I’ll liberate Ndigbo from opposition politics in Lagos-Ohanaeze President

When, at the peak of the campaigns for the recent governorship election in Lagos, Solomon Ogbonna, the current President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, endorsed All Progressives Congress Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he was criticised by his opponents. In this interview with Assistant Editor, Yetunde Oladeide, he opened up on the role he played in the election in the state, the inspiration he got from the elders council of Ohanaeze and his recent challenges as his opponents accuse him of collecting money to endorse the governor-elect. Excerpts

WHAT has been the experience as the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State?

I came into office in June last year as President after an election.  I won with 401 votes as against 201. During my campaign, I made some promises though we had no allocation but finance our projects through individual support. I thank God for a few of my brothers who stood by me and said Ohanaeze must stand. They promised to support me with all the promises that I made.

Let’s talk about the promises you made and what you have been able to achieve?

I must say that it’s been over twenty something years that they brought Ohanaeze to Lagos but they have no secretariat. I promised to do it and today we have the first Igbo secretariat, we call it Igbo house; Igbo embassy. That legacy is very important and everybody is so happy about it. The second promise is to remember the members of Ohanaeze who are widows. Then after that I talked about transparency. Those are the promises that I made. Even though there are some cabals who said that if I don’t share the money they gave to Ohanaeze members, they would stand against me.

I think it is time for Ndigbo to come together and put their house in order. We should be talking about positions, how many ministers or Igbo commissioners we would get in Lagos State. They are fighting for what has no proof. The governor-elect is a very good man, he is a good Christian. They said Sanwoolu gave me 250 million naira on 3rd March, 2019 for endorsing him and that I have sold Ndigbo to APC in Lagos State.

I am an estate developer and art collector. I have over 3000 masterpiece of African artwork in my possession. Some of those who are speculating and peddling these rumors also do not know me. They said I bought three vehicles, one white Hilux, Porche Cayenne and Lexus Jeep with the money. Before I became Ohanaeze President in Lagos, I have series of cars and I think they did not know the cars that I have. We know the people doing this. Another group said he first gave me 66 million naira and that I also got another 150 million naira from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Since I was born, I have not sat with Tinubu for one day. I always see him on television, I have never met him.

Why did you endorse Sanwoolu; what were the qualities that you saw in him?

I knew Jimi Agbaje before I knew Sanwoolu. In 2015, I went to the UK and got some materials for Jimi Agbaje’s campaign. In 2019, I took Jimi Agbaje to where they raised funds for him here in Nigeria. But I told him where my loyalty was. It is not about party, it is about the individual. Sanwoolu has the quality; I can never forget my first contact with Sanwoolu. I found out that he is the best thing that can happen to Ndigbo, instead of running into opposition all the time and complaining. I will never regret bringing them to the right position in Lagos State, whether Sanwoolu recognises it or not. What I still tell my people is that there is nowhere in the world where the tenant will be bigger than his landlord. We are the guests, we must obey our landlord. One of the reasons I decided to take this decision is that since I was young, I leverage on the culture and the tradition of people because I am into arts. The Yoruba’s never deviated, no matter how educated they are, they can never intimidate you with their profile, instead they will hide under their culture and tradition. But my own people are very good in intimidation, big profile and millions of certificates. Everybody wants to be a leader; they assess your quality of leadership by who is your father. Is my father a minister or governor of a state? Is my brother or mother in the senate? For me, take it or leave it, I am an ordained child.

Would you say your support for Sanwoolu has been recognised?

I am not in a hurry for what Sanwoolu or Lagos State would do for me. I feel that we are still learning when it comes to leadership in Africa. However, I believe that from what I have seen, he and his deputy, Hamzat would perform. I believe that Sanwoolu would carry me along, not only me but Ndigbo. The sacrifice for me is to liberate Ndigbo from opposition politics in Lagos State. That is my benefits.

If you had to pick three best political leaders, who would you choose?

I will choose what I will call the three among the best leaders that Nigeria has ever produced in politics. I will mention Ebitu Ukiwe, the former vice president to IBB. Then the next person for me is Lateef Kayode Jakande and Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have my reasons. Yes, Ebitu Ukiwe is one of the most honest leaders that I have ever had contact with in my life. He is a leader; it is difficult to find a leader who works without listening to gossips. He is very strict, he believes in truth. He doesn’t treat or give people intimidation stories or stories from those who have passed away that you cannot go and find out from them, which is what most Igbo leaders do in Igboland. They intimidate you with age; intimidate you with their capacity, financial capacity and by who and who they have gotten in contact with. They intimidate you mostly with your age and tag it lack of experience. All those qualities, you can never find in Ebitu Ukiwe. Second is Lateef Jakande. I was in Lagos when he was the governor; he went around with Toyota Camry of 81 model, known as Baba Kekere. He build so many estates for the less privileged. The kind of estates they are building now, if you are not a millionaire you cannot think of having houses there. He is a different kind of person, a man of the grassroots.

If the national body of Ohanaeze supported PDP, why u go against thdid yois?

I am not going against what the national leadership of Ohanaeze said. My national Leader, Chief Nwodo, is also one of the best leaders in the world. I respect him. Even when I made that decision, I watched his reaction on social media but I didn’t react. My opinion is that if you want to know the best thing as a leader is that you must study your environment. No leader can get it right without hearing from the complainants, eyeball to eyeball. Not just on the telephone or one person going to complain. He came to Lagos and attended the town hall meeting of Ohanaeze and made it clear that this is where Ndigbo are going. I said sir, with all due respect, this is what I see in Lagos and I would need his advice. I said it in public and when he asked why I made the statement, I said my leader, I am sorry. And he took it. But when I saw the way things are going in Nigeria, I cannot continue to be in opposition in Lagos State. It is not about my leader, Chief Dr. Nwodo. It is not about Solomon but we are talking about Ndigbo. This is the state that we have the most concentration of Ndigbo, over a million Ndigbo. This is the state that we have the most investment of Ndigbo. We can’t risk all these; we have to make efforts at securing the state. Even though there was a lot of misinformation that Ndigbo did not come out to vote; it is important to note that that is not just in Lagos State. That is so everywhere and it is because of what is happening in Nigerian politics.