It never ceases to baffle the kind of personalities that are being saddled with the responsibility of running the affairs of apex Igbo socio-cultural organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Just like every other organisation, Ohanaeze had its crises before now, and many had thought that the organisation has been repositioned with responsive and responsible leaders who can work for the collective interest of the Igbos at all times. But that appears not to be the situation for now, going by the recent action of the president of the organisation, Chief Gary Nnachi Enwo-Igariwey .
Igariwey was in the news recently following his arrangee visit to the former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu at his Abuja residence on the pretext of prevailing on him to shelve his 2015 presidential ambition.
If I may recall, Kalu has consistently denied having presidential ambition in 2015 ever before now. So which presidential ambition did Igariwey visit Kalu on behalf of the organisation to prevail on him to shelve or was the drama an attempt by Kalu to seek political relevance ahead of the 2015 general elections?
Nigerians may not be surprised to discover that the visit was arranged by Kalu and his political allies, one of them a former senator from the same state with Igariwey. If not, where and when did the Ohanaeze leadership sit and agree to send Igariwey to visit Kalu and prevail on him to shelve his 2015 presidential ambition?
Why was Igariwey alone on the visit, instead of going with other members of his executives? That speaks volume of the circumstances surrounding the arrangee visit, and what it was meant to achieve for those behind it. Besides, the grave silence of members of the executive is a sign that they may be or are beneficiaries of the charade.
It is an indisputable fact that there is no way Kalu’s alleged 2015 presidential ambition will be a problem to the unity of Igbos in 2015. How would the ambition of a man who has not attended any meeting convened by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo or any other Igbo groups since he left office as the governor of Abia State be a problem to Igbo unity? Even the Njiko Igbo group which he floated sometime ago to feather his political nest has since lost its voice and presence in the polity. Of what political value was Kalu to the Igbos when and after he left office in 2007 as governor of Abia State, apart from opening political fights against his people, and making unguarded utterances in the media?
Who among Kalu’s colleagues in the zone is still grandstanding politically? Is it Chimaroke Nnamani, Sam Egwu, Achike Udenwa or Chinwoke Mbadinuju? They have all cued in to work with their people for the good of the zone. If, Kalu has such political value and acumen as he, his allies, and Igariwey want the world to believe by the visit, why was he unable to manage the success of his party in Imo and Abia states in 2007?
Why has he been so desperate to return to PDP, instead of teaming up with the members of the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to prove his political worth in 2015?
Besides, Igbos have not forgotten in a hurry his roles in series of leadership crises that rocked Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Now, he wants to use the same Ohanaeze leadership to shore up his dwindling political image ahead of 2015. It is obvious that the purpose of the visit, which some newspaper editors have been celebrating in their columns is to pretend that Kalu is still a force to reckon with ahead of 2015 polls.
While it is Kalu’s constitutional right as a qualified Nigerian to seek for any public office, which he did in the 2007 presidential election and the 2011 Abia North senatorial election and failed woefully, he and his allies should draw a parallel line between personal ambition and the interest of the Igbos. This is because the Igbos know where they are heading to politically without Kalu. Kalu as an individual is not, and can never be a factor in determining the Igbo interest because he has no such charisma or Midas touch to do so. Igbos have leaders in their state governors, their representatives in the National Assembly and other public officer holders to chart the way forward for them in 2015 based on the political realities on ground.
It is these leaders that the leadership of Ohanaeze should partner and work with to ensure that the people of the zone get what belongs to them from the government all the time. Even if there is need to incorporate the ex-governors, former public office holders and others in the political affairs of the zone, such persons should be ready to cue in into agenda of the people, and work with the present political leaders of the zone.
That was what happened in the 2011 general elections and the zone is presently reaping the dividend of their massive support for President Jonathan in the election. Apart from holding more than 35 per cent of the public offices in the country, the zone has witnessed tremendous infrastructural development courtesy of the present government.
So looking at political atmosphere in the country today and the body language of the political leaders in the South-east zone, there is no doubt that the zone would do something in 2015 different from what they did in 2011 with or without the leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo that appeared to have sold herself to Kalu for a pot of porridge. Igbos will definitely throw their weight behind President Jonathan, if he accepts to run for second term in office. With the present political situation in the country, Igbos can only make moves to contest the Presidency in 2015, only if it is clear that President Jonathan will not be contesting the election. And if by commission or omission such need arises, Igbos know whom they will go for, which will not be Kalu. There are better, educated, committed, die-hard, authentic Igbo presidential materials of which Kalu is not among them.
Meanwhile, there is every need for the Igbos to be at alert, and beam their searchlight on the activities of the present leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo ahead of next year’s general election, before they drag the values of the people to the mud for their selfish interest. The abrupt Abuja visit to Kalu is enough evidence of what the leadership of Ohanaeze especially the President is capable of doing.
• Omeneogor, wrote from Toronto, Canada
