Engineer Chimenum Amadi is the President of the Indigenous Igbo Council of Rivers State (IIC). In this interview with EMMANUEL IFEANYI, he speaks of serious Igbo affairs, the Ohanaeze and the relationship between all Igbo extractions in Nigeria beyond the South-East, problems of the Igbos and the major solutions
What is the Indigenous Igbo Council (IIC) of Rivers State all about?
It is an organization that brings together all Igbo clans in Rivers State. Now, the reason behind the IIC is simply to have a voice that will speak for these extractions. Remember that these extractions have a bond. They have a mutually intelligible language which is Igbo Language. Every one of them speaks “bia” as they come. Seeing that we all have commonalities both in language and culture, we decided that it’s time for us to come together under one umbrella body so that we can foster our unity and have a central body that’ll speak for the Indigenous Igbo People of Rivers State. So, basically, the essence of IIC is to speak for our economic emancipation. It’s the voice of the indigenous Igbo People of Rivers State.
What does the emergence of Senator John Azuta-Mbata mean for Igbos all over the world and what role did UIC play?
The emergence of Senator John Azuta-Mbata as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is something that we all in the IIC celebrated. I’ll not eulogize myself as the President of IIC, but I’ll simply tell you that IIC played a huge role in his emergence as Ohanaeze’s PG. During the preparation for the election, the organization following the constitution of Ohanaeze insisted that only Igbos from the aforementioned extractions are qualified to contest. We only wanted someone from Rivers State and we felt it was not right for another person, from Imo or any State outside Rivers State, to clinch the position. That was what led us to a serious meeting where we issued a communique to read to the press for Ohanaeze to be careful with the person they elect in that position. We made it very clear to them that only an Indigenous Igbo person from Rivers State is permitted to be President General this time around because that’s the constitution. That was the whole movement.
We never did it to undermine anybody, but just to set records straight. It was during that time that the issue of the former IGP Mike Okiro came up because he was about to clinch it, but in the dying minutes, we came out with that publication and said we do not want such. And that was how that message touched the good conscience and that was how he withdrew from the race because he’s a good person. I really want to commend Chief Mike Okiro for that withdrawal. It shows he’s a true Igboman. It shows he’s a unifier and a man who believes in the unity of Ndígbo for him to have withdrawn from that race. I, as the President of the IIC, commend him.
I’ve spoken to him once or twice before when I never knew he was not from the Rivers State side of Egbema. You know the way Egbema is structured can sometimes confuse anybody. They have 16 communities, three in Rivers State and 13 in Imo State. Sometimes, your father may be from Egbema in Imo State and your mother from Egbema in Rivers State. However, Egbema man is an Egbema man, no matter what. However, the creation of states has made us feel this person doesn’t belong here and all that. I feel for him because he’s a typical Egbema man and Egbema man is a Rivers man. Both sides are all Egbema people. So, you cannot because of state creation to separate a people. That doesn’t really make sense, but then, what can we do? We had to balance the equation based on these states that were given to us as boundaries.
Let’s dwell more on the benefits of having Senator John Azuta-Mbata as PG Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide?
As for Senator John Azuta-Mbata, it’s something to be glad for and we appreciate the fact that somebody of his pedigree is currently the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Why I so much love the fact that Senator John Azuta-Mbata is the PG of Ohanaeze is to put the records straight for the likes of Nyesom Wike, who claims that Ikwerre people are not Igbos. Fortunately for everyone, Wike is a boy to Senator John Azuta-Mbata. So, the political godfather of Wike is Senator John Azuta-Mbata. So, now, if his son comes out to claim that Ikwerre people are not Igbos and his father, who knows better, is saying no! We’re Igbos. He even went further to occupy the highest leadership position in Alaigbo outside the usual political setting, as the leader of all Igbos worldwide. If anyone is rational enough, the person will know that the emergence of Senator John Azuta-Mbata as Ohanaeze’s PG has made a mockery of the claims of people like Wike.
It’s a complete deflation of such an argument and has made a mockery of anything they’ve said previously. Whatever Wike and others must have said before now, it’s obvious he had made a mockery of himself because the man who is number-1 leader of the Igbo Nation now and at the helm of affairs, is his own political godfather. Being his political godfather, he knows more than his son as far as issues concerning our history are concerned. So, whatever the father sits down to see, even if the son climbs the tallest iroko tree to see, he’ll never see. That’s the difference between Wike and Senator John Azuta-Mbata because he knows more than him in all ramifications. Therefore, I’m so happy about his emergence as the PG of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. The IIC well appreciated the current situation, although we’ve not paid him a solidarity visit, but we will surely do that.
As IIC president, how do you feel when you see some people from IIC area deny their Igbo identity?
Let me make something clear to you. The IIC comprises members from Ogba, Egbema Ndoni, Ndoki, Ekpeye, Etche, Ikwerre, Asa and Opobo. These are extractions in Rivers State that are members of the IIC. If you see anybody within these areas I have just mentioned now, denying his Igbo identity, then it becomes a thing of shame. It becomes a thing of ignorance that a people that speak the same language, have the same culture that have their local staff of authorities known as Ofor in all their extractions deny their Igbo origin. It becomes a pitiable situation. In fact, it becomes a childish situation because within us; you see our cultural practices within our way of life. The things we do are in commonality with our brothers in the hinterland. Anyone with the aforementioned extractions that denies that he’s not Igbo it becomes very painful and pitiable. They cannot deny their roots. No one can run away from his shadows. It’s funny for a man gifted with legs to run quickly to think that he has the skills to run away from his shadows. That’s delusional. The more you run, the more your shadow follows you or ahead of you. We only thought we could run faster than our shadows when we were small because, as kids, our brains weren’t developed to read the handwriting on the wall. So, this is exactly what these people who said they’re not Igbo but from Etche, Ikwerre, Asa, Opobo, Ndoni, Ndoki, Ekpeye, Ogba and Egbema.
Even their children will grow up to ask them one day who they’re because by traveling, they’ll discover that their language is an Igbo dialect and their names, core Igbo names. How can such a parent come up with a reasonable answer for their children? What’s confusing them? Is it the dialects of the language that’s confusing them? Because we need to understand the principles of a language and a dialect. There’s a big difference between the two.
There’s a synergy between them. Language there in this context is a compound word, while dialects are sub of the main one, which is language. To make it easier, dialects are branches of a language. Let me break it down for them. For instance, inside one compound, there are several rooms/houses inside one compound. So, inside this one central compound, the Ogba man is in his own room, the Ikwerre man is in his own room and so it is for the Etche, Ndoki, Ekpeye, Opobo, Asa is in his own room. All three people, although they’re in the same room, are in the same compound. Having your personal room within a compound doesn’t mean your rooms are now compounds of their own and you’re no longer a member of the compound.
You discover that from my illustration, everyone is of the same family, heritage etc, but the room differs. So, when you see someone who’s in the same compound that you’re also in as your brother claiming that he’s no longer from that family, whereas he’s still living in that same compound, speaks same language or dialect, practice our culture, eat our food, farms on the same given to him with the stipulations of our fathers, it means that such a person doesn’t know himself. He’s only been delusional, childish, selfish and idiotic. It’s unfortunate seeing such people around us. Look at the proximity between far away Benin Land and where we are? What’s the connection? What’s the link? See hinterland everywhere around us and we’re here. How can those who claim this Benin origin even defend it? How can they leave Benin Land, came here, forget your names, culture, practice Igbo culture, bear Igbo names? That’s stupidity. Who does that?
Look at all the surrounding people, including Ijaws and Ogonis, who said they’re from there and here. Don’t they have a specific language they speak? Why are they not speaking an Igbo dialect? Why are they not influenced by the Igbos to forget their language, culture, style of worship, including tradition, and do that of Igbo? If it’s true that the Ikwerres are not Igbos, but Benin people influenced by Igbos, so how come the same Igbos didn’t influence Ogoni man that’s even closer to some Igbo communities in the hinterland? Why is Ogoni language preserved till today while all these Igbo speaking parts with people making all those denial excuses cannot even remember one word in the so-called language that was corrupted by the Igbo? Why are the Ogonis not practicing our culture as Ndígbo even in this obvious proximity? You see how delusional some people can be when they said they’re not Igbos? So, it’s a thing of shame when we see people like that.
How would you describe the identity crisis among those in the IIC area of Rivers State (South-South) as political or historical?
Identity crisis within the South-South Igbo clans has nothing to do with their history. So, I’m telling you here that it is not a historical matter that has anything to do with their ancestry. It’s purely a political matter. Historically, all of us are typical ancient Igbos. Politically, a lot of things have happened negatively within us.
Let me give you an example. Some decades ago, even before the current system we’re using in Nigeria today, we had the Igbo State Union. We had people from this part of Igbo land who were pioneers of the Igbo State Union as of the 1940s. We had a lot of Ikwerre people who were part of the pioneers of the Igbo State Union. Ikwerre people have been taking part in every Igbo affair. All previous documentation about Ikwerre and all colonial documentation available show that all Ikwerre communities are Igbo communities.
The difference between Ikwerre and some of our other Igbo brothers is just dialectical, just like the “Rumu and Umu”. It’s just later “R” that’s causing the issue where Ikwerre says Rumu and other Igbos will say Umu. However, these two words are the same. It’s just a dialectical issue. For instance, again, when Igbos want to call the English word land, you hear: Ali, Ana, Ani, Eli. Ikwerre man also says Ali or Eli in some parts of Ikwerre. These are all dialectical ways of saying land in the Igbo language. These are all the same thing and don’t separate you from other Igbos. This is the same way our Ikwerre dialect doesn’t separate us from being Igbos for calling children Rumu instead of Umu used for central Igbo. That’s our dialect. Ikwerre call children “Rumuntakiri” some parts Igboland call it “Umuntakiri” and that’s how it is. So, it’s not historical.
So, when where did the identity crisis begin?
This identity crisis started just after the Civil War. That was when everything changed. Everyone adopted survival tactics to be safe. One of those tactics was to deny that you’re not Igbo, so you, your family, and your community will be spared from persecution. I learnt the announcement was made for everyone to deny they’re not Igbos when they come and people adopted that just to survive. That’s how this adoption of Benin origin entered our history. How’s Ikwerre man a Benin man when he’s even more orderly than Benin, which is new in creation? I don’t want to go into the obvious history of the ancient Idu and Ado land and Igodomigodo, but it’s in public knowledge about what the ancient war did to Igbo communities in Idu land (across the Niger). The idea of coming back during that Idu ravaging war is now. Even after the invasion of Idu land by the invaders, there were still Igbos who didn’t leave that land. They’re the Igbo-Akiri people.
Those linking our ancestry to Benin should tell us where in Benin and how their language became what it is today within a twinkle of an eye. They should tell us why they answer Igbo names and speak Igbo Language. They should tell us why they have “Ofor” as a symbol of authority, justice and equity when they’re not Igbos? They’ll simply tell you funny unfounded history that everything is imposed on them. How on earth was the culture of Ofor also imposed on you? How foolish is that narrative? It’s an unfortunate situation. It’s not historical at all. It’s a political situation we’re facing, coupled with the fact that the government is also encouraging it so that they can continually balkanize the Igbo Nation. The whole idea is to balkanize the Igbo Nation, shrink us, fragment us so that they can subjugate us. Of course, when someone subjugates you, the next option is to harness you or assimilate you. This is the idea. However, we have come by God’s grace.
What’s the solution to this identity crisis?
This identity crisis has just two solutions, which is for us all to unite and continue to sensitize our people. So, unity and constant sensitization are key solutions. So, constant interaction, explanations and show of love to those who don’t understand until they do are very important. You see, they need to be engaged. You don’t just tell some of them, you’re Igbo, you’re Igbo. That’s not the best way to engage them. You start by taking them to what’s real, look into their culture and ancestry and try to get explanations from them on why they practice the ways of Mr A and turn around to claim that they’re from Mr C? When they cannot explain what you asked them, you can now release the facts in your arsenal. That’s how to do it and be logical about it. When you argue and throw unnecessary tantrums, the other person will resort to being protective and no point will be made for him to learn and know the truth. When you leave an argument and discuss with someone on such issues, he may not agree with you at that moment. Relax, you must not win him over right there. However, reflection of daily activities is normal in every human. By the time he gets back home and reflects on what both of you discussed in the atmosphere of love, he will begin to reason and see much sense in what you said and ask more questions to himself which will eventually lead him back to those answers you have already given to him initially. At that point, he already believes what you told him, but his ego will not allow him to agree in your presence. So, he will want to protect his ego by going about asking more people to compare. One of the best things we’re doing in IIC is engaging our people from community to community. It’s not an easy step to take, as it requires a lot. IIC has been going from community to community, sensitizing our people with facts and making it logical enough for them to know that we’re Igbos and never from Benin. We explain to them the difference between language and dialect painstakingly. So, those are the tools we have to defeat this issue of identity crisis.
