Chief Livinus Chukwudi Okwara, is the father of Ohanaeze in Lagos state and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos state. He is the founder of Rimax Computers, the first indigenous computer school in Nigeria. He was recently honoured by the management of the Unique Model Magazine for his immense support toward the victory of the APC in the last general elections in the country. In this interview, he speaks on a number of issues including his contributions towards the development of the party, Igbos and why he accepted to be the father of Ohanaeze in Lagos state. He explained that the interests of Igbos are protected in Lagos and urged them to reciprocate that.
Excerpt:
How do you feel about the award given to you now?
I have been a founding member of the party, I have been part of the soldiers of the APC party and we have moved APC from being a party that is only known in the southwest to a national party. It’s not only my effort, it’s the collective efforts of all party members across the federation, I remember when I coordinated campaigns in the five states of the South east and I sponsored the campaigns and the same thing in Lagos where I have sponsored governorship candidates, senatorial candidates, House of representatives candidates and down to the Council members and chairmen of Local Government Areas in Lagos state.
So, I’m happy that the APC has grown to a national party and a party to reckon with worldwide. Quite a good number of years ago, people never thought that the APC will come this far. We have come to the centre, we have consolidated and then come back again with the flag carried by Asiwaju. So, I’m quite happy with the recognition as one of those who made it happen. And that is the beginning of so many things that will happen because we have inherited so many years of abuse of social interest, abuse of constitutional interest, which we intend to carry to a logical conclusion because we want Nigerians to be happy.
In fact, the other parties need to understand that Nigeria belongs to all of us and not only for the rich. APC is a party that has recognized so much the importance of those who don’t have as much and will ensure that the gap between the rich and the poor is very much narrowed and that people can live happily in Nigeria as citizens with all the expectations of good governance. So, I thank you very much for this award. It will spur me the more. I believe that party membership is a life situation, not jumping from one party to another.
So, it is in such countries that have introduced and managed democratic governance. Nigeria is going to have a history of continuity in democratic governance, keeping the military away from usurping the roles meant for democratic participation. I also thank the Unique Model magazine because their contributions to political development in Nigeria are unrivaled even with the presence of those who had been there for many years but they have not been there for a long time. Their contributions in recognitions and promotions to the interest of political developments in Nigeria is worthy of note.
Father of Ohanaeze, Ebe onye bi k’ona awachi, what are they basic facts about this statement?
The basic reasons for that statement is that we must face the facts, where you live and make your daily bread, you should contribute to the political development of that area. If you are in a state, you should contribute to the development of that state and when you are in Nigeria, you should contribute to the development of Nigeria. If you are in Lagos and you happen to come from one remote village in Imo state, there are people living there and contributing to the development of the environment and so you cannot live there and continue to make provocative statements.
So, courtesy demands that there should be respect because if you respect the place, respect they say is reciprocal. They will respect you. Your children are growing up there, adults are making improvement there and they contribute to the development of that place because it is from the money they make there that they are taken care of because you cannot work in Julius Berger and go and collect salary from somewhere else.
It is Julius Berger that will make sure that everything about you is taken care of. So those of them that make statements that are not conducive, it’s ignorance. Every day, you live your life in a place, the traditional rulers have a responsibility to look after you, the governors have an obligation to take care of you, the police there have a commission to protect you.
A police commissioner in Lagos state cannot go to another state to give orders. If you look at the geographical representation in Nigeria, Igbos are everywhere. As the last president mentioned, Igbos are number two in every state that is not an Igbo state and he said, I don’t know what they want. It is a privileged position and it’s a privileged contribution, it’s more than enough because as they spread, their people get employed, they are taken care of, they are saying to us that the Igbos are more technical than every other tribe in Nigeria and they are being taken care of even if they are not given the president of Nigeria and when the time comes, it will be their turn to produce the president and they will take care of themselves and the other people as well.
So, I want the Igbos to understand that number one: Lagos protects their interest and that they should reciprocate. So you owe allegiance to Lagos state, not to the person who does not know whether you exist, he makes his budget and he does not include you but this people make their budget and include you. So, where do you show your respect? And again, you should avoid making insultive statements. Igbos are very lucky that they are liked all over the federation, everywhere they go, the people accommodate them, give them jobs, give them contracts and their businesses are booming. But they want to give the public the impression that they are not being appreciated. I was born in Lagos, live here and do my business here. “So, ebe onye bi, k’onawachi”.
Rimax Computers which you brought to Nigeria and you offered scholarships to lots of people and your clinic too helped the needy. Recently, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo conferred on you the title of “Father of Ohanaeze” for your immense contributions. So what inspired you to invest your resources and then to accept the offer?
Having been born in Lagos state, I established in Lagos state, I made success in Lagos state after coming back from an overseas training and I brought to Nigeria an education that was education of the future and it’s still now, that is computers and its applications. So, I wanted that to benefit Nigerians inclusive of the Igbos as well.
So, the desire to have success amongst my people and the other people in the environment, in fact, encourage participation in social development, business development, that’s why I accepted that because when you develop Ohanaeze, you develop your people that are here because it should be a social contract, so, it’s my obligation to do that because what I’m, I got from the public and when I’m making any contribution, I’m only saying thank you to the public.