In this piece, Arinze Igboeli cautions the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftains against misusing the name of its founder, the late Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to score cheap political points, ahead of the Anambra State governorship election.
November 4, 2013 marked the 80th birthday of Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, who indeed, was a symbol of the struggle to the Igbo people. As the Nov. 16 election draw near, a huge number of aspirants in this race have at one point in time or the other used the name of Ojukwu in an attempt to sway votes to their kitty. Major culprits in this act of name dropping are the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and the Labour Party candidates, who at every point in their campaigns, have dragged the name of the late Biafran leader into the murky waters of politics.
Emeka Ojukwu, no doubt, remains a hero to the Igbo people and Nigeria as a whole. The Eze Ndi Igbo gburu gburu in his sojourn here on earth played some outstanding roles in fashioning the Nigerian nation! We cannot be thus in a hurry to forget his deeds, no we can’t.
But, I find unfortunate the unwarranted use of Ikemba’s name, only in politics, particularly in the period of electioneering do we see charlatans and riffraffs call on the name Ikemba! That is even when their ideological leanings are miles apart from what Ikemba professed, believed in and fought for.
But between Senator Ngige and Dim Emeka Ojukwu, there is a parallel, a connection between them. In both men is the symbol of a phoenix, a magical and mythical bird which does not die for in its death phase it consumes itself in a fire and arises as a young bird from its ashes. Both men stand tall in Igbo and Nigerian history, were they of much older stock spanning into generations their names or titles would have been infused into folklore songs and sang by our women and children.
Only a few days ago, I had stumbled upon Ngige who is my principal and guber candidate of the APC, clutching a copy of one of Ojukwu’s finest works, ‘ Because I am Involved’. The book was not new and prior to this morning as I approached him where he sat, I noticed him poring through some already prepared notes, notes that looked old. In the banter that followed between us, I came to the truth that if there was a man fit to wear Ikemba’s shoes, such a man would have to be Ngige.
Both men largely connote Igbo struggles, legacies, defeats, setbacks but through free a people, both fought for the self preservation of their people and both got it.
Ojukwu’s Biafra was Ngige’s Anambra from 2003 to 2006. Ojukwu had power thrusted upon him. He had to act, he could have accepted a juicy number two role to Jack Gowon and watched the other way as the Igbo people were massacred or he could fight and fight he did! Similarly we see the same scenario in an Ngige/ Obasanjo/ Uba debacle, owing to the fact that Ngige had put his foot down and declared that come what may. Rain or sunshine, he would no longer allow his people, to play second fiddle in the development of the state, when he had a much more agreeable choice to ‘Chop and clean mouth’ with the godfathers. Even when the grand godfather in Obasanjo, badgered the perceived enfant terrible in Ngige with all sorts of punishment if he did not play nice with the likes of the Ubas, the Udeh’s and the Nzeribes who have presently found refuge in APGA, a stubborn Ngige like Ikemba refused to budge. Rather he toed what Ikemba once revealed to a close friend of his what he called the ‘Biafran path’, where the struggle was one’s life.
Both share the dashing wit and style, the cunning left hand, the frankness and the uncompromising resolve to speak truth. Yes,Ikemba was a soldier while Ngige is not, but both men have had battle scars and are both loved by the people to the chargrin of their sworn enemies who wonder in astonishment. Both were men of the people and would always be welcomed or saluted by the plebs than by the patricians of our society today. Both men saw politics through the prism of Niehbhur, which is to give justice to the system though politics.
Ikemba and Ngige share a state, they share a beard and, although almost every one seems to love the “bearded, Oxford trained historian and soldier,” as Ngige once called him. But such an affinity for Ojukwu did go beyond politics and the widespread love of Ojukwu generally.
Ngige has modeled himself after Ojukwu as a rallying point for Ndi Igbo and all who are oppressed. He did this in the government house, Awka, and in the senate where he identified himself with the Igbo cause or agenda. In 2003- 2006 Ngige looked Obasanjo eyeball to eyeball on issues affecting Ndi Igbo and damned the consequences. In the Senate the leopard in him did not change spots and each time he rose to the floor to speak other senators would listen with rapt attention and bated breath, since the ‘authentic Igbo Leader’ was speaking. Both were brilliant, understood the public’s mood tested the times, had temparaments and knew when to strike and chart new directions.
Like Ojukwu, Ngige arrived in Anambra with scant political experience. But he was able to figure out how to lead in wartime. Both had the ability to bring people of diverse backgrounds together and expressed their desire to make progress on common challenges, instead of descending into the unnecessary bickering of the politics of the past.
Just as Ojukwu sought to achieve a measure of redemption and national reconciliation for the Igbos in Nigeria, as he did in the road to the civil war, the war and after the war. Ngige has has sought to do the same, which is to give NdiIgbo and Anambra their pride and place in Nigeria.
Ngige imitates or has the Ojukwu kind of grasp on issues. As governor and senator he identified a bold and possibly breathtaking reform agenda, ranging from quality infrastructure , security of lives and property, affordable healthcare, economic recovery to energy independence ( By giving Orient Petroleum the life line needed to take of and make Anambra an oil producing state. universal healthcare. Ngige has learnt from Ikemba how to balance the forces of political necessity and public opinion against the power of moral conviction and doing what he believes is right for the his people.
Finally, both men were orators, listening to some of Ojukwu’s speeches during the civil war naturally moves me, one can also see this also in Ngige.
I have largely dwelt on this parallel to douse the pretence of a party like APGA and their pretender, in Obiano. The professional prevaricator in Valentine Obienyem at one point in time on the pages of a social media platform told the whole world that our own Ikemba despised Ngige. But nothing can be much farther from the truth than such a reckless statement from Val, and I have facts to back this up.
In 1995, General Abacha organised a National Confab. while other geopolitical zones and tribes sought to send their best, the emergence of the likes of Ikemba and Alex Ekueme in the Igbo starting line up was looking rather shaky. It took a Chris Ngige to ensure the emergence of the duo as Ngige, President General of Aka Ikenga rallied to assist them. Ojukwu never forgot this gesture.
When again in 2004, the State Security Services had issued Ikemba a one way ticket to Abuja for questioning over certain comments credited to him, due to the state of the nation then, NdiIgbo and Nigerians did not see or hear from Peter Obi or Victor Umeh in addressing the issue, even a Valentine Obienyem who then was an attention seeking writer did not write even half a page to condemn the insult meted to our beloved Ikemba by the SSS. Rather it was Ngige who we must note was in another party different from Ojukwu’s and who had nothing to lose when viewed from the prism of crass politics offered himself even against the barrage of federal government against his administration. Ngige’s affection for Ikemba would not let him turn a blind eye. He quickly met President Obasnjo about it and made his case. another trip took him to Kayode Are, the then Director General of the SSS. then, he did a u turn and retrieved its ticket saving Ikemba whatever embarrassment awaited him. Today, the likes of Valentine Obienyem, Peter Obi and Victor Umeh and James Eze cannot write or talk without calling Ikemba. one is thus forced to wonder where they were when the SSS attempted such an insult on Ikemba?
In my final submission, it is my belief that both Ojukwu and Ngige are on the same parallel. With Ikemba gone and Ndi Igbo presently in search for leadership, wouldn’t it then, be key for Ndi Anambra to elect Ngige as governor and champion of the Igbo agenda come November 16? We must remember that, during the funeral ceremony for Ikemba, the people declared Ngige as Ikemba II, announcing him as the successor to Ojukwu. Now, if we say Vox Populi , Vox Deus, should we not then urge the minority, who have given themselves to the task of opposing Ngige for governor, to have a rethink and allow the man to finish the job he once started?The fact again remains that there is an Ojukwu- Ngige parallel and, should Ngige be elected as the governor ofAnambra State, the dreams, philosophy and vision of Ikemba will have a special place in Ngige’s thoughts as he tackles the monumental challenges that would await him.
