INTRO: The reading public in Nigeria were stunned with the war of words between the two respected golden Nigeria politicians, Chief Mbazulike Amechi (a First Republic Aviation Minister), and Dr Jim Nwobodo (a Second Republic Governor of the Old Anambra State). The clash started when the time-honoured statesman, Mbazulike Amechi blasted the South East Governors as weak, and Dr Nwobodo replied in their defence. Angered by the reply, Chief Amechi dismissed Nwobodo as not to be taken seriously politically.
His reason for saying that Dr Nwobodo should not be taken serious politically is that he believed that the problem the East has with the North originated from Nwobodo’s inconsistent politics.
In his words, “most of the trouble we have in Nigeria between the North and the Igbo have a touch of Jim Nwobodo”.
“I do not think I personally take Nwobodo seriously in Nigerian politics because most of the trouble we have in Nigeria between the North and the Igbo have a touch of Jim Nwobodo.
“I wish you can hear me well because I really want to talk to you on that. When I make a heavy statement like that, I want to explain it.
“I said the trouble between the North and the Igbo has its origin and Nwobodo played a very big role in them in 1978/79. I negotiated the formation of alliance between the National Party of Nigeria, NPN and Nigerian Peoples Party, NPP.
“Now, after the election, Nwobodo won on the platform of NPP and in Imo State, Chief Sam Mbakwe won and the man in Jos, Solomon Lar, won in Plateau State. Zik used his position with the North to forge an alliance between the NPP and the NPN in the formation of the Federal Government of 1979.
“Again, Nwobodo won the second term election. Mbakwe and Solomon Lar also won in 1982/83. Jim Nwobodo again went and brought alliance between Zik and Awolowo and I told Zik that there was no way it would work, that he should not break the alliance he had with the NPN.
“But they formed their progressives and it was the same Nwobodo that engineered that and it failed.
“While Nwobodo was enjoying his governorship in his second term, he lost to Christian Omoh who became governor of Old Anambra State. Throughout the time Nwobodo was a member of NPP, he was never consistent.
“In 1993 or thereabout, during the Olusegun Obasanjo’s era, they went to Jos Convention. It was the same Nwobodo who threw some confusion into Ekwueme’s camp.
“A great percentage of Northerners agreed they have run their turn, that it was time for the people of the Southeast. Then, Nwobodo got up there in Jos and said all sorts of nonsense in Hausa and that led to the loss of Dr Alex Ekwueme to Obasanjo.
“Under former President Goodluck Jonathan, he joined the All Progressives Congress, APC. He is an opportunist. He wants wherever he will gain personally. So, when he talks on matters of life in politics, I don’t take him seriously.”
What a show of shame! These are men that should have been bastions of unity and guidance to the young generation in the South East in the troubled waters of Nigerian politics. No kingdom stands that is divided against itself. There should be concerted efforts in finding the bearing for the disadvantaged Igbo people in Nigeria, and that is not achievable by arguing over frivolities of the past.
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