January 19, 2025


Ohaneze Ndigbo crisis: How South East lost chance of a 6th state offered by President Buhari – Uche Okwukwu
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One of the contenders for the president-general seat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Okwukwu, in an explosive interview in Port Harcourt revealed how South East lost a 6th state offered them on a platter of gold by then President Mohammadu Buhari due to pettiness. He told IGNATIUS CHUKWU how money tears Ohanaeze to pieces and highlighted what Igbos must do to move ahead. He also spoke on many issues concerning the Igbo nation. Excerpts:

Can you please introduce yourself the way you want to be recognised?

My name is Dim Uche Nnam Okwukwu from Elele in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.





How money tears Ohanaeze Ndigbo apart


Why did Igbo fail to get one more state from Buhari?

The third is in keeping with the recommendation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo recommending of an Aba State. We shall demand for the creation of Aba State from the South-East and creation of Anioma State out of Delta State.

Now, what happened about Aba State is the source of the conflict we are having today. In 2018, the then President met with Igbo leaders and Yoruba leaders and said he understood the pains of the Igbo and the Yorubas. That the Igbos has bitterly complained that they were denied state and the federal amenities that go with state creation. He said state capitals get many federal amenities such as federal medical centres, universities and polytechnics, etc. but that the Igbos have only five states whereas all other former provinces have six or seven states. It is same in representation in national bodies such as Senate and House of Representatives. For the Yoruba, he promised to recognise the late MKO Abiola to pacify them. By these proposed steps, he felt he would have pacified the Igbo and Yoruba.

We Ohanaeze came back home and recommended Aba State out of 18 demands. Nnia Nwodo, who was then the president-gneral, was not happy. He said the reason for which he worked hard to become president-general of Ohanaeze was to fight for the creation of Adada State. We had argued that the old Anambra had three state capitals that attract federal amenities (Abakaliki, Enugu, and Awka). The Old Imo have only two; Umuahia and Owerri. If you create Adada State and get another capital, you make old Anambra to have four capitals against Old Imo with same two capitals. There is nothing to show that they are more in number. This would be gross injustice. Only Imo State has 27 LGAs, whereas Ebonyi has only 10. The military handed states as favours to Generals. It has nothing to do with merit or justice of justiciability. We recommended Aba State, but Nwodo never submitted that recommendation to this day. President Buhari waited for it and had to recognise Abiola and conferred him posthumously with GCFR (Grand Commander of the Federal republic). The matter of the pacification of the Igbo was lost.

Another vexed issue was who was Ohanaeze going to adopt in 2019? My position was, do not adopt anybody. Nwodo insisted it must be Abubakar Atiku, and I said no. My reason was that Buhari was doing four years from the North. If we supported Atiku, the north would do another eight years with him. But if we supported Buhari, he would do only four years and go. Atiku is a Fulani, Moslem, and north. Buhari is same. It was a choice between two brothers. We should allow Buhari to finish and go so power will come back to the South. Let us negotiate power. He (Nwodo) went ahead to adopt Atiku, the Yoruba’s seized the opportunity and supported Buhari and negotiated themselves into power. That’s how we lost out again. The way it is today, if Asiwaju rules for eight years and goes, power will go back to the north. Before it comes back to the south or South-East, it will be 2039 by which time, a lot of people would have died.

Now, why do I say this, if we keep saying what somebody did to you, also say the one you did to yourself. We are not strategic in thinking.

The fourth thing I will do is very important. Ndigbo must create a council of elders or a mediation committee in conflicts in Igboland. When there was this type of conflict in 2021, the Conference of Archbishops and Bishops led by an Archbishop, Emmanuel Chukwuma of the Ecclesiastical Diocese of Enugu and Alternate Chairman, Bishop Anthony Obinna of the Catholic Diocese of Owerri with Bishop Chibuzo Okpoko of Umuahia as secretary, came on board to resolve it, and they resolved it, but power blocs did not agree. See what the bishops said about me, asking them to swear me in as deputy president. A lot of people do not know what I stand for.

From experience, Igbos must have a mediation into conflicts just as in Yoruba that resolved the problem between Fredrick Fasehun and Gani Adams. Today, the problem Simon Ekpa and Nnamdi Kanu was not resolved. Ekpa is pursuing ‘unknown gunmen agenda’ while Kanu is pursuing Biafra. That conflict is what has led us to where we are with lots of killings. No ethnic group can survive without mediation. There must be people who stand in the gap, if anything happens, they can say, all of you, go to Abiriba and see Ebitu Ukiwe. When Ukiwe turned 80, I wrote that people must respect him as Aka Ji Ofor Ndigbo (Hand that holds Igbo Conscience).

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Thus, an ethnic group that does not have someone they respect is finished, whether the man is right or wrong. Let us believe in him and respect him. There is no person that is right in this world. We will have a standing mediation committee that can intervene in serious matters. Look at the problem between Rochas Okorocha and Gov Hope Uzodinma to the extent that Uzodinma went and destroyed personal house of Okorocha on Concord Avenue. It shouldn’t have happened if we had that kind of body. There must be ‘give and take’. But Peter Fayose became campaign manager of Asiwaju. Rotimi Akeredolu did the same. The Yorubas have a way of managing their problem. See what they did at the APC Convention in Abuja, they closed ranks to ensure Asiwaju emerged. If it was here, Igbos would carry it on their heads that their man was a drug baron, that he had no father, etc, that he had no WAEC, no degree. The Yorubas held tight, and no person released any document. If it was here, somebody would produce those documents.

Nnamdi Kalu came to me when I was secretary-general but I told him no, stop calling some prominent Igbos bastard even if their parentage is doubtful. There are things you don’t say. Today, there are lots of men who are not the children of the fathers they claim. Some are even more successful in the society. So, those people you were calling bastards are the ones that would have put word to release you.

If Igbos close ranks today, they will release Kalu but the Igbos have closed their mouth. These are my personal views. There are allegations today of the man that provided the plane that brought him to Nigeria. I do not have proof.

So, we must have a mediation committee that can caution you on what to say and not to say, so we can have one united Igbo.

I am happy today Ikwerre people are coming out to say they are Igbo and want to be president of Ohanaeze. Oh, it is like, this mad man 20 years ago saw what we did not see. Now they are shouting they are Igbo.

But Ogbakor Ikwerre is still insulting John Mbata for claiming to be president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo?

The truth is, how far would Ogbakor Ikwerre go? We have passed this stage. I am the one that wrote several articles that we are Igbo. What I want to say is this, anybody who says he is from Bini should quietly go back to Bini. No fight about it. This is Igboland. You cannot be talking about Isiokpo, Omerelu, Rumuji, and these names, and you are calling them Bini. They are not Bini names. One day, the president-general of Ogbakor Ikwerre will realise. I sympathise with him. When he realises, he will come.

Igbos must come home to invest.

The fifth thing the Igbos must do is that Ohanaeze Ndigbo must be at the vanguard that Igbos come home to invest. I went to Mbaise to see the professor, Uzodinma Nwala, first professor on earth of Igbo Philosophy. He is the man who introduced Igbo Philosophy in the world. He is over 80 years. At the front of the local government, there are no tarred roads, but every house you see in Mbaise is a mansion in the bush. The question is, why not come home to put your own community in order? Why are you investing and developing in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, Makurdi, Abeokuta, etc. Why is 75% of property in Abuja belongs to Igbos? Sorry, it’s not a plus. This is my personal opinion. If Nigerians today are going to Dubai on holiday, they can come to Igboland if we bring home the wealth in other cities in Nigeria. People go on holiday to Kenya.

Everybody was leaving other cities to go to Owerri which was becoming Las Vegas. Today, they have used ‘Sit-At-Home’ to destroy Owerri.

Everybody has run away from Owerri with unknown gunmen. If Igboland was growing the way it was growing, the place would have been like Los Angeles.

This brings us to another agenda: Ohanaeze being in the forefront of fight for peace in Igboland. We must carry out disarmament of our youths that are holding guns; their rehabilitation and reintegration. Else, nothing will work in Igboland. Orlu was growing as a pharmaceutical hub and also for paints and aluminum. But all that has crashed. Ohanaeze must lead the campaign for return of peace in Igboland.

Finally, Ohanaeze must negotiate with the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kalu, and he must accept to lead the peace campaign. There is a condition for every bail, even in the police station, an undertaking. A lot of people are exploiting the name Nnamdi Kanu to commit crimes which he did not send them to do. The boys just say, they are holding our leader. They hide under it to commit havoc. This appeals to the vulnerable minds. So, release him, let him lead in healing the land.

The Igbos in the diaspora must be united and be strong. The strength of the Jews is the Jewish Congress. The Igbos abroad must work to foster Igbo dignity. Ohanaeze must collaborate the World Igbo Congress so that back home, we can improve human capital development, science and tech.

My last pursuit, Ohanaeze must develop strategies with local governments and states for agric development. A situation where 95% of food eaten in the east comes from other regions is catastrophic. A people that cannot feed themselves are doomed. Nobody can tell me we don’t have fertile lands in Igboland; from Etche to Ngor Okpala; from Elele to Owerri; from Elele to Egbema; from Obigbo to Aba; from Okigwe to Enugu. No land is not fertile. If the state of Israel that sits on rocky land can export food, every country can produce food. I am of the opinion that if we achieve these things, Igboland will be a new place and the next executive will build or improve on this.

As president, I will work to remove the title of president general. Any title that scares your people is not good. Why not just Leader or chairman of Ohanaeze just like Leader of Afenifere. General or President scares people. Word can enter your head to think you can cause trouble. Your title should pull you to your people, not pull you away. Igbos should be able to draw close to their leaders and ask them questions. I blame the elites that do not come into Ohanaeze. Journalists do not occupy the position of Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze. Publicity is a specialised area not to be left to novices. Same with financial secretary that should be a chartered accountant. I may be wrong in this call but we have manpower. We call people in Ohanaeze thieves but we fall back on them. Imagine if Ohanaeze is in the presidency and the Minister of Information is facing the Publicity secretary of Ohanaeze as someone who is higher than the Minister in the profession, the minister would be careful.

When I was shouting that people should come into Ohanaeze, they thought I was mad. Now, they see what I saw. Let educated people rush in now. How much is the monthly due, just about N20. You can pay for a year N240. Attend your local meetings and not leave it to others. It is the largest socio-cultural organisation in the world with 150m people. When we (Ojukwu, Uwazuruike, and I) went to the US in 2001 there were 5m Igbos in the US. How come people with this kind of population be carefree with their destiny!

Today, the support I have from the Diaspora is heavy. Google it. I was shouting to them to participate. Governors use Ohanaeze and will drop them. IPOB has declared support for me. They call them names I say no, understand them.

Can John Mbata face the fire that Igbos face?

He cannot. He is too pro-establishment. He cannot support secession but I do. It’s not a crime to ask to secede. If you read the History of Secession in Nigeria by Tekena Tamuno, you will see that Igbos are late comers to the agitation. The Yorubas demanded for secession in 1963, the Hausas demanded for secession in 1914, the Middle Belt insisted on it. The first time an Igbo man asked for secession was in 1965 by Frank Opigo on the floor of the House of Representatives that the east should pull out of Nigeria. Why would you persecute anybody asking for secession except the person is carrying guns. Right to self-determination is sustained in the law. Court of Appeal of Kenya has ruled on it as a right. Countries in the world have included the right to secede in their constitutions. Ethiopia is one. Russia had it in their constitution and that was why they were able to break into 53 republics. I believe in the right for secession if a man is not satisfied. After all that amalgamated us have included it and Scotland has gone for it twice. That is why I say that intellectuals must lead the struggle. The man leading the struggle for the right of secession of the Yoruba people is a professor of history.

What they are doing to Kalu will not be so if he was a professor of international relations. The problem is a small man is leading it.

Can Mbata talk of marginalisation of Igbos in Nigeria? He does not have what it takes. When the fire starts, he will not be there. What if they go to the census and undercount the east, can he raise fire. A businessman cannot do that. It is only in Igboland a business man wants to be a traditional ruler. He makes money in Lagos and comes to his community to be an Eze. He goes to the state government and pumps money and they create few compounds for him as autonomous community as king or Eze. He is a traditional ruler, a politician, a businessman. The billionaires in Yorubaland are not interested in being traditional rulers. The militants in Yorubaland are not traditional rulers but here, most of them are. So, all the fight you fought is to become a traditional ruler and wear big clothes? Does it make sense?

Any advice to John Mbata?

Harken to the voice of reason and accept that there was no election in Enugu. Let him allow those who can take the bullet to lead. Ndigbo are not yet a free people; it’s not everybody that can lead them. Generals fight the war but administrators come to administer the land. In Biafra, the Ben Nwabuezes did not come but the Achuzias did. The professors wait so the generals fight and maybe die. The Igbos are facing existential threat (battle of survival). It’s not uhuru. The governors are playing to the gallery. You cannot rig election in Kano but you sit in government house and write election results. Even when Peter Obi won everywhere in South East, would it give him the presidency? The answer is no, and they knew it ahead.

Igboland is ruled by four parties: Imo and Ebonyi are APC, Anambra is APGA, Enugu is PDP, Abia is Labour. So, four manifestos are facing Igboland. Each governor is in contestation against the other for political space. During election, each governor goes to help win election in the other state. How can such people speak with one voice. Each will fight to win the other. It’s hegemonic contestation for power.

People close to you say you went to Mbata to ask him to support you, the next thing you heard was he was contesting. Is that kind of rumour true?

Yes; I did go to him to support me. I also went to other important personalities. He never knew that Ohanaeze zoned presidency to Rivers State. I went to all Ikwerre sons to support me and it is right and proper because even in any circumstance, people go to get help to accomplish any task. The truth is I do not have money but even a man that wants to marry, you take drinks to relations. We are a communal people.

At what point did he then decide to contest against you?

They said it was the governors and they were the ones that brought all the officers. They say the governors did the harmonisation of list, but for 21 officers to emerge from consensus is highly suspicious.

People ask me if I was amenable to resolution. I have said yes, if there is a credible committee that is ready to understand the issues and face the facts, not by wish-wash anything. Now, non-royal families twist things and become Eze. They do not have royal blood but they are now Onyenwe-ala (owner of the land). I want peace and I do not want Rivers State tenure to be in pieces. Now, we have three presidents-general.

Money is their god. Pettiness is their trademark.

duro4chang:
Money is their god. Pettiness is their trademark.

Good that they work for the money and do not kill others to use their head and parts for ritual like your people do, money is your satan.

If you believe Buhari was actually going to create a 6th state in the Southeast, then I have a fighter jet to sell you

Intelligent

Wow, very explosive and informative interview.


Nlfpmod please take this to the promise land.


This is the kind of things Igbos should be reading, we Igbos truly need to do better in terms of Nigerian politics and Igbo leadership in general.


Beautiful words from Okwukwu

duro4chang:
Money is their god. Pettiness is their trademark.

Yet you can't bribe Kanu

If you believe this rubbish then you have below 50 IQ honestly

Buhari offered igbos 1 extra states?

Let's assume this is true... There are list of Igbo state's demands

Adada
Orashi
Anioma
Aba state
Etiti states

So why not just pick one? Lmaooo

duro4chang:
Money is their god. Pettiness is their trademark.

Igbos are hard working and don't eat human hearts as a delicacy to appease one deity or the other, Igbos do engage in skull mining. Igbos do t export skulls nor do they export skull mining technology to other regions like you Yorubads do.

Igbos are not head hunters like you do in your place and now other parts of the country.


Leave Ohaneze Politics for them to play, it's an umunna thing, you don't know that one.

The loser you're quoting can say anything because he lost the Ohaneze election, we've seen some of the reasons why delegates refused to vote for him......

Enjoyable piece I must say.

Buhari who in his stupidity called Igbos 5% thinking his useless tenure will never expire couldn't have given Igbos an additional state.

For those who don't know, President doesn't have such powers however, it's only possible through the national assembly......

Igbos are not worried about how many states, Yorubas and Northerners that have many states are suffering more than Igbos, so of what use is an additional state from a tyrant?

Igbos hv only 3 states..imo, Abia and ebonyi. Anambra and Enugu are originally own by igala

Useless journalism.. a president doesnt have power to unilaterally create a local govt let alone a state. For a state to be created, 2/3 of NASS must approve and 2/3 of state assemblies must approve..

He never called Igbo 5%, it was misinterpreted. What he said was that those that gave him 5% votes will not benefits much from his rule

powerkey:
Buhari who in his stupidity called Igbos 5% thinking his useless tenure will never expire couldn't have given Igbos an additional state.

For those who don't know, President doesn't have such powers however, it's only possible through the national assembly......

Igbos are not worried about how many states, Yorubas and Northerners that have many states are suffering more than Igbos, so of what use is an additional state from a tyrant?

He never called Igbo 5%, it was misinterpreted. What he said was that those that gave him 5% votes will not benefits much from his rule

mrvitalis:
If you believe this rubbish then you have below 50 IQ honestly

Buhari offered igbos 1 extra states?

Let's assume this is true... There are list of Igbo state's demands

Adada
Orashi
Anioma
Aba state
Etiti states

So why not just pick one? Lmaooo

If Buhari picked one from the bucket list arbitrarily and without consultation, you'd be among the hordes that would cry their voices hoarse, raining curses on him and calling him a dictator. Now, according to the article, Buhari has done what every responsible leader ought to do.

The yorubas were smart enough to key in while our elders sat crossed legs under Isis I udala, playing ncholokoto.

Forget about Buhari and introspect on the man's message. Ndi Igbo need to be more organized and strategic.

calaway:

Good that they work for the money and do not kill others to use their head and parts for ritual like your people do, money is your satan.

okija says hi

Svoboda:


If Buhari picked one from the bucket list arbitrarily and without consultation, you'd be among the hordes that would cry their voices hoarse, raining curses on him and calling him a dictator. Now, according to the article, Buhari has done what every responsible leader ought to do.

The yorubas were smart enough to key in while our elders sat crossed legs under Isis I udala, playing ncholokoto.

Forget about Buhari and introspect on the man's message. Ndi Igbo need to be more organized and strategic.

Yoruba elders keyed in where is your own state?
Lmaooo oga there is no tribe more united than igbos in Nigeria I dare you to name one

The things we have demanded for with one voice how far?

Godwin4444:
okija says hi

Use ur lieing tongue to count your rotten teeth

[b]My reason was that Buhari was doing four years from the North. If we supported Atiku, the north would do another eight years with him. But if we supported Buhari, he would do only four years and go. Atiku is a Fulani, Moslem, and north. Buhari is same. It was a choice between two brothers. We should allow Buhari to finish and go so power will come back to the South. Let us negotiate power. He (Nwodo) went ahead to adopt Atiku, the Yoruba’s seized the opportunity and supported Buhari and negotiated themselves into power. That’s how we lost out again. The way it is today, if Asiwaju rules for eight years and goes, power will go back to the north. Before it comes back to the south or South-East, it will be 2039 by which time, a lot of [/b]people would have died.


This is a very logical n reasonable analysis that the south west used then n the north is definitely going to use now.

For the Igbos who believe they will pally with the north in 2027 to get presidency.

This is the same way d north will reason, it pays them to allow tinubu finish his second tenure and have it back in d north rather than give it to obi n wait for another 8 years making 12 years of waiting

So to those Igbos planning to run to the north in 2027



Cc
Validated
Presidobi
Zeuss
Gidgiddy
Bobloco
Mrvitalis
Streetinvestor2
IGBOPROMISE1 n all other Igbos who believe north will wait for 12 years out of power

mrvitalis:

Yoruba elders keyed in where is your own state?
Lmaooo oga there is no tribe more united than igbos in Nigeria I dare you to name one

The things we have demanded for with one voice how far?

I pray we are truly united sir. But on that state creation, I believe Okwukwu.

calaway:

Use ur lieing tongue to count your rotten teeth

u people have been bursted that your ESN n ugm are killing people to harvest their organs

Svoboda:


I pray we are truly united sir. But on that state creation, I believe Okwukwu.

There is only two igbo state that makes sense

Anioma and Orashi the rest are nothing but greed driven

The Igbos do not want further balkanization of South East. Im from Enugu but I do not support Adada state and most Nsukka people don't want it either. Only politicians want it.
What we want is Anioma state. That will open the south-western frontier of Igboland and put an end to unnecessary identity crisis within our ethnic nation.

Godwin4444:
u people have been bursted that your ESN n ugm are killing people to harvest their organs

Ok

kestolove95:
Igbos hv only 3 states..imo, Abia and ebonyi. Anambra and Enugu are originally own by igala

Don't forget idoma

mrvitalis:

There is only two igbo state that makes sense

Anioma and Orashi the rest are nothing but greed driven

Yes. I concur. Orashi was being championed by late prof nwabueze.

powerkey:


Igbos are hard working and don't eat human hearts as a delicacy to appease one deity or the other, Igbos do engage in skull mining. Igbos do t export skulls nor do they export skull mining technology to other regions like you Yorubads do.

Igbos are not head hunters like you do in your place and now other parts of the country.


Leave Ohaneze Politics for them to play, it's an umunna thing, you don't know that one.

The loser you're quoting can say anything because he lost the Ohaneze election, we've seen some of the reasons why delegates refused to vote for him......

Uche Okwukwu is radical and controversial figure even if he contest for that post ten times nobody will vote for him except his online ipob affliated supporters who have no voting right in Ohanaeze.

Buhari offer the east anything good? Lol do not be deceived

stonemasonn:
If you believe Buhari was actually going to create a 6th state in the Southeast, then I have a fighter jet to sell you

That is the problem , why didn’t they submit it first and see if he will create it or not. They won’t lose anything for submitting the name. This same thing happen with student loan , when every region were busy putting in their names , the Igbos were busy shouting na fake news until when it was almost too late.

mrvitalis:
If you believe this rubbish then you have below 50 IQ honestly

Buhari offered igbos 1 extra states?

Let's assume this is true... There are list of Igbo state's demands

Adada
Orashi
Anioma
Aba state
Etiti states

So why not just pick one? Lmaooo

You mean he should just choose without the approval of the people concerned ? He was not a military regime Buhari oooo. They should have simply reach a consensus And submit one name to him