Timothy Ifedioramma is House Committee Chairman on Works and lawmaker representing Njikoka 1 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly. In this interview with EMMA ELEKWA, the lawmaker berated Pastor Tunde Bakare over recent comments credited to him alleging that the Igbo nation is cursed. He also spoke on Igbo presidency and sundry issues. Excerpts:
Recently, Overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare alleged that Igbo were cursed by the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. How do you react to that assertion?
It’s a total disappointment that statement will be coming from Bakare, my friend and a man we at some point respected to be a man of God, one who had been an advocate of Justice. That statement that was credited to him is an aberation and a very big minus for him as a person. If that very statement actually came from him, I’ll want to reverse back to him, that he’s the one cursed and not the igbo nation because the igbo nation cannot be cursed. That his assertion is historically and politically very wrong because that wasn’t what transpired. He should have a fact check on what he said, unless he would claim to be misquoted. But it was his words, I’ll give it back to him that he is the one cursed. We can’t be cursed, we’re blessed generation and people. For the fact that we had an amalgamation or what I’ll call false marriage of 1914 that led to Nigeria being a nation should not make anyone look at any particular tribe, how much more an igbo tribe to be a lesser partner in the commity of nations, how much more a race that is cursed. We totally take exception to that. Both the clergy and politicians in the Eastern region are adversed to that very assertion and we reject it in its entirety. The truth of the matter is that Tafawa Balewa never made such statement. An igbo man never killed Balewa. All those nasty things he is putting across that he so said story are all politically motivated.
And let me put it squarely, if the West wants the cooperation, and want to jettison justice and fairness, even when they have been saddled with the responsibility of being the president of this country for eight years and vice president for eight years, and now looking for another loophole to edge an igbo man out at this particular time, it’s unfortunate. Because when it was their turn, we supported them. When MKO Abiola won the election and was annulled, at the end of the day, it was between Obasanjo and our own brorher Ekwueme. We stood up and said for the fact that this particular region has been denied this very position, we gave up our brother and supported Obasanjo in the Jos convention. I wasn’t a young man when that happened. I was fully aware and integral part of that. I knew all that transpired. So why is it that it’s now that it’s seemingly our own turn and then someone is coming up with a nonsensical theory of being cursed.
To be honest with you, most of the comments that had been credited to his Excellency, former president Olusegun Obasanjo has been in favor of the Southeast. He might not have been categorical, but we as politicians know when someone means A and says B+ , that’s very close. So we understand his language so far and he hasn’t been adversed to an Igbo candidature. All he has always advised the Igbo is for us to come together and speak with one voice and that he’s said several times. If someone of his level and magnitude, politically and internationally exposed, says something like that, he’s letting you know where he’s tilting to.
Some argue that Osinbajo is being sponsored by Tinubu to garner support. Do you agree with them?
I’ll ignore that view as it were. However, in politics, you don’t sweep anything under the carpet. Everything must be open until the game is over. Both Tinubu and Osinbajo are all eminent Nigerians, highly respected and qualified to occupy that highest position in theland. However, for the fact that their region has had that position for solid eight years, and VP for another eight years, solid, I think the maxim that says he that comes to equity must come with clean hands, Justice, equity and fairness must come in at this point. I expect them as elderstatesmen to toe the path of fairness by giving up that very position to the southeast. I hear lots of people argue that the Southeast are having agitation, Biafra, IPOB, MASSOB, and others, and for that, an Igbo man or Eastern region shouldn’t be talking about being the president of Nigeria. That’s arant nonsense to me. Anyone who is sensible should not be making such statement. We the Southeast have sacrificed, supported the Northerners, Southwest, and also the South South. Of the four region, it’s the easterner that has not tasted that seat. All we’re asking for is fairness.
I’m an Igbo man and can’t deny not being a Biafran or an IPOB or whatever name they want to call us because that’s the region we come from. But for the fact that I’m an Igbo man may not necessarily mean I believe in the ideology or methodology with which those groups are agitating. But if we really want to put the square peg in the square hole, the question should be why is this group of people agitating? When MKO Abiola was contesting, the Igbo and others supported him. Presently, is there no agitation in the Southwest? Why is Tinubu and Osinbajo running? Is there no agitation of Oduduwa state? So why is that of Easterners different? Recently, our younger Bro. Sunday Igboho was arrested for agitating for Oduduwa state. The same thing Nnamdi Kanu is agitating for. We must go back to find out why the likes of Kanu and Uwazuruike and so many other Easterners are agitating to have their independence. It’s because of marginalization, because of being allienated, or having to play with the fidle role. That’s simply what an igbo man is not comfortable with. If we want to really deal with these issues, we must look at that structural problem and deal with it. When it was the time of South South, we supported them. There were so many agitations in that zone, oil, NDDC, militants and all of that. How was that quenched? It was because Jonathan was thrown up to become the president. Throw up an Igbo man as president today, all these agitations of marginalization will go.
How prepared is Igbo nation to produce a candidate 2023? Any likely consensus candidate?
That’s a good question. But when Obasanjo was running, who contested against him? Was it not Olu Falae? They were the same people, almost from the same state. Two major political parties gave their tickets to the Southwest because we wanted to have peace in the southwest. We wanted to cushion the effect of Abiola’s death. So what’s wrong with APC giving an Igbo man ticket and PDP giving an Igbo man ticket? That’s where the inequality comes. It shouldn’t be the business of anyone how we would come together. That’s the kind of cheap politics they play with us. For the fact that I’m in APC doesn’t make my brother in PDP a bad person. It’s up to the electorate to decide. Give it to us and the entire Nigerians will now decide who, out of two of us are better. That’s what it is.
But the challenge has always been the disunity among Ndigbo rallying round a consensus candidate?
It’s hasn’t been like that. None of these political parties had given it to any candidate from the southeast and we dumped that person. Remember what happened in 2019, just for the fact that Peter Obi was in the ticket as VP, what happened in the Southeast? You see, that shouldn’t be the national discourse at this time, give it first. The problem is many people, most times look for bad name to give to the dog in order to hang it… we’re not united, we’re not united. There’s no tribe that is united. Even in your family, you as a father, you can’t have all your children united with you. But at the end of the day, when you cure the national teething issue, all other things will be submerged and will all fall in place. All we’re saying is, our people in the Southeast have not had their turn at the presidency. Other regions should look at it. And for fairness, equity and justice, allow a South easterner this time. It will quench all these agitations and separatism and whatever name you call it. All our people are angry about is that we’re being made second class citizen in a nation that we claim to be part of. That’s the problem.
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