OPINION

OUK & the tale of Nigeria’s hypocrisy against Ndigbo
By Odimegwu Onwumere

In the game of love, it is given so that it wouldn’t be returned. But those who share in the love rendered return same to the giver most times. This is why people say that somebody is loved by history. 

In this clime, we have seen people rewarded with chieftaincy titles in their different villages, because of their act of benevolence to their kinsmen and women. At the national level, many have been rewarded with notional prizes, because of their contributions. In like manner, we have to honour and appreciate one of our own in the person of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK), former Governor of Abia State. The Emetu Mba, Ahu Mba Ndigbo.

What has spurred this treatise was Kalu’s comment in an interview recently that all his harangues about Ndigbo to be the president in 2015, are not borne out of self-seeking purpose. This shows that he is in love with Ndigbo, not for selfish reasons, but for justice to prevail. Kalu derives no pleasure in watching Ndigbo suffering in a country that their forebears sprinkled their bloods for. This is not flatter, but a compliment to self-sacrifice, not for self-need, but for the needs of Ndigbo, who know no other tribute in Nigeria, than the third fiddle they are placed as, by those who do not mean well to them.

Known as a politician and business mogul, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu is more than this. These titles were ascribed to him due to the distinguished part of his social or public life that people know. But the dude is more than what people think he is. In the cause of penning this tract, some persons that were interviewed, said that Kalu is a humanist to the heart and a secret donor to the needy and the downtrodden that cut across the country, and does not like to amplify this area of his life. One of the persons was, however, pleading that Kalu should forgive all the persons that forced him to pull most of his businesses out of the country, which made over 20, 000 people lose their jobs. It may offend him discussing this in the media; but like Ndigbo would say, there is nothing hidden under the sun.

This is a man who has left the comfort of his zone to champion for the security and peace of Nigeria and by extension, for the emancipation of Ndigbo in the political progress of the country by 2015, with his pet project called and known as Njiko Igbo. This organisation now cuts across all divides of Europe, Asia, Africa and America.  Kalu sees the emergence of an Igbo presidency in 2015 as his last plan. What a man with meek, practical and humane heart!

He has never extolled himself for this selfless task, but keep on saying that Ndigbo have men and women of honour that the cap of president would fit. He would tell whoever, that he has no political aspirations for now, but to show love to Nigerians and, by large extent Ndigbo, in producing president of this country. He is calling on the Igbo to be very determined than ever.

The ex-Governor is not only talking about the Igbo to produce president, but that the marginalisation against his people has reached even to the Local Government Areas, whereas some surrogates of the current presidency are mistaking appointments of some persons from the Igbo extraction to mean that Ndigbo have been included in the things of governance in the country. The later persons do not realise that the LGAs in places like Kano and Gigawa States, are more than the whole LGAs in the whole of the five states of the South-East. This is the bane that Kalu has been tackling and making sure that they are redressed headlong.

Who could believe that the South-East is the only region in Nigeria that has only five states, whereas other five political regions have six states? What about just 15 senators that the South-east has out of 109-member Senate? Kalu sees these pitfalls in the political equation in the country as biased ensconce against Ndigbo. He sees the authorities undermining Ndigbo as hypocrisy of the highest order.

As a man who loves Ndigbo, he would say that Ndigbo love themselves. This is contrary to the hypocrisy in the country that Ndigbo do not love themselves. He would challenge this surrounding-substance by asking if all the tribes in the country love themselves. Why single out Ndigbo that they do not love themselves? Kalu sees this as hypocrisy and propaganda of the un-imaginable measure. Kalu has said that Igbo traders in the market love themselves, Igbo market men and women love themselves.

OUK does not only talk, but offers solution to solving the problems he sees in the country. He has told the authorities to stop any act of hypocrisy or system that makes a region to feel superior against the other; he has told the authorities to create avenues that would make Nigerians to love one another; he has advised the authorities to allow Ndigbo to be president and not a select of persons from other regions, because of fake regional population; he has said that the authorities should address the marginalisation in the Constitution for democracy in this country to reconcile.