By Okenze George Nkwoji.
As the people of Owerri zone, the microcosm of Igbo nation , known for their egalitarianism and lack of leadership, justle to succeed governor Hope Uzodinma in 2028, a critical question that begs for an answer is how this aspiration can be realised without a leader. Looking at Owerri zone from Mbaise to Ngor Okpalla, through Owerri to Mbaike, I personally do not see any dominant leader who the people rally around. Everyone is a leader who has a deep pocket. What obtains in Owerri zone is an avalanche of amorphous and selfish political groups working at cross-purposes. They include OZOPOLF, Nzuko Owere for Owerri federal constituency and Olu Owerri for the interest of Ngor Okpalla and Mbaise nation. Others include Ezuruezu Mbaise and the latest entrant to the scene, Imo Harmony Project. There is no coordination, no unity of purpose as each pressure group is concerned with a particular part of the zone or a particular aspirant.
Going by the way they operate in secret competitions, it is clearly evident that Owerri zone currently has no paramount leader coordinating others to negotiate and navigate it through the next gubernatorial battle in Imo state. My take therefore is that it is only by FIAT that Owerri zone can succeed governor Hope Uzodimma. Unfortunately Governor Uzodimma has made it clear that ‘I will not handpick my successor.’ The idea of ‘Governor show us the man’ has collapsed like a pack of cards.
What do we do next? Do we have the leadership to navigate us through this crisis situation? Leadership as defined and understood in military and political spheres is the center of gravity around which the society revolves. Normally, it is leadership that defines the needs of a people, sets agenda and manages the plans and strategies to actualize those agendas. Leaders also evolve from time to time as was witnessed during the Nigerian civil war period when the late Odumegwu Ojukwu emerged as the rallying point for other leaders which served as the motivation for the survival of Nd’Igbo during the war period. Nd’Igbo could not have succeeded in the war if the leaders were working at cross-purposes devoid of a rallying point. At the moment, does Owerri zone feature a leader around whom revolves the people’s agenda? This is my contention.
To appreciate further what I am talking about, let us look backwards at events proceeding the creation of Imo State and how the capital was eventually sited in Owerri. I want to bring that history to the fore because Nde Owere are often proud that Owerri is the capital of Imo without knowing or remembering how that feat was achieved. The story is that prior to the creation of Imo out of East Central State, the then military government formed a Committee for the Creation of Imo State. That Committee had Chief Stephen Ejelonu Onukogu from Obube in Owerri North as the Chairman with Chief Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe as the Secretary.
It turned out that Owerri members of the Committee were not attending meetings where the decision on the state capital of Imo State was to be taken. Chief Onukogu who was hosting the meetings discovered to his chagrin that the absence of his Owerri people was going to deny him the support to vote Owerri as the state capital. Onukogu , known for his political sagacity had to adopt tactics of adjourning meetings in the middle of deliberations. Those incessant adjournments enabled him to go around to mobilize his Owerri people to begin attending meetings in full. That was how he eventually garnered the requisite votes to make Owerri the capital of Imo State. Today, is there a dominant leader in the cast of Onukogu to galvanize Owerri zone leaders into action for the guber battle ahead? This is where many of us quarrel with the current crop of Owerri zone leaders.
As a people, Nde Owere need to have a clear understanding of what leadership entails. There must be a LEADER of leaders.
In a situation where there is no leadership, the enemy would embark on “divide and rule” tactics to defeat the zone. From experience, predatory groups like OZOPOLF would capitalize on the leadership vacuum and pretend to provide leadership. But when the chips are down, they turn out as saboteurs.
Talking about leadership, the bible made us to understand in 2Chr. 18:16 that Israel had assembled at Ramothgilead for a battle against the Syrian army. But they assembled without a leader. As was their tradition, King Ahab of Israel requested Prophet Micaiah to consult the Lord concerning the battle. When Prophet Micaiah made the enquiry, the first thing God asked the prophet was if Israel was ready for the war. In response, the prophet confirmed that Israel was ready. However, the prophet added that Israeli soldiers were scattered at the war front “as sheep that have no shepherd”. In reaction, God told the Prophet to tell Israelites to return home as according to Him, “These have no master.”
The lesson which we can learn from the case of Israel is that notwithstanding the fact that Israel had assembled for war, every man was ready, the absence of a leader who would have led them made them to appear “scattered” and therefore rendered them incapable of fighting. That was the reason God ordered them out of the war front. Obviously, they were bound to be defeated without a leader.
It is also instructive to draw attention to what Israel said to Samuel when they demanded for a king. They told Samuel that they wanted to be like other nations who had kings that led them to wars: “That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). If Israel saw the necessity for a king to “go out before us, and fight our battle”, does it not then behove on Owere people, to also get a prominent leader like Ojukwu and Onukogu who will go and fight their battles?
In conclusion, the principle of “One Naze man at a time” should be adopted as a political philosophy by Owerri zone. The reality is that except governor Hope Uzodinma appoints one by fiat, which he will never do, it remains a wishful thinking that an Owerri man will be the next governor. For the avoidance of doubt, the incessant plethora of candidates in guber elections is a forerunner, harbinger of failure. It has never paid and will never pay. It is akin to a “rat race”. In addition, the guber project should never be entrusted to amorphous political organizations with their mercantile, predatory characters like OZOPOLF who end up sabotaging the people. What OZOPOLF did in 2015 & 2019 should serve as a big lesson to the people.
As it is now, Owerri zone is in the mould of ancient Israel. The picture of Israel assembled for war without a shepherd is exactly the condition of Nde Owere in present day Imo State. The zone is ready for the battle for the governorship seat but it is scattered over OZOPOLF, Nzuko Owere, Ezurezu Mbaise, Olu Owerri, Imo Harmony Project, etc “as sheep that have no shepherd”. Like Israel, Owerri zone should “return home” to the drawing board because it has “no master”.
Therefore, the most feasible and strategic option for Nde Owere should be to allow Okigwe zone to succeed governor Hope Uzodimma. The zone should go further to display insightfulness by supporting the emergence of Ikedi Ohakim as the next governor. Supporting Ohakim will shorten the gestation period for an Owere man in Douglas House, Owerri. Also by doing this, Okigwe would have completed it’s turn while Ohakim gets satisfied with his second tenure. This scenario will pave the way for Owerri zone to sort out the critical leadership question before embarking on another guber contest to succeed Okigwe zone. This will make for a seamless establishment and nurture of the Imo Charter of Equity which we all yearn for. It will end in a win – win situation.
Okenze George Nkwoji is the Publisher of Nigeria Moment newspaper & Traditional Prime Minister of Egbelu Obube, Owerri North LGA
