It's Time For Igbo People To Emerge As Nigerian Leaders

Story highlights:

– “We, the Igbo people, are never tired of new ideas as far as they may bring us more money.  We don’t sleep when others sleep and I guess that’s what has been keeping us going”.

– “When shall we have an Igbo president? If you are of Igbo origin I call on you to answer”.

– “I call again: Igbos, show forth ye leaders”.

My dear brothers from the east! The political influence of our people is being constantly threatened and for that sole reason I’ve decided to write this article.

Since the emergence of independent Nigeria in 1960, the Igbo have been holding the top government positions in the center; for example, the late Dr Azikiwe, an Igbo man, was the head of state of Nigeria. Even the first military government was headed by the late Gen Ironsi who was of Igbo origin.

After the “no victor, no vanquished” statement by Gen Gowon at the end of the Nigerian Civil War (editor’s note: the Nigerian Civil War, aka the Biafran War, July 6, 1967 – January 15, 1970), the Igbo nation lost its political relevance at the center. The most prominent position an Igbo man has since occupied is the president of the Senate during the Second Republic.

An average Igbo man is an entrepreneur, a hustler. We, the Igbo people, are never tired of new ideas as far as they may bring us more money.  We don’t sleep when others sleep and I guess that’s what has been keeping us going. That’s the Igbo spirit, we are conquerors.

My dear brothers from the east! Do our rich societal lives exert any influence on our political relevance? The answer is “no” and who is to blame for this? Is it our Igbo leaders or the Igbo populace? I guess you will answer the question yourself after reading this piece.

When shall we have an Igbo president? If you are of Igbo origin I call on you to answer.

President Jonathan deliberately added “Azikiwe” to his name and we all followed him calling him one of us, but is he actually one of us? Jonathan I know is an Ijaw man.

How many votes did Ojukwu (editor’s note: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966, a leader of the Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970)  get during the 2003 presidential election? Not even up to 30% of the total number of Igbo voters, yet he has always been considered a leader of the Igbo. Who is fooling who?

Igbos, show forth ye leaders.

Senator Ngige whom many tagged as a political powerhouse in Anambra could not even win the last senatorial election in Idemili South.

Governor Okorocha had to struggle through election to return to Douglas House.

I call again: Igbos, show forth ye leaders.

Recently, one of us, Ifeanyi Ubah (editor’s note: Ifeanyi Ubah is a managing director and chief executive officer of Capital Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited), has displayed uncommon patriotism by deciding to release fuel to the Nigerian market at normal prices. However, there were some people who started criticizing this act of true patriotism by our brother. I won’t be surprised if I find out fellow Igbos have joined the criticism for we are very good at that.

Ifeanyi Ubah, for sacrificing profits you could have generated during the period of fuel scarcity to the good of the nation I declare you an Igbo leader. We need more people like you in our pursuit of relevance.

My people, umu nwannem, over the years our major problem have always been identifying one of us, placing to the center and backing them all the way. If we can do this with few political calculations we will be at the right place which is the zenith of the Nigerian political affairs, not struggle for the post of the secretary of the federal government.

God help us all.

The Igbo people