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| Columnist: Daniel, Uzoigwe Chimezie |
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| Late Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu(1933-2011) |
For those who do not know before now, the book “ BECAUSE I AM
INVOLVED ” written by Dim Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu is a political treatise
that centers on the Author’s perception
of the Nigerian political situation with indepth analysis of the peculiarities
of the country’s problems and offering unbeatable solutions to these problems.
Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu,the Author of the book is somebody
everyone knows.Perhaps,the peak of his emergence into national limelight was
the pivotal role he played in the Nigerian civil war in 1967-1970 as the chief
War Lord of the defunct BIAFRA. He has generated more controversy than any
other Nigerian and has become somewhat of an enigma, so to say. He has been
mis-interpreted and most often mis-interpreted. Yet the book is not dedicated
to the War Lord himself, it was written for the advancement of the Nigerian
polity.
The book was first published in 1989 by the SPECTRUM BOOKS
LIMITED in association with SAFARI (Export) Limited with European and USA Distributors.
It was first reprinted in July, 1989 and its last print was in 2005. The book
has four parts, and each part contains chapters with topics headings.
Though published as far back as 1989, the content of the
book is as valid today as it was in 1989, perhaps, even more so today. The book
is not to be taken as “ Ojukwu’s new song’, the cliché, usually given to the
Author’s public utterances by social commentators, as it addresses issues that
define the nationhood of this nation.
There is the strong belief in the vision of a peaceful and
united Nigeria that runs through the book. The Author asserts that unity must
be redefined in Nigeria for the country to make progress. To him, unity, in a
political unit, is a state of affairs where the entire polity is completely
reconciled with itself. Unity provides the only foundation on which Nigeria is
development can stand.
He asserts that “until we are prepared to modify, and
sometimes to abandon, our primordial attachments in favour of a new Nigerian
relationship, we cannot unite”. In the Author’s candid opinion, for Nigeria to
unite, we must abandon “our fear of unity”. He presents unity as very
indispensable in our quest for national rebirth, as without unity of purpose,
Nigeria can neither achieve her manifest, destiny nor, can she function with
the requisite efficiency
He bemoans the fact that Nigeria is infested with a long
list of dichotomy, majority/minority dichotomy, Muslim / Christian dichotomy
and so on. As a nation, we have not made serious attempts to seek a cure for
these dichotomies (which has more or less become a concern in our body politic)
and this is why it continues to spread with very frightful virulence.
To achieve unity, the Author advocated that we must do away
with factors that promote disunity. We must be prepared to approach the issue
of unity and national solidarity realistically, selfishly, fearlessly, and with
a singularity of purpose. We must overcome old prejudices and entrenched
interests and banish from every Nigerian, the atmosphere of insecurity. When
this is done, Nigeria would be on the way to her national Eldorado.
The book also presents the Author’s views on several issues
including Religion, Injustice, Military Coup, Education, Politics, the Civil
War and so on. On the Civil war, Ojukwu sees the war as ‘a stage, an inevitable
stage in our march to nationhood, a mile-post in our agglomerate development’.
He also speaks on personalities that have played critical roles in our path to
nationhood. Surprisingly, one of those he greatly saluted in the book, Lady
Miss Bianca Onoh, ‘ the beautiful young girl that won the 1989 Miss
Inter-continental Pageant‘ was later to become his hearthrob . The Author
writes so bluntly and forth rightly that only he could have written it.
The book makes for an interesting reading as it is imbued
with copious quotes cutting across the political and philosophical axes. The
language is fair enough to understand by the average reader and is filled with
words that can build one’s vocabulary and enhance one’s grammatical capability.
Our politicians will find the solutions offered in this book
very handy in resolving the current political imbroglio we are entangled in.
The Political Analyst that reads the book will gain tremendous insights that
will enable him make better analysis. The scholar that reads the book would
have been many steps ahead of his colleagues. In fact, it is recommended to all
Nigerians who really feel they have a stake in this nation. Though late, Ojukwu’s
mind can still be read in the book. The
book ‘BECAUSE I AM INVOLVED ‘is indeed, an everlasting treatise.
Note: This book
may not be found in the open-air market. But those who are interested in
acquiring the book may visit any spectrum bookshop or any other standard
bookshop in the neighbourhood or e-mail: (admin/@ spectrumbooksonline.com).