South East Governors, IPOB And Politics Of 2019

By Nnedi Ogaziechi

These are not the best of times for Ndigbo. The people under reference are the very ordinary people in villages, clans and streets of major capitals of the five states in the region. These are the people that are literarily hanging on the edge of the precipice. The IPOB discourse seems to have created a deeply blurry view of who those to be held accountable really are.

*South East Governors and Leaders meet with
IPOB Leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu

It is politically safe to blame the federal government for marginalization, to complain about lack of federal presence as regards the chronic absence of infrastructure in the region since the end of the civil war. But then, IPOB comes on the scene and the governors are somewhat glad for the seeming ‘alibi’ for lack of a strong regional economic plan for development of both human and natural resources that the region has in amazing abundance.

Since 1999, there has  been several economic summits, conferences and fairs by both independent and state economic think tanks. Most of these conferences had been targeted at educating governors from the region to form a stronger regional bond that would be beneficial to the region economically, socially and even politically.

The idea has always been that if the governors of the region can manage to look beyond politics and think of development of the region for the people, there must be a coordinated and deliberate effort by governors of the five states to harness to the maximum the resources available to the states which by the way had worked in the past with the past visionary leaders of the region.

Why I Joined IPOB: The Elite Vis-à-Vis The “Crazy Youths”

By Nathaniel I. Ndiokwere

 Preamble

I was the senior prefect of Bishop Shanahan College (BSC) Orlu that final year and there was an important Mc’Nulty Soccer Final March between BSC and College of Immaculate Conception (C.I.C) Enugu, the two giant and prestigious colleges those days, East of the Niger. In the field of soccer competition BSC and CIC used to be great ‘enemies’. The Rev. Brother Lewis, the principal as well as the BSC soccer master or coach, just to demonstrate ‘holy disapproval’ of what was called those days ‘rough play’ and misconduct in the soccer field, did something students thought was an abomination. And on account of the principal’s action, BSC witnessed the biggest students’ riot in history.

*Msgr. Nathaniel Ndiokwere

Though not the referee, Rev. Brother Lewis decided to call for the expulsion of the BSC most important brilliant defense player, aka ‘Tiger’ from the field . BSC students and soccer fans could not understand the madness of the white Scottish principal! BSC continued the march with ‘minus one player!

Let me cut the long story short!

BSC was defeated by the visiting team and for the first time in the history of the College the students rioted, singing war songs and threatened to set buildings on fire. They went out of control and sang songs : “Lewis must go. Lewis in a criminal. Death to the Scottish pig!”