From Magnus Eze, Enugu
It was a day of honour for George Obiozor, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Saturday, April 9, 2022, as the cream of the Igbo race gathered to celebrate him. The venue, Banquet Hall, Government House, Owerri, Imo State, was just exquisite for the event.
An array of Igbo notables was on hand to identify with their leader, who just returned from a brief medical vacation abroad. They included First Republic Minister of Aviation, Pa Mbazuluike Amaechi, elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, former presidents of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim and Adolphus Wabara, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sen. Ike Nwachukwu, immediate past President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, his predecessor, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe.
Others were former Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim; Minister of State for Steel Development, Uche Ogah, former Health Minister, Prof. ABC Nwosu, ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubike Ihejirika (Rtd), Prof Maurice Iwu, Chief Chekwas Okorie and first female legislator in old Imo State, Mrs Victoria Akanwa.
Delegates were drawn from the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Governor Hope Uzodimma said the event was staged to honour one of Igbo’s best, Obiozor, since he was elected to lead Ndigbo on January 10, 2021.
He stated that the occasion provided opportunity for the Igbo to talk about their position in Nigeria, do a quick review and commence the process of self-rediscovery. He paid glowing tributes to Obiozor, but noted that recent happenings in the South East had tried to diminish his towering achievements.
He appealed to Ndigbo to join hands with state governments, Ohanaeze and other well-meaning groups to end the current security challenge in the region. He noted that politicians and criminals have hijacked the agitations of some youths in the zone: “My position had been that we Igbo need a united Nigeria to vent our God-given talents. This is because Nigeria provides us with the space and opportunities we need to actualise our political and socioeconomic destiny.
“This is why I think the time has come for every patriot to rise and address the Igbo question. What cannot be taken away is that for too long Igbo have cried out profusely over their plight. This plight is comparable to the plight of the South West over the annulment of the June 12 elections.
“Following that annulment, the South West felt short-changed. They cried out for justice. While some groups did so responsibly, others resorted to violence. The instructive thing here is that at a point, the patriotic zeal in the political class in Nigeria was touched and they rose in unison to acknowledge that the Yoruba had cried enough and that it was time to wipe their tears.
“It is now obvious from every indication that Ndigbo have also cried enough about their marginalisation. It should also be clear to the political class that the time has come to wipe these historical tears of Ndigbo. What is more, most of the patriots who engineered the plan that made the South West produce the presidential candidates for the two major political parties in 1999 are still alive and active in politics.
“That same undying love for the country that inspired them to do what they did for the South West in 1999, should inspire them to do the same for the South East in 2023.”
Akanwa set the tone for the evening: “We have been supporting northerners, now is time for us to be president.”
Nwachukwu urged Ndigbo to rally round Obiozor for him to succeed: “We cannot leave Obiozor. We gave him duty to lead us and we can’t abandon him. It’s important we all support Obiozor.”
Iwuanyanwu commended Obiozor and his team for deploying their deep knowledge of international diplomacy in pushing the Igbo cause. Noting that Ndigbo had paid enough price in Nigeria, he said the outcome of the 2023 elections as it relates to the Igbo, will determine the future of Nigeria.
Nwodo said: “We should not abandon him, he has experience, diplomacy, let’s reflect as Igbo, it’s important to me. Igbo are at a crossroads we are being used. When it comes to our time, it changes, don’t expect us to vote for you if you say it’s open. For Obiozor, gather our governors, let them be united. If the world sees that we are together, they will hear our voice.”
He urged the Ohanaeze PG to as a matter of urgency call meeting of the Ime Obi Ohanaeze to give him the mandate to pronounce the position of Ndigbo on next year’s presidency: “We have those who can fight this war; you’re at a moment in history, exercise your mandate.”
In the same manner, Igariwey extolled Obiozor’s qualities, noting that he had not allowed the recent burning of his country home at Awo-Omamma, to dampen his spirit. He said what Igbo needed at the moment was true leadership, which according to him, was in abundance in Obiozor.
Achebe, however, counselled: “What I’m begging is that if we are going to lead Nigeria, we are going to be prepared. We won’t kill ourselves stories of ‘unknown’ gunmen should not be heard again. Ohanaeze has to lead us, peace and reconciliation should be our watchword.”
Regardless, Amaechi vowed not to relent in his push for the freedom of leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, but kicked against destruction of properties in the South East by hoodlums: “I’m not happy that our properties are being burnt if Igbo will be united, Igbo will be great. The destruction will never impact positively on the economy of the zone.
“I begged Buhari last year, I was with Bishop Onuoha and others, that he should release Nnamdi Kanu, if you don’t release him, what is happening will continue, more groups are coming up and we must stop that in Igbo land, if they release him 70 per cent of these crises will stop.”
Responding, Obiozor told Buhari to exercise his prerogative of mercy and release Kanu: “We wish to appeal to the leaders of IPOB, our sons and daughters, not to unwittingly add to the burdens of our people. We equally urge them to completely lift the sit-at-home order to help restore normalcy in the South East. The brunt of sit-at-home order is borne by the millions of Ndigbo families, who depend on their daily income for survival.
“Sit-at-home is not a favour to Ndigbo but condemnation of these countless millions of daily income earners to untold hardship.”
Obiozor said the diversity of the country has been grossly mismanaged: “The 2023 presidential election provides an excellent opportunity to redress any sense of exclusion or marginalization felt by people of South East zone over the years: “It is for this reason that I call on all political parties in the country, to zone the Presidency to the South East.”