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By Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor
In a grandest and profound recognition of the ongoing reunion of the hitherto scattered/dispersed Igbo race from the nooks and crannies of the globe especially within the borders of the fragmenting Nigeria, I make bold to say that what seemed untenable and looked like a very hard nut had finally cracked on its own accord buttressed with unfolding tangible evidence of tacit bonding and watertight fraternity. Blood is truly thicker than water! As never before, we are about witnessing some incredible developments amongst the Igbo ahead, affirming the fact that there is more than meet the eyes in the whole inspirational episode of the prevailing trend. As the saying goes: there’s no smoke without fire hence it has become necessary at this juncture to highlight the underlying crux of the whole matter. And no one would ever remain in the dark as per what’s actually unveiling before us or be taken unawares at any time for any reason.
Reinventing the Igbo race
It was in the month of November 2016 that the vision that turned into a burden led us to trace a serene compound housing the Palace of Aka ji ofo Igbo, Eze Chukwuemeka Eri of Enugwu Aguleri in Anambra state. In the said compound are some ancient landmarks including an ancestral monument known as Obu Gad. A brief meeting with the Eze himself opened the door to fulfilling the ordained purpose for the specific visit. I and my team consequently raised an alter of special prayer/intercession for the entire Igbo race that was eventually wrapped up as a foundation phase by November of 2017.
In the process of the 12-month-prayer travail, the platform: Igbo Reinvention Movement ( IRM ) was birthed with a singular assignment to ignite the move that would truly recover, reconcile and restore the hurting and dispersed Igbo race hence our watchword says: True Recovery, Reconciliation and Restoration. We commenced our activity with a symbolic announcement in all the major FM stations across Igbo land by the end of 2016 entering the New Year 2017. It was a way of blowing the trumpet in Zion according to the Prophet Joel, heralding our sundry Divine/Solemn calling, assignments and activities over Igbo land.
This is going to ten years since we entered the trenches and the results are speaking out in dimensions and diverse ways. Standing on the established protocol of the awesome grace and light of Heaven’s intervention, I want to heartily and graciously welcome all our kits and kins from around the globe who are simply doing what its time is due. We should please take note that this process is just gaining momentum invariably leading to the zenith sooner than later. All we must not fail to do is to remain focused and committed in this milestone and historic cause because God Almighty is in it. The era our detractors had their way in feasting on our ignorance and remotely engineered hostility cum confusion in our midst is forever over. We are right now back on track to walk into our rest as one united people and never to stumble or digress. Never again!
Among the many measures to be taken in the genuine efforts to facilitate the overdue reorientation and healing of ourselves after the awful humiliation of the Biafran war is the massive campaign to let go the accumulated pain and sorrow of abandonment by the whole world in the face of hunger and annihilation that characterised the awful conflict. We don’t want to be held down by the sentiments surrounding and associated with the war any longer. The flaming bitterness of the horrendous past should no more be allowed to affect and overshadow or override our now and the future. The persuasive sensitization of our people to bury the hatchet is going to become a deliberate approach to creating a new atmosphere of solace, comfort and elusive lasting peace.
Turning our challenge to a stepping stone
It’s however not an overstatement to say that the federal government’s acclaimed “no victor no vanquished” end of the war declaration was a mere hoax. Meanwhile, there is up till date no visible/concerted efforts by the government or any foreign intervention to help rebuild the Eastern region’s ruin of war including part of today’s Delta state ( Anioma ). It was in the case of this war that no parley for reconstruction fund raising ever took place till date as is the norm all over the world. The entire world looked the other way! The effect of the resultant infrastructural deficiency and decay is very visible throughout Igbo land resulting in general stagnation and economic backwardness. All the factors responsible for stimulating virile economic growth and development are criminally denied the zone.
In a normal day an average Hebrew/Igbo is by all standards a master adventurer! Travelling/movements in search of greener pasture is our lifestyle from the earliest time till date. It was therefore not a coincidence that after the devastating civil war, the floodgates of emigration opened across Igbo land. In a desperate survival mode, the Igbo thronged to the nooks and crannies of the globe. And many who were not privileged to cross the borders were not discouraged to spread within the same country that was to decimate us. In the especially upnorth that once turned into our unimaginable habitation of nightmare, we can boast as of today a significant population of about fifteen million residents – a rare real life situation!
We did well to ourselves by smartly taking the bull by the horns and thereby going out of our way to take advantage of the critical save-our-soul situation and desperately launched a record survival exploit. The aggravated exodus of mainly the productive population had enormously depleted the vital human capital for objective recovery and reasonable development across the Eastern region. This dicey and overwhelming challenge has however created a beautiful circumstance where our most virile population, choicest talents and best brains have been exposed to the best places and opportunities to acquire specialised knowledge and skills around the globe that would eventually impact Igbo land and help to lift the region out of circumstantial underdevelopment. Economic empowerment is factually the known main key to reinventing an average Igbo person who would always want to stand up to surmount poverty and thrive/flourish.
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Self-help brilliant initiatives in critical sectors and across board will on a good day be the ultimate catalyst that would revolutionise the comatose economy of the entire Igbo land and beyond. As soon as the diverse prospects are conscientiously explored and given the right kicks they deserve, Igbo nation will finally heave a sigh of relief and breathe fresh air once again. The startups investment leverage is a major factor needed to tackle the prevailing societal ills including the volatile security situation.
In the other hand, we are leaving no stone unturned in the attempt to achieving a befitting legacy of all times. This move is holistic hence we cannot relegate the moral, social and spiritual contents to the background. We must achieve a balance otherwise we cannot afford what it takes to mount up with wings of success. The era of unprecedented decadence the world is grappling with today have so affected Igbo land resulting in the alarming erosion of core values and morality especially amongst the younger generations. Spirituality is the pivot on which every individual’s life revolves. One’s inclination has a direct bearing on conduct, belief system and the general perception of life and world view. It’s very appalling that many people have owing to certain factors become deluded in the matters of belief and mode of worship. The influences of materialism and inordinate ambition to achieve quick success desperately have derailed the youths to return back to their vomit. The trend is hinged on the false claim of reviving the so-called abandoned ancestral tradition/culture. The confusion has deteriorated to the extent that dirty and abominable lifestyles have become the order of the day. From queer life pursuit to unprintable crimes, Igbo land is quickly becoming a shadow of itself. The situation is arguably fueled by certain strange and ill-conceived philosophy adopted by especially the class of youths involved in an agitation that has since lost its credibility. We must not continue to pretend about the fact that a significant fraction of our future generations are lost in the wild!
In this onerous quest to reinventing Igbo race, we must as a matter of urgent necessity redefine our cultural practices and values and draw a clear line between our noble heritage and humiliating idolatry. We cannot afford a continuous self-destruct as a people – jumping from fry pan to fire! While other folks out there can juggle with dirty alters and strange idols, the Igbo obviously cannot. In as much as it is important to preserve and entrench our cherished/credible cultural values and heritage, we must not condone a cheap blackmail brewing among the uninformed youths and thereby risk further downturns. Nothing has the potential under the sun to supercede/substitute hardwork and perseverance in one becoming successful in life. There’s therefore no cheap success anywhere!
In our continuous intercession, we are yet praying and trusting God for a turnaround and the repositioning of the Igbo youths in a wholesome path to spiritual rebirth/reformation and proper redirection. This is a capital duty/assignment that must be done with all commitments and seriousness by all well-meaning parents, guardians and all compatriots.
The get-rich-quick mania approach to creating wealth amongst the younger generations is not only self-destructive but it spells doom to our noble culture, tradition of industry and resourcefulness as a people hence putting our future in jeopardy. This canker of a trend must therefore be brought to a halt at all cost to avoid breeding beasts/monsters that could as a matter of time ridicule our highly cherished legacy and civilization!
Harnessing the abundant human resource/capital
There’s now a beckoning opportunity for all that’s Igbo on the face of the earth to receive the momentous signal/call to a destined homeland duty. The back to homeland/think home philosophy underscores the pivotal role reposed on the Diaspora compatriots in the prevailing quest to re-jig the economy of Igbo land. It is the noblest sacrifice backed by sheer inspiration to better the lot of one’s fatherland that could motivate one to place patriotism over personal interests, convenience and luxury thereby taking the bull by the horn to make an indelible mark on the sand of times. In as much as there are obvious prospects, no one should underplay the fact that there are inherent peculiar/discouraging challenges.
Whatever that is going on in your mind now is very interesting! You might be wondering why you should stick out your neck to leave your secured exquisite comfort maybe in the US and return to a “God forsaken Igbo land”. The truth is that you are battling with your psyche engulfed in a subtle self-centredness. Does it really mean you cannot afford to sacrifice for your fatherland – you don’t want to put anything on the line?! Are you owing up to being truly overwhelmed and carried away by the euphoria of a luxurious solace and comfort put in place by dint of somebody’s hard work and sweat cum sacrifice in a strange land?? Can I solemnly remind you that you are only permitted to get all your getting and still get the understanding of the need for you to return home timely. You were only privileged to acquire whatever knowledge or skill for the good of your homeland. That your remote position/assignment destined particularly for you as an individual at home is awaiting you! If by any reason you remain wherever you sojourn all through your useful lifetime, you simply wasted in servitude as in slavery!! No amount of remuneration could justify your wholesale/full lifetime service in a foreign land even as a statutory citizen. You certainly don’t want to invest your whole life energy/human capital in a place/economy you are hardly needed/recognised in the first place than Igbo land that’s badly in need of you. Are you tempted to assume that some other persons can equally do the same thing you can afford to do? Take note that your place of call of destiny can never be properly covered by someone else. You are therefore morally obliged to spare part of your useful lifetime service to impact your land of nativity. It’s better to represent a drop of water in the desert than to represent a whole bowel poured into the ocean!
Answering the moral call of home duty or responsibility should be deliberate to fill the highly prized gap of change for the better. It’s quite beyond mere personal consideration, interest or gain. It’s more or less an attempt to give back to the foundation of one’s nativity and destiny otherwise one remains eternally indebted dead or alive! Meanwhile, be sure that nature abhors vacuum and does not forget or forgive! This topical counsel will become more realistic and reasonable at the late evening of one’s lifetime especially if one will be privileged to live long. But it’s always an avoidable tragedy at such a point in time when unfulfilled soul would regret and mourn on the way to the grave! All things being equal, the inflow of substantial economic and commercial activities driven by the responses from all over the globe would practically open up the highly potential economic/business landscape of Igbo land in leaps and bounds.
•Evang. Dr Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor is of the Igbo Re-invention Movement (IRM). He sent in this via [email protected].
