Ohanaeze Ndigbo: Why the cap fits Osuagwu

By Franklin Ngorofo

 

ONE can easily argue over the leadership of the Igbo apex social cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, but for many people, the question remains: who do the people want? Without sugarcoating facts, Ndigbo needs a strong, resolute and indubitable character who has the capacity to challenge the status quo; who has the zeal to see his nation succeed. Igbos don’t need a push-over who locks around at the doorsteps of politicians waiting to be anointed. Ndi Igbo does not need someone afraid to challenge for a post; a person that will be receiving attacks and is expected to fight back. Among those vying for the post of the President General, Prof. Chidi Osuagwu, a former Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Imo State Chapter, is arguably the best candidate.

The Federal University of Technology, Owerri lecturer appears to be the only aspirant that understands that the essence of the group is fast depreciating due to fundamental cracks in the formation of the group. He is the only aspirant urging Ndigbo to take back power as the “Oha”, rejecting outright, the so-called consensus saga. Chidi Osuagwu has also had an experience of the group when he reigned as the head of the Imo State chapter from 2007 to 2009. He is vying for the post of President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, because he is determined to restore Ndigbo to its rightful position in Nigeria. He added that Igbos have suffered enough blood shed in the country.

The Professor also knows that Ndi Igbo need to go back to the old days of proper communal system. According to him in our interactive session, the Igbo once got involved in the colonial government, found a way to create peer groups in the towns and those were mutual help organisations that people identified with; it was used as a community help group. Gradually they stabilised and then found a new purpose. They saw the new things in town and decided to transform their villages so those mutual kinsmen organisations became transformed to town development unions and they started federating, because federating is part of our culture; that is the purpose of the kolanut. The kolanut represents networking in convergence by the Igbo people; a communion. They quickly started federating to different unions and automatically into a state union. They were tasking themselves to repeat what they saw in their home towns. That is the origin of what became the Igbo state union; a very powerful organisation.

At the end of the war, the Igbos were outside the system and the few people that came together thought about how to get a voice in the system again. They now founded a group called the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and many of them were affiliated to one party at that time, they were oriented to NPN and that was the abstruse and Achilles hill of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.  In 2007, the group was moribund in Imo State and some elderly people invited Prof. Osuagwu to revive the state chapter. That was how he came in and created a functional Ohanaeze in Imo State.

Today, there is a stemming problem between the group and the people which are being exploited by competitors in the country. Another thing is that we, as the Igbo, have not recognised ourselves as who we are. The next President General should understand who the Igbo are and should come with a strategy like the Hausa, Yoruba and others, to strategically put the Igbo on the roadmap.

Speaking recently, he said, “I am vying for the President General of the national body to take over from Prof. Nnia Nwodo because there is a fundamental issue that begs to be corrected. The problem of stakeholders in Ohanaeze Ndigbo started long time ago. Sometimes, there are stakeholders who are aligned to some political parties. The last election showed the division in the group. “I am contesting because I see the need to go back to the framework like the Igbo state union that gives power to the people. The Igbo state union is natural to us. The power belongs to the people,” he stated.

For the tasks ahead, Prof. Osuagwu comes to the table with a leadership with great antecedents, proven ability, a very deep insight and understanding of who we are as great people, richly endowed and tremendously blessed by the Good God Almighty. It is important that we take this exercise seriously as I encourage the “Oha” who are actually the kingmakers, to get involved in choosing the very individual that will lead them in the capacity of President General in this very crucial time. The importance of this upcoming election is further underscored by the growing strategic importance of other socio-cultural groups and organisations including even the agitating groups which many seem to have misunderstood their motive and the very undercurrents of cumulative injustices that fuel such agitations.

We must reconnect with our people, re-establish trust in our leadership and collectively address our challenges. It is time to heal, to reunite and to progress. This is what must happen. The task ahead may be herculean, the water may be stormy and the tunnel may be dark but with the untiring spirit of Ndi Igbo, there is faith that only Prof. Chidi Osuagwu can deliver us. Like he says in Igbo parlance, after all, a man is only known in the face of adversity.

—Ngorofo is a public affairs analyst