A personal account of an individual's journey to becoming a man used to deceive the people while everyone looked the other way highlights the complexities of identity and belonging in Nigeria. The author, who has lived in Igbo land for over 40 years, married an Igbo woman, and has six children, challenges the notion that Mike Okiro, a former Inspector General of Police, is from Rivers State. Instead, the author presents evidence that Okiro is from Obiakpu, Egbema in Imo State, and argues that he should not be considered for the position of President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, as it is Rivers State's turn to occupy the office.
Exercpts:
I'm not an Igbo man by birth but by naturalization. I came to Igbo land (Enugu) in July 1976 as a teenager. In April 1977, I moved to Owerri, Imo State. Since then I have been here. I am married to an Igbo woman. My 1st son (born by an Igbo woman) is a 40 year old medical professional. I obtained my 1st, 2nd and 3rd University degrees while living in Igbo land. I have 6 children - all born by my Igbo woman wife. I have landed properties in Igbo land. Ipso facto, I'm an Igbo man. If it were in other climes, I can contest election into the office of a local government chairman in the locality where I have lived for over forty years now. But this is Nigeria. Nigerian politicians and political practices would not allow me to do that. In my capacity as an Igbo man, I speak as follows:
I know Mike Okiro IGP rtd. I know his family, I know his house in Obiakpu, Egbema. His elder brother, the late Eze Okiro, was appointed the first traditional ruler of Obiakpu Egbema Autonomous Community by the Achike Udenwa government.
With these preponderance of evidence, I speak with authority as an Igbo man by naturalization. Mike Okiro, is an indigene of Obiakpu, Egbema in Imo State. Egbema is a community I lived and worked while serving the Federal Government of Nigeria. Egbema is made up of several villages (some of those villages are now Autonomous Communities - courtesy of political expediency). I lived in Mmahu Egbema village which shares a common boundary with Obiakpu village. By the time I lived in Egbema, out of the many villages in Egbema Community, only three villages namely: Okwuzi, Mgbede, and Obokofia were in Rivers State. The rest villages were in Imo State including Mike Okiro's village - Obiakpu.
My informed input to the ongoing debate about the next President general of Ohaneze Ndigbo is as follows: Mike Okiro is from Imo State and not, NEVER, Rivers State. If the late Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu served as the President general of Ohaneze Ndigbo, and after his death another Imo man took over to complete Imo State's turn or tenure of office - which tenure expires in early 2025; if it is the turn of Rivers State to occupy the exalted office of the Pan-Igbo organization, then it MUST not be Chief Mike Okiro. Mike Okiro is an Imo State man. He is not from Rivers State. Forget about the record he maintained in the Nigeria Police Force - claiming to come from Rivers State when in deed, he is from Obiakpu, Egbema in Imo State. That false representation led him to the rank of Inspector General of Police. He was enjoying numerous privileges as a Rivers State indigene erononosly, whereas he is an Imo State indigene. He robbed the authentic Rivers State members of the Force of their rights and privileges.Let us note that Ohaneze Ndigbo is not the Nigeria Police Force.
Prof Obasi Owerri,Imo State