History was made within the Igbo community in London UK on Saturday, 14 September 2024 as an organisation known as The Orlu Intelligentsia UK was launched at the Council Chambers of London Borough of Waltham Forest. Membership of the organisation is drawn from Orlu Senatorial Zone.
In his welcome address, the Lead Co-ordinator of the group, Nze Benjamin Agwunobi noted that an overall assessment of the Orlu Zone by the group raised some pertinent questions leading to conclusions that the Zone, for more than 50 years, has remained arguably stagnant on the indices of development. The Orlu Intelligentsia UK believe that Orlu Zone is under existential threat of economic, cultural and political extinction with most communities in the zone feeling like graveyards. Although not exhaustive, Nze Agwunobi listed the problems besetting the zone that needs immediate attention as including acute hunger, worsening economic situation, insecurity leading to excessive and needless loss of lives, negative influence of foreign religion on the people culminating in the manipulation and extortion of the people by religious leaders, general lack of moral standards, the erosion of cultural values, traditional institutions and lack of respect for traditional rulers, the devaluation of education in the communities and falling academic standards, lack of academic ethics in educational institutions, very high political temperature, the get rich quick syndrome, and the ill-discipline amongst the youths. This situation, according to him, has hindered and is worsening the overall development of the area.
Nze Agwunobi bemoaned the lack of genuine leaders with integrity as it used to be in the past who can challenge the current situation in the face of the impunity that is being perpetrated in the area by all and sundry. In his view, there is dearth of knowledgeable and respectable men of integrity whose voices are not only respected but from whom people in Orlu Zone can draw inspiration. The worst aspect according to him is that it appears that nobody is talking or willing to do so for fear of retribution, and the voices of reason are no longer there. Thus there is an intellectual, moral and practical leadership vacuum at the top of the society to support the social structures which have collapsed.
In the circumstance, it has become necessary to begin to address the zone’s “issues” openly and truthfully. The Orlu Intellentsia UK is well primed to discuss these issues. According to Nze Agwunobi, the members are group of like-minded concerned citizens of Orlu zone living in the United Kingdom with genuine feel, empathy and desire to bring change. He noted that the group was put together as a result of conversations he had with well-meaning Orlu indigenes from all walks of life both home and abroad, who expressed grave concern about the state of affairs in Orlu zone in all spheres of human endeavour
The Orlu Intelligentsia UK’s main objective will be to lead, critique, advise, articulate, proffer solutions and shape the mind-set of the people on critical issues affecting our lives, be it social, political, cultural and religious with a view of influencing the people’s behaviour and government policies. Highlighting the issues will not only show that there are genuine concerns, home and abroad but also ensure that the more the issues are articulated and brought into focus, the more likely there will be the burning desire to comprehend them and effect change. Nze Agwunobi advocated that men and women of substance and intellect of the area with genuine empathy for the area need to wake up from their slumber and speak out to refocus Orlu region towards honest endeavours. He assured the audience that the Intelligentsia group is not a “talk shop” but rather it is envisioned to be a permanent educative and enlightenment forum using the print and electronic media as well as organizing conferences, debates, symposium and lectures to deliver policy papers and positions.
Concluding, he said that The Orlu Intellegentsia UK in seeking to bring issues to the fore to ensure that “our people fully understand the gravity of our situation and begin to retrace their steps”. The group is aware that changing people’s mindset will never be easy, straightforward and done quickly, but he noted that ideas filter through slowly over time, and eventually the desired changes may follow and hopefully be permanent.
There was a plenary session ably conductor by the moderator of the day, Associate Professor, Sir Jude Ibe whereupon members of the Intelligentsia fielded questions from the audience. In her remarks, the former Mayor of London Borough of Enfield, Cllr Kate Anolue, lauded the Intelligentsia initiative and advised that other regions or zones in Igboland should copy the initiative given that the dire situation in Orlu is replicated in other parts of Igboland. Whilst the Special Adviser to the group, Chief Emmanuel Osuchukwu, speaking in the same vein advised that the membership and works of the group should not be localised but open to other parts of Igboland. Other members of the audience in commending the initiative expressed concerns about possible political interference on the works of the group. Others wondered what will amount to success given the herculean task facing the group especially as it pertains to changing people’s mind-set
Fielding questions and observations, The Intelligentsia members took it in turn to assure the audience that the group is apolitical and therefore will not lean towards any political party both in and outside government, noting that it is part of the group’s memorandum of understanding. They also noted that given that the decay in our society dates to early 1970’s after the civil war, it is not going to be a quick fix in the endeavour to change people’s mindset. Accordingly, the impact of The Orlu Intelligentsia UK works will take a while to sip through to people. The group members made a pragmatic view by stating that members may not live to see the benefit of their work noting that The Orlu Intelligentsia is a living project and hope that it will outlive the founding members
Finally, The Intelligentsia group also noted that given the gravity of corrupted mind-set in Orlu zone, success could mean influencing one or two people in the next six month, 12 months or two to three years. They however noted that “there is hope that our people have the capacity to retrace our steps from the disaster that is facing our area”. The group appealed for well-meaning sons and daughters of Orlu zone who have the same belief as them to join them in their onerous tasks. As one of the members said, ‘the workload is heavy, but the labourers are few.’
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