Releasing Nnamdi Kanu will help curb incessant killings in the East

Chief Louis Ononiwu is the Secretary General of the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire. He is also the President General of the Imo State Union Cote d’Ivoire and the Managing Director of Eco Prestige. He spoke with our correspondent in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire recently on many issues including things bothering his people back home in Nigeria. Excerpts:

*Can we meet you?
My name is Chief Louis Ononiwu, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire. I am also the President General of the Imo State Union Cote d’Ivoire.

*How did you emerge as the General Secretary?
I was voted in by Nigerians living in Cote d’Ivoire. That happened three years ago when thousands of Nigerians residing in Cote d’Ivoire converged in Ecole Regional Treichville and voted for their leaders. I was voted in as one of the candidates under the Presidency of Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu. Interestingly, Nigerians were enthusiastic when they saw the qualities of people that emerged as leaders. They came out enmasse and voted us in. I defeated two other candidates from the West and Middle-Belt of Nigeria respectively. They congratulated me and there was no dispute. We were all happy because everything was done in a peaceful atmosphere. It was free, fair and credible.

*What have been your contributions ever since you emerged?
If you can look around or ask people, you will see a lot of transformation in the Nigerian Community. Before we came on board, like our President, Chief Onwuchelu used to say, “If the Nigerian Community is a commodity, you wouldn’t like to buy it.” So when we came on board, we met a shattered Community, that has no workable system. So we quickly put the system in place. Secondly, we instill discipline in the governance. We also achieved a lot, in curtailing the menace of child trafficking and prostitution in Cote d’Ivoire, particularly those coming from Nigeria. It has reduced drastically. We have also done a lot to bring most of those that have been indulging in this heinous and unholy act to book and we have repatriated a lot of girls, most of them are minors, between 11 and 18 years old. And we are in a good relationship with the Nigerian Embassy. Before we took over the helms of affairs, the Community and some leaders were not agreeing with the Embassy because some of them were indulging in human trafficking. So when the Embassy tried to stop them, they started writing petitions against the Embassy but this time around, our executive members are working in harmony with them and the result is impressive.

*As the President General of the Imo Community in Cote d’Ivoire, have you been able to bring indigene on board?
Yes, I can comfortably say that I am the founding president of Imo State Union Cote d’Ivoire. Before, we have no union, some of our elders tried to have one but unfortunately it was not sustainable but I came on board with another system of leadership. I transformed the system of admission into the Union. Why it couldn’t work before was because it was individual kind of registration but this time, with my team have successfully made Imo State worth emulating. We have grown to the extent that we have attracted out of 27 local governments, we have about 24 local governments under Imo State Union today. Registration is now by local government not by individual. And in our quest to attract all Imolites residing in Cote d’Ivoire, we found out that there are some local governments that do not have enough people hence we created a platform for the to be accommodated and known as an independent group. So if your local government don’t have people, you can be admitted into the Imo State Union through the Independent group. Apart from the Nigerian Community, I can comfortably say Imo State has the largest group in Cote d’Ivoire. We are in thousands and we are doing everything possible to make it enthusiastically interesting so that everyone will love to be part of it.
Also, we don’t bury our people here anymore. Before we came on board, that was the situation, it was rampant but now, you can’t die here and be buried in Cote d’Ivoire as long as you have identified with us. You cannot be sick and you alert us and remain in the same condition. We ensure within our limit to assist so that you can get well on time.

*Talking about things done, what other programme do you have in place for your people especially like empowerment?

You know it is a gradual process, it is also part of our programme. You know when you talk about project, we have long and short terms. There are long term project that we are looking ahead to, perhaps, the successive government can also help in certain areas. For now we are doing a lot, like last year, we had what we called “Ejiri mara Imo Cultural Festival” Cultural Festival where we exhibited a lot of Nigerian cultural activities, that created temporary jobs for some of our youths and women. There is no Nigerian event that has attracted such crowd before in Cote d’Ivoire. In that event, Ejiri mara Imo Cultural Festival, which took place last November, we promoted our culture, adviced our youths to be law-abiding and ensure that they have something doing, and avoid illicit activities for quick money while promising them brighter future. We intend to do skill acquisition, trade fair, workshop, we are putting all of them into consideration.

*Is the festival an annual event?
No! We can’t do it every year, perhaps, two or three years because it is a mega event. It costs us a lot of money and time to organise. You know when you do it every year, it will be less interesting. So, people need to look forward to the next one, that is why we put it in two or three years.

*The year is fast rounding up, do you have any programme for the Union?
Naturally, we organize the End of the Year Party, every year and this year we are equally going to have that where all of us will have a get-together party and thank God for a successful year.

*Do you have a good and working relationship with the Imo State Government in Nigeria?
Absolutely we have. We have Imo State Leadership in Diaspora which I am one of them. I happened to be the Director of Media and Strategy. This coming year, precisely in January, we are going to have Imo Diaspora Summit, which the Executive Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma would be our Special Guest of Honour. So through that group, we have been relating with the State and from there we will take off and see what we can offer our State. Everybody needs to be involved that is why we are starting from the Diaspora, to relate with the government so that we can see how we can work together and also see how to tackle any challenge facing the State.

*Do you people have any special package for the indigenes, something like scholarship?
Of course, the theme of the Summit is “Imo Ga-Adi Mma,” which means Imo State must be working or be better. We are looking at helping in many areas like agriculture, agricultural equipment, seedlings to the farmers, education like that of scholarship. We are also looking at how we can help in the area of security. We are just starting.

*What message do you have for the people back in Nigeria
Yes! I will like to call on President Bola Tinubu to please release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention for many years. Releasing him will help curb the incessant killings in Imo State and the entire eastern states in Nigeria and we are praying it doesn’t spread. The eastern states have witnessed all sorts of crises including Sit-at-home on Mondays.
President Tinubu is a father to all Nigerians, and we believe he is compassionate and has listening ears, that is why we are using this platform to beg him to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, many lives have been lost and still being lost. We believe that once he is released, the killings will stop.

Lastly, as the secretary general of the Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, I want to let you know that we have a serious challenge in our hands in Cote d’Ivoire now and it is the trafficking of teenagers between the age of 10 and 15 who are being forced into prostitution. We are calling on President Tinubu to help us curb the menace of child trafficking and prostitution in Cote d’Ivoire. The menace is becoming bigger by the day and on our own, we have rescued and repatriated more than 1,200 girls, particularly minors but more are still coming on a daily basis.
We want President Tinubu to pay a working visit to Cote d’Ivoire like the one done by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan respectively, so as to see things for himself and also enter a bilateral agreement with the Cote d’Ivoire Government to put a stop to the menace because our names and that of our great country, which is rated as the Giant of Africa, is being rubbed in the mud.

*Thank you for your audience
It is my pleasure.