All is not well with the Igbo community in Bayelsa State. The umbrella body of the community, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Bayelsa, is torn apart by leadership crisis. The desire of two warring parties to control the chairmanship of the socio-cultural group has created security concerns in the state.
But the state government is not treating the issue with kids gloves. Governor Seriake Dickson deployed his aides representing the Igbo community in his administration to investigate the cause of the crisis and immediately restore unity in the battered Ohaneze Ndigbo.
According to a report presented by the three Igbo government aides, the immediate cause of the leadership crisis in Ohaneze Ndigbo started last year. A transition caused the problem. An election was held to fill a leadership vacuum following the expiration of the tenure of the past executive committee of the association.
One of the warring parties accused the past chairman of the association, Chief Okwudili Oko of foisting the current leadership on the Igbo community in the state. The dissenting voices said there was no election where Chief Amaku Chinedu emerged to lead the association.
They faulted the process that led to the emergence of Amaku and demanded a fresh election to right the wrongs. Some of them said it was the turn of Imo State to lead the group but that the Imo community in the state was not consulted to present its selected candidates for the election.
They insisted that the electoral committee changed the venue of the election, shifted the day to Sunday and held the poll at 9am when other members of the association were in church.
However, the supporters of the new chairman said there was an election, which was free, fair and properly conducted in line with the customs and conventions of the Igbo cultural group. They noted that the Imo community as an entity pulled out of Ohaneze but only resurfaced when it was their turn to lead the association.
They argued that since the organisation recognised individual membership, qualified members from Imo were allowed to contest the election in which Amaku emerged victorious. They contended that some of the candidates who were selected by the Imo community lost the election and congratulated Amaku.
They wondered why the opposition against the new leadership came six months after its inauguration. According to them, persons angry at Amaku and the process that threw him up attended his inauguration and celebrated with him. Besides, the new leadership had started performing the functions of Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Such were the ventilation of opinions and anger that characterised the reconciliation meeting between the two warring parties held recently at the conference hall of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The parley was organised by the Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, to resolve the crisis in Ohaneze Ndigbo.
It was a crucial meeting meant to permanently stop the tension emanating from the association. Agu, who also hails from Imo State, has been wading into the crisis to stop it from escalating. All the security commanders were represented at the parley.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Igbogene, Mr. Peter Ezebuike and the DPO, Azikoro Village, Mr. Solomon Ubani, represented the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba.
Others are A. Okoye, Department of State Security (DSS); Augustine Idima, Head of Asministration, NSCDC and Ikechukwu Lawrence Igwe, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). Also among the peacemakers is Special Assistant on Security, Government House, Mr. Amoyah Freeborn.
The Igbo warring parties and key players in the crisis also attended the meeting. Two of the governor’s aides, Chief Tony Madu and Sunny Chukwuezi, who were mandated by Dickson to resolve the crisis were also in attendance,
The Traditional Ruler (Igwe) of Igbo community, Ezeigbo, Anthony Uwakwe-Onyendu; Chairman, Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC), Chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa; Igbo Women Leader, Nzube Ifeobo and many other Igbo dignitaries, stakeholders and interested parties attended the parley.
Agu, the NSCDC Commandant in his opening address, said the security agencies were disturbed by the tension in the association. He said the disunity in the association was unsettling the Igbo community adding that there was need to maintain the existing peace in the state.
Addressing them he said: “We are not happy that we still hear stories of crisis in Igbo community. I have invited you here four times to deliberate on this matter, yet the problems persist. This is the final meeting we are having in this crisis. All the security agencies are here and whatever we decide here today will be the solution to this crisis”.
In fact, for over four hours, the peacemakers listened to the warring parties. One after another, they argued back and forth. At some points, arguments and shouting matches ensued because of frayed nerves. The issues seemed irreconcilable. But Agu and his team were patient, calm and in most cases dictated the lines of argument.
But some of them were neutral. They wanted peace. For instance, a patron of Ohaneze, Chief Wilfred Ihenagoru, insisted that there was no need for crisis. He lamented that some persons always wanted to be in the corridors of power.
He said: “This problem will not lead us anywhere. We should not spend our resources to resolve crisis. We elected a new government for some months. Some people always want to remain in government.
“When they are not in government, they cause problems. Former President Goodluck Jonathan lost and conceded defeat. Let us be patient, resolve our crisis and move forward”.
Prior to his departure, the Sector Commander, FRSC, Ikechukwu, appealed to the Igbo to put their house in order. He said the stubbornness of a few people had protracted the
