-General of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, by the Abia State deputy speaker of the house of Assembly, Chief Cosmos Ndukwe Ph.D.
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| By Cosmos Ndukwe |
This morning, I read across major news media that former President Ibrahim Babangida has called for restructuring of Nigeria. I guess Northerners would listen to him, I also recollected that while we sent delegates to the 2014 National Conference, Igbo was the only major ethnic group that took pages of newspapers and other media of communication to deride and denigrate Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd.).
These groups said unprintable and uncharitable things about the former Minister, Military Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic, an Igbo by every definition. Ike Nwachukwu would not have been the only person with the baggage of a past, but his problem was being Igbo.
I have observed that you approached the issue of Igbo cause with amazing dexterity. Within a short period, you demonstrated that a leader does not need the whole time in the world to make a mark. You deserve to be trusted.
It is not easy to led Igbos, one nation with belief that a centralized authority is not ideal. You will however notice that when there is a strong voice, Igbos oblige the person. They are also quick to abandon any person who squanders their goodwill. I write you today because, it is obvious that you command appreciable respect across the Igbo people.
Lately, the drums of war, perhaps in its most shrilled form beat with echoes of fear. We have had all manner of persons canvassing for different positions. If we are to put Igbo interest in a scale about this time, you may be shocked that the tunes are as discordant as they vary.
Assuming, war breaks out now; the greatest tragedy would be Igbos will be managing a decentralized command structure with the devastating disadvantage of chaos and disorderliness. Whether I am thinking towards the direction of war? In reality No! For purposes of academic discourse, perhaps Yes. My desire at this time, is for Igbos to look for a common front that would unite us.
No group can ever contemplate strong negotiation scattered as we are, talk less of settling for war.
Almost every major ethnic group in Nigeria has a CENTRAL COMMAND LINE. This entails that even if the instructions are not obeyed, they are seriously taken notice of. This feeling is great as it is awesome.
In Igbo land, we keep convincing ourselves that we are REPUBLICAN (whatever that means). Now, who would articulate our views? Who would speak for us? Who would serve as the progenitor of unity so much that in event of need to take action, we would speak with one voice? Can we get anything meaningful, as we are now? If we had not all the while, we may not at this time.
We are the only ethnic group that makes a huge ceremony of the NEW YAM FESTIVAL with pomp and pageantry everywhere we are found. We are the only that makes a huge ceremony of the IWA OJI. I am trying to imagine a leader in Igbo land who could command so much influence that a day could be set aside for a uniform NEW YAM FESTIVAL and or IWA OJI.
I am also trying to imagine how we could be making a huge statement that we can speak with one voice. I am trying how we can uniformly shut down the kofawambe market in Kano, Relief market Jos, Idumota in Lagos, Wuse 2 in Abuja, Eke Onuwa in Owerri, Ogbette in Enugu, White Market in Calabar, main market in Onitsha, Ikokwu in Portharcourt, Ariaria in Aba, Guangzhou in China and indeed across the world where Igbos litter nooks and crannies.
If we could SET ASIDE A UNIFIED SINGLE DAY FOR ALL IGBO WORLD WIDE TO CELEBRATE ERI JI IGBO, perhaps we will have a recipe for Igbo Unity. If we cannot get a date for an event we all cherish, may be, just may be; we cannot muster sufficient leverage to articulate our demands.
I know of nationalities within Igbo that have the ITU EYE ceremony in Abiriba, where all laws are streamlined for uniform observance. We could also stretch the limit of this strategy in the new United Igbo Iri ji ceremony.
As distracting as the points I have canvassed are, they still remain the thoughts of a commonsense legislator. It is from washing his hands clean that a child will prove he can eat to his satisfaction.
If we cannot speak with one voice on NEW YAM FESTIVAL, then; your guess is as good as mine but if we can and use such date to streamline Igbo agenda then Psalm 133:1 is properly applied.
These groups said unprintable and uncharitable things about the former Minister, Military Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic, an Igbo by every definition. Ike Nwachukwu would not have been the only person with the baggage of a past, but his problem was being Igbo.
I have observed that you approached the issue of Igbo cause with amazing dexterity. Within a short period, you demonstrated that a leader does not need the whole time in the world to make a mark. You deserve to be trusted.
It is not easy to led Igbos, one nation with belief that a centralized authority is not ideal. You will however notice that when there is a strong voice, Igbos oblige the person. They are also quick to abandon any person who squanders their goodwill. I write you today because, it is obvious that you command appreciable respect across the Igbo people.
Lately, the drums of war, perhaps in its most shrilled form beat with echoes of fear. We have had all manner of persons canvassing for different positions. If we are to put Igbo interest in a scale about this time, you may be shocked that the tunes are as discordant as they vary.
Assuming, war breaks out now; the greatest tragedy would be Igbos will be managing a decentralized command structure with the devastating disadvantage of chaos and disorderliness. Whether I am thinking towards the direction of war? In reality No! For purposes of academic discourse, perhaps Yes. My desire at this time, is for Igbos to look for a common front that would unite us.
No group can ever contemplate strong negotiation scattered as we are, talk less of settling for war.
Almost every major ethnic group in Nigeria has a CENTRAL COMMAND LINE. This entails that even if the instructions are not obeyed, they are seriously taken notice of. This feeling is great as it is awesome.
In Igbo land, we keep convincing ourselves that we are REPUBLICAN (whatever that means). Now, who would articulate our views? Who would speak for us? Who would serve as the progenitor of unity so much that in event of need to take action, we would speak with one voice? Can we get anything meaningful, as we are now? If we had not all the while, we may not at this time.
We are the only ethnic group that makes a huge ceremony of the NEW YAM FESTIVAL with pomp and pageantry everywhere we are found. We are the only that makes a huge ceremony of the IWA OJI. I am trying to imagine a leader in Igbo land who could command so much influence that a day could be set aside for a uniform NEW YAM FESTIVAL and or IWA OJI.
I am also trying to imagine how we could be making a huge statement that we can speak with one voice. I am trying how we can uniformly shut down the kofawambe market in Kano, Relief market Jos, Idumota in Lagos, Wuse 2 in Abuja, Eke Onuwa in Owerri, Ogbette in Enugu, White Market in Calabar, main market in Onitsha, Ikokwu in Portharcourt, Ariaria in Aba, Guangzhou in China and indeed across the world where Igbos litter nooks and crannies.
If we could SET ASIDE A UNIFIED SINGLE DAY FOR ALL IGBO WORLD WIDE TO CELEBRATE ERI JI IGBO, perhaps we will have a recipe for Igbo Unity. If we cannot get a date for an event we all cherish, may be, just may be; we cannot muster sufficient leverage to articulate our demands.
I know of nationalities within Igbo that have the ITU EYE ceremony in Abiriba, where all laws are streamlined for uniform observance. We could also stretch the limit of this strategy in the new United Igbo Iri ji ceremony.
As distracting as the points I have canvassed are, they still remain the thoughts of a commonsense legislator. It is from washing his hands clean that a child will prove he can eat to his satisfaction.
If we cannot speak with one voice on NEW YAM FESTIVAL, then; your guess is as good as mine but if we can and use such date to streamline Igbo agenda then Psalm 133:1 is properly applied.
June 27, 2017
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