appointed Ojo Maduekwe, Onyema Ugochukwu, Vincent Ogbulafor and others into his government in spite of Kalu. At a point, Kalu saw some of these appointments as moves being made to supplant him and his second term ambition. He started complaining to those who would listen that Obasanjo was sabotaging him, and that he had refused to pay back the money he advanced for the president’s election.
Orji was also cognisant of the groundswell of anti- Obasanjo sentiment among Igbo people, especially with regard to the neglect of federal roads in the South-East. He now assumed the role of one who spoke for his people. It was in this mould that Obasi became a necessity. It was clear to all that the young publisher had used his weekly magazine, Hallmark, to mount a massive pro-Igbo, anti Obasanjo campaign. Orji saw that Obasi was a genuine believer in the cause of Igbo political renaissance, and that with his talents as a public relations practitioner, he would be an asset to him in his endeavour to use the campaign for Igbo re-awakening and ultimately, presidency in 2003 to clean up his old doubtful image.
When Emeka came on board, he did not disappoint. I remember the January 2001 Igbo summit in Enugu. The campaign for Igbo president was already on, and Orji Kalu was the only governor in the South-East who was clearly and unequivocally pushing it, much to the great discomfiture of Obasanjo and his supporters. On this day of the Igbo summit organised by the same Ohanaeze that Ikechukwu has now found convenient to abuse, Obasanjo had encouraged all his ministers and appointees to attend. In fact, a chartered Chrome Air aircraft was put at their disposal. Igbos of all shades of political opinions from home and abroad came en masse. It was immediately clear that the federal government group was not very popular with the crowd, especially the youth. To rub it in, Orji, acting out a script obviously written by his Commissioner for Information, Obasi, did not come until the entire grounds of the Hotel Presidential was jammed to capacity. Then when he arrived, hell was let loose. The youths, picking up the refrain from Orji’s advanced team, started singing: Orji Uzor k’anyi ga-eso!" (Orji is our leader). He was carried aloft into venue.
As soon as he took his seat, the microphone was handed over to him because some of his colleague governors had already spoken. That was when he made his famous "I am the new face of Igbo" speech, obviously crafted for him by Obasi. Orji is not very good with the English language. He handled the delivery of the speech very poorly. It was written to suit the savvy of a practised orator. An orator Orji ain’t. But still, because of the heroic euphoria of the moment which seized a people who have long been starved of a hero, nobody cared. Orji continued to gain ground and clout. He went about, from one community to the other, gathering chieftaincy titles on account of his new role as the "fearless voice of the Igbo". In fact, from time to time he would send his posters to Abuja, Kaduna and Lagos depicting him as a presidential aspirant, all to unsettle Obasanjo. Then came the warning bell.
In August, 2001, when his mother was celebrating her 58th birthday with Mrs. Stella Obasanjo in attendance, Orji suddenly turned coat. From Igbo presidency campaigner, he called for a second term for Obasanjo! The event took place in Aba on a cold rainy day. Emeka Obasi wished the ground would open and swallow him! Did His Excellency know what he was saying? What a political suicide! Even Orji himself saw that he had put a rope around his neck and kicked away the table when the elections were still some 20 months away! So, he quickly put himself back on the Igbo presidency path. He went denying that he ever somersaulted, blaming his "Abuja foes" and enemies Ndigbo progress for the "falsehood". But for the wise, the damage had been done. The emperor was still naked. It was still the same old Orji everyone knew so well.
And for appointees like Emeka Obasi, the game was up, though some of them knew it not. Orji’s political mood had changed. Emeka would obviously not be able to change overnight into a convincing Obasanjo campaigner. A new person had to be sourced to carry Orji through the re-election threshold. Incidentally, this new person is not only my friend he is also my brother, Dr. Eke Agbai. He is the new holder of the snake. He would hold it pending when Orji’s mood and survival game take a different turn.
Emeka Obasi should stop crying. And he should stop flagellating the Igbo. Every group has its faults as well as its virtues. It is just that the Igbo are a very visible people all over Nigeria. The civil war background, which destroyed everything they had, occupies more space in the life of the Igbo than many people are willing to admit. A zone produced five governors. Its sister zone produced six governors. They voted hundred per cent for the ruling party. They should be the powerhouse of this party. But because of the war and other unresolved questions, a zone that gave the ruling party no governor, nor local government chairman, wins the presidential ticket TWICE. Another zone North East, which has only three out of its six, combines with the zone that has ZERO to maintain a perpetual hold on the ruling party. Something is the matter. Find out what it is and solve it.
Crying cannot resolve it. Undue idealism won’t either. It cannot be solved by people with snakes in their hands. Who put those snakes there? Who will put a snake in your hand if he is your friend? Political appointment is not a snake in your hand. But political appointment given to you by an opponent so that you can be used to torpedo your family boat. That is the snake.
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:From an article originally posted by Ednut: Political appointment is not a snake in your hand. But political appointment given to you by an opponent so that you can be used to torpedo your family boat. That is the snake.
Ednut first and foremost, Congratulations!
Yes, for bringing such an article as this to light. Well done.
Emeka Obasi has lost nothing and needs not give up his good fight so easily. The author of the article has so ably put into perspective what many now believe Ndigbo must do more of, i.e credibility review. What are the credentials of those elected in Igboland beyond their having Awusa/Yoruba sponsors which in itself should ring alarm bells at the highest decibels?
Pedigree!!! this cannot be overlooked anymore.
Pedigree does'nt mean to come from a politically powerful, or wealthy or eminent, or godfathered background.
NO!!!
To me pedigree means: Who are you? From where have you just emerged? where all were you before that? what did you do? or what were you known for? who knew you? Who can honestly vouch for you? who are they? What do they potentially seek to gain by so doing? What is your manifesto? How have your past qualifications equipped you to implement such manifesto?
Rather than investigate pedigree we have made it altogether easy for rogues and nonentities to be foisted on our heads. As a result, stubbornly claiming to represent us are an array of shameless and unscrupulous men, errand boys for External enemies, male prostitutes wantonly abused and sodomized by their sugardaddies and then unleashed upon us as Nouveau-riche persons of eminence, among other sordid assortment of characters of whom we ought to be very wary.
What is so difficult for learned and educated people to design some kind of Index by which we can measure candidates? Such is what Ojukwu suggested by talking about a "Consensus Igbo Platform" an idea which would check not only a candidates possible flaws but one which would address the tendency for each ascending governor to govern their state as a personal feudal non-Igbo entity.
What is so difficult about installing and upholding some humiliation/disgrace mechanism into our polity as a consequence to betrayal that is formiddable enough to withstand the ensuing initial visitation of violence which would surely be attempted to cower any who may wish to speak out given our rough and tumble political terrain of assasinations and acid baths?
Today anyone with bags of money can emmerge to tell off decent men at will, no one asks questions because in their hunger under that accursed geographical expression, many will sell their souls to the highest bidder.
What methods can be designed to deal with this? For if we do not, then we cannot blame others for the type of power hungry charlattans who endlessly lust in desperation to (mis)Rule us, In obedience of their external masters and in total obliviousness to any potential consequences of their crimes.
quote:Is that a compliment or what Ednut? Scraching my head.
I be Iboman = IbIbomn = Ednut = Tunde
You dont need to prove anything to anybody, ie that you are an "Ibo" man, just because many ridicule your funny ways.
Damian unmasked your IbIbomn handle sometime ago when you slipped on one of your threads, so am only just deconstructing it here and not revealing any new secret.
Be that as it may, dont you believe that you IbIbomn/Ednut deserve some congratulations for your recent positions on APGA, Ojukwu, and all other issues dear to Igbo causes recently?
By any handle you choose to appear, I believe that as long as you keep up your new position, you do deserve wholehearted Congratulations.
So yes indeed my brother It is a compliment that I gave you, and I mean it!!
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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