By Lord Theophilus
Let me say one or two things. Ndigbo are using their individual financial war chest on the wrong side of promoting ceremonies and building institutions and structures that have no security value and no economic value. What is the security value and economic value of all these gigantic Christian temples or cathedrals that grace every turn of eyes in the cities and villages across Igboland?
Billions of naira goes into these temples or cathedrals on weekly basis and nothing much come out of them for the development, progress and security of lives and property of Ndigbo. Consumers of these billions of naira that go into the temples or cathedrals are the ones blaming politicians on insecurity and lack of jobs forgetting that the politicians they are blaming are their own products. Today in Anambra State, various Christian denominations in the State are hooked in the battle of which denomination will produce the next governor of the State.
The Catholic which has held the governorship seat for nearly 20years wants to hold on to it, while the Anglican and Pentecostals are saying it is their turn. Under what is going on in Anambra State politicians are the product of the Church but in most cases Church leaders hurriedly separate the Church from politicians and end up blaming politicians for the societal and political woes bedeviling Ndigbo. Moreso, Christian Churches are apparently Ndigbo confining Ndigbo to hang their energy in expectations rather than immediate actions that could make their lives better.
These Churches make people believe that they will go to heaven even when they are nowhere near the characters required to make heaven.
To make people believe in heaven without imbibing in the characters required to make heaven is as bad as burying them alive. What will take people to heaven is not the money they donate for acquisition of land and building of walls, what will take people to heaven is showing love, keeping to the rule of law, doing works that prevent crime and developing and enhancing food production.
My worry mostly is that the Church leaders don’t seem to understand the world. They don’t understand politics or the need for economic development. They don’t understand the politics within the West. They don’t understand the politics surrounding the East and West. They also don’t understand the role of United Nations in the politics of the world. They see the large gathering of adherents in the temple and the money they rake from the adherents as the main blessings from God.
Moreso, these Churches promote the expectations of Biafra. Biafra is the political Soul of Ndigbo. I agree. If they give Ndigbo Biafra we will turn to Akum wee gbawa Ugbo. I agree also, but today’s life is not about expectations, it is about what you are doing now. Take for instance, if you want to be President in Nigeria you have to first of all build a political party. You cannot convincingly tell anybody that you will change Nigeria if they give you President while you cannot build a political party that will pave the way for you to be President.
If you want to be world football champion, you have to first all develop footballers. You cannot tell me that if you get Biafra you raise a team that will win world cup when you cannot ordinarily develop footballers. Way back in 1977 secondary school boys from CKC Onitsha went to Finland and conquered the world by winning the world secondary school football tournament. Today football is dead in Onitsha because there are no measures towards development of football in the city by successive generations.
Really speaking, from the way things are going in Nigeria, the possibility of Nigeria breaking up is not out of place so the restoration of Biafra is not impossible. But like I said earlier, today’s world is about what we can do now and not what we are expecting. Let’s start to do great things we hope to do when Biafra arrive. Let’s develop a stronger relationship with God built on indegenship.
God is indigenous with everybody around the world. Let’s get back to our indigenous concept of God like eziokwu, nso ani, egwu chukwu, ifunanya, obi nwanne, obi ebere, olu ebere, olu obodo,. Igwe-bu-ike, inye-aka, ngbaghara, etc. Let’s develop politics and build a strong political party of Igbo background. Let’s develop farmlands, develop football and develop technology. What I am saying we have to develop a stronger world base in anticipation of Biafra restoration.
One more thing I will like to say is that Ndigbo have to endeavor to be available for the services of the fatherland regardless of anywhere they live in the world. Champions of Biafra believe that there are Igbo people in foreign countries that will come home to turn Alaigbo to New York overnight if Biafra is restored. I agree that we have great people of Igbo extraction in foreign land, but they don’t have to wait when Biafra is restored before coming home to contribute their quota for the development of their fatherland.
American based Medical Practitioner Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze is at the center of the development in his village in Abagana in particular and Alaigbo in general. Dr Anakwenze is the Onowu Abagana. That shows his deep engagement at his home community all the way from America. Of course he couldn’t have been chosen to be Onowu if he is not involved in the affairs of the community. Dr Godwin Maduka also based in America has developed his village beyond borders.
Lastly Ndigbo have read and studied the world with a view to understand it better. The political and economic law of the world today is that people as a tribe, region or country have to produce what they consume and consume what they produce. It is funny for an Igbo man to continue to use thousands of cows every month without producing even one.
The world will never be serious with Ndigbo if we do not improve on our world base. The world will never be serious with Ndigbo if we continue to consume what we cannot produce and produce what we cannot consume.
Ndigbo ndewo nu. (Greetings to Igbo people)
“If you want to be world football champion, you have to first all develop footballers. You cannot tell me that if you get Biafra you raise a team that will win world cup when you cannot ordinarily develop footballers. Way back in 1977 secondary school boys from CKC Onitsha went to Finland and conquered the world by winning the world secondary school football tournament. Today football is dead in Onitsha because there are no measures towards development of football in the city by successive generations.”
