Presidency: Selfish Igbo politicians deceived Jonathan – Elder statesman, Amechi

Undoubtedly, the general elections re-jigged many aspects of Nigeria’s politi­cal structure. Amid all the hue and cry, elder statesman and one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalists, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, took a cursory look at the whole process, and de­clared that “the campaigns for the election were at times acrimonious and at many instances less polite than expected. But I’m happy and the na­tion is happy that the nation has produced a re­sult which is generally accepted by the country and the international community.”

The First Republic Aviation Minister hosted HEN­RY OKONKWO recently at his country home in Ukpor, Anambra State where he spoke on the seem­ing political dilemma of Ndi-igbo, his first time en­counter with the president-elect General Muhamma­du Buhari and his advice to out-going president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Excerpts…

What can you say about the just conclud­ed election that produced Gen. Buhari as the president-elect of the country?
The campaigns for the election were at times ac­rimonious. And at many instances, less polite than expected. But I’m happy and Nigerians are happy that the nation has produced a result which is gen­erally accepted by the country and the international community. I give a great credit to President Jonathan for his action in promptly conceding victory to his opponent. That action alone brought peace in the country. If it had been otherwise, only God knows what would have been the result.
I was one of those who appealed to Ndi-igbo before the election to ignore the people who rush off to Abuja, to pledge support to President Jonathan even before he declared his intention to contest for second term. I argued that endorsing any presidential aspirant would sentence the Igbo to one particular candidate. And if the other candidate wins, the Igbo would be hard hit.
Some people wanted to do it through Ohanaeze. They wanted opportunity to remain as leaders of the Ohanaeze group. And they are rushing up to Abuja trying to mobilize people to tell Jonathan that all Igbo are 100 per cent behind him. That is why I summoned a meeting of Ohanaeze Council of Elders and other leaders of thought in Igbo land. I alerted them that this is a danger area that we are be­ing drifted to. So, we set up a caretaker com­mittee of Ohanaeze headed by one Igariwe, Joe Nwaogu and Eze Ilomuanya.
We issued a statement to Ndi-igbo. We re­minded and advised them that there are two major political parties in this contest-APC fielding Buhari, and PDP fielding President Jonathan. These two candidates need to come to us for us to discuss certain matters of particular interest to Ndi-igbo. That is, the neglect of Ndi-igbo by many governments including the current government. We sit­ed the decrepit Enugu-Onitsha expressway, the Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway. These are the only two major roads that transcend Igbo land, and yet these two roads are being neglected. Still they keep telling us cock and bull story about Second Niger bridge. Two, there is a question of rep­aration for Ndi-igbo for the atrocities against Ndi-igbo. A reparation committee was put in place, of which I was the chairman. We made our case to the president and there has been no reaction to it. We talked about the recommendation of Justice Oputa Commis­sion of inquires, which submitted a report on the atrocities against the Ndi-igbo. Obasanjo talked and never took action on it. Three, we wanted assurances or the plans for the protection of Igbo interests in other parts of Nigeria particularly the northern region. Be­cause our experience has been that anytime there is problem in other parts of Nigeria, it is the Igbo that are selected and killed. So, we wanted these two main candidates to come to us and discuss these pertinent areas.
But since they did not come to discuss it with us, for us to decide who to support, we issued a statement to Ndi-igbo. We took out a full page advertorial in The expdonaloaded blog, where we called Ndi-igbo to just pray in their house for divine direction, and then go out to vote and according to their conscience. We made it clear that we are not asking them to vote for any candidate.
That our action did save the Igbos, but painfully there are so many Igbo political opportunists, careerists and jobbers at Abuja who were close to the president. They told him what would please him and not what he should know. And they tried to keep away decent Igbo people from getting access to the president.
Well, we all see the outcome now. They have succeeded in pushing Jonathan into whatever fate he is facing now.
But again the result of the election, from my own personal assessment is a blessing to Ndi-igbo, even though the real core of Igbo leaders may not be involved in the govern­ment directly. But the generality of Ndi-ig­bo have been saved by the outcome of the election and by the action of the president, in promptly conceding victory to his opponent. If it had been otherwise, all indications show that there would have been a heavy rioting in the North. And in such situation, Igbos would be the prime target of murder. It is Igbos that would be deprived of their property. It is the Igbos that would be driven away back home.
So, in a way God has saved Nigeria in gen­eral and Ndi-igbo in particular with the result of the election and the action of the president.
The political scenario seems grim to Ndi-igbo. What should be their next line of action?
Buhari has promised that he is not going to be a president only for the people that voted for him. And that he would be a president for every Nigerian. That is how it should be. Nev­er mind that key positions and offices would naturally go to members of his party who have ideological affinity with him because they all drew up the programme.
But then a situation has arisen that has placed Ndi-igbo more in a position of irrel­evance in Nigeria. The presidency is in the North, the vice-presidency is in the West. The presidency is headed by a northerner, being aided by a westerner. The judiciary is headed by a northerner. Now the legislature should appropriately be headed by somebody from the South-East. But it is going to be difficult because I’m not aware if there is any elected senator on the platform of the party that won the majority in the National Assembly, or a two term senator who belongs to APC, from the East.
But the Legislature could be magnan­imous enough. They should be patriotic, peaceful and galvanizing enough to call an experienced senator from another party to lead the senate. It happens in few countries. But I don’t know if it could happen in Nige­ria. It is not going to be an easy proposition. But that is an option.
We are in a position where there is no Ig­boman heading the Armed Forces, Police, Navy, Legislature, Judiciary. It is a terrible situation for Ndi-igbo. And all I can tell them is that Igbo political actors should try to be a little more patriotic enough to forget their pockets and think more of the generality of the part of the country they come from, and the collective interest of Ndi-igbo, and the tomorrow of Ndi-igbo. If they don’t do that, only God knows the fate of Ndi-igbo in the coming years.
Today is a preparation for tomorrow. Hence, this is the time for Ndi-igbo to come together, and do a post mortem on their po­litical actions and activities in the last 20, 30 years. They should examine themselves and see where they have done it wrong and right. And prepare for the future. The fact they are down today does not mean that they are out forever. They could bounce back at some stage. God works in His own wonderful way.
Ndi-igbo could come back to relevance but the political leaders from Igbo land should try to be less selfish and more selfless, and think more of the general interest and the future of Ndi-igbo than their pockets.
As the curtain draws on the admin­istration of President Jonathan, what would be your advice to him as he leaves office?
President Jonathan would be recognised as a hero and a statesman. And as a man who ac­knowledges what God has done for him. He is one leader who became president without con­testing for it, which is a special blessing from God. God loves him. And so far he has shown gratitude to God for mercies and blessing on him. The role he would play for the country when he steps aside would be to calm the frayed nerves of the oil producing areas; because al­ready we have had a case of blowing up of oil pipeline following his loss at the polls. He has a tremendous job to do for Nigeria, history, and Africa by exerting his influence on the militant elements there....expdonaloaded.blogspot.com
They should give peace a chance. God has given them a chance which no one has ever had in this country, and they should be con­tented with that. They have thousands of their youths who are posted all over the world to learn different trades and disciplines. They are all coming back home, to be part of the country and the oil industry. So if they do anything to disrupt the peace of the country, it would only symbolise their myopia. They should be patri­otic enough to acknowledge that. They should allow the country grow while they grow. And I would advice Buhari to make use of Jonathan in that regard.
During your time in government, did you ever have a one-on-one encounter with Gen. Buhari?
No, I did not meet him. The only occasion I met with him was in 2006 during the Rush­die affair. The time an author, Salman Rush­die published a book, which Muslims found offensive. Protests erupted all over the world including Nigeria. And in the North, Muslims killed many Igbos. So with Ango Abduliahi and me, aided by Ibrahim Gusau, we arranged a meeting of Northern, Igbo leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders and political chieftains. We had a two-day meeting in Abuja. In that meeting, an agreement was reached and joint committees were set up to stop the killing of Ndi-igbo before Ndi-igbo in the East takes re­prisal action. That was how the killing stopped. It was only on that occasion that we sat together and discussed.
What impression did you have of him?
I see him as somebody who is genuinely interested in the peace and progress of the country. I see him as a statesman who is genuinely anti-corruption. Who is genuinely against massive stealing in public office. I see him as somebody who has demonstrated that when he was in office; when he headed the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), his actions were clean and clear. Everybody saw it. So, I see him as somebody who is very strict in discipline. When he was military head of state, he introduced War Against Indiscipline (WAI).
But many have argued that he is trib­al minded and a religious bigot?
I don’t believe that. He is just a good Muslim. I don’t know him as applying his Islam against any particular religion or tribe.