For as long as the Nigerian society does not promote fairness and equity among the people, agitations for self identity among ethnic socio-cultural organisations would continue; writes ELEOJO IDACHABA.
It is now a matter of official policy that the federal government has withdrawn the certificates of registration of ethnic socio-cultural organisations hitherto operating in the country, no matter where they were located.
Hence, such organisations like Ohaneze Ndigbo and Arewa Consultative Forum with all their splinter groups have ceased to exist. It is, however, not clear if Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Miyetti Allah, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and all such organisations masquerading as champions of their respective members have also been banned, going by the government’s decision.
This is according to the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Garba Abubakar.
Abubakar said henceforth, requests for registration by socio-cultural groups and organisations would not be granted by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) without a certificate of security screening and clearance about such group’s board of trustees’ members.
He said government noted that there were rising discontents from security agencies over such groups that had been granted registration in the past whose board members had turned out to be people of questionable characters.
Therefore, he said CAC would not process any requests for registration of groups whose activities would constitute a threat to national security.
“There is no going back on the decision to revoke the certificate of registration of the two groups as they have since transformed from socio-cultural groups to political organisations,” he said.
Abubakar also said request for security clearance of board of trustees’ members is part of the requirement for consent for associations registered under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
According to him, security agencies have in recent times expressed serious concerns about the proliferation of some of the controversial organisations whose activities have constituted a source of worry to both government and Nigerians at large.
Abubakar said what the government observed in recent times “is that some of those organisations have metamorphosed into purely political groups, propagating objectives that are strange to what they were registered for.”
“Political groups are not acceptable by CAC for registration. The activities of some of these groups constitute a threat to national security. Henceforth, every application under Part C of CAMA must first be properly scrutinised by the Registrar-General of CAC.
“It is only when the name has been cleared by the security agencies that the association would proceed to file the application with the CAC for registration.”
Citing the examples of the Ohaneze Ndigbo General Assembly and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in particular which have been proscribed by the federal government, Abubakar said their registrations had since been withdrawn by the CAC.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, for example, is said to be a reincarnation of the proscribed or defunct Igbo State Union that was formed in 1934 in Lagos by a couple of Igbo elite essentially to advance and promote the collective interests of the Igbo race at that time.
Blueprint Weekend gathered that at that period, the union was conceived as the symbol of Igbo unity and identity as it made ceaseless efforts to identify with the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) with the cause of Igbo advancement and welfare in mind. It also attempted to secure an overwhelming Igbo support for and solidarity within the party, reconciling the party’s factions and making arrangements for the party’s campaign rallies.
According to Bakoji and Nzenwa on their analysis of the group, “It is also imperative to point out that during the Abacha regime, some members of Ohanaeze leadership contributed in some measures towards pushing for Abacha’s self-succession plan.
“To be sure, the roles played by Arthur Eze and Arthur Nzeribe were striking. The duo planned and led a retinue of about 50 Igbo leaders most of whom were Ohanaeze chieftains to Aso Rock with a mission to persuade Abacha to contest for the presidency. This was under the guise that the visit was to thank Abacha for the befitting and colourful state burial his government accorded the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who incidentally was the only patrian Ohanaeze Ndigbo has ever had. They took advantage of that mission to the chagrin of Ohanaeze leadership to prosecute their narrow political interest.”
In whose interest?
Investigations by this reporter revealed that for a long while now, government had had a running battle with some of these organisations. For example, it’s not clear whose interests the proscribed Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) and IPOB are out to protect, judging from their hard-line, differing postures on many issues that affect the South-east geographical region.
For instance, just recently, a splinter group just emerged from the erstwhile Ohanaeze Ndigbo. According to the available information, sponsors of the new group claims that it was already registered with CAC as against the already existing group.
This is also coming just as the leader of BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, apologised to Igbo elders, Christian and Muslim leaders for unprintable remarks by Nnamdi Kanu and his radio station in London.
Leader of the new splinter group led by the traditional ruler of Igbariam in Anambra-east local government area of the state, Igwe Nkeli Nzekwe, allegedly inaugurated the new group in his palace and appointed himself as its worldwide board of trustees’ chairman.
According to him, the import of the inauguration was that Ohanaeze had become a legal personality that could sue and be sued and no longer a self-serving platform. He noted further that, henceforth, the new leadership would pilot the affairs of the organisation to the exclusion of anybody on the saddle before the incorporation of the group which means the Nwodo-led group has ceased to exist.
He said, “Today, I welcome the newly inaugurated members of National Executive Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide led by Basil Onyeachonam. As the chairman board of trustees of the organisation, I call on Ndigbo all over the world to join hands together and make Ohanaeze great again.
“I am one of the founding members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 1976. After the Nigerian Civil War, I and some Igbo patriots came together to discuss the way forward for Ndigbo with the good intention to unite our people under a common umbrella body.
“This initiative was welcomed by our people considering the maximum displacement of Ndigbo during the war and its aftermath. Our principal aim then was specifically to unite Ndigbo and speak with one voice, but that voice had for long been silenced.”
In his reaction, the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo, said the group was another enemy organisation sponsored to destabilise the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
Arewa Consultative Forum
The same applies to the proscribed Arewa Consultative Forum with its several militant arms causing embarrassment for the parent arm. For instance, many people cannot understand the difference between the groups in terms of ideology and those of its youth wing; same with Miyetti Allah, Northern Elders Forum, etc. In most cases, each of these groups operating majorly from Kaduna makes controversial statements which constitute an embarrassment to the parent body and by extension the government. A good example is the deadline given by the youth wings of the association in 2017 in which it asked southerners to leave the North.
At a press conference in Kaduna, its leader, Yerima Shettima, said, “With the effective date of this declaration which is today, Tuesday, June 6, 2017, all Igbo currently residing in any part of northern Nigeria are hereby served notice to relocate within three months and all northerners residing in the South-east are advised likewise.
“All northern civil societies and pressure groups are, by this declaration, mandated to mobilise for sustained, coordinated campaigns at their respective state Government Houses, state Houses of Assembly, local government council secretariats and traditional palaces.
“Our first major move shall be to reclaim, assume and assert sole ownership and control of these landed resources currently owned, rented or in any way enjoyed by the Igbo in any part of northern Nigeria.”
Many viewed this statement as having the official backing. According to Dr. Ralph Ejike, a social anthropologist, “As it is in the society today, no country is homogeneous in terms of race, religion, language, script, customs, ideas and ways of life. Society is the collectivities of people demarcated from other collectivities. Since the new objective of social development calls for a shift in emphasis from the individual to larger collectivities, the role of ethnic group in social development has been gaining momentum.”
Why they exist
Reflecting on the backdrop of socio-cultural factors and ethnic relationships in contemporary Nigerian society, Ifeyinwa Mbakogu of the University of Ibadan, said, “It would be impossible to have any meaningful discussion on socio-cultural factors and ethnic groups’ relationship without addressing the political implication.
“Conflict over control of power in Nigeria pervades all spheres of life and assumes different forms. It could be a persistent rage between the North and South, Muslims and Christians, minority and majority ethnic groups, the rich and poor. Whatever form it takes, caution is advised in handling cases of disagreement.
“A major cause of ethnic socio-cultural organisation’s agitation is the desire to grab and accumulate resources, a situation that generates antagonistic relationship among people. This is because modernisation has opened the minds of people towards equity in the acquisition of highly paid jobs, better education, improved health facilities, good infrastructure like roads that would make life more comfortable.”
She stated further that, “It is important to note that those places that appear as stable societies the world over are not necessarily the ones that are devoid of conflict, but the ones that have, with experience, learnt to manage conflicts to thwart explosive situations. The duty facing Nigerian leaders therefore is the need to re-educate people about the various socio-cultural factors that frustrate ethnic groups’ relationship. These leaders should also examine previous solutions to the problems and look for alternative strategies, not necessarily to eradicate the problem completely, but to seek to understand ways to effectively manage ethnic conflicts in order to enhance social advancement and economic development.”
Ethnicity and socio-cultural associations in Africa have remained a powerful and positive force in determining and influencing the affairs of the state. It is a fundamental category of social organisation which is based on membership and characterised by passionate attributes and perceptions of common historical origins, memories, aspirations, values, norms, and expectations.
