IPOB: Igbo have never had honest leaders… Zik’s greed landed us in present mess

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says Nnamdi Azikiwe’s quest for power and his “greed” to rub shoulders with the western leaders put Ndigbo in the “mess they found themselves”.

Known as the “father of Nigerian nationalism”, Azikiwe was among the leaders who fought for the independence of Nigeria.

Better known as Zik, the top politician commanded respect in his lifetime and even after he died.

But Emma Powerful, IPOB spokesman, who admitted that Zik was a brilliant man, blamed him for some of the woes the south-easterners are facing.

He said northern leaders were satisfied with being ruled by the British and were not ready for independence, but Zik was among those who persuaded them to embrace independence.

Powerful said the “unproductive ambition” made the south to end up being led by people whose “value system is irreconcilable with theirs”.

He said while the north was stabilsing its region, Zik was busy dreaming of leading an empire the British built.

Alleging that Igbo people have never had honest leaders, Powerful said the current set of leaders are also driven by the “inordinate ambition” to rule Nigeria.

“Zik, despite his undoubted brilliance, was not a very good politician. He remains till date the only person that led an independence struggle and never got the chance to lead the country after independence,” he said.

“Unfortunately, present day Igbo leaders have continued in that failed politics of Zik. The only way out is to dissolve Nigeria, anything short is cosmetic and will be resisted by IPOB.

“Hausa Fulani caliphates of the North were happy being ruled by the British people and were not ready for independence. It was Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and co that persuaded the north to embrace independence struggle even when it was obvious they never wanted to form a country with the south. This led to the atrocious demand from them which Zik acquiesced to, that the North should be given political power.

“Zik was naive in thinking Britain were going to hand over power to him. Zik’s dream and greed to lead the world’s biggest black nation just to rub shoulders with the western leaders put us in this mess. It was that unrealizable aspiration and unproductive ambition that ensured we ended up being led by people whose value system is irreconcilable with ours.

“The issue is not about Igbo leaders not doing enough to promote Igbo interest, the problem is that Igbo leaders are actively engaged in the undermining of collective Igbo interest. With the notable exception of Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, the rest are mere errand boys for Abuja and the caliphate.”

Powerful said the leadership problem in the south-east started after the Biafra war led by the late Odimegwu Ojukwu.

“From the alleged imposition of the traitor Ukpabi Asika as the governor of the then East Central State, mind you he openly campaigned alongside Yakubu Gowon against Ojukwu, Igbos have never had good honest leaders,” he said.

“They have honest social critics and commentators but rarely good leaders. Every leader you see in Igboland today was placed in office by the caliphate.

“The Fulani caliphate decides who becomes governor, senator, Ohanaeze Ndigbo president general and so on. What you have in Igboland are hungry informants masquerading as leaders. These supposedly Igbo leaders are on record as being the first set of people to condemn IPOB and invite soldiers to come and kill Biafrans.

“Many people don’t know that IPOB has even more significant presence in Igweocha (Rivers State) than anywhere else in Biafraland but you don’t hear Ijaw, Ikwerre Igbo, Ndoni or even Ogoni politicians castigate IPOB the way Igbo politicians do on a regular basis. That tells you all you need to know about where their loyalty lies.

“Yoruba elders never publicly condemned OPC, Arewa Consultative Forum, till date they have not offered any categorical condemnation of Boko Haram and herdsmen but Igbo leaders themselves canvassed for this government to deploy soldiers to the south-east to kill innocent agitators. These same leaders never ran to Buhari to send soldiers to stop herdsmen from slaughtering our people all over Enugu state.

“But when it came to IPOB agitating to free everybody from the Nigerian bondage we all are in, they found the courage to invite the army to invade Igboland. That is why today, we are discussing cows instead of industries, science and technology. We are begging them to stop killing their fellow Nigerians. We are begging them to allow the existence of Nigeria to be renegotiated into acceptable standard of governance to usher in political stability, economic growth and modern development just to say the least.”