By Naomi Chima
Businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, recently granted an interview to BBC Igbo, where he spoke about the insecurity in the South-East region of the country where he hails from. According to him, that was what led to his relocation to Lagos State NAOMI CHIMA brings excerpts
What can be blamed for the killings and insecurity in the South-East?
It is jealousy and envy that caused everything that is happening in the South-East. If you say you do not like a particular government, do you go and kill your brother because of that? No! You should rather wait for when it is time for election, then you can vote that person out. You should not about hating or killing your brother, because you don’t like him, or because he is supporting a particular government, or the police. How can you kill your brother, because he is a policeman or a soldier? In a state without the police and military, who will maintain peace and order there?
Why did you relocate your business to Lagos State from Owerri (Imo State)?
I left the South-East, and relocated to Lagos State because some of our wealthy Igbo brothers are now scared of coming home. Usually, whenever they came home, my business was always flourishing. That is because those who live in Owerri usually buy just beer and little champagne. But, when the big boys who live in Lagos and Abuja come home during the weekends, they usually buy lots of drinks; and I will ultimately make so much money.
For instance, after Christmas in those days when business was booming in the South-East, after every Christmas sale, I would usually buy a new car or start a new business (because of the huge profit recorded). But, business has now become so slow. And, just like the Igbo saying, you will have to move around with your wares to be able to make sales. That was why I packed my bags and relocated.
It is also a way of bringing the things that those who travel home come to enjoy at my place in Owerri here to them in Lagos State.
How has the rising insecurity in the South-East affected the drive of Igbo people?
All the bad Igbo people and kidnappers who are working to spoil Igboland are just foolish. In the area of real estate, things are no longer how they used to be. Before we started having insecurity issues in the South-East, people like Kennedy Okonkwo, the billionaire founder and CEO of Nedcomoaks Limited; and socialite, Emeka Okonkwo, aka E-Money, had mansions in their hometown, and that caused a lot of competition among us. Everyone was ‘pushed’, and there was a hunger in our hearts to go home and erect those kinds of edifice in our father’s compound. The Igbos like competition; we are each other’s inspiration.
What is the impact of the situation on the wealthy people who usually visit their hometowns?
What these evil people have succeeded in doing is to make sure that we no longer see the wealthy people at home (in the South-East). When they see a wealthy person, they would kill him, and say he was a bad person. And, that has caused wealthy people to stay away from home. This has caused hunger in the land. There is great hunger in the South-East now.
What is your advice to people in the Diaspora on how to curb the tension in the South-East?
My appeal to my brothers (in the Diaspora) is this, “Let us not forget our home. We cannot run away from the evil people; they should run from us instead. You people should be coming home”. And, to our brothers at home, “You people are expected to protect the home, because it is the rat inside the house that tells the one in the bush or outside that there is fish in the kitchen”. So, it is some of those at home who burn down their brothers’ houses because of envy. We know that some people are not good, just like it is everywhere; even outside the country. But, it is something we should treat and approach with wisdom. It is not something that requires us to carry guns and machetes.
Our heritage is getting destroyed. We have our own culture, but we cannot project it from afar.
What are some of the things that used to make going home interesting?
Sometime ago, in my village, there was a festival called ‘Ofeke Day’, observed on January 1. It was the most interesting festival at that time. But, things like that no longer exist. We need to come together, and agree to bring the South-East back. There are a lot of great things in the South-East. You can imagine that people now host traditional marriages in event centres in Lagos State, or Owerri town. Is that good? When there is a funeral, the dead would be buried like a thief, in a hurry, and the people will run to somewhere safe for the reception. That is not how we used to live. Before, whenever the corpse of a popular or wealthy person was coming home, there would be a lot of festivities, including gunshot salutes, and masquerade parades, with so much excitement. But, those days are gone and dead. We are gradually losing our heritage and culture.
What approach do you think can end these problems?
Let us go back to our roots and repair our states. Whatever is spoilt can be repaired. We should stop running, because running will not help us. Rather, running will spoil everything completely. (Punch)
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