By Don Peter Okoro.
HRM Igwe Dr. Chukwuemeka Ilouno, Eze Dunu, the Igwe of Ifitedunu, Dunukofia LGA of Anambra State, has given his candid advice to Nigerian Leaders in the wake of the present economic, security and socio-political challenges bedeviling the country. Speaking to Award Winning Journalist, Don Peter Okoro in Benin-City recently after the Inauguration of the Edo State Chapter of the UN PEPOLAC Program, His Royal Majesty who was one of the Royal Fathers of the day and the Vice Chairman of the UN PEPOLAC Advisory Boardl posited that the only way there can be peace in Nigeria is when there is equal Rights and Justice. In his words:. “”When I was speaking, I said people have left the social norms.
They have deviated and refused to obey laws and laws are to ensure that there is justice and equity. The first thing most laws on earth aim at is the issue of the protection of Human Rights. When you derail from this, you are looking for trouble. These are the social values, the cultural values and the religious norms which are there to lead us aright. So that everyone will be following the same course to maintain peace. Injustice and inequity breeds crisis.
There’s a way God created human beings, the animal kingdom and even the plant kingdom. If you plant a small tree near a big tree, after sometime, the small tree will start bending, why is it doing so? It is doing so because it is looking for where to capture sunlight to convert to carbonhydrate, using it’s chlorophyils.
The injustice is that the big tree has overshadowed it, and it will start looking for it’s own space and there’s nothing you can do about it,if you force it, it will die, that is nature. In my palace you will hear that when you buy a new cock, it will first of all stands with one leg to study the environment and see how it can fit in. Within two or three days, it would have known those that are it’s senior and those it is senior to. And if it sees anyone that is in competition with it, it fights it.
It is fighting it because it wants to establish authority on who is in charge. It is just nature all through. So, what we are praying for is for those in Leadership positions to allow Equity and Justice to flow. If a child is denied breast milk, he will cry and cry until he is fed. The cry is the only weapon he has. If you have a Househelp and you are not treating the Househelp very well she will continue to destroy things.
She will be disobeying rules and looking for trouble because of survival instincts. But when there is justice everybody will be happy. I have gotten my share and you have gotten your share and we begin to play. If my mother gives me three pieces of meat and gives my senior one piece of meat, he will hate my mother and me.If after collecting the meat, I now give him one, he will be happy with me, but still angry with my mother.
So, it pleases the heart to have equity and justice.”. Continuing further he he said:” I’ll tell you a story, I was a teenager when the Nigerian/ Biafran war broke out. I was already a student at the Nigerian Military Academy, but I was still a child. I saw a lot of injustice and I was at that age where you want to prove to people that you are no longer a boy but a man.
I tried my best to join the Biafran Army, but was turned down. I went to several Training Depots and they flogged the hell out of me, because they felt I’m not yet matured, until the war became really tough and they needed more soldiers and experienced people, because I already had some training. If you look at our leaders, you will see that our leaders have completely left the issues of justice and equity. What our leaders of today are doing is to only think about their pockets.
You will hear that one person stole one hundred billion naira.Why should you acquire this type of money when you have people dying of hunger.? You see people waking up without being sure of where the next meal will come from. My advice to the Leaders is to make sure that the wealth of Nigeria is equitably distributed and justice is made to abound. The Legal people have forgotten the ethics of their profession.
They have turned the law upside down, of course the law is an ass. The people agreed that there should be an Executive, Legislative and Judicial Arms of Government so that there can be equity and justice, but that has been discarded. The people agreed that there should be a Federal Character Commission to ensure justice so that no part of the country will be marginalized, but they have discarded it and thrown it overboard. That is why crisis will never end in this country.
I am begging the Leaders to retrace their footsteps. Look at what we are being told that a Senator is being given#162 Million to buy the same Jeep I can buy for #20 Million and they are trying to justify it in a country where so many people cannot buy a bicycle.
The funny thing is that if you go to their houses, you will see many Jeeps parked. They use the money to over feed themselves and do exercise because they know that if they don’t exercise, they will die. Meanwhile, they want all those they are supposed to take care of to die by not providing the basic things of life like food, shelter and clothings.
They don’t care about them. What most Nigerians need now is good road. The Leaders know they cannot provide good roads and they are now buying Private Jets. Tomorrow they want me to pray for them so that they don’t nosedive from that height, I won’t do that.
Some of them that are dying is as a result of bad prayers against them. I have always told our people that one day our Leaders will find out that they can no longer leave their houses to access their planes, because the youths will block the roads. And they will be in their rooms when the youths will revolt. They will block the access road to their flights.
So why not make life better for all and make yourself happy.? Why don’t you ensure that your citizens are happy.? Look at what is happening in India. Every person has a trade or service to offer. Look at what is happening in China now, there was a time they said China was too poor. I remember that before the war, Indians were all over the country as Teachers. Today, we are all running to India. What’s happening? The people that left India have now decided to go back and develop their country.
They now went back with all the knowledge they acquired and are now making India what it is today. Today, Indians are going to the moon, they are all over space. I think our leaders are presently creating problems that will eventually consume them.
A hungry man does not see or hear very well. The only thing he knows is anger and an angry man is a very dangerous man, don’t confront him. ” To the Followers the Igwe has this for them: ” I call on the Followers to always have God in mind. Know that you must do some works to expect good results.
Don’t say because our Leaders are not doing well then, you will fold your hands and die. A few days ago, I talked to the people of my Community. I told them that if you are driving along the streets, you will see a space between your house and the tarred road. If you go there and plant a maize or two, you will enjoy a good harvest. Stop saying you don’t have land, that is free land for you. You may talk of the security of the crops, but God has His own way of doing things. If everyone knows how to use his backyard to plant things food will be in abundance.
We should try and teach the youths one skill or the other. If you have a skill, you can never go hungry. When we were growing up in School ( I schooled in a school that was well managed) every student was made to learn one art or craft. We were even taught on how to box and wrestle and we learned how to make pottery, basket and others. These things have died.
Teachers now ask students to bring money for handwork. In those days, you must have one handwork or the other. When they say handwork, you produce what you did with your hands. You go into the bush to get your palm fronds and make your brooms. Today most of our youths do not know that broom come from palm fronds. So, as a Follower, be a good Follower.
Listen to your leaders but don’t allow them to mislead you. That is why I said God first so that you can follow aright.”” And finally to his subjects he replied:”To my subjects, I thank God for all they have been doing. They have been very cooperative and supportive of every project we embark upon in the Community. I pray that they will maintain it and try to work hard in life.
Remember that if you want to go far in life, you must be focused. You must come together in love and unity in order to achieve greater results. Show love to one another and ensure that laws are kept, so that it will be good for you. Obey your Leaders and give good advice to your Leaders and support them, because Leadership is not easy. Thank you””