Kalu

The sudden outburst of Abia State governor Dr. Orji Kalu against president Olusegun Obasanjo and his subsequent great interview in both Tell and Newswatch Magazines issues of February 19 2001, had come and gone but the impressions it created and other controversies surrounding them thereon is yet to abate.

Naturally one would have liked to keep mute over these because of the general feeling in the South East now that any Igbo man or any man who had contrary views against that of the young governor will be dubbed another Ojo Maduekwe. However, for those of us who analyse politics, who do not see political utterances and actions from the surface, it would be suicidal and counter productive to the general interest of all Igbos in particular and Nigerians in general if we do not comment on these explosive issues raised by the governor.

In the interview, the governor claimed to be speaking for the entire Igbos. The general belief therefore is that all Igbos support this rash, thunder-fire and brimstone type of politics.

From both interviews, one can deduce four main segments - President Obasanjo, marginalization of Igbos, Igbo leaders as "Errand boys", Igbo presidency, and the re-election bid.

I believe that the word "Marginalization" whether a political concept or a mere sentiment has been grossly abused by the Igbos in their quest for justice and fairness in Nigeria. Even at that, I am one of those who have the view that to a greater degree, Igbos through their feeling, thinking, utterances and actions are the architect of their own misfortune. But that is for another time.

Since the history of Nigeria, this is the first time a southerner Obasanjo is governing this country in executive capacity. The late Zik was only a ceremonial president and to me, Chief Shonekan never ruled this country.

The other rulers of this county from the North collectively have governed this country for about 30 years. Obasanjo had been in office for a little over 20 months. Realistically, how can Dr. Kalu expect him to right the wrongs perpetuated in the South East by these Northern rulers whom he (Kalu) acknowledged to be very close with. Where was Kalu when most especially Shagari, Buhari, Babangida, and Abubakar were ruling this country

What efforts or influence did he exerts on their various regimes to develop Igbo land? Was his closeness to them only for his business and personal aggrandizement? Can he swear with the Bible that he has no company or has no substantial share in any company that has been given any contract of any sort in Igboland and the company after collecting mobilization fee or whatever abandoned the job?

He accused Obasanjo of being a dictator, one who does not listen to advice and behaves as if "Igbo were still at war" with other Nigerians. If Dr. Kalu sees Obasanjo in this context, it is a situation of the pot calling the kettle black.

Who is more dictatorial than Kalu? Has he not rubbished and rubber stamped the Abia House of Assembly? If not, who organized and ordered touts and students of Abia State University last year to sack a constituted House of Assembly? Igbo Military officers who fought the civil war on the side of Biafra have had their dismissal converted to retirements.

An Igbo now heads Immigration. Minister of State of Defence for Airforce for the first time in the history of Nigeria is now an Igbo. Oguta Port contract had been awarded. Port-Harcourt - Enugu express road re-construction contract had been awarded. The Ihiala - Orlu - Anara road reconstruction work is on. There are still other things I believe his administration is doing in Igbo land.

Frankly speaking, in Nigeria with over 250 ethnic groups, Obasanjo has been fair to the Igbos within the short period of his tenure.

I agree with Kalu's theory of Igbos as "Errand boys". In the first place, Igbo leaders or leadership does not exist. All we have in Igboland is a phenomenon where once one has occupied or is occupying a position of authority whether experience or not, automatically claims leadership status. So in Igboland, even a first timer Local government councillor is an Igbo leader. Therefore the so-called Igbo leaders are all self acclaimed. Leaders are made and not claimed. Have anybody heard when any Yoruba indigene in any position of authority, claims a Yoruba leader? Leadership to be to them (Yoruba) means long years of selfless service to their people and not two or four years of selfish service for one's pocket.

All the self acclaimed Igbo leaders are selfish, professional bag carriers and errand boys to both previous and present regime. From the above context, I have to state without fear of contradiction that the number one "errand boy" in Igbo land now is Kalu.

In the last 20 years, he has been hobnobbing with every successive regime in this country for his own selfish reasons. The attempt to exonerate himself with the notion of his "New generation Igbo" is nonsense.

I have read the views of Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief Greg. Mbadiwe, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuji and other broad minds concerning Igbo presidency. To them, if at the end of Obasanjo's tenure, he will be able to satisfy Igbos according to their fair share of appointments and amenities from his administration, Igbo will support his re-election and then plan seriously for 2007 presidency. This is exactly where this writer belongs.

The uncouth, impolite and it must 2003 stance of Kalu against President Obasanjo's re-election bid is therefore undemocratic. Democracy is all about choice and he has no right to dictate or coerce any Igbo man or woman who to vote for in the 2003 presidential elections.

I will equally thank experienced politicians like Dr. Olusola Saraki who in an interview with a national newspaper advised Igbos like Kalu that Igbo presidency cannot be achieved through shouting on the pages of newspapers or magazines.

As a matter of fact, the presidency of Nigeria is not the birth right of any ethnic group in the country and in politics, you don't give anybody power but you struggle for power. I always tell people around me that if it is through Kalu's style that Igbo will adopt to ascend the presidency ladder, they will fail. How can one clean his anus first before excreting or how can one commit abortion before pregnancy.

This was how they started shouting in 1998 culminating in the Jos PDP Convention where Igbo themselves including Kalu betrayed Dr. Alex Ekwueme. He claimed that with Igbo vote (may be only Alaba traders) they can ascend to the throne. This baffles me coming from some one who claims to be a "political scientist". He should go back and study "political behaviour" and "political calculus" in Political Science again to refresh his memory.

For Igbos to win the presidency of Nigeria, it must have an ally. He claimed that the only favourable political alliance with Igbos have been with the North. This portrays clearly where he is heading to and he wants all Igbos to troop to the North with him. I want to state here that the over 20 years of political alliance between Igbos and core North had been disastrous, dehumanizing, deceitful and lacks integrity. It only benefits Igbos like Kalu.

The Yorubas now seem to be in neck deep alliance with the Middle Belt and to a greater extent the South - South. This might guarantee Obasanjo a second term. Who are the Igbo allies? The South - South have no trust for any Igbo man, the core North fears the Igbos, the seeming understanding between South -west and Igbos is now shaky. The truth of the matter as can be gleaned from his interview is that:-

- Dr. Kalu seems to have been instigated by the Arewa North to disorganize Igbo land and destroy the perceived unity now existing between Igbos and Yorubas.

- The Arewa North feels that because of the unprincipled nature of Igbo politicians and politics, it is the only place they can penetrate and use as base to stop Obasanjo's re-election bid.

- The Arewa North still does not trust any Igbo man, and feels that the only person they can trust and use to achieve their target is Dr. Kalu.

- Dr. Kalu has presidential ambition (do not mind politicians and denials) prompted by the Arewa North. If not, let him tell the whole world in all honesty as a born again later day saint the political discussions he had been having with Northern leaders-Shehu Shagari, Umaru Dikko, Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Babangida and Emirs.

When asked his choice of Igbo man to be president, he mentioned a "new generation Igbo man" which implies himself since he is the forbearer. Again he said that he will not "disappoint the Igbos" in 2003. In what context then? Is it as a governorship candidate which is exclusive to Abians or presidential candidate which concerns the entire Igbos and other Nigerians.

The 2003 presidential election is very dicey and if president Obasanjo is an enemy of the Igbos, let him be. An open enemy they say is better than a false friend. The enemy in Obasanjo the Igbos know is better than the one they do not know.

This writer is one of those who is of the strong view that for the interest of the entire South, the North should forget the presidency for now.

The situation on the ground now demands that come 2003, it is a person of Obasanjo's calibre that should be in Aso Rock. After him, the position should go to either South East or South - South.

Frankly speaking, I like the Abia State governor for three reasons - he belongs to the younger generation whom I support should involve themselves actively in politics. He is a strong willed, and thirdly, he is outspoken. However, his problem seems to be his utterances - what to say, how to say it and the appropriate time to say it -most of his utterances were antithetical to his personal character knowing his antecedents.

In all honesty, the news from Abia State spoke of volumes of his achievements in the state. Although this writer has not verified the claims but one can attest to the good works as confirmed by Abians resident in the state. This is exactly what any new breed politician should be proud of.

One can adduce that one of the reasons for his numerous achievement may be because as a multimillionaire every before he contested the governorship election, he does not owe allegiance or mortgage the wealth of the state to his sponsors as the case with other governors who were sponsored.

From his interview with Newswatch, he predicated bloodshed in 2003 elections. This is akin to some one telling you in the night where is thundering and thick dark cloud that rain will fall the following day. Nobody needs a necromancer to know that with the political situations in the varies local government areas and the state, the 2003 elections will be bloody. All political office holders from Local Government Areas to federal want to go to a second term. Equally those outside want to go in to taste the booty. The long reign of the military closed the eyes of those who do not understand what democratic politics is all about. But now it seems every body's eye is now open to the realities that in Nigeria, politics has to do with respect, honour, quick wealth, etc. Really the next elections will be chaotic in many places.

Dr. Kalu belongs to a group in the society that is highly feared and so his threats should not be taken for granted. It seems that the Marchiavelli "Prince" is always under his pillows. To him, it does not matter what it takes to achieve power only the end justifies the means.

He spoke against rigging the election. But in all honesty, without rigging, would he have been the governor today or did we not know what happened in Igbo land during the 1999 elections?

Analytically, his Newswatch interview can be summed thus:-

- He is not yet fully convinced whether to re-contest as governor or to go for the presidency.

- He is bitter and panicky because it seems he has lost confidence with the National leadership of his political party.

- He skeptical of getting re-nomination from his party - P.D P.

- He may re-contest under another political party

- He seems to have lost out in the scheme of things at the federal level with the removal of his in-law, the former Minister of Health and his failure in putting in his crony as the chairman of N.D.D.C.

- If he should re-contest, it will be a do or die affair. This is because, even if he failed to be elected democratically, his people (Abians) "will not agree".

- His opponents should watch it - because he will use every weapon to fight including the "Bakassi" boys - his "Local army".

*Mr. Iheme wrote in from Lagos.