THE ISHIAGU RULING CLASS AND THE CULTURE OF LIGHT FINGEREDNESS
In my expositions on Ishiagu and her ruling class i normally begin my analysis from the year 1998 or better still 1999. For me this two years were historic in the civilization of the community. First the year 1999 witnessed the movement that overthrew the old ruling class of teachers, Aba businessmen and some traditionalists. Viewed as gradualist and conservatives and unable to drive development in the emergent modern society.
With little resistance the old men were pushed away by a group of moderate bourgeoisie revolutionaries with extreme right wing political ideology. There were made up of graduates from Nigerian Universities from the late 1980s to early the 1990s from different disciplines LAW, ENGINEERING, QUANTITY SURVEYING , ARCHITECTURE ETC. Revolutions are mostly successful when hatched with insiders and friends.This group were mostly friends, young, vibrant and indeed articulate.
Young and ambitious by 1999 they have ceased power in Nigeria together with their contemporaries across the country from the Local Government to the State Government up to the FEDERATION. But no sooner had they ceased power and occupied political offices did conflict arise within their ranks, torn apart by the same ambition that initiated the revolution
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In the struggle for supremacy various arm twisting political tactics evolved but the worst was the promotion of mediocres and political neophytes men with no history nor pedigree who soon swolled up their ranks -agents of brigandage and deaths. They became influential and decision makers but more realising that they can only thrive in conflict situations did well to crate a world after their own self image.
Since all that mattered for the political godfathers and their thieving cronies was political ascendancy and supremacy, the boys did the hatchet job required to keep oga in power .In other to ensure adequate political control all patrimonial traditional institutions was ceased up and converted to play political roles or giving political identity. Thus they became the private estate of any group in power.
In all this the Ishiagu value system was thrown to the dogs and corruption became a past time . Indeed the so called leaders looted the people and their common wealth. A typical Nigerian situation.
No wonder an Ishiagu man is ready to sell a job opportunity from a federal institution in Ishiagu soil to another Ishiagu Man at a very exorbitant price without any qualms of conscience. Some even demand for sex plus the money from the females- Ishiagu applicants. It got to the extent that it became an established normal behaviour to appropriate funds from the common wealth for personal aggrandizement and men bending over backwards to defend same in the name of politics. A culture that once abhorred stealing now celebrates thieves more so if he/she is a party man-of the same political party. We are at the nadir of our civilization.
It will get worse with time but in all what has held us together will be decimated and ISAGU will be no more. Do not call it modernity nor a clash of civilization but the unfortunate collapse and none existence of a people who were once in history. Ours may not be an exception nor the only victims when it does occur but many more organised people will tell the story. I am not a dreamer i speak from the vantage of history.
Arochukwu Paul Ogbonna is the National Coordinator of Civil Rights Council in Nigeria, a Human Rights Group fighting for freedom for the oppressed
