Title THE SOUTHEAST TODAY: THE WAY FORWARD
Editors: Professors A.O.E Animalu, P.O. Ngoddy and P.A Nwachukwu.
Publishers: Conference of Democratic Scholars (CODES), Nigeria.
No of pages: 128 Pages.
Price: Not Stated.
Reviewer: Dons Eze.
The book contains a series of lectures and papers, which deal on the related theme of the predicament of the peoples of South-East in the Nigerian Federation, and it is published under the auspices of the Conference of Democratic Scholars (CODES) Nigeria..
The nagging problems of the Nationalities Question and Democracy within the context of the Nigeria nation, led some democratic-minded intellectuals in Nigeria to come together under the umbrella of CODES to seek a way out. The group, with Professor Uzodinma Nwala as its interim president, was worried that the collective indifference of scholars to the game of politics has resulted not only in the lack of proper articulation of the dialectics of multi-ethnicity and democracy in Nigeria, but also in the failure of the Nigerian state itself to find its intellectual, moral and spiritual bearing in the process of democratization and development.
In the light of the above, CODES believes that the survival of the Nigerian project and the social and economic emancipation of the South-East and other disadvantaged peoples and, indeed, the entire citizenry of the country depends on a leadership imbued with intellectual and moral authority, fostered in democratic political and economic environment. The modern intelligentsia has a historic role to play just as its forbears did in confronting colonial rule.
It is in pursuit of its agenda, that CODES instituted a public enlightenment lecture series based on its five cardinal principles of Political Emancipation, Economic Survival, Cultural and National Integration, the Nationalities Question in Nigeria and Education, Science and Technology.
The renowned Energy Physicist and Mathematician, Professor Alexander Animalu, kick-started the Lecture series on July 30, 2003, in what he termed "a hand over baton to the new generation of democratic-minded intellectuals."
The book, The SouthEast Today: The Way Forward contains four chapters, with Animalu’s Lecture as Chapter One. Chapter Two, consists of a related treatise on ‘’Igbo Leadership", by the Nsukka Analyst, an intellectual group that once flourished at Nsukka. The third chapter centres on Economic Empowerment for Ndigbo, being a paper presented by Dr Chris Ngige, the Anambara State Governor, to the World Igbo Congress 4th Annual Conference held in New York on 29th August, 1997, when he was President of Aka Ikenga, an organisation of Igbo professionals. Uchu Ndigbo by Dr E.N.C Osakwe, a former Consultant on Energy and member of a THINK-TANK based at the Supreme Headquarters, Lagos, forms the last chapter.
Professor Animalu’s lecture centres on Education, Science and Technology, which he said, are the only means through which Ndigbo can survive in Nigeria. While stressing the need for Ndigbo to retain both their ethnic and national (Nigerian) identities, he emphasizes that the present frustration of the people in Nigeria was because both identities were in dire jeopardy of being lost simultaneously through the marginal role of human endeavour.
Presenting several graphic illustrations, which shows how Ndigbo have been marginalised in the power equation in Nigeria, particularly since the Nigerian Civil war, Prof Animalu accuses Igbo intelligentsia of also disempowering Ndigbo through the ideology of non-involvement in the politics of the land and neglect of the cultural values of their people including the Igbo language as a instrument of communication in the new Information Age.
On the way forward for Ndigbo in Nigeria, Prof Animalu advocates what he termed "a demarginalisation paradigm" which he divided into five components. These are:
Creation of awareness of local and global Science and Technology (S&T)-related problems through the educational system in the South East.
Implementation of the Year 2000 Ohanaeze Technological Development. Committee reports by state governments in the South East.
Creation of a Technology Triangle in the South-East from the four federally- funded research institutes in the zone.
Effective utilization of the National Space Centre, National Energy Research and Development (R&D) Centre and CBN-sponsored Internet Centre at the University Of Nigeria, Nsukka for effective education of the youth in the zone.
Strategic partnership with zonal and global NGOs on World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) issues.
Each of these components was later treated in greater detail. He charged intellectuals from the South-East to create a network for sustainable development based on what he called "University Technology Parks", linking various stakeholders:- civil society, government ministries, business community and others. Even though Ndigbo are being marginalised in Nigeria, they are enjoined nonetheless not give up their ethnic identify, founded on democratic ideals as well as their national (Nigerian) identity as they have heavily invested in the making of the Nigerian state. They should be prepared to build bridges of friendship across the nation and indeed, through a responsive and effective leadership.
A paper present by Dr Chris Ngige, former President of Aka Ikenga and now Executive Governor of Anambra State at the 4th Annual World Igbo Congress held in New York in August 1997, titled; "Economic Empowerment for Ndigbo" formed Chapter three of the book. In it, Dr. Ngige stressed the need for Ndigbo to make investment in education their top priority. While frowning at the drastic drop in male enrolment in schools, particularly since the end of the civil war, he posited that "education is a potent force for the economic empowerment of a people".
Dr Ngige challenged Ndigbo to form a united front so as to be able to confront the socio-political and economical problems facing them in Nigeria, He also called on the Igbo politicians to position themselves properly so as to be able to address the lingering problems of true federalism, power-sharing and rotation, social justice, privatization, free market economy, true democracy cum- meritocracy and residency status for citizens of Nigeria irrespective of their state of origin.
In ‘Uchu Ndigbo’, chapter four, Dr E.N.C Osakwe, former Energy Policy Consultant, THINK-TANK, Supreme Headquarters, Lagos, lamented the crisis of identity among Ndigbo, and wondered whether what was originally known as the people’s identity was not being turned upside down due to some negative influences. He then challenged Ndigbo to sit up, think positively and constructively and search for the correct orientation:– a socio-economic philosophy - as means of reaching the Promised Land.
The book is dedicated to late Dr Ben Okwuosa of the University of Nigeria Nsukka. The late Dr Okwuosa was one of the founders of the NSUKKA ANALYSTS, whose published research findings on Marginalisation in the Nigerian Polity guided OHANAEZE NDIGBO in its celebrated presentation at the Justice Oputa Panel. Before his death, Dr Okwuosa identified himself with the vision of a larger organization of democratic and patriotic-minded intelligentsia in our society; a vision that culminated in the formation of CODES.
In all, the book is a challenge to Nigerian intellectuals, in general, and those of the South-East in particular, who unfortunately have been sitting on the fence while the country is drifting.
