National Chairman of Igbo Forum, a pan-Igbo
socio-political organisation, High Chief Solomon Okonkwo, is worried over the
fallout of recent sit-at-home order by the Movement for the Survival of the
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). He is also not happy over the selfishness
of the current Igbo political leadership, especially at state levels. He
discusses this and other vital issues in an interview
As one of the top Igbo personalities advocating
the creation of one or more states for South East geo-political zone, how do
you see the recent Senate report to the effect that new states should not be
created for now?
My
opinion on the issue of state creation, especially as it concerns South East,
is that injustice to one is injustice to all. And injustice to all is confusion
to all. When there is confusion to all, peace and harmony will die to all.
Therefore, as long as other nations and tribes that make up Nigeria want this
injustice to Ndigbo to continue, Nigeria will continue to be without peace,
until all agree to allow injustice to reign, and then, Nigeria will be no more.
That is my take on the refusal to allow Ndigbo to be on equilibrium with the
others on state creation. Allow justice to reign by giving Ndigbo their one
state, or allow injustice to reign until everyone agrees to go their separate
ways.
What
is your view on the recent sit-at-home declared by MASSOB for Ndigbo?
To
my mind, it was a big mistake by my friend, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, to want to
force Ndigbo do that which they did not agree on. Uwazuruike should be very
careful, or else, he will make himself irrelevant in Igbo affairs. All along,
he has been pushing his luck. Igbo man does not want to be forced to do what is
not his will. His intention was good, but it was poorly handled and the end
result was confusion and almost a disgrace to his person. Please, my friend,
Chief Uwazuruike, be careful on how you push your luck on the Biafran
Independence thing. I want to remind you, my friend, about our original 25-step
mandate and how we intended to carry it out. That you are now jumbling the
whole 25-step agenda makes the whole Biafran issue like children’s moonlight
dance and not a collective Igbo agenda. Please, mind how to issue orders without
necessary consultations, so that other tribes or ethnic groups will not say
that Ndigbo is no longer united. I still remain your friend and colleague,
Chief Solomon Okonkwo.
Ohanaeze
Ndigbo is as good as dead. How do you think the body could be resuscitated to
be able to give Ndigbo a voice?
When
this over ambition on who leads Ohanaeze Ndigbo Central started, I warned
Ndigbo about the self-centred, selfish Igbo, who want to grab the organisation
for self aggrandisement. Now, they have almost killed Ohanaeze, the Igbo voice.
What is our gain, especially when Ojukwu, the Eze
Igbo Gburu Gburu, is dead? Every Igbo man who made N1 million wants to lead
Ohanaeze. You either accept his voice or Igbo will cease to be. In the Yoruba,
for instance, Bola Tinubu is not the most educated or the richest. But, when he
talks, most Yoruba listen. Now, it is going well for Yoruba. But, where do
Ndigbo find themselves? They are going to queue behind Yoruba as followers and
not as co-leaders or equals. This could not have happened in the time of Akanu
Ibiam or Michael Okpara, not even during the time of Ojukwu. This is happening
because we seem to have lost our bearing. What is wrong with us? Are we not
ashamed of ourselves? Can’t we forget our money and education and follow
someone who will lead us right and make us be ourselves once more? Please
Ndigbo, think.
Ndigbo
seem to have lost their bearing –Okonkwo
Igbo
Govs should emulate Zik, Okpara, Ibiam –Okonkwo
APGA
will continue to decline until its founding fathers return –Okonkwo
Ndigbo
will likely be short changed in APC –Okonkwo
Why
Okorocha cannot hold council election –Okonkwo
Why
Ndigbo must back Jonathan’s second term –Okonkwo
Igbo,
Yoruba relationship always full of distrust –Okonkwo
(2)
South East Governors do not seem to be active and vibrant again to be able to
project the Igbo view. Why is it so?
It
is so because everybody wants to be leader at the same time. Although they won
elections, they do not agree among themselves. They collect money for the whole
Igbo and spend it on themselves and their cronies and they think Ndigbo are not
watching. But because all Igbo are watching, until they correct themselves,
none of the current governors will ever be the leader the Igbo nation is
looking for. Azikiwe was not selfish and self-centred; Okpara was not selfish
and self-centred; Ibiam was not selfish and self-centred. Ojukwu, who used his
father’s wealth to fight for the Igbo nation, was not selfish and self-centred.
Even Chief Sam Mbakwe of yesterday was not selfish or self-centred. Now, tell
me, why was Igbo dear to these people? It is because of their belief in the
Igbo nation. We want to see any of the current Igbo governors who can be like
these great leaders so we can crown him the new Igbo leader. When Uwazuruike
and I started the journey to make Ojukwu •••Eze Igbo Gburu Gburu••• because of
what he did for Ndigbo, people thought we were jokers and never-do-wells. But,
did Ojukwu not die as the greatest hero and •••Eze Igbo Gburu Gburu••• of Igbo
nation? People can still do it again. But, let someone show us his ability to
be less self-centred.
With
INEC recognition of Victor Umeh as APGA Chairman, do you think the ongoing
reconciliation moves will be able to bring the party to where Ojukwu left it?
Fine.
As far as I am concerned, you cannot take what does not belong to you and want
to gain from it. Our people have an adage that “What you gather from the
corners of the pot, goes to the corners of the mouth and cannot stop your
hunger or make you wealthy”. That is how I see Umeh and his APGA. He did not
participate in the formation of APGA or PDC (Peoples Democratic Congess), which
paved way for APGA. He cannot now be able to sustain APGA to the original aims,
objectives and goals. Therefore, APGA has started to decline and it will continue
to go down until he allows the founding fathers of APGA to return and bring it
back to the original idea. I, Chief Solomon Okonkwo have serious doubt if APGA
will still retain any state during the next general elections. Right now, as
2014 Anambra governorship election draws nearer, people are now jostling for
Labour Party and PDP and not APGA. In Imo, APGA is as good as dead. What is in
vogue there now is APC and PDP. Nobody is talking of APGA in Imo. Umeh should
quickly reconcile with the founding fathers of APGA “before the child dies in
his hands”.
Do
you think APC is gaining ground in the South East?
To
me, it is all sound without substance. Until we know who is in APC and who is
not, then we can tell where it is heading for. But, my fear over APC is that
the relationship between Igbo and Yoruba is always dicey and full of distrust.
I have not seen what magic Governor Rochas Okorocha and Chief Annie Okonkwo and
few others championing the APC course in South East can do now to change the
perception of Igbo against Yoruba and Yoruba against Igbo politically. Now in
the North, there is a gang up by the Atikus, Buharis and others to the
disadvantage of Tinubu and other Yoruba leaders. Even the Rivers State
governor, Rotimi Amaechi, from South South, is among the scramble for APC
presidential ticket, even when the party is yet to be registered. At the end of
the day, the Igbo man will be short changed.
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