BY Itiako Malik Ikpokpo Ksm
Clan Otota of Irri Kingdom
As the tenure of the present leadership of our flagship Isoko Development Union (IDU) winds down at the end of this year, perhaps there has never been a time more critical and important than now for us, as a people of a common destiny, to take more than a passing interest in the future of the IDU and, most importantly, in the quality of leadership that the Union deserves.
As a scion and grandson of one of the founding fathers and the first President-General of the IDU, the late Rev. Samuel Okopi Efeturi (1902–1974), my interest in seeing an IDU that takes its rightful place of pride and lives up to its primary responsibility of preserving the Isoko identity is unmistakable.
No other time in our shared history has the preservation of our identity and the institutionalisation of the IDU been more important than now and in the era ahead.
To begin with, I believe we must deliberately and immediately put an end to the needless Isoko North and Isoko South demarcation in the election of the leadership of the IDU.
Our ultimate desire should be to build an institution that truly lives up to its name, purpose and historic responsibility.
The question should not be:
“Where is the next IDU President-General coming from?”
The question should be:
“Who is the person best equipped to lead the IDU into the next era?”
That is the conversation we must have and we must have it now.
How do we take the IDU back to the glory days of its formation, when it stood as a bastion of the agitation for the creation of Isoko Division? How do we restore the courage, conviction and sense of purpose of the men who, through their determination and sacrifice, helped to strengthen the cause championed by our father, Chief Ekpre Otobo, May the Lord bless his soul. We must begin to ask these questions honestly.
We need an IDU leadership that canvasses the issues affecting our people and speaks boldly on matters of collective interest.
While the political class is doing its best, the truth is, many politicians are not able to speak deeply or let me say publicly on issues affecting the collective wellbeing of the Isoko nation. They are however a handful of exceptional political leaders who bells the cat when it’s important to do so.
It is therefore of utmost necessity that we build an IDU that Isoko can look up to, an institution that can speak for the people and be heard.
We cannot afford an IDU led by people who must seek permission before they grant interviews or speak even while we encourage consultations where and when necessary..
Isoko deserves an IDU led by men and women of means, carriage and composure—people with the intellectual capacity, moral authority and courage to provide direction when direction is needed.
We need an IDU that is properly funded by its principal actors and stakeholders and sufficiently empowered to pursue its objectives without being beholden to any individual, political or external influence.
The next leadership of the IDU must not revolve solely around only the President-General, but rather a purposeful Executive of men and women of impeccable knowledge of Isoko, proven capacity, integrity and the required courage.
Above all, an IDU leadership that possess the courage to speak truth to power when the interest of Isoko demands it.
This, to my mind, should be the conversation as we prepare to elect a new leadership for the Isoko Development Union.
The future of Isoko and the IDU is too important to be left to the usual calculations of rotation, sectional interests and power broking.
Isoko Nation is blessed.
