OJUKWU'S SOCIAL SECURITY NEEDS, NOT ONLY FOR GOVERNOR PETER OBI.

Icheoku has watched and followed with disdain, the lackadaisical attitude of all the governors of the five South-Eastern states, except one, towards the emerging welfare and health-care needs of the Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu. To say the least, it is quite appalling and very unbecoming of a people, who would have been a-nobodies but slaves of the northern Hausa/Fulani oligarchy were it not for the brave sacrifice of the Ikemba, to be so nonchalant about the Ikemba's needs? A man who gave them a pride of place and a ringing strong voice within the Nigeria political establishment to be abandoned in this manner, left to his fate, is very heart-wrenching indeed.

Icheoku says if a man who invested all he had both in wealth and career as well as risk to life, and in a cause as worthy as the Biafran war of survival on behalf of his people, the Igbo people; would be so neglected by them when he absolutely needs all the help he can get with his increasing welfare and health-care needs, then how would the next guy dare should similar situation, a precursor to Biafra, arise in the future? Ordinarily, a culture that is appreciative of heroic sacrifices as was made by the Ikemba would have suo-moto, declared the Ikemba a public-charge and the responsibility of the entire South-East Igbo people and their respective governments. There should have been a budgetary allocation made by the five South-Eastern states for his upkeep, welfare and maintenance. But nay, these opportunist-governors would not do so or think about it or even hear about that. Instead they are parading themselves as the lords of the manor while forgetting that without Ojukwu, there probably would have been no Igbo states or even Igbo people left for them to govern?

However, Icheoku wants to specifically single-out and thank Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State for being the only rational and appreciative governor among  this class of unthinking governors of Igboland South-East Nigeria. Governor Peter Obi is hereby commended for appreciating that the Igbos of the South-East Nigeria owes much to the Ikemba for what he did on their behalf during Biafra. Borrowing from Britain's Winston Churchill, Icheoku reiterates that "never in the history of Igboland has so much been owed by so many to just a single individual and that individual is the Ikemba." Or could it be that some of these governors were not old enough or even born during the Biafran war of survival to appreciate the great sacrifice of this great son of Igboland; who rose to the occasion to say enough of the Igbo blood-shed to the blood-hounds of northern Nigeria. A man of great courage who took up the gauntlet of a war which was forced on the Igbo people by the bloody Hausa/Fulani pogrom that took place in the north, especially the then Benue-Plateau region is a man who should be revered by all Igbo people and his needs taken care of without any question or hesitation.

Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu risked his all - his life, his military career, his inherited enormous wealth which stood to be seized and were seized by the Federal government of genocidal Yakubu Gowon, to tell all Igbos in Nigeria particularly in the north to just try and make it to the East and the safety of their lives and properties will be guaranteed. It was unplanned and it was ill-prepared, yet Ojukwu gallantly fought off the Federal army and for three long years which but for the mercenaries would have lasted longer if not victorious? Ojukwu defended the honor of Igbo people under very austere circumstances and a completely blockaded situational region, using only his resolve and the "Igbo-kwenu" can-do spirit of an all volunteer peoples militia to protect a people who were under the threat of being completely wiped out of existence. It was genocidal and it was earth-scorching; there were so many massacres of innocent Igbo people in the north before the war and during and after the war in Onitsha, Asaba, Nsukka and other sectors. All geared at exterminating Igbo people from Nigeria that Icheoku wonders what would have been were it not for Ojukwu's drawing a line in the sands against a maniacal Gowon's attempt to wipe out the Igbo race.

The rest as they say is in the history books for those governors of the five Igbo South-Eastern states to go verify themselves, assuming they were not around then or never heard anything about that sad chapter of Igbos in Nigeria. Icheoku says it is about time these governors did right by Ojukwu and gave him his duly earned benefits; at least a pensioner deserves his pension! Ojukwu earned it; Ojukwu worked hard for it; Ojukwu sacrificed for it and Ojukwu deservedly earned to be repaid for his good works and at this time of great toll on his welfare, upkeep and health-care needs. Icheoku hereby call on Governors Theodore Orji of Abia State, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and Ohakim of Imo state to without much delay or any further indifference, team up with Governor Peter obi of Anambra State in taking care of the Ikemba Nnewi and Dikedioranma of Igboland on behalf of the Igbo people of Nigeria. It is the right thing to do and the Igbo people of South East Nigeria understands this and will be perpetually grateful for these governors rising up to this responsibility - it is never too late to make amends or repay a debt owned.

Icheoku admonishes that Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu does not belong to only Anambra State or Governor Peter Obi or the APGA; no, Ojukwu should ordinarily be a Nigeria national responsibility if not that some people in Nigeria are still punishing him for his role during Biafra; but at least he should be the responsibility of South-East Igboland. Ojukwu has been going through some health challenges in recent times and only Governor Peter Obi has so far risen to the occasion, shouldering this responsibility whether as individual or on behalf of Anambra State; but it should not be so as Peter Obi or Anambra State state should not be left to bear it alone. Ojukwu did service for the entire Igbo people and his needs now should be borne by the whole Igbo people as a group, being the beneficiary of his great sacrifice during Biafra. "The fowl does not forget the person that took off its feathers during rainy season" and so the Igbos must now show their gratitude to a man who stood up when it mattered most. The good news is that Ojukwu is responding well to treatment in an undisclosed London hospital, all courtesy of Governor Peter Obi's magnanimity and generosity; but should the unexpected happen and the Ikemba is no more; Icheoku will hate to see these governors jostling for the camera in their attempt to outdo one another with his funeral arrangements. Mike Ejegha has a song "kwaa m na ndu", translation "celebrate me while I am still alive" and Icheoku will hate to see Ojukwu being celebrated by these governors posthumously.

Now is the time for these five governors to take up the challenge of Ojukwu's failing health and ensure that the Ikemba stays around as much as possible; challenged that they will not watch and see Ojukwu be the first one among those many other despicable actors of the Biafran war of survival, to make his exit from this earth and Nigeria. Genocidal Yajubu Gowon is still very much around, Olusegun Obasanjo is also still around and likewise Ibrahim Babangida as well as many other minor players of that genocidal war. Icheoku says it will be very shameful for the Igbo people to in addition to loosing the Biafran war to also lose the psychological war of whose leader dies first. Igboland five governors, the onus of ensuring that Ojukwu's life, welfare and health is  preserved for as long as humanly and medically possible lies squarely on your shoulders and please do not fail in this task or in any way disappoint the expectation of the Igbos. Icheoku says it will be a great shame that a man who risked everything to protect the Igbo people of South-East Nigeria from assured genocidal extermination in the hand of maniacal Yakubu Gowon led federal army, was abandoned by the same Igbo people at his hour of great needs and/or eventual demise.

It sure will not look good and these five Igbo governors should do all within their powers to ensure that Governor Peter Obi gets the support he deserves in taking care of Ojukwu and that the Ikemba never regrets or was forced to ever question the merit of his historic sacrifice on behalf of the Igbo people, protecting the Igbo race from an assured destruction? Lastly,like America, Biafra is a dream and the dream must not be allowed to die due to attitudinal indifference of a people who should know better as represented by the five uncaring governors of South East Igbo states. The dream called Biafra must live on in its hero, the Ikemba Nnewi and Dikedioranma of Igboland, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Icheoku wishes the Ikemba a quick recovery and a full return to active good life and many more years of inspiring leadership of the Igbo people of South Eastern Nigeria. Icheoku also agrees that Ojukwu should not continue to be a political partisan at this point of his life but should instead serve as a father of all Igbo partisans, a symbol of authority for every Igbo man and woman and also the unifying beacon for the entire Igbo people of South East Nigeria. Long live the Ikemba and thank you Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State for holding the forte!