The Founder of Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, has asserted that the current agitation in the South East has persisted for 24 years because of the general absence of development in the zone, characterised by a dearth of Federal Government-powered critical infrastructure in the South-East states and communities.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s future must be anchored on true federalism, power devolution and upright governance.
In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the secretary of the Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), called on the Igbo not to show the impression that they are desperate for power, insisting that what they need now are more friends, not more enemies.
You have been very quiet for a while. What has actually been going on in the South East these days, since the elections over six months ago?
These are trying moments for the South East Region. Everything seems wrong with our region. We have not got our politics right, the economic outlook is worrisome. With the Monday shutdowns of over two years now, the economy of the region in coma.
Now, we have a very uncommon socio-cultural crisis in the region that has exploded over the roof, into a crises situation. There is a strange kind of spiritual awareness; devil worship in a nutshell. There is a crisis situation, but regrettably our leaders are yet to understand that a calamity has befallen us. The region is in trouble.
There’s fire on the mountain. Today’s South East is the very opposite of the peaceful and progressive region people loved to travel to and invest in.
This isn’t about the insecurity or agitation. Something evil has arisen and snatched the souls of young people of the region, just like in every other region in the country.
Something is terribly wrong somewhere. The modern day socio-cultural situation in Igbo land is actually frightening. The region is in disarray. Gay parties and spiritual rituals are now the in thing for young people, as done in other regions. Like in some other regions, homosexuality seems appealing amongst the youths, the craze raging like wild fire. But the most disturbing feature of life in the region today, is the madness of rituals and quest for easy money, which is the case in other regions among the youth.
It’s difficult to understand why our churches, traditional rulers, elders, the clergy and state governments are silent while a generation is being led astray by young and not so young spiritualist warlocks, mediums, sorcerers, wizards and occultic masters of different grades and categories, strutting about as the new rulers of the firmament, displaying opulent lifestyles, attracting young people to the narrative of Oke Ite and other rituals.
Promising young folks instant wealth and a life of ease anchored on spiritual sacrifices of all sorts. The horrific reality is that young people believe that’s the way to go. Admire them, follow them and want to be like them.
There is a new unnatural, unsustainable culture of get-rich-quick, simply by performing certain blood sacrifices and rituals among the young men.
They are the new rulers of the land. There are just so many of them in every community. There are male and female seers, and mediums.
Ezenwanyi and Ndi Mmiri. There are all kinds of marabouts, boasting of great powers. It’s like the end time is near. The South East has become unrecognisable. All kinds of marine spirits, principalities and powers are being brought in from other regions to take over the region. All hell is let loose. It is a very disturbing situation.
This dangerous narrative by these characters has caught on like wild fire. If left unchecked, in a few years, most of the youths of my region will become native doctors. Churches will be empty and these native doctors will decide what happens in Igbo land. It’s truly frightening.
Those who should raise alarm and gather the people to save the region are all silent. It’s a pandemic actually. Igbo land is gone to the dogs. The future is so bleak, discerning folks are leaving the country never to come back. It’s that bad.
Has it always been this way? What are the state governments of the region doing about it?
It hasn’t always been this bad. It’s actually a new uncomfortable phenomenon. It began gradually with a deliberate attack on Christianity in the social media, say six, seven years ago, by radical young folks who eulogised what they called traditional African religion, criticised the church virulently and mocked the Christian faith.
Then mediums of all kinds emerged to display their powers, especially ability to make one very rich. Slowly they began to showcase their powers to make people instantly rich through blood sacrifices and rituals. Gradually, the madness progressed to the stage where certain obviously insane fellows would denounce the Bible and celebrate deities and their chief priests, and then go on to display offensive opulence and ostentatious lifestyle.
They formed a cartel to intimidate and showcase their great wealth. Bingo! Lifestyle of stupendous wealth designed to impress and hoodwink young people. All these attracted young folks to believe that they can become billionaires overnight without going to school and without hard work.
The authorities, who should regulate and streamline activities of these mediums at least for the purposes of taxation, are doing absolutely nothing in this regard. This may suggest that they themselves could be patrons of these all powerful mediums, who currently rule the land, dominate the social media and control the minds of the vast majority of the naive and gullible youths of the region. It’s truly sad.
They build fanciful houses, establish all sorts of going concerns, especially hospitality facilities, throw bundles of cash in the air at funerals, do giveaways and give out gifts to the public, commanding respect and admiration from the public. They are clearly exploiting the poverty and ignorance in the land.
People celebrate them as superstars and great men, their social media handles boasts of huge following and their popularity soars high as the people’s authentic heroes and role models. Therein lies the tragedy. The future is worrisome. Our values are turned upside down. Nobody is doing anything about it. Nobody is saying anything about it. The once beautiful serene and progressive Igbo land, where inventions, hard work and education were the hallmark of the region, has turned into a bazaar for Oke Ite and other get rich quick rituals; and where young people desire to be billionaires through ritual sacrifices without hard work, without getting educated. It’s unbelievable and it’s heart rending. The damage to the psyche is huge and frightening.
Could this strange phenomenon be associated with the economic downturn, unemployment and the general hard time in the land? Or have religious leaders failed us?
I think it’s really multifaceted and complex. Young people are easily swayed and manipulated to believe that there are short cuts to wealth and the easy life. They have no idea that they would pay a price and that they are only destroying themselves. They are too young to understand the damage they are visiting on themselves. Our leaders, political and religious, must stand up and take the bull by the horn and check this unhealthy menace, before they completely overrun the land, strong enough to intimidate and silence contrary views. They are already getting there.
When graduates are unemployed, idle and hungry while ritualists live large and soft lives, then the society is passing a powerful message to the young folks: That hard work and education don’t pay and that this is the way to go.
Igbo land is sadly in disarray and it shouldn’t be so. Our leaders must move fast to check this ugly trend.
But the Igbo day ceremony did not address this disturbing phenomenon?
When Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, Comrade Uche Chukwumerije and my humble self, fought to establish Igbo Day 23 years ago, the idea was to carry the younger generation along, encourage them to come out and identify their genuine needs and address them, and to identify and encourage young talents and to articulate solutions to issues affecting our people. I hope the organisers will go through the history of Igbo Day and itemise the aims and objectives. Our region is sick, very sick. Not only has satanic worship taken over the souls of young people, but addiction to crystal meth or Mkpuri Nmili, which we had earlier thought we have got rid of, is slowly crawling back to our cities, villages and communities. LGBT consciousness now seems a fad with young people, who are experimenting with all things and everything. Gay parties are now common in this region, which were copied from other regions. It’s so sad. Young people are blindly and foolishly getting themselves into every kind of evil. We were earlier worried about violent crimes and cultism. But things have actually evolved so negatively that these ones are now seen as minor problems. Idolatry and satanic worship is more dangerous than kidnapping, robbery etc. All are condemnable. But abandoning God in pursuit of mammon destroys a people faster than anything else. Our region is marching to Armageddon. We must rise now and salvage the land.
How do you project the future of the region and the future of the country?
Nigeria is moving on, it’s the South East that needs to sit up and face reality. Politically, our youths have been manipulated by very selfish politicians to believe that pouring invective on national icons like the Nobel laureate or one of the greatest and globally respected pastors, because they expressed contrary political views, will help us. No, attacking and insulting prominent and very eminent personalities from other regions, who have different political opinions, will only earn us more enemies, not friends. We cannot access the presidency without support of others, and insulting their leaders won’t help us earn their trust and respect. Nobody will support us politically if we continue insulting their leaders and icons. I appeal to politicians manipulating these young social media warriors to remember that we will need the support of the leaders we are disrespecting and abusing today. The desperate desire for power should not blind us to the reality that destroying relationships while making enemies everywhere will negatively impact on us when we will need the support of the same people we are viciously insulting today. There are better ways to engage and sustain one’s political structure towards 2027.
Programming one’s supporters to descend and tear to shreds anyone with contrary political view will offend large swathes of the country, who will wait for you when you ask for their support in future. I have said it before, this new culture of attacking and insulting anyone with contrary political view is not in our character. It will definitely work against us greatly in the near future. We are wildly behaving as if there are no thinkers in Igbo land anymore. We are digging our grave by destroying our future. Our land is in disarray. Our people need guidance and direction. And all we do is insult same people we will need their support in future. We are getting it wrong. Giving the impression that we are desperate for power frightens the whole country. We are unwittingly squaring up for a massive gang up against us in the near future.
Ndigbo should stop frightening everybody else. We should not give the impression that we are despite for power. About the future, I think the facts are self evident that Nigeria’s future is anchored on true federalism, power devolution and upright governance. We have to whittle down power from the center and devolve more power to the federating units. This inevitable restructuring of the polity will transform Nigeria into a truly great nation.
How do you evaluate governors of the South East? Are they living up to expectations?
Three of them are only four months old in office. We’ll have to watch their strides for at least a year, to be able to have informed opinion on their style, tempo and direction. Mbah, Nwifuru and Otti should be conscious that the people are watching their every move. Soludo is trying to impress Ndi Anambra and to regain their trust and support. I wish him luck in that regard. Uzodimma of Imo, whom we have criticised in the past, seems set to win second term. The division amongst the opposition, the inability of the PDP and LP to put up a united front, will see Uzodimma coasting home to victory. Moreover, knowing the challenges he is facing, he has embarked on development projects that will earn him the people’s support. He has also got influential leaders of the state to his side. Winning the elections is existential for him. He will win convincingly. The odds are in his favour. He has also shown positive impressive leadership of the South East Governors Forum. They are trying to rebrand the forum and earn the support of the people. They have my support in that regard, I pray they work together as a team moving forward. The region is desperate for development. Lack of development and dearth of critical infrastructure are remotely responsible for the 24-year old agitation in the region. Denying the zone critical infrastructure inspired a feeling of mistreatment, alienation and isolation, which in turn inspired agitation.
The South East desperately needs a commercial sea port of whatever size. The region needs a dry port or container terminal. The region needs a functional international airport with cargo wing. The region needs railway lines into East Africa through Port Harcourt to Ogoja and into the Cameroon and the Congo. The region needs another railway through Port Harcourt via Onitsha, Benin, Lagos to Cotonu, Accra, and Abidjan, etc.
The region is desperately in need of regular and increased power supply to reduce the carbon monoxide fumes in our markets from thousands of generators and the region desires an export processing zone and free trade centre.
These are some of the demands Nnamdi Kanu presented to the South East Governors at the meeting he held with them on August 30, 2017. He added these to his demand for the restructuring of the country. I was at the meeting six years ago and I don’t think much has changed. Because I know that the agitation is powered by fear of tomorrow. Young folks from the region living in the Diaspora contributing their resources to sustain the agitation simply do not see a future for their children in Nigeria. They believe Nigeria does not want to treat them right. They don’t want to see their children experience the same humiliation and marginalisation they were forced to swallow all their lives. They desire a better deal for their progeny. Equity, fairness and justice to the South East, will help reduce the feeling of mistreatment, alienation and isolation, which powers the agitation.