Of Uwechue’s Igbo Presidency Project

By Chuks Oluigbo

Since few months ago when the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, purportedly acting after consultations with different Igbo groups both at home and in the Diaspora, announced that Ndigbo would support President Goodluck Jonathan to achieve his presidential ambition in 2011 so that Jonathan and his people would in turn support an Igbo president in 2015, both Ohanaeze and its Presidemt-General, Amb Raph Uwechue, have been under severe attack. Uche Ezechukwu, a columnist with The Sun, in a series of articles he entitled ‘Uwechue’s sad swan song’ used a lot of what I would call vituperative and undignified language against the person of Uwechue. Another writer, Emeka Nwosu, in the same vein, in his ‘Uwechue’s Misadventure’, referred to ‘the copious tongue-lashing and disgust’ with which Uwechue’s act was received across the length and breadth of Igboland. Many other writers too have said their mind.

I cannot join Uche Ezechukwu, Emeka Nwosu and the others to pour invectives on Chief Uwechue. For all I know, Uwechue is a man of integrity. I respect him so much. For one, he is about my father’s age. As a true Igbo son, I cannot insult my father. I was brought up to respect elders. I do not also want to join Sunny Ofili, publisher of thetimesofnigeria.com, a United States-based Internet news website, to argue that Igbo-speaking peoples of Delta State are not Igbo. Though an Igbo-speaking Deltan, Ofili had argued that the Anioma people of Delta State are completely different from the Igbo people across the River Niger in culture and history, and that most Anioma indigenes trace their historical origin to Benin. He also questioned the need for Anioma people to belong to Ohanaeze Ndigbo. His words: “I do not see the need for Anioma person to be heading Ohanaeze. I think it is completely self-serving. Uwechue is an experienced diplomat. I applaud all he has done for himself and our people but he should be at the vanguard of people helping to organise Anioma people to become stronger as a unit, rather than getting involved in Igbo politics, which we have no business getting involved in.” To which Uwechue responded: “I am from Ogwashi-Uku and we know our origin. That we have Ijaw people in Delta State does not mean they do not know that they belong to Bayelsa State. Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the grand umbrella for all Igbo stock, for all that have the Igbo origin including those in the Diaspora. So our inclusion is not out of place.” Both Ofili and Uwechue are Delta Igbo; let them settle the matter between them.

Amb Uwechue is a distinguished Nigerian who excelled as a career diplomat, politician and publisher. At the age of 32, he was already heading a Nigerian mission abroad. He served as Minister in the government of President Shehu Shagari. His Know Africa Books today remain the most detailed source of information on the African continent, its peoples, cultures, religions, geography, history, economics, academics, and politicians. His offices in London housed the headquarters of NADECO during the dark years of Abacha. Uwechue was also very relevant in the Biafran struggle. At the onset of the civil war in 1967, he aligned himself with the interests of the Biafran people. He it was who established the Biafran mission in France and single-handedly influenced the French authorities to align with the position of Biafra in the conflict, short of granting the young Republic outright diplomatic recognition. He also played a major role in the massive intervention of international charity organizations such as Caritas, Oxfam, and the World Council of Churches in rallying humanitarian aids to Biafra. Of Uwechue’s role during the civil war, The Rt. Hon Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe said in 1969: “the role and views of Raph Uwechue during the fratricidal struggle called a civil war were aimed at saving the Igbo speaking people from extermination on the one hand, and to preserve the territorial integrity of Nigeria on the other hand.” God forbid that I should disparage a man of such pedigree. My mission here is simple: put certain facts straight. And I begin with a question: 2015 presidency, is it for Ndigbo or for the South-East?

In an interview with Okungbowa Aiwerie sometime ago, Uwechue said categorically: ‘The Igbo, as represented by the Ohanaeze, believe that Nigeria has six zones, not two, and that offices at the highest level should go round the six zones, which actually were the three original regions. We do not believe in north-south zoning. There is no such thing in our country. For example in 2007, our late president, Umaru Yar’Adua, was the head of the executive in the country. David Mark is the head of the legislature. These are the two arms that are politically involved in the country. The judiciary does not meddle in politics. So, if you talk about north and south, it means that the south has got nothing, because David Mark is from the north. We found it okay because we never saw just north and south; we saw all the zones. Yar’Adua came from north-west and David Mark comes from north-central. What I am trying to emphasise is that this country is divided into six zones, not two. It is important that everybody takes that into proper account so that we do not run into unnecessary difficulties. We cannot afford to have two zones when it suits some people and six when it suits them. It has to be one, and that one is the six zones.’

Ok. And that’s the point which Uwechue’s critics have refused to highlight, that Uwechue is also a very honest man. The points he made above are clear: that there are six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, and that power at the centre should revolve among these six zones. The South-East is one of these zones. There is no geo-political zone called Igboland or Ndigbo. It is just circumstantial that Ndigbo inhabit the South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria. And while the entire South-Easterners are Igbo people, all Igbo speaking peoples of Nigeria are not South-Easterners. So, the argument for Igbo presidency in 2015 should essentially be that the South-Eastern part of Nigeria should produce a president for Nigeria in 2015, and not necessarily that some other person who speaks Igbo but who is not from the South-East should rule Nigeria in 2015. If it is understood in this way, then there is no wahala. If Ndigbo (or Ohanaeze Ndigbo) decide to support President Goodluck Jonathan for 2011, I have no issue with that. That is, if it is understood that it is the South-East supporting the South-South. But if Raph Uwechue, who is from Delta State, South-South Nigeria, now poses as an Igbo man and says that Ijaw elders came to him to solicit support for their son, Jonathan, then I dare ask: do not the Ijaw elders know that Uwechue is their fellow South-Southerner? Do they not know that Bayelsa and Delta belong to the same geo-polity? Do they not realise that if Uwechue declares support for Jonathan, he is merely declaring support for his brother, his fellow South-Southerner? If they do not know this, then I think it is better we let them know. If they want the support of Ndigbo, they should be visiting the governors and peoples of the five South-Eastern States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. We are not unaware that we have some of our Igbo brothers in Delta and Rivers States (even though many of them identify themselves as Igbo only when it is beneficial to them and deny their Igboness when it is not), but we are talking geo-political zone here, not ethnic group. It is also on the basis of this that I call on Amb Raph Uwechue to clear the air: this campaign for Igbo presidency in 2015, is it for all Igbo speaking peoples or for the South-East geo-political zone?

I may be accused of segregation, but it is good we straighten up all grey areas now before we run into confusion. I say this because I remember that the last time the issue of an Igbo president came up, some Igbo speaking people of Delta State indicated interest to run. They are Igbo, no doubt, but if any of them succeeds in becoming the president in 2015, won’t the South-South have taken double portions? The Igbo speaking people of Delta State are clearly in the South-South and should stay there for good. Same with those in Rivers State. They cannot answer South-South when the power equation tilts in favour of the South-South and turn around again to answer Ndigbo when the power equation favours the Igbo. They should rally behind Jonathan at all costs because he is their South-South brother. Jonathan’s share is also their share. Ndigbo too, if they think it is favourable, should support Jonathan. And when 2015 finally comes, our Niger Delta brothers should also rally around a candidate from the South-East just as the South-Easterners are rallying around Jonathan now so that the South-East would also take its turn. But if these things are not ironed out now, and by any chance an Igbo from Delta or Rivers State begins to campaign for presidency in 2015 in the name of Ndigbo, then we would hold Amb Raph Uwechue and Ohanaeze Ndigbo responsible for the ensuing confusion.