2007: Igbo Will Not Compromise Presidency - Ohaneze
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja
President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Professor Joe Irukwu, has vowed that the Igbo would not compromise or negotiate away the Presidency in 2007 under his leadership.
Irukwu spoke at Sheraton Hotels Abuja where he was given a grand reception by the Item Union, Abuja branch. He said the only balm that would heal the social upheavals in Nigeria was for the enthronement of justice, equity and job creation for the youths.
He, however, refused to comment on the current face-off between the Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and the State Security Service over the former's support for the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), insisting that he was more concerned with the restoration of the dignity of the Igbo man while building bridges of understanding with other parts of the country.
According to him, equity lay in Igbo being given the chance to rule the country, noting that a President from the Igbo stock would not want to replace one form of injustice with another having had the true effect of the practice.
"Nigeria came into existence as a federal republic because three quasi-independent regions decided to form a Federal Republic of Nigeria. Since then, what has happened? The North has ruled for 30 years and by the time Obasanjo would have finished his tenure in 2007, the West would have ruled for 12 years. The East has ruled for only six months.
"Now we are saying that justice demands that the East must rule. That's simple justice. If you don't do justice, people will not be happy. The only way for you to have a solid happy Nigeria is to do justice for the people who have ruled for six months and are entitled to rule to take over the reins of power.
"We are saying if you want justice, if you want Nigeria to survive, then you have to start by doing justice to all. We are saying that the kind of Igbo man that will take over as President in 2007 if we want justice is the kind of Igboman that will make sure that the Hausa-Fulani is happy, the Yoruba man is happy and that the Ijaw man is happy because if he doesn't do justice, we won't allow him. We Igbo will be the first to remove him because we want Nigeria to see for a change that it is possible for peace and justice to reign in Nigeria," he said.
Irukwu said the philosophy of Ohaneze was "injustice to one, injustice to all," and that every Nigerian should be made to have a sense of belonging where jobs would be created for the youths.
Irukwu said he could not be bribed or made to compromise, pointing out that his records attested to his integrity.
"You can only judge people by their track records. My track record shows that nobody in this world who can make me do injustice to you or anybody by giving me money; what am I going to do with it? I had had more opportunity than any Nigerian to make money, to be the richest man alive but I've refused. What am I going to do with it? I have total contempt for money", he said
He admitted that he was not cut for the political turf of Nigeria, adding that he even accepted the headship of Ohaneze due to pressure from Igbo youths who threatened to kill him should he decline the position and and allow it fall into wrong hands.
He said Ohaneze has set up a committee headed by Chief Edwin Umezuoke to look into the Okija Shrine matter, especially the report expected from the police and advise appropriately.
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