About Us - Ohanaeze Ndigbo

APEX IGBO SOCIOCULTURAL GROUP

Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, OFR.

President General

Ohanaeze Ndigbo

Ohanaeze –The Apex Sociocultural Organization of The Igbo Peoples of Southeastern States of Nigeria, is a non-profit organization setup and established by Ndigbo in Nigeria. The aims and aspirations of this organization is for the promotion of Unity, cultural heritage of Ndigbo all over the world. It aims at fostering the understanding and goodwill among Ndigbo wherever they may be resident, with Nigerians, Africans, and the general public. Additionally, the desire for the establishment of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is for Ndigbo to live up to our name “Oha” (the people) -helps them to promote the general welfare of Igbo people.

Igbo people are hardworking, industrious and geographically mobile, hence they could be found all over Nigeria and even in the remotest parts of the world. These unique characteristics of Ndiigbo have made them to be successful in all endeavors of life; this is why they have been referred as the African Jews -a name and «trade-mark» that have been a source of envy and hatred by other tribes in Nigeria.

This jealousy and rivalry as history has taught us all, led to the 1966 pogrom against the Igbo people living in other parts of Nigeria, especially in the north, culminating in a 30 month civil war (May 27, 1967 - January 15, 1970) waged against Ndigbo, known as the "Biafran– Nigerian war." Of course, at the end of the war, there was a declaration of "no victor and vanquished;” yet since the war ended in 1970, and after Dimka was accused of murdering his commanding officer, Lt-Colonel Okoro, in Kaduna, and in further participating in death squads that summarily executed Igbo soldiers during the northern soldiers’ mutiny of July 1966, no Igbo man has become the President of Nigeria, or Minister of the Federal Capital territory, in a United and Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Notwithstanding the above, Ndigbo are still known for their generosity, hospitality, patience and intelligence; and Ohanaeze will continue to epitomize these ideals, especially towards their neighbors. Additionally, Ohanaeze Ndigbo will continue to function as a cultural organization, pioneering, reviving, revitalizing and bringing to life in Nigeria and Diaspora, the diversity of Igbo cultures, cultural festivals and activities, such "Iri Ji" Ndiigbo, the Ahiajoku festival, etc. Through these activities, it is hoped that the full potentials of Ndiibo would be realized through cultural revival, on a daily and yearly basis.

The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the first to recognize that more progress needs to be made, especially in the area of education. Our sons and daughters must realize that educational attainment is sine quo non to the sociopolitical and economic development of any group; therefore, Ndigbo wherever they reside must continually work relentlessly, and pricelessly hard, to achieve these laudably goals, which the founding fathers of Ohanaeze and the Igbo people have all agreed to. Essentially, the premier primary objective is to keep Ndigbo United no matter the cost –for as the saying goes, “united we stand and divide we fall”. Ndigbo must remain as “children of a common parents and heritage: -and as One, indivisible and indissoluble unit or entity. Thus come rain and sunshine, Ndigbo would have resolved that their unity would remain a task that must be accomplished no matter the odds, and all things being equal. As the words of our elders have succinctly put it, "." everything else can be dissolved, but Ndigbo must forever remain one and indivisible, and at all cost

We therefore know that no organization, brotherhood/sisterhood, or people can truly realize their potentials:--cultural, economic or social--without "Unity and Love." We all must remembers that “The Words of Our Elders Are Words of Wisdom”.Indeed, Ohanaeze Ndigbo as a regional sociocultural organization has had its “ups and downs,” going through the teething problems that all children undergo during their growth; however, the challenge for Ohanaeze remains mustering a united and concerted effort to remain focused, coherent and effective in achieving the “Igbo Project” –ultimately industrializing the igbo heartland, educating Igbo sons and daughters; promoting the general welfare of the people, defending life, property and liberty of her people; and hoping to ultimately produce a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction. These are tasks that must be done in order to feel that Ndigbo are fully integrated into the mainstream of Nigerian politics.

The present Executives of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will continue to pursue programs as stipulated in its Constitution and Bylaws; and to reconcile all "internal" tendencies within the diverse groups that makeup Ndigbo; ensure genuine reconciliation, and healing while working to raise the standard to a new level of excellence. It is the belief of the Executive of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as presently constituted, to promote the spirit of forgiveness, which will lead to a position of tolerance of the differences that exist among the diversity of cultures of Ndigbo, acknowledging the strength and diversity of opinion for which Ndigbo are well known, their love for the ideals of republicanism.

REGIONAL ASEMBLIES OF NDIGBO FAR AWAY FROM HOME:
The Igbo people wherever they migrate usually organize their traditional assemblies of people from the same village, town or clan. The assemblies "abroad" (away from the village, town or clan, or "home") meet at fixed time intervals in the cities where they are resident. They render mutual help to their members; promote development in their villages, towns and clans or communities of origin. For example, We have the Lagos branch of say, Owerri-Umudioka Development Union, Orlu, of Imo State -these traditional assemblies far away from home are very active branches in the whole federation of Nigeria and abroad. Essentially, these various assembles in a city federated often award scholarships to Igbo sons and daughters and even undertake many development projects such as building of roads, bridge construction, market development, schools, civic centers, halls, health centers, electricity projects and many others with the active cooperation of the home assemblies which control all the development projects within the communities.

WHERE IS IGBOLAND?
Prehistory evidence states that Igboland squarely lies in the tropical forest zone of the West African sub-region with more northern extension in the earlier times. Despite the co-extension of the grasslands and forests through West, Central and East Africa the area that is now Igboland falls fully, in the main within a geographical area of potential isolation in the forest zone. Professor A. O. Anya, is forthright to state that:

"The potential isolation is suggested by the physical features of the quadrant demarcated by the Adamawa Highlands and the Cameroon Mountains in the east, by the Atlantic Ocean and the Niger Delta in the south, by the plains of Niger valley in the west and by the Benue valley and trough in the north. It was within this compartment, that the ancestors of "Ndiigbo" lived and moved and had their being" [Anya, 1982 p. 15].

It is important to observe that as far back as 1591 the land area of Igbo peoples were put on Portuguese world map as the area inhabited by some vigorous people whose deep culture celebrated energy, accomplishment and wisdom, The Spanish in 1593 identified Igboland as the terrain deepening in a stretch of a Bight called Biafra whose people lived their lives in "lifting to art" the career in sojourn full of thought, industry and accomplishment. It is to be noted that these early Spanish and Portuguese explorers and cartographers were not very clear whether the people they were encountering were Igbo people or Hebrews. Essentially, they were sure and convinced that in the centuries before their arrival, a vast but complex culture and civilization had existed - the Igbo civilization. Till today those character traits of the Igbo people as observed and stressed by the Portuguese and the Spaniards as far back as in the sixteenth century is still with the Igbo people. Every Igbo man sojourns (at home and abroad) and employs thought, industry with accomplishments.

Evidence exist that the old Western region of Nigeria included an over 300,000 indigenous Igbo population in the Benin and Delta Provinces by 1953 census. Also, by the time of the 1953 census, the Igbo migrants constituted about one percent of the total population of 16,835,000, the figures above exclude Igbo people living in northern Nigeria and Lagos. And most significantly, there are about fifty-three percent of the population of Igbo people in non-Igbo speaking areas, such as Ogoja, Benue, Cameroon, Calabar Bayelsa, delta, Rivers states. The 1963 census ten years later showed a greater movement of the Igbo people all over the country. In Lagos alone, for example, the Igbo population component grew from (4%) four percent in 1931 to (11%) eleven percent in 1950 and to fifteen percent (15%) in 1963.

Today, whether the Igbo man is in "Nigeria, Europe, the Americas - north or south - or in any part of the world he employs these Igbo characteristics - wisdom, industry and success. As unfortunate as it may be, it is important to note that the introduction of slave trade, which depleted the manpower, and resources of the Igbo people punctured the glittering culture and civilization of the Igbo people. The slave trade therefore resulted in a kind of retrogression of the 'Igbo people; until about two hundred years after the abolition and about one hundred years after effective extinction of slave trade business, the Igbo areas,' the Igbo people and their resources lie prostrate.

In fact, over the years, the Igbo people have endeavored to re-discover the Igbo soul and character – hard work, colony of Jukuns or of some other Hermitic culture carriers. The people from Onitsha were believed to have a centralized political system and had a tradition of origin tracing them to Benin.

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THE IGBO PEOPLE:
Who Are The Igbo people?
Ndigbo are not of any emergent ethnic group or striding ones with hazy ethno-cultural identity. The Igbo people are one of the most distinctly defined and classified nationalities in the world. Then one may ask: Who are actually the Igbo people?

The Igbo people as a race are people whose ethnic lingua franca is exclusively the Igbo Language or modification of it. Yet it has to be noted that in the nineteenth century and in the early part of the twentieth century, "many Efik-Ibibio and Idoma communities were classified as Igbo people on the basis of language whereas Aboh, Onitsha, Nri and Aro¬chukwu who are Igbo-speaking were not" (See Afigbo, 1981, p. 11). Based on the historical writings of Europeans, they stressed that:

1. The Aro were initially considered as non-Igbo because of their Oracle and extensive trading empire; consequently, they were believed to be either a colony of Ancient Egyptians or Phoenicians or Jukun or Portuguese or Jews. This view of the Europeans about the Aro people is false, because the Aro people are genuinely and truly "Igbo wu Igbo" -Igbo sons and daughters

2. The highly evolved priestly monarchy of the Umunri around which people built up a ritual hegemony covering Northern and Western Igboland was believed to be a colony of Jukuns or of some other Hermitic culture carriers.

Even in his own writings and contributions, W. B. Baikie in 1854 however asserted that:
           "all the coast dialects from Oru to Old Calabar now Cross River State of Nigeria are either directly or indirectly connected with Igbo and that the Igbo people are separated from the sea by petty tribes all of which trace their origin to this great race" [Baikie, 1854 in Afigbo 1981]. For further details readers are encouraged to see Ahiajoku Lecture: "The Age of Innocence - The Igbo And Their Neighbor in Pre-colonial Times by Professor A. Afikgbo 1981 and Igbo Genesis [2000].

Despite the fact that indeed the language spoken by the Ibibio, Efik, Andoni and many others such as Ijo dialects of Brass, Ibani new Calabar and Isuama dialects as well asiala, Idoma and Tivi were Igbo either in ethnic stock or in language but today, because of Nigeria's political climate these people tend to denounce their Igbo affinity. Nonetheless Professor Afigbo puts it rightly and succinctly when he stressed:

"of all the traits which it is possible to single out as marking out Igbo people as a distinct group, the Igbo language is probably the most important, the one that can lay claim to the epithet - "pan-Igbo" or in my own words "Igbo race" [Afigbo, 1981 p.10]

Ethnographically speaking, Ndiigbo occupy approximately (22%) twenty two percent of local government areas of Nigeria. Igbo people fall into two main groups namely: the hearth-land Igbo and the riverine Igbo. These two groups make up the Igbo race and Igbo nation.

Migrational Movements of the Igbo people It is to be noted too that the history of mankind all over the world is replete with movements from areas of overpopulation or military activity to less turbulent areas. The Igbo migration is no exception. The weight of evidence from history confirmed that because of human concentration in the coastal areas of Igboland migration became inevitable from coast to hinterland and vice versa.

Notes:

It is important to note that the author of this book is not a linguist by training and/or by profession; at the same time what is certain is that the concept, logic and principles of "Igbo-speaking language" are anchored on "mutual intelligibility", since Igbo Language is a cluster of dialects identifiable within various Igbo groups. Examples are cluster of Abakaliki dialects in Ebonyi State, Izzi, Ezza, Ikwo and Ngbo.

Today in Rivers State, the Ikwerre "Igbo group' have after the collapse of the Republic of Biafra, prefixed a capital "R" to the names of their towns as a practical denouncing of Igbo affinity.In this way, "Umukwurushi" became "Rumukurushi” "Umuigbo"/"Obigbo" became "Rumuigbo" etc.. In the hope [rather than the belief] that other Nigerians will forget they are ever Igbo people. Other clusters of dialects exist in the West of the Niger as well as in Afikpo, Enugu-Ezike and Igbo center -Owerri, Orlu, Okigwe, etc.

Essentially speaking, the Igbo peoples are indigenes of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States of Nigeria and parts of Delta and Rivers States of The Riverine Igbo people. The riverine Igbo people in Imo State are, for example, the Ndoki and the Oguta peoples. Historical evidence confirms that the ancestral origin of the riverine Igbo peoples is the Central Ijaws that is why Jones G. I. observed that:

"The Bonny people were derived from section of the Ndoki-tribe living on the lower Imo River basin which claimed to have migrated there from the central jaw area' [Jones, 1973].

Even in the study of "the Igbo people and Europeans" Elizabeth Isichie has this to say: "The Ndoki Igbo people (Ibo) have the same traditions of origin as the Island Kingdom of Bonny' [See in Isichie, 1973; Afigbo, 2000].

As Isichie further mentioned, migration to the south from the Awka axis in Anambra State and Orlu centers of Imo State continued unabated. Even talking about the Ndoki people in his own studies, Nwaguru has this to say:

"Benin was at one time the most powerful kingdom in Southern Nigeria. Owing to civil wars the kingdom broke up and a series of migrations to the East took place. One of these migrating groups was the Ijo who settled around Akassa. A part of this group later left Akassa and started to march to the North. They traveled northwards along the Egenni/Orashi Rivers of Oguta. Continuing their journey they came into contact with the Ibo towns of Umunoha in Owerri and Ndizuogu' [Nwaguru, 1960].

Nwaguru, further stated that for reasons not quite clear, the emigrants decided to push southwards again settling at Okolomakiri in the Azumini creek. They passed on to the area now occupied by Umuagbayi and here at Umuagbayi the emigrants broke into two groups. One group went to a place called Okoloma (the land of the curlew birds), which later became Obani or Bonny. The other group remained behind which is known as Umuagbayi Azuogu, Anyama and Obunku. In addition Nwaguru has this to say:

"The migration must have extended over a long period and it was possible that many of those who reached and settled or traded with their earlier co¬-emigrants. Later, however, a quarrel ensued between Bonny and the section left behind, who were either familiar with or now adopting the Ibo language' [Nwaguru, 1960].

Professor Adiele Afigbo in his own study summarized his emphasis in a laconic statement, which states:
"The Ndoki are Ibo (Igbo people) on the basis that their general culture has much in common with the culture of many southern Igbo. Some of their villages bear Ijaw names (e.g.) - Ayama and Okolomakir [Afigbo, 1974]. In addition readers are encouraged to consult IGBO GENESIS by Afigbo 2000 for further reading pp. 7 - 15.

The Ibo Heartland:
The Igbo people of the heartland are known as Igbo center and are entirely located in Imo State and in Awka area of Anambra State. Here evidence of history confirms that the Igbo people of the Igbo heartland migrated to Igbo communities in what are now Rivers and Delta States. The Ika-Igbo peoples migrated from the Nri/Awka axis and parts of Orlu. As indicated in the study by G. I. Jones there was two strands of migration from the Igbo center. Jones states:

"The first heading towards the coast and founding the communities known as the Oratta, Ikwerre, Etche and Asa: the second more massive, made southerly movement and thereafter from the Igbo center to what is now Eastern Isuama area which has formed the Ngwa group' [Jones, 1973].

It is to be noted that in Igboland as it is elsewhere, migrations entailed a lot of conquests, military operations, defense and invasions. All these are invariably tied to leadership and rulership of the Igbo people in the pre-colonial era.

ISSUES OF UNITY AND LEADERSHIP OF ND’IGBO
"Society" in general and "Ndigbo" in particular as the term is used in the context of this analysis, essentially means, that which is conceived when one speaks of a race, a nation or a civilization. It means the entire scope of the functional and structural parts of such a people and their mode of life. Inherent in this conception, one finds three fundamental and interrelated components, which comprise the term "society". They are:

i. ideas or beliefs

ii. institutions: political, religious, the institution of ezeship, etc., and

iii. material things to accomplish common objectives in the society.

In the context of our analysis, ideas here include such things as: attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and ideologies which are arranged in scales of values, order of importance or hierarchies of priorities and which help the individuals and the society to set and seek common objectives or ends i.e. "collective desire or aspiration". This common ends (collective aspiration) establish the broad goals of life expressed in terms of what is good or bad; just or unjust; right or wrong; acceptable or unacceptable; true or false; etc, etc. Essentially, all these in turn constitute the common cord of cohesive society, which underlie and dominate the systems or types of institutional arrangements in the society. In all these, Ndiigbo society is no exception.

Concerning institutions, here we mean those, more or less, directly or indirectly formalized ways by which society tries to do something to achieve common ends. They are forms, methods, processes, procedures and conditions of group actions written or unwritten which in turn become systems of control. The third element in society encompasses tangible material things such as stock of material resources of various kinds and skills, entrepreneurship, time and more importantly insight and foresight that are important elements for unity of purpose.

THE CHALLENGE OF UNITY OF PURPOSE OF THE IGBOS
There should be no illusion that the social engineering and rectification of the fading glory of Ndigbo in the building of Igbo nation vis-à-vis the Nigerian nation is that the invisible hand of disquiet and quarrelsomeness coupled with hard¬headedness of "money-bags" mentality of some Igbo political class is responsible for the socio-political woes of the Igbo people as an entity - whether they are considered in terms of the elders or the youths. In a paper, which Former Enugu State Governor, Dr. Nnamani presented to a group of Igbo people during the 7th Anniversary of World Igbo Day, titled "The Challenges of Nation Building" he stressed that:

Igbo intellectuals and researchers appear to be definite on what the [Igbo] people aspire to be, and how they would ordinarily relate with other Nigerians. Some have claimed to have found out what the "collective Igbo drive" will be, and so, designed how the Igbo in his individual and group endeavor should be related to others for the perpetuation of Nigerian nation. That way, Ndiigbo have fallen into a pronounced stereotype on the basis of what others designed or thought of them" [Former Enegu State Governor, Dr. Nnamani 2001].

Furthermore, in stressing the stark reality of the problems of Ndigbo in our generation, former Enugu State governor, Dr. Nnamani asserted that Ndigbo like other Nigerians seem today like "dancers on a stage whose drummers they hardly see.' Essentially as drummers change tune and those who must dance must change their dancing steps. As the Igbo people are therefore compelled to adapt to the values of others and begin to work at realizing a nation not necessarily emerging from their particular culture and/or tradition [republicanism] they missed the link and saw themselves trapped at a socio-political cross-road in Nigeria.

In the process, Ndiigbo became confused ¬leaders and followers alike. Ironically, as the Igbo people were preoccupied with building the Nigerian nation, they relegated to the background issues concerning the unity and solidarity of the Igbo people. It is important to note that, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, former PDP Secretary -the Nigerian ruling party, and now, Minister of the Foreign Affairs, once stated that, “A Yoruba as President: Why Not?,” (Maduekwe, 2005: p. 101) but the same Chief Ojo Maduekwe, cajoled his own Igbo race when in 2003, he stated that: “Igbo Presidency” project was unrealistic as it was ill-conceptualized.” (Maduekwe, 2005: p. 9). In the same way, Senator Arthur Nzeribe’s contribution during the 7thAnniversary World Igbo Day, in his own paper titled “Ndigbo: Between Reality and Dream" touched on Three fundamental issues of much concern that fault nation building; namely:

1. Self-appointed leaders who exploit the emotional wishes of the Igbo people.

2. Ndiigbo as disadvantaged people do publicly promote/pronounce their grievances in foreign lands rather than at home where actions matter.

3. Leadership of "round holes" and "square pegs" of Ndiigbo. Indiscussing the above three issues, Senator Nzeribe stressed with little hope that anything will change for better for Ndiigbo; he asserted:

'This article is distilled from my speech at the congress and is basically on two pegs, namely: Igbo political leadership today and Igbo presidency in 2003. I hold very strong, honest and patriotic views on both subjects and do not hesitate to propound them at any given opportunity to our people particularly with backdrop of "self-appointed" Igbo leaders exploiting the emotional wishes of our people by raising and nurturing their hopes and promising to deliver the "Nigerian Presidency': when they cannot deliver a Local Government or a Ward" [Arthur Nzeribe, Sept. 29, 2001, p. 27]

On another account, he went further to emphasize:

"We are disadvantaged people who meet yearly to publicly promote our grievances in foreign lands far from home (perhaps Lagos, Abuja, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, New Jersey my own addition) where the actual realities exist"[op . c it, 2001]

The last point of interest which the Senator raised in his paper and which in essence cemented the first two comments with the third point into one reality of Igbo aspiration is that touching on the economic life of Ndiigbo. Essentially as he pointed out, economic dividends are derived from political actions by political leadership. Admittedly this viewpoint is very correct. I personally endorse it in it’s entirely and of course, in its face value. Lastly, he further said:

"We do not put a round peg in a square hole and expect results. Religious leaders or elders cannot deliver political dividends, traditional leaders cannot either. Only political leaders can': [Arthur Nzeribe, 2001]

However, what we Igbo people need now is transparent leadership. In analyzing and/or synthesizing the above points of view, one may have to ask: In Igboland which leadership option will Igbo leaders employ for the realization of political "dividend and/or Igbo "Collective Aspiration" anytime anywhere? namely:

i. Strategic [holistic/holistic and integrative] system of leadership? Or

ii. Non-strategic [fragmented, narrow minded functionalist and disintegrated] type of leadership

FRAGMENTED LEADERSHIP APPROACH
It is obvious that non-strategic type of leadership model is "self' not "society" oriented. It is therefore inadequate, misguided and deceitful. As I have stated earlier, the bankrupt state of leadership in Igboland is the direct result of leadership by fragmentation based on the narrow-mindedness of functionalist mentality -it is reinforced by "money-bag disposition," of most of Igbo leadership. Essentially a rigid functionalist model is not in keeping with the unity of purpose needed for "Igbo collective aspiration".

From another angle, leadership by fragmentation and narrow minded functionalism is dialectical to the concept of unity of purpose, solidarity and collective will and identity of the Igbo people bearing in mind the republican nature of the Igbo people. Here we have to overview the characteristics and/or attributes of a system (strategic) view of leadership that is being advocated here.

SYSTEM STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP: BASIC CHARACTERISTIC
Now before we talk about the characteristics of a system, it is pertinent to understand what a system is all about. In view of this system, one is inclined to ask: what system? A system is an entity whether conceptually perceived or physically observed in this context, say an individual person or a phenomenon; a society such as Igbo society or a federation such as Nigeria, which has parts or components and which operates within, and interacts with its environment to achieve certain objectives or aspirations. All these entities as systems have parts interactions among its parts in the system and between its environment and itself.

Essentially, the Igbo people and their leadership for collective aspiration is not exempted from the above salient characteristics because the Igbo society is an entity that seeks goals and transforms inputs into outputs for the "common good" of its people. Here a systems concept of leadership becomes a practical necessity in Igboland. This system is important because it envisages that leaders of Ndiigbo will be able to distinguish functions without necessarily separating them and unite them without necessarily confusing them. Here too the essence of division of assignments or responsibilities arises not necessarily from a desire for metaphysical subtlety but for effective result.

This text has therefore emphasized that issues of Ndigbo leadership and society nexus, is one important approach to be adopted in trying to achieve success and collective desire of the Igbo people anytime anywhere. Finally, it is important to recognize that in pursuance of sets of objectives people share responsibilities. Some will do more or less than others whereas the strategic model holds the cord of cohesion of the entire system together.

Characteristics of Ndigbo
The Igbo people are the way they are because they believe in the philosophy of "Self-Reliance, "hard work" and "accomplishment. Generally, the Igbo people are egalitarian, republican, and revolutionary in nature and as a result, every Igbo man considers himself as good as everyone else. They are very competition in nature, which essentially metamorphosed into competition for "life-long activities" between individuals as well as between villages, clans and zones [Webster and Boahen, 1992 pp 98 - 99].

As a people with competitive drive, the Igbo people love adulation, hence, recognition is by achievement and service to the community and traditional governance is open to all and sundry male adults. Davidson 1981 "village government of the Igbo people were very much in line with the democratic habits of modern world"[Davidson, 1981]. Igbo government is participatory and extremely democratic. This is the reason why Igbo traditional government could not raise large armies because of its sedentary structure of Ndiigbo. Villages and clans are by nature independent of each other. Consequently in place of "Empire Building" through military might, the Igbo people sought other subtle ways of promoting affiliations and common action by larger groups of communities and peoples.

Ndigbo have strong belief in "Chukwu" [the creator and supreme deity] and gave immense religious color to their life and work where ever they are. In general the Igbo people except in Nri have no Kings (Ndi Eze) for they respect elders and age but their respect is not servility. In Igboland leadership comes from elders who are great achievers. But since the Biafran War, achievement has lost its focus on hard work because of moneybag mentality in Nigeria. In Igboland, parentage does not grant privilege to any person any time anywhere.

In Igboland, hard work and success are like two sides of a coin - one cannot be separated from the other.' Here the enterprising spirit and aggressive individualism of Igbo people are merged into one reality - achievement. The Igbo people have obsessive desire for self-¬improvement and their innate receptivity to new ideas and adaptability to change are the driving force for their self-ambition and self-reliance.

THE PRAXIS AND NEXUS OF IGBO LEADERSHIP

It is important to observe that there are two circumstances of leadership in democratic governance. One is political; the other is institutional. By the political aspect, I mean the need to be responsive to external political factors, pressures and control.

Essentially, this responsiveness is a critical issue in the exercise of leadership in a society. But if one reflects on what has befallen Ndiigbo in the past decades since Nigerian independence in general and in the emergence of The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), and the PDP Peoples Democratic Party -Jos Congress in 1999, one finds it difficult to evaluate the role that Igbo political leaders played and/or ought to have played in that singular event. That particular event alone not only cringed the bones and soul of every real Igbo person, but also dashed the collective aspiration of Nd’igbo to the deeps. The actions of Igbo political leaders betrayed not only themselves but also the Igbo race as a people.

By institutional aspect of leadership, I mean the need to be responsive to the internal operation of keeping the leadership in actual effective order. Here too in considering what happened in Jos, the Igbo political leaders were essentially kings and leaders unto themselves discarding with impunity the "collective aspiration" of the Igbo people which they represented as they claimed. 'One amazing fact of Jos 1999 saga is that some comic political leaders talked and heard themselves and surrendered to the illusion that they talked to and heard from Ndiigbo. Up to the time of this text, those shameless political comedians still hold themselves out as Ndiigbo political leaders. these bunches of “self-seeking” leaders are the political cankerworms of Ndiigbo and they invariably render the efforts of real patriotic political leaders of real Igbo stock ineffectual. These bunches know themselves. It is hoped that from the Jos event, they will learn their lessons for "individuals who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it".

It is also important that we remind ourselves that in a democratic society only a few individuals hold ranks in the narrow sense of the word leadership. Yet we have to understand that all the persons who collectively comprise the leadership exercise leadership. We have to remind ourselves also that the praxis and nexus of leadership in democratic governance depend [just like in strategic management] upon more than one individual person. The leadership I am focusing attention is that which is vested on a number of individuals working as a team, not just a single person at a peculiar level of leadership hierarchy.Consequently, the institutional aspect of leadership in Igboland requires order, common sense and intuition which underscore the spirit of co-operative and integrative efforts on all and sundry, especially on those who hold themselves out as political leaders of Ndigbo. [Written by Prof. Ikegwuoha, Bernard-Thompson]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Here again one may have to ask: Will the Igbo leaders ever learn their lessons to accommodate one another in matters of common interest? Will they accept authority from one another for the common good? Will they continue to be quarrelsome for their personal gains.