EDITORIAL: Ndigbo Must Produce Another Chukwumerije

The news of the death in April of Senator Uche Chukwumerije was one that shook the foundations of the Igbo nation. His death, coming on the heels of that of the chief prosecutor of the Biafran war, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, is a big blow to the Igbo race. His death marks the end of the vibrant era of the fearless duo.

Only last year, while giving his scorecard in his almost 12 years stint in the Senate, Chukwumerije reiterated that he was going to use the rest of his political life to protect the Igbo nation from being truncated. Unfortunately, he fell to the cold hands of death and could not live to fulfill this promise.

A highly gifted speaker, prolific and erudite writer, Chukwumerije had enjoyed a compelling style of advancing his points in both written and spoken English. It was this same style that made his write-up on what the South-East has lost in terms of revenue and appointments

into the security services and federal civil service as a result of having only five states, a compelling reason for the creation of additional state for the South-East.

A very courageous and objective personality, the late Senator Uche Chukwumerije was, to all intents and purposes, a major Igbo political warrior that stood up to be counted when it mattered most. Apart from being highly cerebral, he was hard working and committed to whatever he puts his hands to do. He was ever present on floor of the Senate, contributing to one debate or the other that attracts his fancy. As a philosopher, he represented the Igbo spirit.

The Biafran war cannot be complete without mentioning the role played by Uche Chukwumerije in ensuring the sustenance of the Igbo resistance throughout the war period. In fact, Isi kara aka was the man behind the resistance. He held sway while at Radio Biafra, during the civil war, churning out all the propaganda materials that kept Biafra going. While he wrote, the persuasive voice of Okoko Ndem rented the airwaves.

His contribution to the development of the Igbo nation cannot be quantified. He carried on with this self-assigned task until the cold hands of death snatched him. Like the great Ikemba Nnewi and other compatriots, Dike Ogu lived, ate and died for Ndigbo. Generations of Igbo people that will come after him will continue to echo that there was once an Uche Chukwumerije that fought doggedly for the emancipation of Ndigbo.

Chukwumerije’s memory will forever be etched in the hearts of true Igbo sons and daughters. His death has no doubt, left a very big vacuum in Igbo land. And getting a replacement for Chukwumerije will certainly be herculean going by the trend of things in Igboland today.

This magazine believes that the only way the Igbo nation can immortalize Senator Uche Chukwumerije is by producing more Chukwumerijes- those that will fight for equal justice, political and economic emancipation for Ndigbo. This is the period to show that Chukwumerije did not fight for Ndigbo in vain.

Like he once said, “ Ndigbo must today, not tomorrow, regain themselves and re-assert their corporate personality in our multi-ethnic Federation or diffuse into isolated individual entities in the anonymity of Nigeria’s multitude.”

This is the way to keep aglow his legacies.