As different states of the federation organized funeral rites it for the late hero, it became clear that Ikemba Ojukwu means so many things to so many people.
One theme that runs through all the speeches that have been made since he died and in the cause of the funeral is quest for justice, courage, equality and probity in public service.
Anybody who has followed the life and times of Ojukwu closely will know that these are the qualities that set him apart from his peers, qualities that make up the essential Ojukwu, qualities that are unfortunately lacking among the political class in Nigeria.
What Nigeria needs to reposition herself for the 21st century is to go back to the ideals of Ikemba Ojukwu, ideals that differentiate countries from those that want a place under the sun and those that just want to exist under the sun.
Since independence in `1960, Nigeria has been seen as potentially the leader in Africa, a beacon of hope for the black man anywhere in the world. With one-quarter of the entire black population of the world in Nigeria, no other country is better placed to assume the leadership of the black race and point the way for black renaissance.
But weak institutional structure, bad leadership, historical injustice and corruption have consistently denied Nigeria the opportunity of fulfilling her manifest destiny, making her a laughing stock before the international community, a country that is no longer taken seriously internationally; a country whose citizens are harassed and ridiculed at various airports across the world.
But Nigeria can be a great country. Once the right political mix is put in place, Nigeria will rise like a phoenix. To get the right political mix, Nigeria needs to study Ojukwu’s ideals and principles.
One of his ideals is compassion. Anybody who knew Ikemba would readily admit that he was a very compassionate man, a quality that endeared him to the people. Only a man who is compassionate will sacrifice his inherited comfort and family wealth to fight for his people. If our leaders imbibe the spirit of compassion, Nigeria will be a great nation. One of the reasons for lack of patriotism among Nigerians is the disconnect between leaders and the led caused by the selfishness and corruption of the political elite. That is why there are 112 million poor people out of a population of about 160 million people. The high rate of poverty and unemployment has caused so much social tension in the country.
If Nigerian leaders imbibe the spirit of compassion and apply it in their relationship with the people of Nigeria, tension will reduce in the land.
Belief in justice and fighting for it is one quality that any Nigerian with a sense of history will readily admit Ikemba Ojukwu had. He was courageous, forthright, fair-minded and he had commitment and character, qualities lacking among the political elite in Nigeria today.
Because many people do not have the courage to speak truth to power, what they say in their bedroom is different from what they say in public, Nigeria is where she is today. The lack of courage being displayed by the political class is at the root of the crisis of governance in Nigeria. Ojukwu was courage personified. It is one quality Nigerians must emulate from Ikemba Ojukwu for the country to make progress.
But by far, the greatest misfortune Nigeria has had is bad leadership. Chinua Achebe, in his celebrated book, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’ states clearly that the problem with Nigeria has nothing to do with climate or wheather but “simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” As military administrator of the defunct Eastern Region; as head of state of defunct Biafra and in the last few years as founder and leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ikemba displayed exemplary leadership that is unequalled. Anybody who has read the Ahiara Declaration will not fail to appreciate the philosophical foundation of the revolution he led.
The government has a duty to immortalize this icon not for his sake but for the sake of Nigeria, a country he loved so much. One of the many ways to honour him will be to place the construction of the second Niger Bridge on the top priority list of the Federal Government and naming the bridge after him.
In addition, the Federal Government should name a significant monument like the Port Harcourt Airport after Ikemba Ojukwu. Port Harcourt was a major part of the defunct Eastern Region in which Ojukwu was military governor. This will be a true testimony to the ‘no victor, no vanquished’ policy that the Federal Government declared at the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970.
It will be good to institute an annual lecture in honour of Ikemba to afford present and future generations an opportunity to review the events leading to and during the civil war and draw lessons from it and learn how to avoid a reoccurrence.
The annual lecture will also draw attention to issues like justice, resolution of conflicts, peaceful co-existence, inter-governmental relations, etc issues that were dear to Ikemba.
Mr. ONWUKA KALU , guber candidate in Abia State in 2003 elections, wrote from London.
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