Jimmy Asiegbu, who now runs errands on behalf of the WIC and his obvious endorsement of Chuka Obiesie to succeed a lame duck and politically suicidal Kalu Diogu whose administration was marred by his constant job search from the very Abuja politicians that WIC was supposed to protect Nd’Igbo from. Jimmy Asiegbu has been doing running the errands with much energy and excitement; and there’s no doubt he has been up to something with that new PR job of his, which also provided him the opportunity to sell phone cards, conference tickets. And what have you, all lumped together as promotion of the upcoming picnic at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton.

Asiegbu has certainly shown a great deal of interest. He would want to see a reformed WIC during the in-house, much talked about and “much-debated” Igbo bash. He has created more Yahoo group forums to discuss WIC issues. He moderates another chapter of WIC known as House Of Delegates (HOD), a member’s only club. He is the man WIC is glad to associate itself with. WIC cannot be wrong as far as Asiegbu is concerned. Kalu Diogu has applauded him. Asiegbu is Obiesie’s right hand man, for now.

With mixed opinions as one reads on from Excalibur, it would seem that the elections will reflect popular judgment on the current situation based on the sorry state of the WIC since its birth. WIC, according to Obiesie, whose vision as chairman he says would transform the organization. In my discussion with him, Obiesie said WIC was formed about eleven years ago, and that nevertheless, it has come close to overcoming all the battle wounds and would surely improve a great deal when he becomes chairman of an organization that the majority of Nd’Igbo are still having problems trying to figure out. Nd’Igbo know neither what WIC really stands for nor whose interests WIC represents.

According to Excalibur accounts submitted by Okenwa Nwosu, Ifeanyi Udibe, Chris Aniedobe, Sylvanus N. Okoye, Ken Okorie, Emenike Nwankwo and many others, the leadership of WIC including its rank and file needs serious structuring in order to put its acts together. There had been misrepresentation and misappropriation of funds; records could not determine faults which have resulted to court appearances and civil litigations. There had been legal tussles in New York City and Los Angeles. There had been WIC’s inability to run a democratic fabric platform, which has resulted in questioning of WIC’s conduct for several years now. “If WIC is not democratic, then why should we have dictators in Nigeria as well as in Diaspora?” Okenwa asked. “Nobody expects WIC to have the means of a government. What we need in WIC is one person one voice, transparency, accountability, and all that is not being practiced in Nigeria. WIC should expose every problem, asking Nd’Igbo in Diaspora to suggest solution.”

Also, there had been cases of constitutional flaws which derided WIC as a mere social club and having nothing to do with Igbo matters. There had been WIC’s failure of dialogues with the politicos at Abuja and the Igbo-related states. There had been political rivalry rather than political teamwork in appropriately addressing the plight of the Igbo Nation. There had been all kinds of crazy stuff, for instance, reminiscing Abubakar Rimi’s special invitation at the 2000 Dallas Convention and the threat to Asiegbu’s life.

In fact, save for the Dallas Convention, I have not seen a debate address our current dilemmas with erudition, political engagement, and commitment to Igbo worthy causes. WIC has been pussy-footing when one thinks about the individuals engaged in the debates and dialogue. Nevertheless, I am not sure any of these individuals would merit Igbo, pre and post independence era retrospective as we’ve always wanted it to be. The long debate has been exhaustive for those of us who visit Igbo related forums, and those of us who’ve been transmitting the stories by word of mouth. As one Excalibur reader at Igbonet once wrote from his myopic observation, Igbo Diaspora get their news from the internet, and most, too, conduct their businesses online which suggests potential candidates for the upcoming WIC chairmanship election should get their projected agenda widely distributed by way of publicity and granting interviews, citing portals to conduct such interviews. I have no idea where this reader conducted his survey and how he came up with such a bogus statistics.

Without a doubt, there is no way one can be effective in the business of political campaigns and propaganda if there is lack in sound publication which is exactly where the Igbos face the problem of competing with their fellow rivals in the media—the Hausa-Fulanis and the outrageous ngbati-ngbati press. But Igbos independent media void belies on the Igbo political and cultural elite to face the challenges of absolutely sound independent Igbo media based on Igbo ideals. Just like my encounter with Obiesie who acknowledged the problem of WIC is that of publication and a robust media, and that he would be making the issue his top priority in the event he’s elected chairman on Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles.

Of course, those of us who read the political commentaries have seen what’s been going on for the past few months regarding WIC’s annual bash at the Hilton. Some observers are now predicting that the WIC will be radically different with elimination of those found to be detrimental to WIC’s well-being when it convenes from September 1-4, 2005. WIC will elect a new chairman, and according to these observers, “history is about to be made” as WIC rethinks its strategy for a viable and intact Igbo nation. I’m not really sure, and I’m not buying any of these propagandas and hearsays.

It is now a tradition after almost twelve years of gathering, to put it concretely, a tragedy, when WIC convenes every year in Diaspora or homeland to display a haul of speeches delivered by “who’s who” in Igbo land, coupled with speeches in several occasions by its Hausa-Fulani friends on terms I haven’t been able to figure out. For I have never seen a reputable Igbo leader address a meeting of Arewa Forum or Afenifere.

In Los Angeles, for instance, many that I spoke with had little or no clue about WIC’s Los Angeles picnic which has gone through series of debates and arguments on the internet and behind closed doors. “I go on line to check my mails and see what’s going on around the world. I have no interest in Igbo politics and no amount of what they say will pay my bills,” said a cyber surfer speaking on the condition of anonymity. They have no interest in WIC and have no idea what it stands for. So, how has WIC created the awareness to be called Igbo umbrella while the folks out there in the City of Angels have not heard of a name so gigantic Asiegbu volunteered to serve honorably? Who are these people Asiegbu has been posting all over Igbo-related sneak joints on the web as organizers of the Los Angeles show? What are their credentials as worthy leaders? And why should anyone, I repeat again, anyone be paying attention to WIC’s picnic in Los Angeles?

For the record, I conducted very brief interviews over the phone, via email and personal encounters with Igbos from all walks of life in Los Angeles pertaining to WIC’s history and what they know of an organization that has a record of questionable dealings and lack fully in its capacity a structure. The ages of these folks as we all know ranges from twenty-six and sixty-something years. The result was not welcoming, at all.

I think it’s a good idea that WIC is bringing its convention to Los Angeles, this time around. I would like to attend if I have the information. I hope it turns out good, but I never knew of WIC convention in Los Angeles until now, which is news to me,” said Los Angeles-based attorney, Chidi Metu. Metu exclaims with little excitement, noting that Los Angeles does not have much of a future with the present cast of “leaders” who weren’t willing to listen to a newer generation who have the energy and enthusiasm. Metu, who had headed Nnewi associations and conventions, had no clue that the Labor Day weekend had been declared “Igbo Weekend” and been reserved for WIC’s “all Igbo picnic.

In that regard, a host of conferences meant to bring together Igbo Diaspora have been cropping up. According to Chuka Obiesie, who presently is part of a “team” organizing WIC’s convention, and whose engaging dialogue with me has been in Limbo, “there was the Igbo Youth Camp” at Carson, California. I had the opportunity to take some of his time during the youth summer camp held on the playgrounds of California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Though very brief and always in a hurry, “I am at the Igbo Summer Camp and we plan to have a collaborative session on Sunday,” Obiesie told me on the phone.

“By the way, what organization do you represent? He curiously asked.

“I represent BNW (BiafraNigeriaWorld),” was my response.

“Oh, I think I know who you are,” mentioning a cousin and other relatives of mine who live in the Los Angeles area. Not really sure if I Know him or have met him in person, he scheduled a convenient future date for us to discuss at length so he could have his thoughts put together, especially the question of the youths he said would be having “their own session and how they can collaborate with us” regarding growth.

On July 26, 2005, I called Obiesie to see if he’d made up his mind putting his thoughts together so we probably could have a dialogue where he could share views and his vision for Nd'Igbo. and what he may think should be done assuming his era of leadership were to to be ushered in following the Los Angeles picnic. I asked if he was in touch with the ongoing political economic, and cultural mess in Igbo land and what steps WIC has taken to alleviate them. Further, I suggesting to Obiesie that I had not seen a prepared WIC ready to deal with the socio-cultural realities that contribute to an alarming Igbo Diaspora woes. Obiesie began by insisting a changed WIC “will be seen,” this time around, that is, provided he comes out of the elections as chairman elect.

Obiesie’s “busy schedule” never gave him a minute to put his thoughts together for a scheduled one-on-one interview I had laid out to verify if he had a valid diagnosis of WIC’s problems. Again, I called Obiesie a couple of times until he finally had the minute to throw some of his finest punches to convince me he was battle ready for my alleged “missiles.” Once more, he noted WIC’s “biggest problem has been that of publicity,” suggesting sound media coverage would boost the confidence that supposedly could help remedy the circumstances surrounding WIC. For sure, Obiesie and I agreed on a basic premise: that Igbo lack a sound and buoyant media to compete in a free press enterprise. We also agreed, I think, from his memorandum that an “establishment of a Veterans Affairs Unit” to alleviate the Oji River menace that has kept concerned citizens and motorists wondering if at all caregivers (government agencies) exists to take care of our veterans who sacrificed their lives in time of necessity to sustain our nationhood.

I have criticized WIC and have always maintained that the WIC is a waste considering its widespread scandals of ineptitude, corruption and dishonesty. Obiesie disagreed with me on that when he suggested I should pen whatever questionnaire for him and send it to his electronic mailbox. Obiesie refused to answer questions unless they were submitted to his e-mail in advance. The discussion ended right there when both of us agreed he should take his time to answer the question-interview-related to be dropped in his email. Few hours after that lively discussion (at least for me), I sent the following interview-format questionnaire to Obiesie’s mailbox:

1

). You declined to criticize Kalu Diogu for his ineptitude toward Igbo problems grand and small in Diaspora and back home. According to you, Diogu has been around for four years as chairman of WIC and two years as its vice chairman. That’s quite some numbers to serve for the interest of the Igbo nation, especially of a new democratic fabric in Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime and vow of “no sacared cows” which leaves the Igbo man today still marginalized and persecuted from place to place. Recently, there were stories of the “Apo 6 killings,” where an organized and corrupt police network targeted and framed hard working Igbo traders as criminals which left six Nd’Igbo brutally murdered by a criminal police enterprise. How has WIC addressed this very disturbing and bizarre case under Kalu Diogu’s leadership?

2). What would you have done as chairman?

3). As WIC vice chairman, and previously Director of Finance, member planning committee, and currently Director of Planning “2005 WIC Convention in Los Angeles,” how are you going to effect change if elected chairman that you couldn’t have done presently as vice chairman?

4). One of the main controversies surrounding the WIC is the notion that it is based on the idea to fraternize which has absolutely nothing in common with the Igbo nation and its affairs of state. As chairman how do you reconcile yourself to that?

5). You talked about publicity being a major problem to the WIC on which you acknowledged to be determined in changing that when elected chairman. In what sense are you talking about publicity? Do you mean establishing an Igbo newspaper based on WIC’s curriculum and Igbo ideals? If so, what was the delay, and why now?

6). According to your memo, you “have received endorsements from Akokwa American Development Association, Orlu Regional Assembly (ORAUSA), and Igbo Cultural Association of California.” Of what significance are these ‘endorsements’ since many critics have derided these organizations as a “confused, efulefu bunch”?

7). What do you think of the Igbo state governors and lawmakers, for instance, in Achike Udenwa’s administration where months will go by with teachers and nurses not paid their salaries?

8). How would your WIC influence that to change the ongoing mess in Igbo related states?

9). According to your statement, you served as the moderator of Biafra Forum held in New Jersey last year. What does that really mean?

After a couple of days or so, I called Obiesie to make sure my email reached him. “I never received it,” Obiesie said. Apparently, I had a wrong email address. With a correct email address and thorough verification, I sent the said questionnaire right away and called later on to find out if it went through. “I received it and I will be responding to it shortly,” Obiesie confirmed.

I gave Obiesie two solid weeks to put his thoughts together in order to answer the questionnaire coherently. Two weeks gone by, I called Obiesie to see how he’s doing with the questionnaire. “I have been busy attending conferences and meetings, and I will be responding to your questionnaire very soon,” Obiesie would tell me. I was not sure if he deliberately avoided me just to frustrate my efforts in an attempt for a scheduled interview—responding to the questionnaire I sent him, or that he was bent on running a shadow administration, that is, if he’s elected chairman of WIC.

However, I still believed my patience has not been tasked to the limit in an anticipated interview with Obiesie who had talked about publicity for reaching out to Igbo people and the press in general. I called Obiesie again to see what he was up to regarding our previous discussions and what he intends to do about it. “I will respond to you,” he said, as usual. Meanwhile, as at that moment, I began to wonder if this man was for real and if he realizes what’s at stake for him. It somewhat makes sense as I recall when Okenwa Nwosu submitted to Igbo Excalibur his views entitled “WIC campaign Issues” calling upon WIC chairmanship aspirants to develop a thoughtful and considered approach by using and taking advantage of Igbo-related forums and publications on what is it they would do for Nd’Igbo.

None of these were surprising knowing the internet reading public is a tiny fraction of which the aspirants are aware of on the ground a cyber ad would not create any impact in their election campaigns. “There are three ways to explain this development. One possibility is that some of the candidates see no utility in using the mass media to press their ambitions since the outcome of WIC elections shall not depend on public perception of contestants and their platforms but on the wise judgment of a select few, Okenwa Nwosu said.

The next possibility is that some candidates may have something to hide and could be stricken by stage fight and thus very much ill at ease under the searchlight. The third possibility could be lack of full appreciation of power of the media. ``` Okenwa Nwosu

I shall rely on Nwosu’s second possibility of WIC chairmanship aspirants having “something to hide,” since Obiesie and I have already discussed the third possibility on which he recognized the power of a media by getting things done, especially in the case of his ambitious campaign to be WIC’s next chairman. For the record, I have not heard from Obiesie by all means of communication since his last “I will respond to you,” late last month, unless his detailed “interview answer” was sent a wrong email address.

As my survey continued to examine people’s perceptive about WIC and its annual picnic, Houston-based attorney Greg Enwere remarked he had no desire for WIC’s fanfare except on the condition he would attend such conventions to see people and socialize for the sake of it. “Other than that, WIC is no show and should be dissolved. The whole situation is hopeless,” Enwere said. Los Angeles-based accountant and businessman, Akubuo Okorie, admires ambitious Igbo men but is no fan of WIC and its ballroom dance, and has never been excited about it on the basis they have destroyed Igbo ideals. “The thing is that I don’t know what they want to achieve from WIC with their credentials from San Diego International University. Since I heard of WIC nothing has been accomplished,” a disappointed Okorie said.

Some WIC critics and many who spoke ill of an organization that is going to hell said Asiegbu’s public relations job for WIC should read (my emphasis):

Los Angeles welcomes Igbo from all walks of life for World Igbo Congress annual picnic at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton on Labor Day weekend. There will be lots of fun. There will be WIC trivia. There will be WIC efulefu dance. There will be raffle draws, dominoes tournaments, draft competition, and chess games. There will be lots of booze, food and rotund women. Please do not leave home without your ‘Ghana must go’ bags.

As it also happened one Sunday afternoon while I waited at a nearby mall to pick up my teenage daughter and her friends from a movie theater in Hollywood, I bumped into Princewill Odunze. Several years ago, I met Odunze at one Nkwerre-Isu community meeting in Los Angeles. Nothing much has changed from the last time I saw him, only that he has added more credentials to his resume. He is now a teacher, evangelist, small business owner and Director of Communications, Opuruiche Social Club of Southern California, and old Orlu Province fraternity.

“Long time no see. How are ya,” I asked Odunze, immediately hoping he would recognize me from several years ago when we met at the Nkwerre-Isu community meeting.

“I am doing fine, only the bills are killing me,” he said.

He did not know who I was until I introduced myself with the kind of tale that traces back to my roots in AlaIgbo. When he got a clue of who I might be, he told me the Nkwerre-Isu meeting has been dissolved, long time ago, as a result of its member’s pigheadedness and the inability to find a common ground.

“So, what brought you here?” he asked.

“I live not too far from here,” I replied and popped up the question of Opuruiche and World Igbo Congress. On Opuruiche, he told me it was formed to be the sole and only organization to cater for the needs of Orlu people with the insight of rapidly moving technology and area developments back home. According to him, that dream was shattered when Jude Paulinus Nwandu killed his wife and tied her to the back of his van, then dragged her body through the streets of Inglewood, California. He told me potential investors who had interest in Orlu area developments could no longer afford to deal with Opuruiche on that course when Nwandu strangled his wife following an argument over a messy kitchen.

“What’s Opuruiche up to now,” I asked.

“Well, we are trying as much as we can to make sure a lot is accomplished within a reasonable timeframe,” Odunze said. “I think we have a better leadership in Mathew Ikpa, Solomon Egbuho and the rest to move us forward.”

“Have you purchased your ticket yet for the convention?” I asked.

“No, I haven’t, how much is it?” he asked.

“One hundred and fifty bucks,” I told him.

“This is a rip-off. These people are thieves,” he exclaimed.

When I told him “Egbuho is not a leader but a socialite,” his views on Egbuho changed suddenly, realizing there was absolutely nothing one could say all the conventions have done for we in Diaspora to complete ourselves.

Precisely, on Friday, August 19, 2005, I took my survey pitch to Saaris Restaurant in Inglewood, California. I had thought it was another perfect spot to pick on my Igbo folks who retire there on Friday evenings for bowls of isi-ewu, ngwo-ngwo and local politics. There, I encountered a whole lot and got a shot of what I came in there for—World Igbo Congress and the Los Angeles convention.

Before my arrival, I had anticipated the folks out there would produce a positive response regarding WIC, that way; my counter-response would kick off a debate. WIC was damned by most that I met. However, I was not surprised to have run into the staunch members of Nd’House, a Los Angeles area social club. Among them: Nkem Iheanagu, Emmanuel Nwaneri Ibe, Basil Nwonwu, Tony Onyeagoru, Churchill Ugwuzor, Hope Ikobi, and Kingsley Ekejiuba. There were other patrons, too, including Silas Awujo. When the issue of WIC popped up, it didn’t look good for WIC’s Los Angeles convention organizers. One of the patrons at Saaris, a Los Angeles area real estate broker was so pumped up about WIC he had already prepared his speech for the convention.

He had told me if his experience with WIC was all that crap, then WIC sucks. To purchase his ticket for the event, he made several calls to find out where to send his money. Of all the call he made, no WIC organizer returned his call until, finally, he was able to speak with someone. From his story of anger and frustration, he drove to African Suya Spot on the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Mid City Los Angeles. There he met Chuka Obiesie, Kennedy Obi and two others allegedly the organizing committee. He explained his mission, to purchase WIC Convention ticket and his quest to deliver a speech on the Labor Day weekend. He gave the organizers $150 for his ticket and was immediately dismissed without a receipt to show for his purchase.

“This is crazy. Why would you do something like that? That’s dumb,” one of the patrons asked. But like many others who may have faced the same situation, he learned the hard way that WIC only favors those in its fraternity and not the Igbo umbrella he had thought it to be.

“Why would you spend $150 to purchase WIC’s ticket when you refused to donate $30 for my community’s non-profit annual day celebration?” Ugwuzor asked. “Imagine that!” said Awujo.

The sad reality is that, this fellow will never get to deliver a speech of any kind at the convention, and he should bid his $150 goodbye.

I can do a whole stand up from all the drama in this literature improvising our intellectual and political community in Diaspora. It’s not funny, though, in the real sense. It’s an Igbo tragedy.

The upshot: If the enigmatic Michael Okpara, Francis Akanu Ibiam and Mbonu Ojike had lived to see the routine sorry state of the Igbo nation whereby stupidity, greed, anger, weakness and being naive is now the order of the day putting intellectuals, “traditional rulers,” politicians, educators, businessmen, clergymen, and hustlers in the same bag, they would have been pissed. With all that Igbos went through back in the days and still in place at this moment, one cannot conclude, but admit something is wrong.

Ambrose Ehirim,
Los Angeles, CA