By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
Dr. Okwy Okpala is a Lecturer in the Department of Accounting, University of Lagos and a prominent member of an Igbo socio- cultural organisation in the institution, Otu Nnoko. In this interview, Dr Okpala insists that marginalisation and exclusion from the political space are incapable of holding the South-East down.
What is Otu Nnoko all about?
Otu Nnoko is the umbrella body of all academics and non-academic staff of the university of Lagos who are of Igbo extraction whichever State they hail from- Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Rivers, Kogi provided they are of Igbo descent.
What is the aim of Otu Nnoko?
We intend to promote and project the good values of the Igbo man and woman; the values of courage, industry, sincerity, focus, good neighbourliness, hospitality and tolerant of others. We tend to promote also, education, education that is geared towards changing the society for the better, bringing positive changes to the society
When was it established?
Otu Nnoko has been there for a long time but it was reorganised under Professor Laz Ekwueme and later rejuvenated about four years ago and we started having annual Thanksgiving three years ago.
How has it impacted on Igbo academics and administrative staff in the University of Lagos?
It has been very positive; it has been very impactful too. We look out for one another. Our motto is onye aghala nwa nne ya which literally means as you rise , don’t leave your sibling behind; draw your brother along as you make progress in life and this is what Igbos are known for; Igbo people are known for mentoring people to create jobs and wealth, so the same mentorship is even required in the university where the older academics mentor younger ones, older administrative staff mentor younger ones and we look out for where there are errors. We will not say because you are Igbo we now defend you when you are doing the wrong thing but we will correct you, correct you in love, of course. That’s the whole essence of our coming together, to protect the good image of the Igbo, if anyone is trying to give the Igbo man a wrong name, whether he is an Igbo person or an outsider, we try to correct that person so that the person will have a better understanding of what the Igbo stands for.
How do you think the South-East can be a political force to reckon with once again in this country given the region’s almost zero presence in the centre of national politics and power calculus presently?
The truth is that the fortunes of the Igbo man goes beyond politics. Good politics, inclusive politics can help, by the way, there is no doubt about that, however, there is no killing the Bettle, as the saying goes, there is no killing the Bettle. The Igbo man will rise no matter the situation you subject him to, because we are resilient, we are very courageous; we face issues and we are hoping for a better Nigeria, more inclusive Nigeria, Nigeria that is fair to everybody; a Nigeria where everyone can express themselves and bring out their talents and skills to help the Commonwealth. However, this has not been the case but I won’t say we are worst off because we don’t depend on government as much as some others do but of course, good governance will help everybody including the Igbo man; inclusive governance will help everybody including the Igbo man. Fairness will help everybody including the Igbo man but we know that it is not only the Igbo man that is suffering in Nigeria and probably if you do census of people suffering in Nigeria we won’t be among the worst.
To what extent have academics of Igbo extraction across the country lend their voices to the clamour for a better South-East?
I have been appearing on televisions, I have been guests of radio stations. I have been advocating. Not only that, I’m also involved in town union, for example in my community Association here in Lagos, I’m the chairman, I participate actively in my town union activities. I want to encourage ourselves not to stand aloof and begin to condemn what others have done, what you feel they didn’t do well. Be part of the process so that the mistake is corrected before it is even done. That was the mistake the academics before us made. They were waiting to be consulted; they were not there when the discussion and decisions were made and then they want to tell people oh! you didn’t do it well. No! Be part of that process, be a member of the community, go to your Umu nna (kindred) meeting, go to your community meeting, go to your Christian community meeting. Be available in all these places because those are where you make the changes. Don’t wait until people have wasted time; use the limit of their knowledge and the limit of their exposure to make decisions and then you cancel it. If you think you are better than them and then expect that they will respect you or accept you when you try to impose your decision or view, they will not. Since I started participating in my community meetings, my people started attaching a lot of weight to what I say, and this is what should happen to all academics. And those of us who have the opportunity to go to the press, to write in social media, we will also keep advocating for positive things. I believe in what former President Olusegun Obasanjo said: ‘we will not suddenly become a nation of all virtuous people but we can keep increasing the Island of integrity, making it move faster and spread wider and wider.’