By John Odocha

I strongly believe that this is an issue that must no longer be swept under the carpet if this country wishes to thrive on the tripod of justice, equity, and fairness. In my book: “The Way We Are: Ideas for a better Nigeria,” published in 2012, and launched in Abuja [Dec 2012] and Washington DC[April 2013], the last chapter, Chapter 27 p 258; responded to Simon Kolawole’s write-up in his Sunday ThisDay column of Sunday 30 January, 2011 titled: “Ndigbo in the Fourth Republic.”

Simon was addressing the relegation of Ndigbo to the back burners in the political arrangements in Nigeria, irrespective of their past contributions and status in the previous Republics. He threw up two theories that have been bandied around by some Igbo opinion leaders, namely the ‘conspiracy’ theory and the ‘enemies within’ theory, and how he did not want to be involved in “this type of argument,” having seen such opinions as “neither here nor there.”

However, in my response I vehemently disagreed with him, by letting him know that the “current political and social predicament” of Ndigbo is a combination of both theories. I reminded him of the events leading to and during the unfortunate civil war, and the post-war economic strangulation of Ndigbo. For completeness, I therefore wish to reproduce verbatim my submission to him where in his piece he had alluded to the ‘Ekwueme angle’ in the 1983 disruption of democratic governance in Nigeria.

“You were perfectly right when you brought up the ‘Ekwueme angle’ in the 1983 disruption of democratic governance. It is obvious that  the military coup of that year truncated the imminent ascendancy of an Igbo to the presidency of Nigeria. This could be corroborated by the gang-up, years later, which ensured that the same Ekwueme who was obviously the candidate of choice never made it also in 1999. You talked of appeasement of the South-West to compensate for the Abiola debacle which then resulted in the emergence of President Obasanjo. You also mentioned the South-South appeasement for the Niger Delta conundrum which threw up President Jonathan. But come 2015 is anyone contemplating or willing to appease the South-East, since current and potential running mates for the April 2011 presidential election are from outside this zone?”

Nigeria and Ndigbo, the above poser was in respect of the 2015 presidency, and as we are now in 2025, 10 years after, what is the outlook like for Ndigbo with respect to producing the Nigerian president, come 2027? It is very important that we, Ndigbo, begin to interrogate this scenario now as a people, who must be seen as an integral and pivotal arm of this entity called Nigeria. It is a matter of collective strategy, and not a time to brood over a perceived or real ‘conspiracy’ or ‘enemies-within’ theory. We must believe in ourselves that we have the capability and the capacity to produce a Nigerian president who can turn around the fortunes of this great country.

OHANEZE NDIGBO has a key role to play to champion the moral re-armament and econo-political interests of Ndigbo. Every nook and cranny of Igboland and beyond should feel the relevance of Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership. All our Ndigbo ELECTED OFFICIALS, our RELIGIOUS LEADERS, and our TEMPORAL LEADERS OF THOUGHT, should please see themselves SACRIFICING to join all and sundry in fighting for NDIGBO collective interests for a better status in Nigeria and beyond. Our unity will remain our strength. God bless.

*Jonas Odocha wrote from Abuja. Nigeria.