By Steve Nwabuko
A school of thought is not a walled edifice of Knowledge impartation, nor a spot for colloquial inquisitions, nor an arena for intuitive diagnostic exercebation, nor a forum for argumentative suppositions, nor a gathering for town hall meetings, nor a committee for conflict resolutions, nor a panel of discussants, nor an ad-hoc fête of fact finding busy bodies, neither is it a podium for pontifical postulations to gratify sensuous inoculations.
A school of thought is the philosophy of reason, the psychology of rationality, the sociology of engagement, the analogy of facts based critical thinking, the trilogy of Communication, comprehension and contextual thesis about what has been, what should be and what will be the patterns of engagement, the pathways of survival, the sequence of efforts, the coherence of narratives, the direction of actions required to position, rearrange, restart or reignite the process of reclaiming relevance, rectitude or recognition.
Before 1970, Igbo had great men and women school of thought.
Sir Louis Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was an Economic school of thought persona.
Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was an astute Political school of thought persona.
Dr. Michael OKPARA was a monumental political and administrative leader of Igbo school of thought persona.
Dr Nwafor Orizu was a Parliamentary school of thought persona.
Dr. Akanu Ibiam was an astute leader in regional school of thought persona.
Professor Kenneth Dike was an academic administrator school of thought persona.
Professor Eni Njoku was a highly cerebral and scholarly material of Igbo school of thought persona.
Professor Chinua Achebe was a literary epistemological school of thought persona.
Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was an essential liberator school of thought persona.
Dr Sam Mbakwe was a sociological development mindset school of thought persona.
Chief Jim Nwobodo was a creative essentric administrative school of thought persona
Dr Alex Ekwueme was was a restorative political school of thought persona.
Professor Ben Nwabueze was a luminary of distinction in the Igbo legal school of thought persona.
The character, traits, attitudes, behaviour, and actions of the above mentioned personalities shaped what was regarded as oriental glory years of Igbo edification, ascension, truism, assertiveness, erudition, class, fearsomeness, serious development strides, and adulation of Ndigbo and Alaigbo as the land of promise and the next best thing that may happen on planet earth.
The espousals from the school of thought of above named personae were hinged on:
Igbo acceleration.
Igbo coexistence.
Igbo improvement.
Igbo Identity.
Igbo global relevance.
Igbo Apprenticeship.
Igbo responsible leadership.
Igbo unity.
Igbo dignity.
Igbo creativity and innovations.
Igbo start ups and stand up.
Igbo renaissance.
Igbo values, norms and ethics.
Igbo industry, energy and courage.
Igbo peace, respect and love.
Igbo technology breakthroughs.
Igbo health, safety and security.
Igbo global acclaim.
Igbo generational transition.
Igbo spiritual ethos.
After the Nigeria civil war in 1970, Igbo lost touch completely with what made it great, relevant and recognisable in the comity of nations called *Igbo school of thought.*
A school of thought that formulates plans, strategies, decisions, actions, alternatives, synergies, networks, collaborations and complimentary surgical regional solutions to Igbo challenges have given way to the emergence of political nitwits riding roughshod on Igbo planetary leadership spheres with disgusting retrogressive outcomes.
When Igbo lost it’s school of thought syndrome: Panache, Planning and Performance, after the civil war in 1970, it enrolled into the school of pettiness, selfishness, predatory mindset, corruption, stealing, looting of public funds, thuggery, insatiation, divisions, mediocrity, godfatherism, dissensions and misgovernment.
The lack of school of thought in Alaigbo made it possible for forces outside the South East to unilaterally foist Governors in the South East in both PDP and APC political parties.
The lack of school of thought in Alaigbo made it possible for the South East zone to turn out four senate Presidency candidates in four years to the chagrin of the world and disunity amongst Igbo politicians.
The lack of school of thought in Alaigbo made some Igbo politicians to tell Peter Obi, the only Igbo son holding a Presidential ticket of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections that it is not Igbo turn and that he can’t make it to the Presidency of Nigeria and worked assiduously against his rising. To wit, Igbo politicians that stood up against Peter Obi’s candidature includes:
Chimaroke Nnamani.
Ike Ekweremadu.
Orji Uzo Kalu.
Dan Ulasi.
Dave Umahi.
Chris UBA.
Ifeanyi UBA.
Hope Uzodinma.
Okezie Ikpeazu.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Chukwuma Soludo.
Nyesome Wike.
Ifeanyi okowa.
Whereas Middle Belt zone politicians were in total support of an Igbo Presidential candidate, Igbo political bigwigs reneged to support their own.
The lack of school of thought in Alaigbo made it possible for the emergence of G-5 Group of Governors which Nyesome Wike used to hoodwink, malign and sabotage the electoral fortunes of Peter Obi in the South south zone.
The lack of school of thought in Alaigbo made it possible for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to use consensus candidate argument to pull off the PDP Presidential ticket away from the South East zone that supposedly and constitutionally was it’s entitlement.
The lack of school of thought in Alaigbo made some faceless, headless, meaningless usurpers to declare and enforce sit-at-home in the five South East states and constituted state authorities are unable to halt the intransigence since 2021 to date.
It is the lack of school of thought in Alaigbo that has made Nnamdi KANU and his incaseration the biggest issue in Igbo land from 2015 to date and far above discussions on regional economic rediscovery.
Igbo school of thought is couched in selflessness, integrity, servant leadership, inclusion, high calibre intellectual erudition and disposition, stability of mind, tenacity of purpose, honesty and people first syndrome in service rendition.
Can Igbo return to reinvent it’s hitherto much celebrated school of thought that can present a new narrative and paradigm shift that will usher in a new impetus in good leadership and governance in Alaigbo in this 21st century?
Will Governors Alex Oti, Chukwuma Soludo and Peter MBA recreate a new Igbo school of thought persona in the trajectory they are in hot pursuit to establish a new era of glory in Alaigbo?
Pre 1970’s school of thought did not produce agitations, kidnappings, chaos, assassinations, separatist movements or insurgency.
The lack of school of thought post 1970 has witnessed the emergence of non state actors, criminals, cultists, hoodlums, thugs, street urchins dictating the pace and shaping the negative narrative of what looks like a helpless Igbo land.
A new school of thought is urgently needed to redirect Igbo from extinction to resurrection.
It is the duty of Igbo Elites of all hues to rise to the occasion and stem the tide of decadence in Alaigbo through meaningful engagements with political actors, traditional rulers and leaders of sociocultural organizations to fix Alaigbo.
God bless Ndigbo Worldwide.
God bless Alaigbo.
God remember Igbo again.
A.
Tags: Steve Nwabuko
