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Founder of Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu Uko, has highlighted what the Igbo should do if they want to produce Nigeria’s president.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the Secretary of the Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), gave reasons the agitation for Biafra has lasted for 27 years.
You’ve been silent for a long while now. Are you satisfied with the state of affairs in the country today?
I don’t talk all the time because I don’t play to the gallery, neither do I chase clout. I speak only the truth and you know that the truth is usually offensive. Nigeria has a thousand problems, but I believe they are all solvable if we tell ourselves the truth and honestly approach the problems with sincerity.
Our unitary structure is largely responsible for the horrific prebendalism and impunity, which inspire corruption and mismanagement.
It is a common knowledge that persistent oppression, dichotomy and repression, sectarianism, sectionalism, injustice and inequity etc, inspire agitations and discontent.
Religious and ethnic irredentism creates violent insurrection, as can be seen in the North East Region. One misguided North West governor suddenly introduced religious law 25 years ago and that set the country ablaze, costing thousands of lives. This also inspired Boko Haram, as ten-year old at that time grew up believing him that their religion’s laws should be imposed on the country, taking away peaceful coexistence and stability. The continuous stubborn opposition to restructuring the polity created fear of the future and loss of faith in the system amongst certain sections of the country as presently constituted, inspiring agitation for cessation.
These problems simply persist only because we obstinately refuse to accept the truth and sincerely address the root causes of these many man-made crises. The minute we agree to sincerely address these issues, our problems will disappear and the beauty, riches and greatness of this country will manifest.
Nigerians are hungry, angry and afraid due to insecurity. Nigeria has gone down in the corruption index. What do you say to these?
I largely agree with you. Addressing the root causes, instead of scratching the symptoms of the problems, is actually the way to go. I’ve been in the trenches fighting for justice and equity for decades now and I know that the cabal holding Nigeria down and resisting positive change, are in the minority, but they are powerful, influential and very strong. They need to repent so Nigeria can be saved. No angel will come from outside to save Nigeria. We must face reality and make sacrifices to jointly work for a new Nigeria anchored on true federalism and devolution of power. That’s the first thing we need to do and every other thing will fall in place.
Many people believe that Biafra agitators are the worst offenders, as they are always attacking other people including moderate Igbo. What is your take on this?
I condemn the online vitriolic and slurs and warfare regardless of who’s doing it. The agitators aren’t the only ones guilty. It’s really about the attempt to use the social media to destroy the reputation of the other candidate and his people, thereby presenting your preferred candidate as a saint, angel and messiah.
It’s wrong because most of the stuff there are false and unverified. It’s very wrong calling a president ‘drug lord’, ‘Bulaba’, ‘certificate forger’, ‘Chicago criminal,’ etc, It’s capable of offending his supporters and his people and make them eternal enemies. Also those who abuse Ndigbo online could actually be deliberately baiting Ndigbo to respond in order to blackmail Ndigbo and paint us as hateful and reprehensible. I plead God touches the heart of men and women, who will rise up to do something to stem this hate.
You should remember that unscrupulous politicians use and exploit the agitators you mentioned, and they manipulate their emotions to drive their own political aspirations, relevance and popularity. Help me to plead with them to repent.
The agitators are victims of the Nigerian situation. Some smart fellow activated the agitation in 1999, promising to give mostly naive and gullible young fellows a new country, where they will be treated with dignity, an El Dorado. They believed him and trusted him. It’s been 27 years now.
He mobilised ordinary people, mainly ignorant farmers, Keke riders, bus drivers, bus conductors, apprentice traders, artisans, students and the unemployed, mostly youngsters, who usually make up the bulk of the agitators; making them to believe that Nigeria will never treat them well, hyping their dream of another country where they’ll be treated well.
Forming critical mass, they terrified politicians who began to court them to use them to win elections. Two decades ago, they broke the gates of Owerri stadium, disrupted census head count, broke into Onitsha prison and freed inmates. Until a new leadership emerged using the airwaves to spread their gospel, becoming stronger.
It’s the duty of leaders of the country to practically convince them that their region will be treated well moving forward. Deliberate effort should be made to restore their faith in the country.
I was asked by the South East governors to bring Nnamdi to a meeting to state his grievances on 30th August of 2017. It was the only meeting between Nnamdi Kanu and the South East governors. I pleaded with an elderly constitutional lawyer to lead the meeting and he graciously agreed. Just before the meeting, Nnamdi agreed in my sitting room to the roadmap Dr. Alex Ekwueme advised. Which is to step down the agitation for cessation and stand on the demand for infrastructural development of the region and the restructuring of Nigeria along true federalism and power devolution.
That’s exactly what he presented at the meeting, but with a caveat to quit the agitation for 12 to 18 months to confirm if the authorities will begin the restructuring.
But the President at the time didn’t like the demands and probably preferred crushing the agitation. I was at the meeting and I wept over the military invasion that eventually inspired the violent streak that started five years ago. Before January 2021, the violent actions that changed everything haven’t been introduced. Violence was introduced in January 2021 with an attack on Owerri Prison. It’s very sad development and very wrong action. The four different centripetal and centrifugal forces pulling the region at the seams, each determined to have their way, must all repent and allow for resolution and closure. It’s been 27 years for crying out loud.
What are the four forces?
There are forces even from my region that don’t want the agitation resolved. They profit from it, though they pretend otherwise. In fact the agitators aren’t the beneficiaries of the agitation, but they don’t know it.
The four forces are: Firstly, the pool of compradors, agents, informants, quislings and collaborators, whose discreet activities with security agencies and government officials, keep the agitation alive even as they pretend that they are working towards resolution, whereas they survive from the melee. They are unofficial advisers to the authorities, they like calling themselves “Friends of Government”. They have been trusted confidants and allies of every government since the military era. Their interference prolonged the agitation for 27 years. They are adept at blaming and blackmailing everyone else but themselves. They operate discreetly.
Group two are deadly but desperate politicians who use the agitators to advance their agendas while pretending they are helping government to end the agitation. They sandwich their personal political ambition into the process. They fool the agitators by seducing them. They fool the government by pretending they want to resolve the agitation, whereas they don’t want the agitation resolved, because the agitation is the energy, the oxygen and power that drives their political aspirations.
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Some of them are senators, governors thanks to the agitation. If the agitation ends today, they will abruptly become irrelevant. They are the greatest beneficiaries of the agitation. They seize and hook the agitators through their Attorneys and siblings, and manipulate everything to suit their agendas, deceiving the security agencies.
Thirdly is the government itself. The authorities aren’t interested in addressing the root causes of the anger, bitterness and grievances that drive the loss of faith, which power the agitation. They fear that may validate the agitation. They also believe that their army of “Friends of Government” in the region will help them have their way, hence the prolongation of the agitation. They prefer crushing the agitation without ever addressing the root causes.
The fourth is the intransigence of the agitators themselves, who insist on Biafra or death, Biafra or nothing. I plead with these four forces to repent, and make concessions. It’s 27 years this year. Resolution and closure is very possible, but for the agenda of the beneficiaries.
Do you think the crisis will be resolved soon?
I believe it’s very resolvable. I pray it’s resolved soon. These people who are obstacles must repent. They blackmail everyone else and present themselves as very good people. They need to repent. Ndigbo have suffered from many mistakes in the past. We should look inwards and ask ourselves “for how long?”
We have been blackmailed for centuries. Painted black and demarketed. A little red book published over 200 years ago, blamed Igbo slaves for the uprising that preceded Haiti’s revolution and independence between 1790s and1815, despite the fact that ship manifests of the period show that the bulk of the slaves to Jamaica and Haiti came from Accra and Gambia, confirming majority of the human cargo to come from Mandigo and even inland Congo. Very few came from the Bonny and Calabar Creeks. Yet Ndigbo were deliberately painted as difficult, stubborn, uncontrollable, troublesome and rebellious people. That painted us in very bad light, giving us fewer friends since. That has adversely affected our image ever since. Again, our colonial masters invited traditional rulers from the North to the UK in the 1920s and 1930s, and made deals about the future with them. None was invited from our region.
Again, the errors of the late 1960s, the error of judgment of the young soldiers, the killing pattern of the first coup, Ironsi’s failure to try the January 1966 coupists, his failure to release Awolowo and the error of allowing Francis Nwokedi, Dr. Pius Okigbo and Col. Patrick Anwunah, all Igbo, to draft the Decree 34 of May 1966, really painted Ndigbo in a certain unhelpful light. Inspiring opposition to the decree 34, and the intransigence position at all the peace meetings sealed our fate. The defeat and the post- civil war culture of desperation to escape poverty, and the unholy compliance-for-survival, adopted by our people who began to place personal interest over group interest, all have not helped us. A new unhelpful and unhealthy culture emerged, defining Ndigbo in a not so respectful light.
We are now perceived as selfish, arrogant, disrespectful people who are desperate for political power in order to dominate others.
All these charges against us are manufactured out of envy and jealousy. Insulting other ethnic groups and their icons and leaders will only make us more enemies than friends. I’ve been consistent in presenting this unattractive truth for decades now. I worked very closely with all genuinely respected Igbo leaders and I am telling my people the bitter truth they may not like to hear.
The online hatred, activated during elections/power struggle, will hurt us in the future. We must bring the social media warfare to an early end, before it leads to something unpleasant.
Do you think Tinubu is popular enough to win next year’s election?
I desire to see two strong political parties that will make elections tough and tight. I want to see elections where ethnicity and religion will not influence vote pattern. I pray to be alive and see the day Nigerians will vote for the best candidate regardless of his region and faith. But we sadly aren’t there yet. Tinubu has become stronger as many governors have joined his party lately. But Atiku Abubakar is no push over. He is a very experienced politician with nationwide support. Those underestimating his reach may be making a mistake. I wish both of them luck. I won’t take sides.
Everybody knows I deliberately refuse to take sides in political contests. I wish him and his opponents well. I rather choose to remain apolitical. I advise him to address corruption, insecurity, witch-hunting opponents and charges of nepotism and insensitivity to the plight of the very poor. I plead electronic transfer of votes in real time. Tinubu should be fair in appointments. The latest CBN appointments where his region alone got 70 per cent, is wrong.
What has happened to Igbo presidency?
An Igbo will govern Nigeria at God’s appointed time. Those hustling for next year do not have variables in their favour. Those who may be picked for vice president in 2031 in preparation for Southern Presidency for 2039, actually stand a better chance, it seems. The idea of desperation and giving God deadlines is wrong. Only God will do it for us. Both the ruling party and the opposition stand chances to produce Igbo president. Not only the opposition. We don’t stand a chance now, it sounds unacceptable to my brothers and sisters. But that is the truth, unless of course you want me to please the emotions of some of my people by lying to them. We stand a better chance of producing the vice president in 2031 and president in 2039 and it could come from either the current ruling party or the opposition. Ndigbo will produce a good Nigerian president in God’s time. In fact the ruling party has a litany of hopefuls for vice presidency in 2031, five years away.
They include Hope Uzodimma, Orji Uzor Kalu, Rochas Okorocha, Dave Umahi, and Charles Soludo etc.
Umahi stands a greater chance to earn the trust of the six regions, because of his performance as Ebonyi Governor and his current deliveries as Works minister. I don’t get along with him. We quarrelled bitterly over the handling of the agitators. We’ve not spoken in nine years, but I know how Nigeria works. I know that any Igbo politician adored by Ndigbo will not resonate well with other regions.
Moreover, I saw Nigerians reject Olu Falae in 1999, and prefer Obasanjo whom his region rejected. I know the kind of Igbo politician the rest of Nigeria will trust. Social media hype is different from reality. The Igbo man who will govern Nigeria maybe a Senator or governor today. God works in mysterious ways. God is not a man and he doesn’t follow our emotions. The things that impress man do not impress God. Yes an Igbo man will someday give Nigeria a very brilliant and sound leadership, but not from next year’s election. Ndigbo must repair our broken altars; regain the trust and confidence of our neighbours and compatriots. That’s the way to go. We must work towards healing the wounds of the past.
I implore Ndigbo to put our house in order, by correcting these lies against us, and focusing on the development of our zone.
Insulting other ethnic groups and their icons and leaders will only make us more enemies than friends. I’ve been consistent in presenting this unattractive truth for decades now. I worked very closely with all genuinely respected Igbo leaders and I am telling my people the bitter truth they may not like to hear.
The online hatred, activated during elections/power struggle, will hurt us in the future. We must bring the social media warfare to an early end, before it leads to something unpleasant.
What Ndigbo need now, is a sincere appraisal of our pitiful conditions and to identify reasons responsible for that and honestly address them.
We need to take seriously the infrastructural development of our region. We must set long term, midterm and short term agenda. We must reconcile with our estranged neighbours and brethren. We must refrain from anything that paints us as arrogant, self-centred and insensitive to the needs and feelings of others. We must deliberately court friends and sustain friendship. We must repair broken relationships and widen our net. We must relate to others with respect especially our hosts. As targeted and envied people we must deliberately remain tolerant, meek and gentle. We should ask ourselves: Who are our friends in Nigeria? How come all the other ethnic groups easily bonded against us between 1966 and 1970.
What do we do wrong that piss them off to team up against us? Why did our Efik brethren team up with the Black Scorpion and his 3rd Marine Commando and chased us out of Calabar? And Isaac Borro led Nigerian soldiers through village paths into Port Harcourt? Have these suspicions and mistrust been assuaged? If not, when? Are the North West, North East and even the South West comfortable with Igbo Presidency? Do we have the support of the Middle Belt and the Niger Delta? Is it just enough to glibly mouth “it’s our turn” without addressing the stumbling blocks that hinder our acceptance by others?
An Igbo man will govern Nigeria at God’s time. Insulting others on social media or by descending on and tearing into shreds compatriots who have different views and different candidates won’t achieve it. That behaviour will give us more enemies than friends. We must endeavour to heal past wounds. And be very cautious and mindful of inciteful propaganda against us like “Ewu n’ebe akwa” song of early 1966, which inspired the hatred towards us that powered the 1966 pogroms. The signs are there for the discerning.
