IS IT ALL OVER FOR NWODO POLITICAL DYNASTY? A REJOINDER

When an elder or a media professional engages in moronic vociferation and invective blab against political Titans like the Nwodo Political Dynasty, it is always discernible that either he is miffed by their quintessential accomplishments or greed for filthy lucre.  This rejoinder is borne out of personal commitment to correct this negative impression created to obfuscate the people against the most formidable Political Dynasty in the history of Enugu State nay Nigeria. Chris Oji, a correspondent with the Nation Newspapers wrote an article published on the 18th July 2012 with the caption “is it all over for the Nwodo Political Dynasty? “ In the said publication Chris Oji pointed out among other things that the last political bout between Governor Chime has finally sent the Nwodos’ out of both political and social scenes in the Country. And to support his assertion Mr. Oji was of the view that inability of the Nwodos to attend the burial ceremony of late Biafra leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Governor Chime’s mother, and that of the father of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremmadu shows that the much respected Nwodo dynasty is totally down and out politically. It is totally disheartening when the ink of a journalist drips with fat-wallet-induced logic. From when did attending burial ceremony a veritable parameter to weigh political strength? Even at that why do he tend to mislead others into believing that the Nwodos failed to bid farewell to the Ex Biafra Leader just to score a despicable political point. For the records; Chief Nnia Nwodo (jnr), former Minister of Information, stated that “The death of Ojukwu marks a sad end to the bold, courageous and unwavering commitment to speak up at critical moments on issues affecting our country. His voice was unmistakably patriotic for the Ndigbo. Their true leader is gone. In post independent Nigeria, no Igbo leader has championed Igbo courses as fearlessly as he did which led to his loss of personal and family resources, denial of economic opportunities and privileges associated with his status. But he remained dogged, devoted and prepared to live with those deprivations because of his commitment to the selfless leadership of his country. Personally, I’ve lost a close and devoted friend – one whose intellectual intercourse with me will remain indelible in my mind. May his soul rest in perfect peace!”This heart rendering eulogy from Nwodo to Ojukwu showed that John Nwodo was shocked by the death of Ezeigbo Gburugburu. Also in publication by Vanguard newspapers on March 1st 2012 showed that Nnia Nwodo was not only active during Ojukwu’s burial but also a member of the Burial Committee. And yet Chris Oji said the Nwodos have disappeared, just to satisfy his paymasters.
In the same vain “Dr. Joe Nwodo, described the death of Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, as a monumental tragedy pointing out that “Ojukwu has been the only voice for change of direction to restore our people to their full rights”. In a telephone chat with The Guardian over the news of the demise of the ex-Biafran warlord, Dr. Nwodo, who was a former presidential aspirant under the defunct National Republican Convention, (NRC); noted that between Ojukwu and other leaders, “it is an advancing gulf between change and no change”. Guardian Newspapers Sunday, 27 November 2011.
However, Vanguard Newspaper reported on February 28, 2012 that Dr. Okwesilieze Emmanuel Nwodo was among other eminent Nigerians to welcome the body of late Ojukwu at the Abuja Airport ” Roll call After the ceremonial parade, witnessed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan; Dame Patience Jonathan; Senate President David Mark; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Deputy House of Representatives Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (rtd); Governor Peter Obi; Chief Tom Ikimi; Chief Jim Nwobodo; Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo; Lt. General Chris Obiakor (rtd); and FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, the corpse was carried into Nigeria Airforce C-130 aircraft registered NAF 917 and flown to Owerri”
Wherein lies the credibility of Chris Oji to malign the Nwodos on the death of Ojukwu?
“Meanwhile, The former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo has described the death of the former Biafran warlord Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu as the end of an era. In a release in Abuja, Nwodo said that the death of Ikemba Nnewi, came as a rude shock to all especially fervent prayers had been said and hopes raised on his recovery. Nwodo, who was a one -time Governor Enugu state, added that “here, unfortunately, is the end of an era, an era when men were men.  Men who lived and fought for what they believed in and were ready to pay the supreme sacrifice for their belief.  Ikemba was a leader made in this mold” Extolling Ojukwu’s great erudition and communication skills that assisted him greatly in prosecuting the Nigeria/ Biafra war, Nwodo noted that the legendary ingenious Biafra Technology could be ascribed to his leadership”. Leadership Newspapers Mon, 28/11/2011. And as usual, Chris Oji, was ardently blindfolded by the amount of money in his pocket to do a yoe man's job
Historically, the Dynasty was said to have picked up steam during the time of a Patriarch and Paramount Chief Late Odo Nwokoro, and strengthened by Late Igwe J.U Nwodo who was a well known leader, and served as a minister in the first Republic. Igwe J.U Nwodo strategically groomed his scions not only to be fervent leaders to take after him but also sustain the integrity of the Dynasty.
The trio that are at the fore front of the Dynasty are well trained professionals in their various fields of endeavor, and have carved a niche for themselves as men with robust integrity and humane sensibilities. Dr Joe Nwodo was a Presidential aspirant under the NRC platform during IBB’s transition.
Dr. Okwesilieze Emmanuel Nwodo (EZE ANYAWU) is a surgeon par excellence, a successful politician and an avowed Leader. John Nwodo (Jnr), was a special assistant to President Shehu Shagari before serving as a minister for a few months in 1983.  He later also served as minister under General Abdulsalami Abubakar between 1998 and 1999.
The essence of this abridged introduction of the Nwodos, is to underscore the point that unlike other political opportunists who never seen the four walls of any university and yet capture political power out of mere connection. The Dynasty is very formidable not only because of the leadership trait that runs in their family, and built over the years by their father and forefathers but also because of their exceptional quality, resounding academic background and leadership experience across every spectrum in Nigerian Politics.
Ordinarily, the repositories of Nwodo Dynasty are all individually qualified to occupy any position in Nigeria based on merit and cognate experience.  For instance, when it became obvious that it is the turn of the Easterners to produce PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo was marked out to be the Chairman not out of sheer political favour but because he eminently qualified for it. 
Similarly, when Enugu State marked its 100 years of existence, the State Government wanted to mark the occasion in a grand style and needed a Man with unequaled leadership and managerial expertise, John Nnia Nwodo (Jnr) was chosen as the Chairman of the Centenary Committee to give it a National clout. A position he later resigned voluntarily.
The most intriguing attributes of the Dynasty is that they don’t throw wealth around or rent crowd to curry the favour of the electorate or command followership. They root their campaign message as a cause that will favour the generality of the masses when actualized. And when the followers view it as a cause they make individual commitment to actualize the dream. 
However, even when the Nwodos have ideological differences and join different political parties the goal of the Dynasty and family cohesion is always maintained. Generally, it is a known practice by our politicians that when your party is defeated you join the winning (the moving train) Party to get favour but not the same with the Nwodos, when they are in opposition they remain there with their followers until the time becomes ripe for a strategic shift.
Therefore, no sane person that knows the dynamic nature of the Dynasty in positioning itself for greater political achievements will commit himself in berating political giants like the Nwodos.  And as people like Chris Oji are busy talking about the Nwodos they are busy grooming other members of the Dynasty that will keep the candle aflame and in no sooner time other rare breeds of the Dynasty will as well crop up.
Moreover, Nwodo Political Dynasty can be said to be out of public glare because our political system as it is presently constituted only paves way for opportunists and green horn and when our voting system encourages the real elites to mount the podium, the Nwodos will not only bounce back but also assume the center stage because the structure and followers of the dynasty are very much alive.
Finally, engaging the Nwodo political machine in unguarded tongue lash requires critical evaluation and balanced thinking, but Chris Oji gave himself away albeit so cheaply when he pointed out that  “One thing that cannot be denied the Nwodos is their power of oratory. It is only the stone hearted that will not melt at their oratorical speeches. In addition, they are highly connected nationwide”. 
If the Nwodos still have this attributes according to Chris what then is left of a politician that worth his mettle? Politics as we know it is never a game for the dumb or mediocre but unfortunately that is the ilk of those that call themselves politicians and our leaders.
Why on earth does a writer capitalize on burial ceremony attendance as a measure of political strength? Historically, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in prison for years and only came out to be the President of the Country. Late President Yaradua spent most of his tenure as Kastina State Governor in the comfort of his sick bed and hospital and later became the president without braking record as a social junkie.
It is therefore; very clear that Chris Oji was doing a hatchet job in order to massage the ego of his pay masters by trying to debase the bastion of our democratic heritage. Political power is very transient and those who think they are at vantage position today may as well wake up tomorrow in utter dismay. We are therefore not blind to know our real leaders and true politicians’ only time will tell.

Barr. Ozor Ozoduru I.C

EVERYONE OF US IS A PAGAN/ATHEIST WORLDWIDE

One man’s devoted believer is another’s Pagan. Make no mistake nor be fooled by pseudo inter-religious public relations. Each time inner circle of Pastor Oritsejafor CAN is gathered alone - anyone who doesn’t member their Christian cult is a hopeless Pagan Atheist.
And, the same is true any time Muslim brotherhoods in northern Nigeria meet in a lonely place: say of worship – all who’re not Muslim are sinning Pagans or Atheist losers.
If you imply that I’m Atheist for not believing in the supremacy of your personal God, you’re also as my Atheist for not having the choice to freethinking will as I do. Should you refer me as Pagan for not being Jewish, Christian or Muslim - you too, is my Pagan for going contrary to my own system of believing. And in the end, we’re all godforsaken Pagan-Atheist to the other sect or person. And does that move this word ahead one bit?
The greatest mistake humanity did was to let the tree dominant religions of Christianity, Jewish and Muslim to dictate who a Pagan or Atheist is linguistically. But in practical sense, all religions do not differentiate Paganism from Atheism and sundry biases. They classify everyone along the line of ‘with us or against us, good guys and bad guys, sinners and believers.’ I hear that someone is raising huge sums of money to re-write part of the Bible and I hope all religious Books are rewritten to mirror present day happenings. And when that’s done – I’d certainly appreciate if they replace the Pagan/Atheist biases with “... everyone has got the right to decides his own destiny, and in this judgement, there’s no partiality” as sang by Bob Marley the reggae champion singer.
This article is dedicated to Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde who wrote an article “The Night I Confessed My Sins” as published by Sahara Reporters on June 5, 2011. He wrote clearly how he painfully became born-again Christian after two decades of being an ‘atheist.’ He had to do that in other to fit into the Nigerian society where freethinking mindset is labelled with utmost suspicion and bias as stereotypical behaviour of Satanists.
Mr Sabella needed and urgently too, to belong to a particular religious cult so as to feel accepted by members of the Nigerian society who feared his independent freethinking will as unacceptable. He wrote: “I became a born-again Christian. I had to because I couldn't take it anymore: I couldn't take the suffering, the abuse, the ridicule and the insinuations.”  And so he added: “You cannot imagine the abuses that came my way when I tell people I don't do God or Church or any form of religion. Some would even ask: "if you don't serve God, what do you serve?" to which I usually would answer, "If I don't serve God must I necessarily serve some other gods?"
A lot of religionists stay in the comfort zone of their religious codes to call others Atheist or Pagan. What they do not realise is the fact that – they too, are unbelievers to those they call Pagans. Every religion’s ethical code addresses their followers as true-believers and the rest as heretical misbegotten Pagan/Atheist. Everyone on this planet is an Atheist Pagan to the other person or group.
True. If you’d want to put the Atheist and counter-Atheist label perception in proper perceptive, Nigeria with its religious and sundry other divides – is the best lab for this experiment. If the truth is to be told about present Nigeria, Northern Muslims sees Jonathan and his Southerner Christian brothers as election-rigging Pagan Atheists. While the Jonathan Southern Christians love to demonise Buhari and his Muslim northern cliques as hopeless Pagans in the light of post-election violence.
Practically, if you label me as an unbeliever because I do not belong to your religious creed, you yourself is an Atheist-Pagan to me – in that, you do not member my own religious cult. And that’s if you minus the usual pseudo congratulation various inter-faith organisations salute their opposing opponents with in the public. Which’s a different ballgame when likeminded religious cult clique members meet under themselves: all men are condemned except their niche people.
But the Osama Bin Laden group stands out for being able to cross the line of pretension which most religious practitioners haven’t the gut to proclaim publicly. His group would say clear-cut that it’s either you’re a Muslin or an Atheist Pagan. Either you’re with them or against them. No middle ground for the Sabella Ogbobode Abiddes of this world. Truth is bitter though. But Bin Laden group have been able paint and pinpoint the real picture of the mindset of those who found those religions. Which is to dominate the others as the good guys and rest in their various otherness’s, as the bad guys?
Although Mr Sabella Ogbobode Abidde described himself as an easygoing Christian type who could mix freely and do as he pleases – but, you still want to pity this guys who could not hold his personal conviction or strive but sold out cheap to Middle Eastern religion. Our forefathers and mothers would be crying ‘religious apostasy’ in their graves against Sabella Ogbobode and those who’ve accepted foreign religion as their articles of faith.
One good thing is that you’d be happy to have a Sabella as next door neighbour than any hardcore religionist. A least, you could invite him to a beer-drinking hip hop disco where you could both dance to the hip-hop tune: ‘bitch better have my money.’ And the next day, arrange with him to attend reggae dancehall with Lady Saw playing live with both of you knowing that she some times intentionally exposes her underwear or pant while onstage.
And however, it’s better to have freestyle Christian than having one-way thinking religious fanatic. Who’ll paganise you at his personal say-so. Man wasn’t born religious nor was he born with it. Religion is a human construct like the English language ‘Pagan’ was constructed at a point in time in human history – to defame some and applaud others.
The Early Man and our foremothers didn’t practice religion. Religion accidentally and experimentally developed at a certain time in the development of human history as the words Paganism and Atheism respectively. Man wasn’t originally born with those. Any time you see people who don’t member your religious cult, give them a hug and let them be. Embrace humanity and chuck away religion for once and for good.
Sunday Njokede writes from The European Union
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