Senator Uche Chukwumerije
Frontline Igbo leader and a serving senator of the Federal Republic, Senator Uche Chukwumerije has called on the Igbo nation to unite in order to actualize their long-standing dream of ruling the nation in 2015.
The senator who represents PDP, Abia North at the National Assembly made this clarion call penultimate weekend to a selected audience of Ndigbo political elites at the 2012 end-of-year colloquium of the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), which took place at the Nike Lake Resort, Abakpa Nike, Enugu, under the theme: “Nigeria; in search of True Federalism.”
While speaking on the topic “Ndigbo and 2015: An exhortation,” Chukwumerije said: “Ndigbo are in trouble politically and unless very urgent and decisive remedies are summoned to tackle this unbecoming situation we will disappear completely from Nigeria’s political map.
He added that: ” Every other national group, big and small, but the Igbos, are currently unifying their ranks, realigning their forces, establishing linkages, creating alliances and girding their loins for the great political confrontation ahead. What do we witness in Igbo land other than disunity, inaction, inertia, silence? Can we continue to live like this, to abandon our homesteads for others to pollute, to confuse and to exploit?”
“‘The answer is capital no! We must take control of our political destiny; we cannot outsource it to any other person or group. To do so is to mortgage our existence, our future, and our place in Nigeria’s political history.”
“Ndigbo must make uncompromising bid for presidency in 2015 Ndigbo must make an unqualified, unapologetic and uncompromising bid for the Nigerian presidency in 2015. Failure to this will amount to political suicide. Our presidential bid has all required moral content.”
“It also has a geo-strategic value as well as a demographic force behind it. Even though Ndigbo are the largest single demographic group in Nigeria , we won’t be making an ethnic bid for power. We will be making a national bid, by talking to others, by convincing them about the imperative necessity of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, by establishing strategic partnerships, by counting on our goodwill built over the years and by expanding our political capital wisely and judiciously.
“A national bid for presidential power operates in the context of the existing political parties and formations and the aggregate interests they represent. Ndigbo are well represented in the PDP and can become even more relevant to the power dynamics and power relations in it if we do the right things and take the right steps.
“We cannot be strong outside in the rest of Nigeria without being strong at home. Our unity is the source of our strength but that unity is currently lacking among the Igbo elite.
“If we are united, no force, no matter how formidable it may be, will withstand our political resurgence, our political re-birth and a powerful bid for the presidency in 2015.
“Igbo must carry other Nigerians along The senator, who acknowledged that the Igbo cannot go it alone proffered elaborate strategies to actualize the objective. He said: “We cannot do this alone. We cannot accomplish our political project by ourselves alone. We need the support and understanding of others. We can never achieve this without effort, sacrifice and hard work.”
Speaking further, the seasoned politician believes that only unity and hard work can make their dream come true. Hear him: “Can we realize the goal of Igbo presidency in 2015? I honestly don’t know. Can we realize it in 2019? I also don’t know. Is any other group certain they will get it in 2015 or 2019? My answer is that if they are honest with themselves, they too don’t know. All I do know is that we will work very hard to attain this objective, we must do all that is needful to realize our aspiration.
“Let us have a good political fight, let us render a good account of ourselves; let us say no to thunder and the other elements. Let us believe that we can, not by just mouthing it as a phrase or a slogan, but by working out our socks off beginning from today,” he added.
Notable persons honoured at the colloquium include: literary doyen, Professor Chinua Achebe, Dr Okechukwu Ikejiani, and Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu for making Ndigbo and Nigeria at large proud. Also honoured at the event were former leaders of Ohanaeze , Justice Eze Ozobu and Dozie Ikedife, Prince Emeka Onyesoh of Nri Kingdom and Rev. Ukandu Ucheya.
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