THE UNTENABLE STATEMENT BY UWECHUE’S OHANEZE NDIGBO

That nonsensical one-man signed advertorial: It has been bothering my mind but when I read Igbonekwu Ogazimorah’s Political Periscope column on page 40 of Saturday Sun October 23, 2010 entitled “Ohaneze Ndigbo: Naive, frustrated or senile?”, and others that subsequently followed, I felt a bit relieved.

Igbonekwu’s piece was so detailed in conversation with his friend (Uwen Okere) which ended thus (from Okere to Igbonekwu) ....“go tell your people that they have lost out from day-one if their hope is anchored on single newspaper advertorial.” Igbonekwu responded by asking: “why do you say my people?” Are they not your people also?” and Okere’s response was fierce: “Igbo ....my man, who has been paying for those advertorial? Bye!” and hung his phone on Igbonekwu.

The heavily sponsored advertisement, talked little about the marginalization of the Igbo Nation. It set out nicely, supporting rotation of elective offices in Nigeria for equity, justice and fair play. But that advertisement entitled “Presidential Election and Zoning; The Position of Ohaneze Ndigbo” after enumerating and consolidating on good reasoning went naivety and to senile when it ended with: “In line with this position, taken after wide consultation over several months among Igbo people at home and abroad, Ohaneze Ndigho confidently urged the Igbo Nation to support en masse a credible new-generation Presidential candidate that has emerged from the South-South geo-political zone, Dr. Goodluck Ebele (Azikiwe? Jonathan”. It had a lone signature of Raph Uwechue, OFR, as Ohaneze Ndigbo President-General. Uwechue betrayed his perceived partisanship by including in the advertisement thus: “new-generation Presidential candidate .....Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan”. When has PDP primaries become Igbo Nation’s affair? Jonathan is not yet the PDP flag-bearer but Uwechue is soliciting that Igbo should vote for him so that ‘another’ (untenable) Igbo man would become President in 2015; after “Ebele Azikiwe” Jonathan? Beware: Uwechue is from South-South; can he fool intelligent Igbo Nation? Uwechue was Biafran Ambassador who switched loyalty to Nigerian government for a little benefit. Average Igbo person knows that what would equitably help Igbo 2015 presidency is with when the North completes its turn.

Dr. Geoffrey Nnadi, University of Maiduguri, Borno State.