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From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
Elder statesman, Chief Chuks Muoma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has said that for peace to return fully in Nigeria, the President Bola Tinubu-administration must show commitment towards rendering selfless service socially, politically and economically, that will better the lot of all segments of the country.
The Chairman, Igbo Lawyers Association (ILA) who also spoke on the plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria wondered why the Igbo have become everybody’s enemy in the country.
He also slammed ex-Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo for attacking Ndigbo, saying he was desperately searching for relevance.
A new administration is in place in Nigeria today, what are your expectations on the policies it ought to introduce to reunite and reintegrate sections that have been fractionalized by tribal sentiments?
In Nigeria, especially in the South East region, insecurity remains a big problem. I hope the new administration will do better than its predecessors in office by being more committed to the betterment of the people and the country socially, politically, economically, and so on. There’s no magic in having a good government and a prosperous government in any country. What is required is just selfless leadership. During his campaign for the office of president, Tinubu said “Emi Lokan”, claiming it was his turn to rule. Now that he is in charge, let him do those things that led him to think it was his turn. I don’t, however, think he will do much. So, I can tell you that I will be surprised if he delivers and reunites the country as one people having equal rights and opportunities. As for how he has started, it will be wrong to reach a decision on what actually he plans to uplift the country from its present condition. I think he started a kind of hasty approach to issues without any positive alternative to provide succour for the people. The removal of fuel subsidy, and hasty sponsorship for loan and commissioning of the Dangote refinery at the twilight of the Buhari administration’s exit, at the expense of rehabilitation of our own refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, leaves more questions than answers to the new president. People have been saying that Tinubu built Lagos when he was governor. Lagos had existed as the federal capital of Nigeria, and was built by the Federal Government, before relocating to Abuja.
Talking also on security, the way the security chiefs were sacked, to me is questionable. On assuming office, one would have expected the president to give the Service chiefs marching orders on new dimensions for fighting insecurity in parts of the country, with peculiarities on ground as done in other countries. To me, he wanted to disprove those saying he will not perform. During the electioneering periods, armed banditry reduced to the barest minimum. After his inauguration, and even with the retirement of the Service chiefs and appointing new ones, the situation is again in the increase. His promises to fight insecurity during the campaign for office has not started to be implemented. So, there are fundamental issues to be handled, not sacking and appointing new heads for the organizations.
The Igbo of the South East have been agitating for fair treatment, are you satisfied with the appointment of an Igbo, Rear Admiral Ogalla, as Chief of Naval Staff, and the journey so far?
In my thinking, nobody does anything in Nigeria to favour Igbo, who they see as common enemies of Nigerian leaders, since the period leading to the civil war. There’s nothing to do about it. In Igboland, we’ve lost political leadership. Our so-called present leaders, are corrupt, and self serving. During the days of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr M.I Okpara, and Chief Sam Mbakwe, we had purposeful leadership. Now, Igbo leaders seek to become multi billionaires, trillionaires, at the expense of the political emancipation of their people in particular, and Nigeria, in general.
On issues of security, its management, and involvement in its activities, we already have Igbo in the Navy. However, he is to me, a lone voice in the wilderness. He may not be powerful as Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, then Chief of General Staff, in the Gen Ibrahim Babangida’s regime in1985. Admiral Alison Madueke, who also became the Naval Chief, later, was not effective. He left office and left the scene with no one hearing about him thereafter. Navy headship, has always become a common post for the Igbo, though we have no oceanic coastlines in present day Nigeria.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, among other ethnic and regional groups outside Igboland have repeated calls on the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from DSS custody, as a way of ensuring total peace, what is your position on this?
Ohanaeze’s request for Nnamdi Kanu’s release is an effort in the right direction. I, as the leader of Igbo Lawyers Association (ILA), and my organization, have always called on the authorities to set him free. The Court of Appeal, also absolved him of any wrongdoing and directed that he be released. We hope that President Tinubu, will heed the calls, so that enduring peace will be restored in Igboland. Having said that, one would ask, who the current leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo are? Its current leadership is made up of persons who see politics as a source of livelihood and sustenance. They may not do much for Ndigbo generally, as their aim is to play politics with our ethnic interests, not to emancipate the people from their woes. To me, every person with good intent on having a United, progressive Nigerian nation, knows that Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention is retrogressive towards peace and security of the country, especially in the Southeast region. Kanu, is not the first person to agitate for the right of his people. Sunday Igboho, wanted a Yoruba nation. He was not arrested and thrown into perpetual detention by the Nigerian government. Even, an Appeal Court judgement, ruled that he was not guilty of terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government, and ordered his release. Yet, the Department of State Service (DSS), and its masters refused to obey the law. Tinubu should release him, to bring peace to the Southeast, to show us that we belong to the land called Nigeria. Igbo leaders, should come out openly to make his release, a priority, to foster peace and check issues of banditry, insecurity and killings of innocent citizens. After all, since his advent, Kanu, has never insulted any Southwest leader. Former President Muhammadu Buhari, arrested him for allegedly saying that the original Buhari had died, that the man occupying the office as president was cloned. Since it was not Tinubu that he allegedly spoke of, if ever he did, he should follow the Appeal Court decision and get him (Kanu) released, to foster peace and stem insecurity in the country. If he does that, we will then know that he is serious about national integration and peaceful coexistence.
Let’s look at the new line up in the governance in the Southeast. New administrations are now in place in Abuja, Ebonyi and Enugu states, what advice can you give them on the development of infrastructure to attract outside investors, as well as bring indigenes with establishments into having local branches at home?
The problem of our region lagging behind in infrastructural development, a situation that has led to those with funds not setting up their businesses or building industries at home, stems from the unfriendly posture of leaders in government. Our present-day leaders, distances themselves from the people they claim to represent. The fear of returning to poverty, after serving in public office led those that find themselves in such offices to leave issues of utilizing money allocated for infrastructural development into personal use. Since the end of the civil war in 1970, Southeast leaders, except only a few, have taken it upon themselves, to build enabling environment to encourage investors. Some of them and their aides, even go out of the way, to demand bribe from those interested in investing in their land. They deny their own people the policy incentives given to would-be investors and go ahead to collect all sorts of taxes, levies and licences, most of which are illegal, and do not reach the government. Like I said earlier, while the Federal Government may have decided to strangulate the Southeast by not rehabilitating moribund infrastructure or building new ones, the states ought to come together to set targets for industrial establishments that will boost the regional economy. Presently, the governors only think of their pockets, their families and relations’ wellbeing, and not that of the people. They should turn a new leaf, all of them including those in Imo and Anambra. They should come together to chart a common course, make plans to re-industrialize the region, fight insecurity and create conducive environment for people to live freely, peacefully without being molested, harassed or coerced into doing abnormal things bereft of good habitation.
What’s your reaction to the viral video of ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo’s attack on the Igbo?
Asari Dokubo, is an ex-terrorist forgiven by the Federal Government. He has severally admitted that his ancestors were Igbo. I see him as seeking relevance. Dokubo is the son of a high court judge, Justice Goodhead, but his lifestyle led to his being sent away by the University of Calabar.
He should be ignored, though he has made serious pronouncements that are provocative statements likely to cause a breach of the peace. I believe he had been left from being arrested by the authorities due to ethnicity.
Nnamdi Kanu didn’t do anything yet he is being incarcerated. What we need, to my mind, is a peaceful Nigeria, devoid of ethnic rancour and hatred.
