The Eddy Ikwubuo you thought you knew.
8 min read
Chief Edwin Chidi Ikwubuo means a lot to many people. To many, he is a high chief, to others he is a politician and more. There are people who see him as someone who has helped them in times of their need while another group of people believes that he is ether the worst or best politician from and within our locality.
Above all these, Chief Ikwubuo represents a lot to many people. Many people are ready to fight for him or him with their last drop of blood, while some others strongly believe that he is always committed to anything he believes in.
A couple of months ago, Umuaka Times engaged him in an interview to know more about him. The interview which is still ongoing will be presented in series or chapters. This week, Umuaka Times begins with the first chapters of the interview.
Excerpts:
Chief how are you today?
Am great, thanks, and you?
Fine sir. For some time now, many people have asked Umuaka Times to engage you in an interview. Do you have any idea why people want to know more about you?
Very good to hear that, perhaps, they consider me prominent and quite knowledgeable, and possibly the urge and eager to learn or know more may have prompted that.
Oh really?
No doubts, a whole lot of our unbiased people consider it very intelligent and abundantly reasonable that hearing from me will be imparting a lot. Frankly, am very much humbled but elated and exalted while hearing that many of our people want to read from me or hear from me, bravo.
But again, why the demand?
It is not basically knowing about me, because 80% of people already knows much about me. I really think that they want to know my views on issues, burning issues especially as a political encyclopedia. Hopefully, the rest of this interview will be more about issues than my personality. However, whichever, I am ready; a golden fish has no hiding place in the water. I am very much ready.
Despite what you have just answered, many people still want to know you deeply. Some call you High Chief, Some call you Honourable, Chief and most recently Doctor. Please tell us how to address you officially.
Very amazing, firstly, I am Eddy Chidi Ikwubuo , that is how it started before other attachments. Having said so, you may want to officially address me as follows Honourable High Chief Dr Eddy C Ikwubuo, the Agunechemba Njaba, Oyinatumba 1 or Oyi Njaba 1. It is now a matter of choice on how you want to address me.
Some people do not feel comfortable addressing you with all the trailer load of titles you have, how do you want those people address you?
They may choose to address me ordinarily as first stated or now as stated with honours or titles.
Are you a title freak? One may assume so because you want to be addressed as “Honourable High Chief Dr Eddy Chidi Ikwubuo, the Agunechemba Njaba, Oyinatumba 1 or Oyi Njaba.”??
(Laughter). Please note! I am not a title freak, but it is reasonable to add my titles to my name whenever you are addressing me.
(Prolonged laughter.)This reminds me of one Uba man in Lagos who would always say that he is like a bottle of water, by his nature, he does not hide dirty things and at the same time, he is a Chief, not all that he sees that he talks. How do you reconcile that sir?
The titles associated with my name are not ascribed, but obviously, diligently and painstakingly achieved and as such, absolutely merited. For convenience, you may not use all while addressing me. Give honour to whom it is due, and by all available standards, honour is due to me, and I deserve it unarguably hence it ought to be given to me. The options are yours and the general public QED.
Is there any difference between high chief and chief? If yes tell us their roles in a society like Umuaka.
High Chief and Chief right? Obviously, tremendous differences exist but it all depends on localities, clans and enclaves. Here in Umuaka ancient kingdom, any chieftaincy title less than 40 years old cannot carry “High”. Anyone whose chieftaincy title has reached 40 years can be addressed as High Chief as long as no infractions or sacrilege or both have been associated to the title holder.
Can you explain further please?
For an example, if a title holder has been convicted of stealing in a competent court of law or traditional adjudication setup. These explanations might differ from location to location as they relate to the subject matter.
What about those who address you as Doctor Ikwubuo? Discuss that a little.
Those are the people who know me very well, and are very sure the title Doctor is not ascribed but officially merited by all standards and ramifications. Anytime or day certificates parades are scheduled with trophies, I will be there first to display mine and win my trophies.
How real is this claim chief?
Seriously, it is real but let us talk about issues, more important and beneficial to our society as opposed to otherwise.
Sir, you are a man with a deep political ambition. Can you tell us why you are interested in politics?
Yes, you are not far from the truth, politically, I am very ambitious. Our community, the Umuaka ancient kingdom, is considered politically very backward and the desire to change those narratives constitutes one of the motivating factors. Our ancient kingdom elites’ nonchalant attitudes towards political engineering in the Nigerian polity is of grave concerns even to the present day, hence my real me could not stomach it. Umuaka ancient kingdom is still in deep slumber and I am yet to unravel the root cause of the level of political apathy associated with the kingdom. The desire to effect meaningful changes in the society as a whole cannot be overlooked as one of the core motivating factors in nursing my ambition. From the Nigerian perspectives, politics is the shortest route towards meaningful societal change and because I have an incurable addiction towards change, especially societal, it was then a matter I couldn’t help.
Do you mean that the drive to build a functional society made you dive into politics?
Absolutely.
Any other reason?
Interestingly, you may not consider me very honest if I fail to inform you, and your would be readers of Umuaka Times, of the desire to gather political influence and print my name in Nigerian political encyclopedia has it’s own contributory factors too. And one may ask if I have really achieved that. The answers seem farfetched as at now but it is not impossible if the right cards are played, though the roads seem surmountably rough.
The picture you painted is amazing but did you try to do any of these when you were the LG chairman?
As you must have been told or informed or heard, my stay or my tenure at Njaba Local Government Council as the executive chairman was truncated or cut short criminally and illegally by the then Gov of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
How long were you in office?
Only 7 months out of 3 years tenure duration. It was too short a period to effect a meaningful change within Njaba. I was just at the fresh hold of foundation laying, planning of programs before the constitution breaker struck, cutting my dreams into shreds, and sending me back to Egypt politically.
How would you describe that show of power by Rochas?
Honestly, that singular act constituted a serious clog in the wheel of my political progress and growth in Imo state and Nigerian in general.
How sir?
Frankly, God Almighty knows that by this time, I would have been in the Senate or Federal House or possibly the governor of Imo State. However, God Almighty knows the best. The fact remains that I have not yet given up, my political ambitions are still very much alive and I have learnt a whole lot politically since then. In all, I let God ,the creator to take control and my destiny must come to fruition undisputedly and undisturbed. It can only be delayed as in the present situation. It is well and really I thank God immensely and very fervently for the life itself.
You worked with both Ohakim and Rochas, what is your assessment of Chief Ohakim?
Gov Ikedi Ohakim is not only a wonderful man as a politician but equally was an intelligent governor, my rating. You are aware that he was not well prepared to be a governor of Imo state even though the dreams were there, I mean there were no concrete program in place or campaign promises given the very situations that placed him as a governor and yet, he was able to execute many projects which I may not have enough time to go into, coupled with the deluge of law suits he faced while in office that stretched up to his 3rd year of his tenure which constituted more than enough distractions .
Tell us more about him please.
Ikedi is a perfect well groomed politician with much dexterity and sagacity. He is a political encyclopedia. It is true that he failed to make it beyond 1st tenure. The political situation at that time culminated into certain circumstances beyond his control, the presidency played a negative role in reelection bid not minding both were PDP, many people might not understand or know.
So you mean Ikedi Ohakim earned your respect?
He earned my respect as a good governor and a great politician. Ohakim is a great man.
You have given an excellent score for Ohakim, what about Rochas?
Owelle Rochas Okoro, by my own rating had a lot of short comings as a governor. He is a very intelligent man with a lot of visions.
He allowed greed to overshadow many of the good things he would have recorded for the state. A very wonderful and creative man but his major problem was in execution all still encapsulated in same “G” word earlier expressed.
Yu mean he did not do well?
He would have done extremely very well if he had extricated himself from the strong hand of G word.
Did he earn your respect at all?
He didn’t earn my respect as a governor in all its ramifications. Don’t forget he is the main architecture of all my political misfortunes in this state and posterity may not forgive him.
Really? Some people will accuse you of being selfish here.
You see, I hate to sound selfish but I have tried to resist mentioning this area but at a time the whole thing became irresistible hence this little delving into this his humongous political blow to me. It is well. Let our God ALMIGHTY take adequate control.
To be continued.
