Road To Presidency 2027: Igbo’s Leadership, Perspective, Problem & Solution

By Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene

President, why do some Ndigbo feel superior than others? Are they not from the same southeast or is it because of differences in language or are there other tribes in Igbo land?

it is laughable. It is only just some Ndigbo that are claiming to be superior to others through their state of origin.

The Yoruba and Hausa are not so. Those tribes have different ideas. Clearly, the reason the Yorubas succeed in politics is because the issue of state of origin doesn’t arise among themselves. What is important is your name. How does it relate with the Yoruba names and the language?

You must flow with the language whether you are from Benin or Côte d’Ivoire.

Call him a Sierra Leonean or call him a  Brazilian. Above all, what matters in Yoruba is your name and the language.

Ogun State where you have 70 percent of prominent men in Yoruba land never claim to be superior to any other Yoruba men and women who are from other states.

Instead, all of them claim to be Lagosians to achieve their political ambitions and succeed in their various areas of business.

For example, there are those who are lamenting that they are real Lagosians but have been pushed to the edge of politics because the whole of south West came together and saw their culture and tradition as one.

They therefore claim to be son of the soil in Lagos. If you want to find out, you can go and meet Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo. He will brief you more.

Today, the Yoruba are in charge of Nigeria’s government including the most vibrant State in the country which is Lagos. That is the benefit of peoples’ culture and tradition, undiluted.

Yes, for me, Anambra is the pride of Ndigbo.

In all associations, anything Ndigbo is doing in anywhere in the world, Anambra people always come out en-mass to support financially and ensure that success is achieved.

But that does not mean that individually, they are superior than other Igbo men.

However, the most worrisome aspect of it is that a few Anambra men and women who are greedy including some who are hanging up in Alaba International Market Road,  looking for people who want to buy television sets so that they would add N3000 or N5000 to earn their living, are the ones claiming to be superior to other Igbo men who are not from Anambra State {Ndi oso ahaia}.

The height of greediness was exhibited by an Anambra person who is a former head of all the Ohanaeze Ndigbo women.

She came back to beg for provost or PRO or deputy welfare as her next office in the Ohanaeze election.

But the billionaires from Anambra are calm. They see themselves as Igbo man apart from those who are rich in physically but not in spirit.

Example is a renowned transporter and Chairman of Chisco Group of Companies, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu, Charles Odunukwe {Chardon}, Chief Mike Ome etc.

The doors of these great men are always opened. They are multi-billionaires from Anambra State.

They eat and dine with common people.

They don’t mind eating with low-level people on the streets.

I can testify to this because they are my very close friends who I can visit without even calling them. There are many others not mentioned here.

Importantly, these Anambra billionaires don’t listen to gossip of any kind. They don’t relate with people based on their state of origin.

They see every Igbo person as one. Therefore, Ndigbo, we must think deeply and plan very well if we are aspiring to be Israelites in the next generation.

It is noteworthy that millionaires and billionaires from Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, and Delta States are not helping. The majority of them who are already successful keep low-level Ndigbo, who are even from the same family, at bay.

Except on an occasion in the village, some of their family members, not to talk of age group,  find it difficult to see them.

Whenever they give you an appointment, you can be there from 10 am to 5 pm without seeing them.

Sometimes, such appointments will be postponed. The worst of all is that sometimes, they will not even pick up your calls.

But if they find out that you are a successful man or woman like they are, they would be the ones calling, instructing their security guards to open the gate for proper packaging and display.

The display of these characters by these few successful men from the states listed above is a function of a lack of wisdom and common sense. Once such individuals get to leadership, they would mess it up within a short period. Such individuals can only make a profit in the office for personal use.

So, quality leadership is the key to addressing these issues. In the cities where those people reside, they always do their things strictly by invitation. But men from Anambra state who are millionaires and billionaires carry their people along. They don’t segregate. Though in every 12, there is always Judas. But their judas, in this direction, is not too obvious.

Anambra big men can also boast of how many people they have made millionaires and billionaires in different currencies.

They make some of their businesses open to their people and even offer guidance to whoever is interested to succeed in the business they initiated as founders.

They attend their village meetings with common people. Those who cannot attend send financial support.

These Anambra billionaires also show compassionate concern towards their traditional rulers in their various villages and towns. These are what I expect from the successful people from Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Delta states.

But it is only about 5 per cent of the millionaires and billionaires in  Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Delta and Enugu states that are doing what Anambra successful men are doing. An example is Chief, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, who is the sponsor of most of the events of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos and Honourable Linus Okorie who funded the election of Ohanaeze Lagos in 2018.

He also provided the money with which the first  Ohanaeze Ndigbo secretariat in Lagos -Igbo House, was achieved.

These two gentlemen did this without personal interest but for Igbo interest.

These successful people from these five states, Ebonyi, Abia and Delta prefer having Anambra successful men as their family members and friends than those who come from their States, except if you are like them.

Notably, in December, they attended over  75 per cent of events of Anambra’s successful men. If given a chance, they can even act as an usher just to belong to the guest list in the family of Anambra successful men.

With the  95 per cent of successful men from those five states mentioned above, I can assure you that some of them are suffering from an inferiority complex. That is why they cannot identify with their fellow brothers and family members because they didn’t believe they could be where they are today.

But that is God for you.

Again, when you go into all the states, you will see an Abiriba man showing to be superior to Umuahia. In Enugu State, the people from Udi will be showing how they are more important than Nsukka.

In Imo state, an Orlu man will be telling you how superior he is to a Mbaise man.

In Anambra, some Nnewi people will tell you that the most foolish Nnewi man is the wisest man in Ozubulu. These challenges are all over the States. Ndigbo, our problems are many.

These are some of the major problems Ndigbo have that we need quality leadership to address and bring everybody together.

During the time Akanu Ibiam, an Ebonyi man who was the founder of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, met with  Nnamdi Azikiwe from Anambra State to support him in achieving the vision of Ohanaeze immediately he conceived the idea. Today, Ohanaeze Ndigbo is all over the world.

Every Igbo man has his qualities, individually.

I, Solomon Ogbonna, President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, contested the Ohanaeze election with an Anambra man and I defeated him with a large margin, the kind that has never happened in any Ohanaeze election. So, every Igbo man and woman is the same.

Individually, a position can be bigger than the other or you could have more money, and property including biological children. But that does not make you to be superior to your fellow Igbo men and women no matter the State you come from in the southeast or your success in life.

There is no fake Igbo man or woman.

Ndigbo, we need a quality leader and we have it. What we need is to bring the person to the platform of leadership before 2027.

Ndigbo, it is also a must that we go back to our culture and tradition. That is the master key if we need our general progress for our future and generation yet unborn. We are one family. No Igbo man is from a different family. The states are just mere political demographics.

Written by Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos – Edited by Hamisu Ado Nguru