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From Stanley Uzoaru,
Eze Emmanuel Okeke is the chairman, Imo State Traditional Institutions, as well as the chairman on community policing.
He is also the traditional ruler of Amaifeke ancient kingdom, Orlu LGA.
In this interview with Sunday Sun in Owerri, he barred his mind on the secret of winning the war against insecurity in the state, why Governor Hope Uzodimma should complete a second term, as well as the recent calls by northern elders not to release Nnamdi Kanu from detention. Excerpts:
What do you think should be done to totally curb insecurity in Imo. We know the governor has tried in ameliorating the situation?
Yes, we thank God for our governor, he is God-sent, what he has done, no other governor has done it before, what remains is for the political opponents to realise that whatever they are doing now to heighten insecurity in the state, is more of suffering the people of the state and not the government . Of course, it’s clearly known that’s what is happening in Imo is politically motivated otherwise tell me why this thing is happening in only in the Governor’s Federal Constituency; Oru, Orlu and Orsu council areas.This thing is not happening at Ideato, even at Mbaise there is no tension there, even Ohaji/Egbema, there is no crisis which has proven that the whole thing is all about politics . The governor has ensured that everywhere is calm, we thank him, but we are begging these politicians instigating this crisis to stop forthwith, they should sheathe their sword . In some of these troubled areas some people have been claiming that the governor is not doing anything, they have forgotten how he did his very best and almost single-handedly calmed the insecurity challenges.One thing they should also know is that the governor is not the military commander, they control themselves, if there is any problem, they get their instructions from above and that’s from their headquarters.That is the tradition of the Military world over, so I’m appealing to our youths to stop creating violence, we can’t deny the fact that we’re all Igbo ,what the agitators are doing is their inalienable right , but they should not go about it by violence , those who are being killed here are fellow Igbo and not people from the moon, the same Igbo.So let’s reason and know what to do,they should not heap all the blame on the governor, he has no such power to instruct the Armed Forces, the governor can only control vigilante in his state,there is no state police or army ,I want people to understand this clearly, when military introduces any operation, it can only be stopped by powers from above, not order from the governor. So, these problems emanating from the politicians can only be solved when they look inwards and know that they are doing the residents of the state no good by causing crisis.They should realise that people being killed here are there relations, houses being burnt are their houses, what do they stand to gain. They killed some Ezes the other day , before the incident Ndieze Southeast had written as stakeholders to the government to curb insecurity in the country, so I don’t see why they should kill traditional rulers. We’re only royal fathers and custodian of culture. It is difficult now for a traditional ruler to control his subjects, why are they coming after us.
Recently, some Igbo elders went to President Muhammadu Buhari, begging him to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally, but soon after their visit, some northern elders came up with a statement that he should not be released, what’s your reaction to this?
We Ezes have tried after our meeting at Enugu, resolved that we write to the President to release Kanu . We should also realise that most of these agitations are caused by marginalisation, we from the Southeast have been deprived of so many things, especially major positions in government, if things are done with equity, I don’t think most of what is happening now would have happened, and we are also begging the president to please do what we requested from him and he has promised us that he is going to do it, anybody now coming to do the contrary should not be regarded as a Nigerian, such people want Nigeria to be gutted by crisis, all we are hoping for is peace and prosperity if it’s properly handled. If the level of marginalisation is 30, 40, it would have been better, but it’s far beyond that , so we are begging those at the helm of affairs to look at the causes of the crisis and settle them, whoever that is advising the president not to toe the line of peace does not love him and is not a Nigerian, a true Nigerian would be seeking for peace.
What have you and some of your colleagues done so far to make sure some of Igbo youths are released from their various custodies?
This is part of what we presented before the president after our meeting at Enugu, although we are not supposed to be in position to do that but situation demanded that we do it as elders of the land, royal fathers , otherwise it’s the work of the National Assembly lawmakers. We have made our pleas for the youths to be released and equally we have appealed to the youths to stay away from crisis, they should not spoil this peace talk we have with the president especially now that he has assured us that he will consider our pleas.
I know you have seen some great Igbo leaders, both living and dead, of all of them,who to your own opinion is the greatest?
We have individual differences, they all have their good and bad sides ,we know that, our great leader, Nnamdi Azikiwe played his own role in conformity with situations at that time, he was a father, he showed love, diplomacy and unity to what was on ground then, but when situation became rough because of military takeover, I can’t blame Ojukwu who tried to get his people secured , he demanded for his people’s rights and I can’t blame him, he used his father’s money to fight for the Igbo , without anybody helping him, it was unfortunate, later no victory, no vanquish was declared, without this we would have been like slaves now . They all tried, that’s all I can tell you, they played their different roles at their own times, so all of them are great Igbo leaders.
We learnt the governor has concluded to launch a new vigilante outfit in the state, can you tell us more?
What he wants to do is not new, if you go to Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and even in the North and other places they have vigilantes. It’s just a way of checkmating crime in the society, vigilantes are security apparatus of the grassroots, we are supposed to have it.
Recently, the state government did the unthinkable by returning huge property recovered from the past administration of Rochas Okorocha to the original owners, how would you describe this?
We’re just like fathers in the state, Imo State is a family that looks like a polygamous family, we have different types of individuals, so you will also have different characters . If there is a complaint by any of the family members about cheating, it is left for the father to look into their problems and aportion blame to whoever is wrong, they are all our subjects.
What we are saying is that the government recently recovered some property from that administration and gave them back to their original owners, how do you see this move?
Like I said before, in any family, there are bound to be different characters ,some might be thieves or kidnappers, if anyone goes wrong others will call him to order and collect whatever he took from others and keep it well so that the family would be in peace, that is what I feel, I’m a father.
How do you see the government recent move of asking the President Generals in their communities to take charge of activities in their domains?
I want to commend the governor for that because his idea is to allow dividends of democracy gets to the rural communities.
What’s your opinion about the recent Egbu Declaration where people from Owerri zone called for equity, insisting that the mantle of leadership of the state should return to Owerri zone?
Egbu Declaration is a new idea and not a law, it should have been kept pending when the person on the saddle finishes, then we might start looking into it. What is good for the goose is good for the gander, they should allow Hope Uzodimma to go for his second term, to me that’s equity . He has laid so many foundations, the best thing is to allow him consolidate on them in his second term, insisting on the declaration to start now is injustice and like I said before, it’s not a law, it’s just the thought of few people from a particular place.
