Bright
Ezeocha, president of Igbo Youths Movement, was among those who fought for
resource control in Niger Delta creeks, in an interview with journalist, he says endorsement for Jonathan now is
frivolous.
How do you see the endorsement of Jonathan
by some leaders of the South East like the governors?
The question we
should be asking ourselves is: who are these South East governors representing?
Are they representing the people?
They are the
governors of Igbo states.
No! No! They were
imposed on us! They do not represent the general opinion of Ndigbo. They are the same
people who have refused to conduct local government elections since 1999, and
have crippled political development in our land. Check out all of them since
1999; how many of them have successfully conducted local government elections
continuously without having interventions of caretaker committees.
But who
should speak for Ndigbo?
Ndigbo will speak for themselves when the time
comes. It is time for Ndigbo to take over that mantle of
leadership. Ndigbo will go for the Presidency. If we lost
that, no problem; but Ndigbowill
no longer support anybody, not even when they have the backing of these people
that call themselves South East or South South governors or Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Can you just
take a holistic view of these people that call themselves leaders of Ndigbo: in Imo State, we all
saw the role Owelle (Rochas Okorocha) played in the local
government system; in Anambra State, for many years, Peter Obi refused to hold
local government elections? For close to eight years now, has he conducted any
election? The same thing in Ebonyi and Abia states?
What is the
big deal about local government elections?
Gradually, they
are killing grassroots politics. That is why today we can no longer boast of
grassroots politicians. But it is from these councillors and chairmen that young
politicians, who have gained political experience, will emerge to take over
leadership positions tomorrow. But today, they have deliberately denied Ndigbo grassroots politicians, and have been
imposing criminals on Ndigbo.
Today, everybody is complaining about kidnapping. Why won’t there be
kidnapping?
Can you point out
any industry these people have established in the South East, either
collectively as governors of the same zone, or individually, in the last 12
years? The best they have done is build hotels – where they turn our young
girls to prostitutes; quick service restaurants– where they go to entice and
deceive young girls, and lure them to bed. Please point out for me one
development in the South East. And these are people who will come out boldly to
claim that they are the representatives of the South East and that they are
adopting Jonathan.
You have
been saying ‘we will do this, we will do that’. Who are the ‘we’?
My brother, the
Igbo Youth Congress I represent today will support any individual who is clean,
sound, and has the boldness to go for the position. I can tell you that this
opinion is generally held among other youths of the South East. We are tired of
following these people that call themselves Ohanaeze,
Ndigbo Lagos, South East
governors, and other such groups. In 2011, we know the part Ohanaeze played; we know how much that was
given to them and Ndigbo Lagos to sell their birthright. I know
how much that was given to an individual in the South West, who could not
deliver the zone to Jonathan. But we delivered South East to Jonathan; are we
that cheap, for Ohanaeze and Ndigbo Lagos to sale us for nothing?
These are the kind
of leaders we have; leaders that have no vision; that do not think about
tomorrow, or their youths, but are selfish. This is why I always say that the
problem we are having in Nigeria is not about ethnicity, not about religion,
but simple selfishness. These selfish people are among the Muslims, Christians,
and traditional worshippers. They are found everywhere, but they don’t have the
interest of the people at heart.
Then, who
are you supporting? You must have somebody in mind?
I have nobody in
mind now; we are still studying the situation. We are still studying Ndigbo that will come out tomorrow and say
they want to run for the President of this country.
Year 2015 is
almost here, and you ought to be making up your mind by now?
Yes, it is almost
here. But we have not seen the last of those who will want to come out. Let’s
wait and see. The right candidate will emerge and we will support him or her.
We are not going to support anybody based on sentiment. We are not going to
support anybody because one man collected money and then tells us to go and
vote for a candidate. We are not going to support anybody because a group that
calls itself South East/South South governors has said so.
I tell you
something for real; it is high time we began to define our relationship with
other geo-political zones.
How do you
mean?
Towards 2011,
South East/South South professionals came together to agitate for the interest
of their geo-political zone, and when it became clear that Jonathan was going to
emerge, South South dumped the South East professionals.
I was among those
who fought for the South South resource control, that some people called me in
Enugu and asked me whether I was from the South South. I know the part I played
to save the life of Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari. Today, does Dokubo-Asari talk to me
anymore? These are people that will use you and dump you. But for how long are
we going to be used and dumped?
But some
people are saying that we have no reason not to support Jonathan.
But I am asking:
why must we support him? aAe we supporting him because he has Ebele or Azikiwe
in his name, or are we supporting him because he has Igbo interest at heart, or
because he is close to us. If we must support him, we must define why we are
supporting him.
He promised us an
international airport in 2011, a second Niger Bridge, a seaport and many other
things. How many has he done?
He
commissioned Akanu Ibiam International Airport recently.
But is it
functioning? Are planes flying in and out of the airport now? Year 2015 is
coming and the man will come and brandish a lot of promises and forget the ones
he has made in the past. For God’s sake, Ndigbo are commercial people; they are known
for trade and wide travelling. What is difficult for Jonathan in siting seaport
close to them in Onitsha or Oguta, to bring trade home to Ndigbo, if he so desires their
vote?
But he can
still do that before the next election.
Yes he still has
the chance till 2015. What will it take him to fulfil his past promises? Next
to nothing! Simply to build a seaport in Onitsha or Oguta, build a second Niger
Bridge and an international airport – a functional one and not just a
paper-tiger international airport. Enough of all the lip service we have been
seeing.
You were
complaining of other geo-political zones using Ndigbo and dumping them; but
some have apologised for the war?
Yes, today,
Dokubo-Asari has said if they had known that, they would have supported Ndigbo during the war. So now, he has
suddenly woken up and known that they would have supported Ndigbo, all because they want
another term for Jonathan. In the same way, Edwin Clark came out recently to
tell us that may be they should sit down and discuss abandoned property in Port
Harcourt, because he wants another term for Jonathan.
But some
people have said he never said it.
Didn’t some papers
report it? But some papers reported it. He said it because he wants the Igbo
support. And I can assure you that if we support Jonathan to have eight years,
after that eight years, the South South will no longer have anything to say
about zoning anymore, just as people of the South West are now not talking
about zoning anymore. They are now talking about Nigerian President that has
every quality of a President. They are now talking about reforms and
restructuring of Nigeria, because they have had their turn. Who is fooling who?
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