In Igbo of Nigeria, to become a Gburu Gburu Leader like Dim Ojukwu is an achieved positon and status. It must be earned by the circumstances of collective history, connection, representation and relevance for the good of one's people and larger society. It is not ballyhooed. In other words, it is not a be-thing sensational, noisy argument or disturbance.
Since installing Dim Ojukwu by the people of Nnewi and their Eze in 1982 when Ojukwu returned from 13 years of exile to the trumpet of the welcoming of a hero as Ikemba of Nnewi, the tempo, and indeed, beauty of receiving chieftaincy awards in Igboland assumed a new classic, historic and transformational dimension. Ojukwu had in that sense transformed and reinforced the value of chieftaincy titles and how such titles are articulated, geographically spread out and brandished to fit the personhood of the recipient. But who and when and where Ojukwu transcended to be declared the Gburu Gburu is little written about despite the unprecedented wide acceptance, popularity, and controversy the concept had attained and generated. This submission offers a perspective to gain insight on the sacred notion of the power of being a Gburu Gburu leader such as Dim Ojukwu.As reported and published by Alvan Ewuzie in the Daily Sun online edition of February 29, 2012, a perspective on how the title “Eze Igbo Gburu Gburu” came into being has been proffered by Ogbuefi Ray Ifeme. The expression Gburu Gburu means being round, whole. That is when a person or thing is made to assume the status and symbol of wholeness. Other terms common among ritual specialists in Igbo land referring to wholeness is “Ezumezu” and “Ozuruoha”.
Offering an insight on the origin of becoming a symbol and representative of a community, namely in the context of Igbo people carrying out their community issues and events, Ogbuefi Ray Ifeme has shared the story of how it began in the North of Nigeria. Below is Ogbuefi Ray Ifeme’s narrative worth noting towards understanding how Igbo people carry with them their culture and values which they consider important wherever they live, school, work and do business. Diplomacy and representation have never been ignored by the Igbo for their survival and inclusion. Ogbuefi may not have told the story exhaustively, but I think there is more to it than is reproduced here by the Daily Sun Journalist, Mr. Alvan Ewuzie.
According to Journalist Ewuzie, Ogbuefi Ray Ifeme is a culture enthusiast and a communication expert. In this brief chat, he talks about the best way to remember Ojukwu and the cultural errors already committed before Ojukwu’s burial.
When and where did you meet Ojukwu?
I was not in the Biafran Army proper. But I met him in Uguta when I went to visit my uncle, who was in the Biafan Army. Ojukwu was visiting them that day. I went to him and paid compliments. He said ‘small boy, what are you doing here?’ I said I wanted to fight and catch Gowon. He laughed and said ‘you won’t do it alone.’ He then handed me over to Major Udekwe of the Biafran Organisation of Freedom Fighters.
That was how I joined them. We worked under Colonel Akonobi. I was the one who brought the late Oliver De Coque to play music for the boys.
After that initial meeting, did you encounter Ojuwku any more?
When he came back from exile, I was one of the first few people that met with him after Igbo traditional rulers gave him Dikedioramma title. I was opportuned to go and meet him with Oliver. I was also going to meet with him at his former house inEnugu. It is very easy to visit Ojukwu’s house without a car. If you come with a car the security men will question and delay you but one thing I noticed was that nobody came there that he did not see.
You said earlier you have a problem with the statement made by Eze Ohazulike inLagosthat it was Ojukwu that started the concept of Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora. What is your problem with that statement?
To start with Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora was alien to our people initially. We used to have Igbo leaders like the late Okonkwo Kanu, taking charge of the North, Ojukwu’s father was the overall Igbo leader. It was Gowon that created the concept of Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora. During the war, he appointed one chief Mba, popularly known as Mallam Issa Mba, to take charge of the North. He was called Seriki Ndigbo. After the war, one Chief Ogbunafor from Nawfia, a popular hotel proprietor, declared himself Eze Ndigbo in Sokoto in 1976 or thereabout. We also had Chief Nwalusi as Ezeigbo inKano. Nwalusi and Okonkwo, who was Eze Ndigbo in Katsina both took the title in 1980.
Ohazulike brought the institution to the South-west. He brought life to it, in fact, politicised it. He formed the Association of Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora with Eze Pampas of Minna as Secretary General. You know that Ilomuanya and his team fought them over the matter, they said they should not bear the name Eze Ndigbo. Ohazuliike also fought our traditional rulers thereby making a mockery of the institution.
But he said it was the late Ojukwu that endorsed Eze Ndigbo?
Ojukwu never endorsed any such concept. Since Ikemba died, people have been saying all kinds of things. The truth is that Gowon is the original creator of that concept. It was Ohazulike who brought it to the Southwest.
Recently Eze Nri said he had installed MASSOB leader as the new Eze Igbo Gburugburu and you said it was a wrong move.
Why did you say so?
Let me first say that I have nothing against the MASSOB leader. In fact, MASSOB has given a voice to Igbo people. But I am also a culture enthusiast and leader of a cultural organisation. For now, Uwazurike does not need a title. What he needs is support of the Igbos. Now Eze Nri should not have installed him because he never installed Ojukwu in the first place. It was at a birthday party organised for Ojukwu by Ohazulike that Ohazulike pronounced Ojukwu as Ezeigbo Gburugburu. On that occasion Ohazulike said of all the people bearing Ezeigbo, Ojukwu was the greatest. That was how Ezeigbo Gburugburu came into being. I was there when it happened.
I am not against anybody, making Uwazurike Ezegburugburu. I respect Eze Nri, he is a highly respected royal father. With due respect to him, I am disappointed that he forgot about our culture in this matter. No where, especially in Igbo land, do you appoint a successor to a man, who has not been buried. It is after the burial rites that you install a successor. He might have done it to stop any other person from taking the title but it is wrong in terms of culture. I am the founder of Omenanigbo Promoters Association and our members are not happy. They should have waited for Ojukwu to be buried first.
How do you want Ojukwu to be remembered?
All we need to make him rest is for Igbos to live in unity. But the most important is for theNigeriato allow an Igbo person to become the president of the country. That way, Ojukwu will rest in perfect peace.
Some Commentaries
For sure, we can learn something useful and also critical from this interview questions and responses with regard to Igbo culture, kinship values and representations of Igbo heroes and heroines. In that light, Okoro Leo C reacting in a facebook blog said: “in Igbo culture, the formal announcement of the death of a king is followed by giving him full outstanding burial rites. This is followed by a one year mourning period, in honour and as a mark of respect to the late king. It is only when these conditions are met, that the process of selecting a new king can be set in motion, by those vested with such authority. Any person doing otherwise is going against the Igbo culture.”
Furthermore, Journalist Charles Kumolu reported in the Vanguard Online of March 1 2012 with a caption “Ojukwu’s successor: Ndigbo never sat down to elect a leader” quoting Dr. Chris Ngige in an interview over the issue of who would most credibly replace Ojukwu as Igbo leader. Charles Kumolu states of Ngige of saying that the demise of Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu may have signalled the beginning of an era, given that the question of who succeeds him as Igbo leader would probably not be answered in a short while. The rest of the interview reported by Charles Kumolu of Vanguard Online is re-presented below.
The manner in which he earned the Igbo leadership and the uneasy calm trailing the crowning of the leader of Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazurike’s as Ijele Ndigbo, indicate that the last may not have been heard about who becomes the consensus Igbo leader.
Already, in a manner reminiscent of the controversy generated by the 1995 conferment of same title on Ojukwu, the installation of Uwazurike has stoked the fire to high heavens. To calm this brewing controversy, the traditional ruler of Agu-ukwu Nri, who gave him (MASSOB leader) the title, Eze Nri, Ezeobidiegwu Onyeso, had defended why Uwazurike was chosen as Ijele Ndigbo.
He had said: “The palaceof Eze Nri Enwelana IIis sad about the controversy trailing the conferment of a chieftaincy title on Chief Ralph Uwazurike and wishes to make it abundantly clear to all and sundry that he only conferred the chieftaincy title of Ijele Ndigboon him.
Chief Raph Uwazuruike and Late Ojukwu
The palace regrets the unnecessary controversies and misinterpretation generated by the title, Ijele Ndigbo.”
Regardless of this apparent defence, it is believed that the debate on who steps into Ojukwu’s big shoes may have just begun. A former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, acknowledged that the demise of the former head of state of the defunct Republic of Biafra, has opened another phase in Igbo political history. He conceded that Ojukwu’s death has created a leadership vacuum, but added that Igbos have never sat down to elect a general leader.
Ekwueme is the highest ranking Igbo leader—Ngige
Ngige submitted: “Ikemba’s demise has created a great vacuum in Igbo leadership. And you know that he became a leader through the circumstances of history, especially the January 1966 coup. The genocide and the pogrom that was unleashed on Igbo people threw Ikemba up. So the Igbos have never really sat down at any time to elect a leader.”
Touching on the belief in most quarters that there could be a successor among the crop of Igbo leaders, he said: “The highest political office holder in the land today is Dr. Alex Ekwueme, but if you ask people who are the highest Igbo leader now, they will tell you they don’t know. Ekwueme is the highest Igbo man that has held office in Nigeria. So, the death of Ikemba has kick-started another phase in Igbo nationalist struggle. I think that instead of talking about who fills the leadership vacuum; his death has opened a phase in Igbo history. It is meant for Igbo men to close ranks with one another. It is just like how Jesus Christ left his followers to carry on with his good works, the Igbos are left with a very good project. This affects the elite particularly. They should not relent to fight for justice, peace and equity inNigeria.
“As far as I am concerned, I am ready to be part of the political army that will soldier on for Igbo unity. We will continue on the project of emancipation and protection of Igbo people that Ikemba started. Above all some of us are ready to continue with Ikemba’s project, we don’t need to be called leaders to do that.”
We are egalitarian without central leadership— Ezeife
For another former governor ofAnambraState, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the question of who succeeds Ojukwu, should not be an issue. As far as he is concerned, the Igbo race has always been a republican society, without a central kingship.
He notes: “In leadership, we have dynasty and dynastic succession. So, what office was Ojukwu holding before he died? Ojukwu was holding office in the minds of Ndigbo and not by election or appointment. Eze Igbo means king of Igbos, but he was not a king that orders his people around by way of control.
Igbo has no such leadership before Ojukwu died and now. On who will be his successor, the traditional ruler of any Igbo community has the right to confer any chieftaincy title on any body he deems fit. And the person has the right to receive it. It does not mean that giving any traditional title to any Igbo leader means that the person is the king of the Igbo.
“Ojukwu’s leadership among Ndigbo was earned. And we know that Ojukwu is newsworthy and anything around him is newsworthy. So circumstances made Ojukwu leader in the mind of our people, otherwise the question of who succeeds him is a non-issue, because Igbos don’t have such central leaders. The Ijele Ndigbo, Eze Igbogburu or any form of traditional title does not mean the king of Igbos.”
Contrary to the assumption in some quarters, that a successor had be selected, Ezeife explained that a new set of leaders would emerge for the unity of the Igbo race. But he was quick to add that such might not translate to a one man leadership for Ndigbo. His words: “Our people are egalitarian with a republican system. Leadership would emerge in a collegial way; it would not come in form of a one man leadership. It will be difficult for a one man leadership to emerge. What would emerge would be a group leadership, whose leadership qualities would bring about unity for our people.” Asked the possibility of a consensus leader emerging from the present crop of Igbo leaders, Ezeife, said: “I don’t know leaders are created by followership. If our people decide to follow and listen to one particular person, that person becomes a leader. It is possible but like I told you, a body of leaders would emerge because we need it.”
Igbo nation before Ezeigbo controversy
The position of the two ex-governors appears to be in consonance with an Igbo adage, Igbo enwegi eze, which literally means that Igbos have no king or central leadership. A look into Igbo traditional history speaks volumes on this. The traditional Igbo political organization is based on a quasi-democratic republican system of government. In tight knit communities, this system guaranteed its citizens equality, as opposed to a feudalist system with a king ruling over subjects.
This government system was witnessed by the Portuguese who first arrived and met with the Igbo people in the 15th century. With the exception of a few notable Igbo towns such as Onitsha, which had kings called Obi, and places like the Nri Kingdom and Arochukwu, which had priest kings, Igbo communities and area governments were overwhelmingly ruled solely by a republican consultative assembly of the common people. Communities were usually governed and administered by a council of elders. Although title holders were respected because of their accomplishments and capabilities, they were never revered as kings.
Conclusion
Obviously, Dim Ojukwu was the leap forward person from a wealthy family with grand acknowledged community support reputation, whose position as a regional military governor, charisma, ethnic circumstances and war against injustices of his people equally opened ways to appreciate Igbo cultural beliefs, practices and expansion of those beliefs and practices to any place and situation the Igbo will find themselves. Solidarity we talk about is a cultural language and greeting ovation of the Igbo when they gather for Igbo affairs. I am referring to the popular identity of the Igbo greeting of "Igbo Kwenu" and "Nigeria Kwenu". When the Igbo appreciate and sing to what they value and consider to be good for them, including their survival, representations and interests, a way of showing that an individual achiever is their own achievement for the rest of the Igbo is to bestow such a leader with what the people consider fit. Dim Ojukwu gained fame not by his personal ego and selfishness, but by the inevitable and compelling circumstances of his being and position. A great leader is therefore made or un-made by the circumstances of his own times. Like Martin Luther King Jr. of America faced in the 1960s, the circumstances of Rosa Park's bus transit arrest and trial, mobilization to fight for the people shaped him as a hero when he became the spokes person and leader of the match against racism and segregation that was a common place in America as at then. While King was dealing with the racism in America, Ojukwu was fighting ethnic racism and injustices in Nigeria in the same 1960s. History has spoken and Dim Ojukwu did become the Gburu Gburu of Ndigbo for Nigerian unity. God bless his soul and grant him perfect peace.
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