From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu, has declared that the possibility of an Igboman to be the next President of Nigeria should be rested on the saying that power is taken, not given.
In an interview at his Nnewi home, Chief Moghalu insisted that the Igbo had to reach out to other geopolitical zones, if they must actualize the project.
He said for the fact that presidential aspirants from other ethnic nationalities were also warming up for the same position showed that no law said it must be the Igbo. He noted that was more reason Ndigbo should work hard to clinch the presidency.
He said if there were any law made that it must be an Igbo man, that there would also be a problem arising from which State, which local government or which town in Igboland.
‘A Nigerian President of Igbo extraction is a welcome development and also a possibility. We should have in mind that power belongs to God and He gives to whom it pleases Him at His own time,’ Moghalu stated.
‘We also understand that power is not given but power is taken. If we have this at the back of our minds, it’s left for us to work towards actualizing the ambition.
‘It now behoves on the Igbo to sit down and work out the modalities. There are only two platforms today, realistically speaking, that can be used to actualize the project. These platforms are the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
‘These are two political parties that have political structures across the country. That doesn’t mean that political parties can’t collapse to form a big one but I’m looking at the realistic consideration,’ he explained.
Chief Moghalu said the Igbo were left to make their choice from either of the two existing mega political parties to actualize their presidential ambition.
‘So, we need to really work hard, extend our handshake across the Niger, reach out and do the basic political lobbying.
‘There is need, in as much as it’s not constitutionally provided that we will be given power. But conventionally speaking, in the interest of equity, justice, fairness and unity, it will not be out of place to see an Igboman emerge the next President of Nigeria,’ he said.
On whether the agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) would not hurt or help in actualizing a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, Chief Moghalu said the danger in agitation was that it created a sense of mutual suspicion among all the contending forces.
‘If you’re looking for a President of Nigeria of Igbo extraction, what it implies is that the man from Sokoto, the man from Lagos, the man from Calabar and the man from Rivers all have a stake. They have votes towards contributing to actualizing the project.
‘Don’t you think we should as a people do everything to avoid creating fear in the minds of these people?
‘If you look at history, no political disagreement has ever been resolved at the battle front. It has always ended on a negotiating table. And the question I keep asking is why do we have to fight first before we negotiate to achieve a result? Why don’t we negotiate first and avoid the fight?
‘So, by nature we are peaceful people and I believe that all what we are struggling or fighting to get can as well be achieved by negotiation,’ he noted.
Chief Moghalu, who was an APC aspirant in the just concluded Anambra State governorship election, said there were various platforms that could be used for peace initiative.
He praised the move by some Igbo leaders led by Chief Mbazuruike Amechi. He described that as part of the process towards actualizing peace.
‘It’s a welcome development. And you see the way President Buhari received them. For me, that move they made gave me extra joy. We are brothers. You can’t separate that. Imo is Anambra, Anambra is Enugu, Enugu is Ebonyi and Ebony is Abia. We are all one.
‘We have the same mannerisms, the same culture, same tradition and we speak the same language,’ Chief Moghalu concluded.