Ndigbo: Today and tomorrow

The Igbo a few days ago celebrated their national day all over Nigeria. This year��s celebration was hosted by Abia State, and Umuahia, the State capital witnessed a conglomeration of Igbo dignitaries �C monarchs, chiefs, titled gentlemen, youth leaders, women associations and all and sundry.

The national day celebration was originated by the Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo headed by Ambassador Ralph Uwechue. The Oha-Na-Eze is the supreme body of the Igbo people. It is the heart and soul of Igboland and its decisions which are democratically arrived at, are virtually binding, though there is no imposition of its will on anybody. The Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo affirms the Igbo principles of equity, justice and fair-play, equal assess to opportunity and fair-hearing in the resolution of all matters.

The Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo believes in the government that is democratically-oriented and allows equal opportunities to all, and is accountable to the people. While the organization is concerned with socio-economic problems as they affect Ndigbo, it does not turn a blind eye to political decisions that give rise to inequity, gross injustice and the abuse of the rule of law.

The Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo stresses that if the Nigerian society is free and fair to all citizens, irrespective of ethnic origin, the Igbo considering his adventurous spirit, determination, courage, confidence and freedom will work for the general good of all.

The Igbo culture praises the value of individual achievement, yet the Igbo are known for their cooperative propensities as well, attested by their eagerness for community development. And in all Igbo towns and villages there are town unions, clan unions and divisional unions, all aimed at development. It is an unholy act for an Igbo who had made a success in his business or profession and has become wealthy to turn his back and stay aloof without making a worthy contribution towards the development of his town. Igbo are generally very patriotic as far as community contributions are concerned.

They are indeed generous and are open-minded. And it is this attitude that made them to be exceptionally receptive to new ideas and change.

The Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo is a successor to the Igbo State Union which was banned in May 1966 by the military regime of General J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi. Also all political parties, tribal, cultural and social organizations were banned.

After the ban, there was a vacuum. No other organization as powerful as the Igbo State Union could represent and speak for the Igbo.

The history of the pan-Igbo organisation go back to the early 1930s when some Igbo in Lagos formed the Lagos Igbo Union in order to organize a reception for Dr. Akanu Ibiam, the second Igbo medical doctor who had newly returned from Britain where he had qualified. The union brought together several towns, clans, and divisional organizations and became a voice for Igbo and its objectives were mainly for the welfare of the Igbo in Lagos.

When Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe returned to Nigeria in 1937 and established his newspaper, The West African Pilot in Lagos, the Igbo Union began to gain momentum. Azikiwe gave the union enormous support. By 1943 it changed its name to Igbo Federal Union and began to expand to all the regions and strong branches were established.

The union brought Igbo together and infused them with the consciousness of being Igbo and to always think of the development and progress of their homeland, and also contributing to the good of their host communities.

In December 1948 a pan-Igbo conference was held at Port Harcourt "to organize the Igbo linguistic group into a political unit". At the conference a new Igbo union called Igbo State Union was inaugurated. The membership was opened to all towns and clans in Igboland. The founders of the new union had anticipated that Nigeria would be re-arranged into states based on cultural and linguistic affinity, and Igbo State would be a member of the Commonwealth of Nigeria.

This certainly was the idea Nnamdi Azikiwe had advocated in his book, Political Blueprint of Nigeria
published 1943. At the conference Azikiwe was elected president of the Igbo State Union. He did not stay long in the post and resigned. The reason was that his national view of a Nigerian leader conflicted with his leadership of a tribal organization.

Dr. Azikiwe was succeeded by a dynamic, venerated, honest and outspoken businessman, Chief Z. C. Obi as the new president of the Igbo State Union.

The union tried to be neutral in politics, though its members could be involved in politics.

But in the early 1950s when there was a serious inter-tribal rivalry between the Yoruba and Igbo in Lagos led by their leader unions, the Egbe Omo Oduduwa and the Igbo State Union, the Igbo showed that they can be united in the face of any challenge to their race. The quarrel between the two peoples was later resolved amicably.

In the struggle for national unity and independence the Igbo were the most vocal and patriotic Nigerians. But it was paradoxical that the people in the forefront of Nigerian unity and independence turned round to want secession and their own independence from Nigeria. The reason was that they experienced injustice, inequity, unfair-play and destruction of their lives and property by other Nigerians. Their horrendous and tragic experience before and during the civil war made some psychological impact on the Igbo. They emerged from the war hopeless, impoverished, traumatized, but not spiritually defeated. Like the phoenix, the Igbo have risen again., Forty years after the civil war, the Igbo voice is loud, the Igbo asserts himself and works towards the progress of Nigeria. He has not allowed bitterness, hatred and jealousy to becloud his view of the world. He looks straight to the future with confidence, courage, enthusiasm and love. The Igbo has the sacred philosophy of live and let live and give and take.

Before the civil war, neighours of the Igbo homeland had worried and feared the specter of Igbo domination and oppression which was non-existent. Today, everybody has realized that the Igbo is most friendly, accommodating, forgiving and helpful. He is guided by principle of live and let live.

The Igbo population today is well over 45 million in the various states that they live. The Igbo is a democrat and vehemently abhors despotism and autocracy. It is because under any autocratic rule his freedom is restricted and his potentials are not given free rein.

The Igbo of today under the Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo believes in a vibrant, virile and democratic Nigeria where his success as a citizen lies. He believes that tomorrow will be better than today and the Igbo nation will rise again. His star will shine more in the firmament that is Nigeria.