Leadership they say is the art of directing people to willingly follow you. Great men have defined leadership in different ways as they try to get things done to achieve aims and objectives. American Ralph Waldo Emerson said “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”. American Professor Peter F Drucker said “leadership is doing the right things”. These two quotes by the two great men as above demonstrate that leaders try to inspire the people around them by doing the right thing. Igbo leaders have been exposed as they try to be what they are not traditionally. Igbo amaa eze (Igbos are not intimidated by kings) does not mean that Igbos do not have respect nde eze na ozo (kings and traditional title holders). That literally is the pride of Igbo man to be independent and to look after his home. Leadership is indeed an Igbo tradition, as democracy is the essential part of Igbo culture. Democracy is inherited by Igbos from birth and this is why Nigeria and indeed, our neighbours do not understand us. Freedom that others crave for is embedded in Igbo culture. People around us do not understand why the Igbos are too bold and do not bow to intimidation. This is our tradition. This is what we inherited from our fathers. Now what is going on with the new Igbo man? Igbo tradition commanded us to defend our home with all that we have. The tradition clearly commanded us that we should defend our home with our life whenever we are chased to our home. On this foundation the second Igbo generation of undergraduates and graduates defended their fatherland during 1967 and 1970, of which most of us were part of it. Majority died and some lost limbs as a result of that call to duty by our ancestors.

Today, what is happening to the new Igbo man? The new Igbo man who has abandoned his culture and tradition. A new Igbo man that is intimidated by nde eze na ozo. The new Igbo man that has lost his confidence and pride. Is the new Igbo man being intimidated by others on the centre stage of Nigeria and around the world? I therefore ask, why? The new Igbo man needs a leader; someone he would look up to. Who is this leader? Who is the new Moses? As Moses had led the Israelis out of Egypt, the Igbos are gaping, yearning and dreaming for a leader like Moses. The Igbos are seeking for a leader that defends the pride of his people; the voice for the common man.

However, the question being asked today is, are leaders made or born? Igbos value education and learning and that was the reason why the Igbo elders in the olden days normally take the young to the village meeting so that they can learn as they grow up. A young man is taken to the village square meeting to listen and learn, not to interfere as he grows to wait for his own turn. Traditionally in the olden day there was okoro oha (men who are learning to take over from the traditional title holders (Oha, oji ofor) within the kindred. I wonder if such practice exists today. We have jettisoned our tradition and culture overboard, and now it has come to hunt us. All Igbos are crying their eyes out for a leader, an altruistic leader. A selfless leader that puts the interest of his people first and foremost to everything he is doing. Traditionally, every kindred in Igbo land have a leader (Oha, oji ofor); the rest rally around him. What is happening now? Sir Akanu Ibiam returned his OBE to the Queen in protest of what happened to his people, the Igbos. In 1929, Igbo women showed leadership to other Africans and rose up to defend their husbands who were intimidated by the colonial master. Our women used to be symbol of integrity. What has happened to them now? Has Igbo man lost his pride? Has Igbo man lost his mojo? Who will rise up as our Moses? My people cry for help. Other Nigerians who were intimidated by the presence of an Igbo man in those days are now flickering their fingers against us. If there is no victor no vanquish, why are our leaders scared to their whit?

Today the Igbos are fragmented. Let me go back home to my state, Imo. What is happening to our political leaders? Why are we not speaking with one voice? Politically it is a sin to put all our eggs in one basket. That we know however, it does not matter which party you may belong to, you must have the interest of the people in you. This is what “altruism” is all about. It is about my people. This is what selfless leadership is all about. The Igbos are seeking for a servant leader; a leader that can lead by example. We are seeking for an inspiring leader who empathises with his people; a leader that shares the pains of his people. It is interesting to hear from our political leaders to know if they are being intimidated on the political centre-stage? Who are those intimidating them and why? Politicians must tell their stories to let us understand what they are going through.

However nde nze na ozor, are we promoting our culture to our people? Unity is strength. Oha na eze, what are we doing to garner support for those we have sent out to represent us? Political leaders, what is it you are doing that alienates you from your people? “Respect” is enshrined on Igbo culture; have we lost it? Why have our political leaders lost their respect at home and on the centre stage? The Igbos believe that their political leaders are “sell-out”. They go out and seek for the highest bidder; is that true? Igbos supposed to be the beacon of example in everything however, they are known all over Nigeria as “sellable” people. People who would betray their right for money. Igbo political leaders are now regarded in Nigeria as people who are contended with odu ehi (the tail of a bull) instead of partaking in the sharing of the head and other parts. Why have the Igbo political leaders reduced themselves to nothingness? Our fathers were respected like their fathers before them. Why has the new Igbo man lost his pride? Those around us were supposed to come to Igbo land, indeed Imo State to learn. Imo State is the land of education and we should be proud of it. Indeed, it is the home of education; what is happening to us? Why have we relegated ourselves to mediocrity? Why has the symbol of light turned to darkness? Why are we not doing things collectively? Had the Igbos collectively supported Nnamdi Kanu, Igbos would have regained their respect. Igbo adage says “if a young man does not behave as if he is mad, no one would consider getting a wife for him.” Nnamdi Kanu did what Igbo tradition suggested. He was seeking for the attention of the world to the marginalisation of the Igbos in their own country. He succeeded and we turn around to stab him due to the fear of intimidation at the centre stage. Igbo leaders watched as the government of Nigeria planned and executed Python Dance 2 to kill and maim hundreds of young people and no one said anything, instead they supported the government of Nigeria to label Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB as terrorist group. It does not matter whatever excuses any Igbo leader may come up with regarding the above, the Igbos should have rallied behind Nnamdi Kanu. Igbo adage says “achuo ufu amaa okuko uta”. The Igbos neglected that culture and tradition when it mattered the most. That was where the Igbos look ordinary and expendable to all Nigerians. What happened was a betrayal of the highest order. Igbo political leaders at some point in their lives would look back and be ashamed of their actions and inaction. That is not what leadership is all about. Leadership was what Nnamdi Kanu demonstrated with his life. For that singular heroism, a place is safe for him in history.

Now, back to Imo State where leadership is lacking. The people of Imo State and indeed, other Igbos are in urgent search for Moses-like leader. A leader who will bring back the dignity of the Igbos.  Leading the Igbos should be a three-way system whereby the political leaders will liaise with the elders in Nigeria and those in diaspora. Those in diaspora have been the pillar of survival and dignity for those hopeless and helpless Igbos in Nigeria. Political leaders have connived with Nigerian oppressors to humiliate Igbos due to their ignorance and greed. Since the end of the civil war, it has been a collective responsibility of ordinary people for any development in Igbo land. The politicians are either paid to keep quiet or offered a contract for the development of Igbo land that did not see the day light. However these contract were not accounted for. Politicians and indeed, the elected people are given constituency fund that is made for the community; they put it in their pockets. The so-called political leaders embezzle their community fund (ego oha). These so-called Igbo political leaders embezzle whatever meagre resources allocated to the Igbos without conscience. This betrayal has brought serious hardship to the common man in Igbo land and indeed, Imo State. It is an abomination in Igbo tradition and culture to embezzle community fund (iri ego oha). Who cares? The new Igbo political leaders have no conscience. They jettison Igbo tradition and culture for their selfishness. This is the reason why 419 and armed robbery are the order of the day. We cannot blame the youth as their political leaders have not shown any good examples. Our youth never saw the olden day Igbo man when dignity and honour abound in Igbo land. Our youth did not know that there was a time when Nigeria was managed by Igbo men with honour and integrity. At that time, stealing was a taboo when men were proud of their profession. Now, what is happening? Yahoo boys! Criminality has taken over Igbo land due to the examples shown at the top. Igbo youth are now looking for quick money. Igbo adage says ihe akputara na aga ite na ala aga onu. Any wealth acquired dubiously is wasted dubiously. Igbos, we must regain our dignity. We must revive our tradition and culture, and we must hand over respect and hard work back to our children as we inherited it from our fathers. You who are reading this, what part have you played in repositioning the new Igbo nation as it was in the olden days? We need selfless leaders; men and women of honour and integrity. Are we one of them, you and me? Who will take the mantle of leadership? Igbos are groping in wilderness. Blessed are those who step up for good leadership, for they shall have a place in history!

Those in diaspora, for decades have continually shared their meagre earnings to support their relatives and friends in Igbo Land, thereby absorbing undue pressure placed on them. For this reason, those in diaspora are calling on the political leaders in Nigeria to respect the culture and tradition of the Igbos. Those in diaspora are calling on the political leaders to liaise with those in diaspora and the elders in Igbo land to ensure that the Igbos speak with one voice at the centre stage. The Igbos must regain their dignity and this shall be a collective responsibility between those in Nigeria and those in diaspora. Those political leaders in Igbo land must ponder over to understand the powers of those in diaspora. Those in diaspora sustain the health and wellbeing of those in Nigeria, and he who pays the piper dictates the tune. The political leaders in Nigeria must recognise the contribution of those in diaspora to the development of Igbo land as we pay for school fees, the hospital bills and the food that those in Nigeria eat.  Those in diaspora will now begin to instruct their relatives and others that they support in Nigeria on what to do regarding the election of politicians. We can no longer ignore all the nonsense that is going on in Igbo land, the bribery of electorates, the intimidation of opponents, the selection of incompetence, the presentation of fraudulent men and women as Igbo political leaders and host of others. From now on, those in diaspora will collectively work to disrupt this illegal system established by corrupt politicians. We will work against any politicians if we find them to be corrupt. With honesty, we will support those diligent men and women who work to promote the interests of Igbo man and indeed, the people of Imo State.

However, come 2019 election in Nigeria, those in diaspora will dictate who their relatives would vote for. It is noteworthy that every man or woman in diaspora controls at least ten votes in Nigeria and we will use it as a weapon to support good political leaders and or use it to bring arrogant and selfish politicians down. Those in diaspora as a group can raise millions of pounds at short notice and we will use this to decide the political landscape in Igbo land. This is a wake-up call for the Igbo political leaders in Nigeria to begin now to recognise and consult those in diaspora for any issue concerning Igbo man and indeed, Imo State. This is why this article is titled “Imo Community One Agenda” to draw the attention of those in Nigeria that those in diaspora have kept silence for a long time and we want to seize this opportunity to break our silence and to tell those Igbo political leaders in Nigeria to liaise with those in diaspora for any issues concerning the Igbos, otherwise we will use all the resources at our disposal to disrupt all the political establishment. These include arresting the corrupt politicians on the soils of Europe to let them know that they may intimidate the ordinary man in Nigeria however those in diaspora would bring them to order.  There must be a concerted collective leadership and responsibility between those in Nigeria and those in diaspora. We must now work as a team with one voice and one purpose. Our people have cried for a saviour for a long time, and now we are ready to step in to help and to liberate our people as they have been in bondage for a long time, hence we seek for a new Moses to lead the Igbos and indeed, Imo citizens to freedom. The intimidation in Igbo land must stop as the people must be allowed to express their freedom as enshrined in Igbo culture and tradition. This article is not to bring friction between the political leaders in Nigeria and those in diaspora. However we are using this medium to draw to the attention of oppressive political leaders that their actions or inaction would not go unnoticed, and those in diaspora have all it takes to dismantle their repressive political system in Igbo land and indeed, Imo State, hence we seek collective responsibility and partnership to rebuild our system of good practice and collective accountability to regain our dignity. Who will bell the cat? A new Moses is seriously needed in Igbo land and indeed, in Imo State. What we have now as leaders have nothing to write home about. He who has ear let him hear.

Oguchi Martins Egbujor

Lecturer of Strategic Management

This article was presented to the first ever Imo Community Europe Political Conference, Saturday the 21st of July 2018. I will love to hear your views if you are affected by this article in one way or the other at oguchi@michaelmartins.co.uk, facebook, messenger or whatsapp.