Paranoia or Feel of Inadequacy, Not A True Reflection Of Facts About The South East – Dave Agwalla

Nothing can ever justify the kind of words emitting from the mouths of some of our political “leader/s” in recent times, both on national television & the floor of the NASS. Sincerely, am not sure that it’s always necessary or called for that one must struggle or rush to be heared or contribute to some national issues, especially when they are neither well informed nor adequately tutored about particular sensitive issues people are so passionate about. It should’nt be because others are contributing that we should rush or delve into matters that are beyond us, just to show or register presence. Silence can sometimes be golden.

A leader or representative of his people must be careful of what they say in public or among their peers. This is important in order not to antagonise, bring shame or embarrassment to the people they so represent. The need to constantly be in touch or develope effective liasons are necessary to reflect the people’s desires or carry them along at all times. This cannot be overempacised.

Issues as to whether it is proper for a serious “leader” to claim, at this time, to have “built a RUGA in 2001” when the people did not know what it was or himself the impliction or corrolation to current realities, raises some vital questions about awareness & concern.

Answers to questions of ability, preparedness, cohission or materials for Nigerian presidency from the southeast are too strong for the uninformed or pretenders to attempt. Suitability & good knowledge of the facts on ground are both important.

It is very important leaders excercise care & caution when they make certain statements capable of inciting hatred or that could put them in disrepute among their people. Some matters or questions are better left for leaders who have the facts to tackle. Talk is cheap, but puting down ones own people to please an audience is both regretable & unacceptable.

I recall an incident that happened early in the life of this republic, 2004 or thereabout. l was in company of some friends who were then serving HoR members when we decided to pay a curtesy visit on then PDP National Vice Chairman, South East, Chief Chukwu, in his Nicon Hotel room at Abuja.
While with him, we charted about a whole lot of issues including the need or it being the ripe time for a President of Igbo extraction to emerge & other national issues. It was a rowdy session. As we debates, a northern member of the party, PDP, walked in & after listening to us for a while, he interjected rather rudely, we thought. He asked me in particular; “if you are locked in a room right now with people who make presidents in Nigeria & asked to name, in 5 minutes, one person from the South East who can be made president, who will you say?” We stared at each other in that room. I was particularly dumbfounded & until he said the time was up, non of us south easterners in the room had an immediate or sponteneous answer to his rather sarcastic question. Not even the late Dr Alex Ekwueme who ran for the party’s presidencial primary election in ’99, came to mind.

That was then. Politics was just new & most good men/ women & old politicians who did not believe in the sincerity of the military to handover power to civilians in 1999, mainly due to the experiences of the past, stayed away from politics That infact accounted for the emergence of many people of questionable backgrounds & character as elected political leaders, especially in the south east. I say in the southeast because so much was expected from the new leaders given the level southeast had attained politicaly or before this republic.
There were actually a few good men in some elected positions, but they had yet to prove that they could be trusted at the time. That also may have accounted for my/our inability to give quick or spontenous answer to the qiestion from our northern friend.

That was then, but today if l am asked to name one person from the Igbo extraction who can be or make a good President, l will name at least 3 of them for you to pick from.
The answer will be so spontenous because so much have happenened between then & now. Very few citizens have proven themselves whithin the period under reference.

The 3 names that will readily come to my mind are all great Igbo leaders who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endevour & service to the people. Your guess may not be far from mine, but in no particular order, l will within the first 5 seconds name these consumate leaders, in no particular order;

1. Chief John Nnia Nwodo.
2. H. E. Gov. Dave Umahi.
3. Prof. Charles Soludo.

I can briefly say;
Chief Nwodo is a natural leader who started during his student days at Ibadan. He later served Nigeria meriteriously, first as a junior minister & later a full minister, both at very young age & the responsibilities he discharged so well. He is currently the President General of Ohaneze ndi Igbo worldwide, a position he has held most effectively & better than any other Igbo man, dead or alive, who had held that position . I have no doubt at all that he will be a great President of Nigeria if given the opportunity.

2. Governor Umahi of Ebonyi state is one Gov in a million. Though he presides over one of the poorest states in Nigeria, but he has really made so much difference, within the few years he’s been in power including putting Ebonyi state in the position, currentlt, of being the fastest devoloping state in this country, both in terms of infrastruture & human capital development. Achievements must be messured relative to the availability of resources.
He has paved more than 80% of the roads in the state capital, Abakaliki, with many flyovers, state of the art structures, edifices, the city is like daylight at night.
He has touched every facet of development; rural roads are not left out, electricity, agriculture, health care delivery, education & above all, peace. He is a humane & God fearing leader, with so much love for his people who celebrate him, like no other, at every given opportunity. If leadership will ever be based on record of achievements while in an elected position, Gov Umahi has himself to beat.
A great mind for Nigerian Presidency indeed.

3. Prof Soludo is a ditingushed Igbo leader who made his mark & carved a nitch for himself in the academia. He was a celebrated economics teacher & consulted for various world bodies.
He was the Central Bank Gov who innitiated great policies like the recapitalization of banks as well as other monetary policies that strenghtened the national economy. He later ran for the governorship position in Anambra state. He is well respected in Igbo land & is part of every serious Igbo gathering. He will definitely make a great President.

Let no one, for whatever reason, ever tell us we have no materials or not prepared to be President of Nigeria. Though talk is cheap, but some are so sensitive, disgausting, denegrading & too derogatory to be ignored.

No tribe, region or group contributes more to the national economy than the people of the south east. The people are no strangers to the union, having been there & played key roles in the fight for freedom, we are ever prepared & have people with more qualification than any other, to be President & move Nigeria to the next level.

May l state that the opinion expressed here are personal. They are not based on any personal relationship, afiliation or persuation.

There are many more of Igbo extraction who can be President, but listing them here would ‘ve denied me the opportunity of a quick response given the time allowed hence my picks.

Am proud to be Igbo!