High Chief Livinus Okwara, the father of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, is the chairman of Rimax Computer and Rimax Clinic, who has proven beyond doubt that APC is his life party through his commitment and financial support. In this interview with The Unique Model Magazine, Chief Okwara insists that no reasonable Igbo man will cause problem in Lagos that will affect his family and business. He also bares his mind on a number of issues including being a member of the APC for decades, ways of improving Ohanaeze Lagos despite his advise and financial commitment that has not yielded any meaningful result. However being a father, he would continue ensuring that Ohanaeze Ndigbo grows and others.
Excerpts:
Sir, as a staunch member of the APC, how do you feel about the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect and the incumbent governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other APC candidates?
I feel glad for the victory of the APC as presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, Babajide Sanwo-Olu governor of Lagos State, and other APC candidates. What gladdens me most is that, I worked for the victory as a party member.
After the election, there have been reactions by some parties who are claiming that the election was not fair and free, and some regions especially the South east are saying it is there turn to produce the next president of Nigeria, what is your take?
Well, everybody in Nigeria including those in Lagos have the right to their own opinions which they can claim through the court, not by self-defence. All I know about the Igbos and presidential vision is that I spend four years sponsoring an Igbo candidate in APC, I campaign for him, I did everything for him, he didn’t declare his intention. I will say that Igbos are not prepared, and they didn’t show that they were prepared in the last election. So it’s not the forth of anybody, it was the fault of Igbos. But that just, Tinubu took advantage of their nonchalant attitude to ride to the presidency. Four years, I was promoting Ken Nnamani, he did not show interest throughout, no candidate showed interest until the eve of election.
As a father of Ohanaeze in Lagos, there is a rumour that Igbo didn’t vote for APC, what is your advice to the youths and those that are supporting youths?
Since the civil war and end of the war, the Yoruba have been good host to the Igbos. Those who had their properties got their properties back after the civil war when they came back to Yorubaland unlike the situation in Rivers state. The Igbos were quickly re-integrated into the nation hood in Lagos state and business kicked off as usual, the Igbos are the second most successful group in Lagos state.
The markets are dominated by the Igbos, they were not prevented from establishing their market. As long as it was done legally, lgbos own properties all over Lagos, properties with large expansion, land all over Lagos, including Lekki and other areas. So I don’t see how that tantamount to discrimination, they never discriminate against Igbos, and Igbo must understand that Lagos is a base of business for all the Igbos. Because the Igbos in Kaduna, Maiduguri, even in the Igboland comes to Lagos to buy the things they use to establish and improve on their business from Lagos to those areas. And I cannot recollect any intimidation of Igbo in their business, in Lagos state.
Coming to the election, most of the people who voted against APC in Lagos state are the Yoruba, youths especially those people who are Yahoo boys, all the yahoo boys are group that voted against APC. They voted against APC because they alleged that APC sponsored the Endsars saga. Most of the Igbos that are causing trouble with other tribes didn’t even have voters card, no reasonable Igbo man will cause problem that will affect his family and business. The other groups that voted for Labour party were alleged to be from some churches. The Igbos were not the major cause of problem but allegedly some public statements were made by some Igbos that could cause disturbance and later joined Labour Party. The exodus movements of Igbos from PDP to Labour Party made PDP lose good number of votes to Labour Party.
From your experience as an elder statesman, don’t you think if Ezes in Lagos can have mutual relationship with the Baales, and the Obas to tackle certain issues, there will be more progress especially when disunity occurs like during the recently concluded election?
You see, the problem we have is the Igbos, they were more into money, most of them are more concerned in collecting money from different party groups, this candidate will come, they will give them their chieftaincy title and collect money. The other group can come, they will give them money and they will give them title, and since they collected money from that government, they are compelled to promote that governorship candidate, So most of them were given titles by Igbo traditional rulers in Lagos. And they created rivalry among themselves, by causing so much tension among the candidates and voters. So that was the thing that made the environment very uncomfortable for everyone and the Igbo who were promoting this people, most of them were not happy with the politicians, they were just collecting money and behaving like touts.
You invested in printing of polo, posters and bill board for APC leaders, what motivated your interest towards the success of APC in all level of government?
I have been a member of the progressives since 1975, so I supported APC because APC has been my party. And it’s a product of progressives. Since 1975, I don’t jump from party to party. So every election I print posters, make billboards and then give to party members to distribute / circulate towards the growth of the party. I am no longer a young man, so I cannot go about campaigning, I made posters and gave those who are campaigning to circulate, mounted billboards to enhance the fortune of the APC. So, my support for Tinubu is because he is a member of my party. The Igbo man I supported for presidency is an APC member, Ken Nnamani, and when he did not contest, then I shifted my support to the candidate of the party, Tinubu and I have always been supporting Tinubu. When Tinubu contested for governorship of Lagos State, I supported him.
What is your advice to Ndigbo in Lagos and Nigeria at large?
My advice is that they must remain peaceful anywhere they find themselves, the Igbos are the second most populous residence, of every states except the Igbo states. And in this state, the Igbo have been doing well, not only that they are most populous and resourceful we are successful residence. Second, most successful than most occupants, so when they cause trouble, that means that their investments will suffer and the tendency for people to see them as trouble makers comes in. Trouble-making is not in the interest of our people. Tinubu must know that Labour Party is not an Igbo party, it is just that it filled a vacuum as there are not so much distributed across the federation. So people cannot expect them to be 100 percent successful over night. Unlike the case in the APC, APC is the formation of other parties, either six or seven parties that are opposite to PDP. So you cannot expect Labour Party to be like APC overnight. The Igbos should be peaceful and allow peace to reign because if they start trouble, they might face some difficulties in states where they have been staying as peaceful settlers, and doing their business and taking care of their families.