Mbaise Nation, in the Eastern part of Nigeria, is a homogenous people. The Clan played a prominent role during the ill-fated Biafran War. It was at Ahiara, in today’s Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area Imo State, that the late Igbo Hero, Eze Igbogburugburu, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu opened the “Biafran Bible” otherwise called Ahiara Declaration.
Mbaise is one of the respected ethnic Groups in Igbo land. They are found in every sphere of the society; Academic, Arts, Business, Politics, Sports etc.
It was Mbaise that produced the first individual Gold medal in Olympics for Nigeria. That feat was performed through one of their illustrious daughters, Chioma Ajunwa in Long Jump.
Even though Dr Sir Warrior of Oriental Brothers Band is dead, his records remain evergreen and resonate beyond the shores of Nigeria.
Chief Sylvester Ugo would have been a Vice President of Nigeria and was a former renowned Banker known all over the globe.
ABC Transport Company, one of the best in Sub-sahara Africa, is owned by Mbaise son, in the person of Frank Nneji. The first female Senator ever produced by Imo State, Senator Christy Anyanwu is from Mbaise, so also is the first and only female Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Ada Okwonu. The list is endless
Mbaise is feared and respected by other tribes, because of its focus, industry and seriousness in every issue, but most importantly, unity and cohesiveness, which lead every Mbaise person to live a life that looks as if they entire clan took a natural oath to be their brother’s keeper, anywhere, anytime, no matter whose ox was gored.
Despite religion and education, Mbaise Nation has remained steadfast in protecting its culture and customs, while many other tribes have allowed the dynamics of evolution to adulterate theirs. But not Mbaise.
This clan has remained a reference point and envy of many other clans.
Unfortunately, the popular saying that nothing lasts forever is about visiting the almighty Mbaise Nation. As I write now, Mbaise people are speaking in Babel of voices, and watching over their shoulders when their brothers pass, which ordinarily was a taboo and unimaginable within the Mbaise circle.
The centre is no longer holding in Mbaise land as politics and personal interests have torn the unity that binded Mbaise people together. And with the latest development, Mbaise is certainly going to be vulnerable and open for outsiders to strike the underbelly of this people previously held with awe by others.
What started like a joke is gradually assuming an unimaginable and unmanageable dimension. Mbaise is fighting Mbaise, and the world is now surprised. Not surprised that nothing is impossible, but because of the magnitude of the war and how fast.
Politics has torn Mbaise apart; today the elites of Mbaise are speaking from different camps and the crevices are getting wider every day. And what is the cause of this strange war that is about tearing Mbaise Nation apart?
Mbaise as a Nation has one united body called Ezuruezu Mbaise, with Chief Okey Aguwa from Aboh Mbaise LGA, as the President- General.
As a socio- cultural organisation, Ezuruezu and its leaders could not divorce themselves from the politics of the day, since man is a political animal.
Therefore, I will not sound antagonistic to Mbaise people if I define Ezuruezu Mbaise as the pot-pourri of Mbaise socio-political gathering .This is where who is who in Mbaise land is found. Both those in Academic, Business, Sports, Politics, even Religion. Therefore, whatever affects Ezuruezu Mbaise invariably affects the artery of Mbaise populace.
Today Ezuruezu is in disarray. Why? For the first time in the history of the socio-cultural organization, it has two Executives; each claiming to be the authentic one.
The matter has even gotten to a level that security operatives have delved into the issue.
As I write, one faction of Ezuruezu is headed by Chief Cajethan Nnamdi, a former Senior Immigration Officer, the other by Chief Cyril Anyanwu, a renowned technocrat, politician and retired Permanent Secretary. While one Group could be defined as being championed by the All Progressive Congress, APC, the other is populated by members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The Nnamdi faction can easily be linked to APC because, even the State Chairman of APC, Dr Hilary Eke is part of its Executive, while Anyanwu’s camp is made up of PDP elements.
Under this circumstance, the revered Ezuruezu Mbaise , which is made up of all Mbaise people including those at home and in diaspora and those who do not even belong to any political party, has been consumed by politics . Whether anybody likes it or not, Ezuruezu Mbaise can never be the same again, including Mbaise as a clan. Even if this latest crisis is resolved, there must still remain suspicion between the warring factions, years ahead.
Unfortunately, the “Executive Squabble” has touched every other thing that has to do with Mbaise Nation, including the annual Iriji Mbaise, which usually holds every August 15. This year’s celebration which comes up this Saturday is shrouded in apprehension, as nobody can say what will happen at the venue.
While I am not going to dwell much on how the Nnadi or Anyanwu Executives emerged, suffice it to say that what climaxed this year in the Ezuruezu Mbaise with the emergence of two factions started brewing in the last Iriji Mbaise, where there was reported fracas. Now the chicken has fully come home to roost with the actual fractionalization of the socio-cultural body.
Since the tenure of Chief Okey Aguwa as President- General of Ezuruezu, the organization has not known any other Government or Political Party, except the PDP administrations.
Right from the House of Assembly, Federal House to Senate, Mbaise Nation of Aboh, Ezinihitte and Ahiazu has been represented in these levels of Governments by politicians of PDP extraction.
Even at that, the Governors of Imo State had all been of PDP since 1999 until 2011.
Therefore, it would not have been out of place for Ezuruezu to romance with these politicians, inadvertently seeing them as sisters and brothers of Mbaise extraction.
Ezuruezu may have mistakenly forgotten it was a socio-cultural organization. Therefore, the current changes, especially the one at the State level which brought Owelle Rochas Okorocha as Governor, has jolted the Ezuruezu into the realization that really the body is not an extension of any political party.
This was the reason the APC members fought hard in the last Iriji Mbaise in 2014 to dismantle the PDP elements at the venue, which was not possible, because their son, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, was not only the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, but was the Governorship candidate of the PDP. And the Iriji Festival was a good platform to showcase him and his ambition.
Despite spirited efforts to totally hijack the occasion by each of the Groups, the PDP and APC shared the limelight at the Iriji, which was nearly marred by violence.
But both the APC and PDP Groups went home happy, because in the end Ihedioha and Okorocha attended the event without any of them being disgraced .After all Okorocha was the sitting Governor and Ihedioha a native of Mbaise. So, it was a win win situation.
But this year, fortunately for the APC camp, Emeka Ihedioha is no more the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and neither Prof Mrs Viola Onwuliri still a Minister. And again, the tenure of Chief Okey Aguwa has expired, therefore the APC camp wants to take full charge of the Iriji Mbaise ceremony this time around.
This the APC camp believes will give them total control of the Festival, so that the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha can gain unhindered triumphant entrance into Mbaise Nation , which he could not last year because of the towering presence of Ihedioha and Onwuliri.
In the process of taking over Mbaise land, the APC camp staged what could pass for a coup, when the Group out- numbered the PDP faction of Ezuruezu and foisted Chief Nnamdi as its President- General, even though the Aguwa people staged a walkout.
No matter how much that “election” had been derided, the APC camp remains adamant that Nnadi is the authentic President- General, and no going back.
While still celebrating that it has out manoeuvred the Aguwa camp , the Nnamdi people have since realized that it was not yet Uhuru as it still has to contain with the emergence of Chief Cyril Anyanwu as the “new President- General of Ezuruezu Mbaise” produced by the out going Aguwa Executive. This was where the Ezuruezu matter got K-leg.
It is very disheartening that a socio-cultural organization which used to serve as a model for others is now in shreds which shows, the unpredictability of man and nature. Very dynamic indeed! As it stands now, it is very difficult to know which of the two factions has been recognised by the authorities.
Lastline learnt that when both Groups were invited by security operatives, the instruction was that both camps should sheath their swords and give peace a chance during the Iriji Festival. What it means is that only members of each of the camps recognise their own “President- General”. What a confusion!
The million Naira question now is; can the annual Iriji Mbaise that is as old as Mbaise Nation itself exude its usual pump and pageantry without the President General of Ezuruezu mounting the podium to address the Mbaise Nation? If it does not, it means that the Iriji Mbaise has lost its colour; for it will be the first time the respected President- General will not grace the annual event.
And if the President of Ezuruezu must address the people, who between Cyril Anyanwu and Cajethan Nnamdi will be given that honour under this contentious scenario?
Looking at the entire matter from another prism, I foresee a situation where the current problem will linger more than envisaged. For instance, the APC Group who are now battling for the political space and soul of Mbaise land for their principal, the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, is being perceived by the other Group as saboteurs; men and women against the progress of Mbaise people.
They claim that it is an abomination for Mbaise people to fight and frustrate a project that would bring a total reformation of Mbaise land, both in human development and physical changes.
This theory and permutations are anchored on the Governorship ambition of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, which could not be realized with some Mbaise elements playing Judas.
Ironically in the other camp, they justify their actions, based on the fact that there is no sentiment in politics, since it is a game of interest which is why they swim and drown with Okorocha.
In this case, while the Aguwa-Ezuruezu faction believes their political elderado depends on Ihedioha’s Governorship trophy, Nze PC Onuoha and Co of the APC family also hinge their own political utopia on Owelle Rochas Okorocha. A situation of one man’s meat, another man’s poison, is it not? Too bad for Mbaise!
But what must be realized in these battles is that a cultural war is usually too dangerous than political battles. In the case of politics, the scar easily heals, but no traditional battle ever ends without human casualties. Those who battle for royal stools of their communities can tell better.
Can Mbaise Nation come out of this war of attrition unscathed?
A war within Mbaise and with Mbaise! Before this war ends, the Cultural, Traditional, Political and Religious bases of Mbaise people would have been laid bare.
When a people are prosecuting a battle against itself, it is usually difficult to take prisoners of war. What we are witnessing now is a systematic despoilation of a people revered and feared by its opponents. This is a gradual dymistification of the Mbaise myth. Who will bell the cat?
While this self-inflicted waterloo rages in Mbaise land, enemies laugh themselves hoars . When two lions decide to devour and destroy each other, can the Antelopes separate the fight? After all, when the cats are away, the mouse will play. Is this the end of an era?
