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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Thoughts On National Confab: Tasks Facing Imo Delegates (Part 1) – By John Mgbe

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This  viewpoint is  a  random  thought on the  ongoing National  Conference which  purpose  is  to  restructure the  Nigerian  nation. It  is  unfortunate  that  the  delegates  representing Imo State  were  appointed  with  a  sleight of hand without  constituting  any  technical  committee of  elders  or  a Think-tank to  make  inputs  on the  empanelling of  a First Eleven Team  for Imo State.  We  do  not  know  the  criteria  used  in   appointing  the  delegates  but  on a general note, one  can  admit that, perhaps,  with  the  exception  of  a  female  delegate whose  suitability  for a delegate  is  suspect,  the  others are  people  of  integrity in who  Imo people  should  be proud of. However, they  would  have  performed  better  if  a  forum  was  created  for  them  to interact  with stakeholders  in Imo State. It  is  not  good  that  the  governor  simply  used  sleight  of  hand  to  pick  the  delegates  and  swiftly sent them to  Abuja  without  creating enabling environment  for  them  to   interact  with the  people. It  is  pathetic  that   a  team  that  is  representing  Imo State  has  been  cut  of  from  the  people as  it  is  not  possible  to  reach them  either  through  phone calls, text  messages and  the like. Although the  Confab  will soon wind  down,  the  delegates  have  not  tried  to  use  any  forum  to  give  NDIMO  a  peep  into  what  goes  on in the  Conference. Even those  who  could  be  easily  reached  on phone  before  now  have  since  stopped  taking  their  calls. It  hurts  that  an  event  in which  the Igbo are  very passionate  about  has  finally  come  but NDIMO  are  not  being carried  along  in the  process.

The  first  shock was  what  transpired  in Owerri when the  Senator Okorounmi –led Technical Committee  on the Summit  visited Imo State  to  interact  with   the Imo and Abia   populace. Governor Okorocha  failed  to  accommodate  them “on the  grounds  that  Imo  State  is not part of the  conference- courtesy  of Radio Nigeria  Owerri prime  news(6am)  on the  day  of  the  event. It  was  on account  of  this  that  those  who  arrived  Owerri that  morning were  asked  to  proceed to Umuahia  where Governor T.A.Orji of Abia  State  had  provided  adequate  space  for  the  public  to  interact with the  group. It  hurts  that   Ndimo  have  not  been  allowed  to  optimally  take  advantage  of  the  conference through    reaching  out  to  their   delegates. As  a  result  of  the   perfunctory  attitude  to  the  Conference  by Imo political  leaders, Ndimo   have  not  been    to  make  as  much as  the  proverbial  firewood  as  possible  from  climbing this Iroko tree which  the  Conference  has  become. Most  Igbo men  know  the folklore caveat/maxim   that  whoever  climbs the  Iroko tree must make  as  much firewood as possible since the  climbing of Iroko trees is a rarity. Can one  say  in conscience  that  we ,Ndigbo, are  putting the Confab to optimal use?

The National  Conference  itself  is a  fallout  from the  incessant  terrorist  attacks  of  a  section  of this country  by  the  Islamic terrorist Group which  is  called BOKO HARAM Group. What  is  today referred  as  the  Boko Haram  Menace  in Nigeria  could  be  traced  to  the  Fatwa which  the  leader  of the Muslims in Nigeria and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji SA’AD Abubakar 111  declared  in 2007 when he  called  on the  Muslim group in the North, the Jama’tu Nasril Islam(JNI)  to  stop the  spread  of Christian Evangelism in the  North. It  is  important  to emphasize  that  the Sultan of Sokoto and President of Jama’atu  Nasril Islam(JNI),  Alhaji SA’AD Abubakar 111, had during a meeting of Northern Emirs at Arewa House on 2/7/2007 expressed  concern over the  increasing missionary activities  in the  country and  urged  the JNI to  take  steps  to  counter the  development(Daily Champion, Thursday, July 5, 2007:5). So, the  Boko Haram terrorists  and  deviants are  acting  out  a  script   presented  to  them  by  the  Northern elites  and Emirs. It’s  correct  to  state  that  the  Boko Haram is  a  pet  project  of  the  Emirs  and Northern elite. This topic will be given a more in-depth approach elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I wish  to  appeal  to  our  electronic  media  channels  to  make  efforts  to  present  these  Imo delegates  on their  channels  to  enable  the  populace  interact  with  them  through  phone-in programmes.This  is  important  because  we  do  not  have  access to  them  and  those  whose  access we  had  have  stopped  picking their  calls. On the  other hand, the  delegates  should  note  that  they  are  not  representing  the  interest  of whoever  appointed  them but  , rather they  are  representing the  interest of Igbo nation in general and Imo State  in particular. We  expect  them to  emulate  the  example  of  some  good  legislators  who   periodically  render  constituency  briefings  to  their  constituents. Time  is  running out.

Members  of the National  Conference  should  not  dissipate  energy  in discussing  such  trivialities as  the  provision of grazing land  for Fulani herdsmen because  time  is  of  the essence and  there  are  more  critical  issues  to  be  discussed. The  delegates  from  the  South should  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that the real  issues have  not  yet  been discussed. So, they  should  guard  against  any  ploy  by  any groups  to  use  diversionary  tactics in a  bid  to  frustrate  discussions  on the  crucial  topics. The  southern delegates  must  ensure  that  a  dispassionate  review  is  given to  issues  like  the    so-called  Indissolubility and Indivisibility of the Nigerian nation.

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There  is  nothing  sacrosanct  in the  so-called Nigerian monolith, after  all, God  did  not  create  us as Siamese twins  from Adam. A clause  must  be  inserted into  the  Constitution  so  that  any federating unit  that  is  no longer  interested  can do a  plebiscite/referendum in order  to  bow  out  of the  county, should  the  plebiscite  succeed. Nigeria  is  not  Kirikiri prison  where  criminals  are  incarcerated  against  their  will. Friendship cannot be by force. Although the Bible warns  that what  God has  put together  let  no man put asunder, wedded  couples  who  have  sworn to live  together  until death  does them apart  still divorce   and  go  their  different ways, how  much less a  country  that  is  an agglomeration  of  disparate  ethnic groups. It  is  my opinion that  the  Southern candidates   should  be  thinking  of  a Greater South where  the  entire South of Nigeria  will coalesce  into a new  country while  the  Boko Haram  States  can  form  their  own  country in order  to  actualize  their   fantasy  of an Islamic State.

Present  realities  have shown that  there  is  no way a Southerner-Christian or Muslim-  in Nigeria  who  believes  in the  sanctity  of human life  can  share  nationality  with  the  Boko Haram groups  who can move  into  a  school under  cover  of  darkness and  massacre  hundreds  of defenceless students or  worshippers in a  church. At other times, they abduct a large number of female students and keep them in captivity. Even now, there  is  no  evidence  that  what  happened  in Chibok on April 15th was  not a  deliberate  plot  to  humiliate and abuse   the  female Christian  students  in that  secondary school in CHIBOK. How  come  that in a  Moslem- dominated enclave,  over 70 % of the alleged abducted  female  students are Christians? But was there  really  a kidnap or abduction,  or is it  a ploy to  deceive  the  unwary?The Northern Emirs and elite  who are behind this show  of shame should know that we are  no imbeciles or mediocrities; we can see through the  veneer  of their  subterfuge. How  can you  share an apartment  with  a  person whose  faith  says  he will go to paradise  if he kills you , an infidel , even when your own doctrine  says  “Thou shall not kill”? How  can you  be  in the  same  country  with  a  person who,  contrary  to  the  teachings  of Islam,  has  been, perhaps, brainwashed to  believe that the Quaran  says that  the search for  knowledge(western education)  is evil, even when your own  Bible says ”My  people perish  for want  of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)”.Is  it  not  suicidal  to  be  in partnership  with  such  a  deviant? The  interminable  crises  in Nigeria  are  caused  by the  fact  that we  have  been making  efforts  in squaring a  circle, even when we  know  full well that  this is  an exercise  in futility.  So, our delegates  from the South and Imo State  in particular must  ensure  that  the  Section of the  Constitution that  talks  of Indissolubility and Indivisibility of Nigeria  is expunged and a proviso  for a pull out by an aggrieved  federating unit  be inserted, should the  need arise. If anything, this  proviso will act as a  barometer, a thermostat to checkmate  the  impunity  of  the  like  of  those  who  think they  are  born to rule. However, my  heart  bleeds   for  our   Christian  brethren who  occupy  a  large  chunk  of the  Northern population; it is  for  the  sake  of  this group  that  I often go  sober  on issues  about the  balkanization  of  Nigeria.

Another area of critical concern is the area of Fiscal Federalism and Resource Control. Our  Igbo/Southern delegates  must  never  make  mistakes  on this  issue  so  that  they will not incur  the  wrath  of  the populace. There is  a  need to  stress that  prior to  the  military  seizure  of power in 1966, revenue  sharing  formular  for  the  regions  was based  on 50 per cent  derivation. It  is  pertinent  to  state  that as  a  result  of  emerging realities,  the  present 13 %  derivation formular  is  no  longer  sustainable. The  Southern delegates  must  insist  on 50%  which  was  the  derivation  rate  under the  pre-War Nigeria. If derivation was put at 50 % in the Independence Constitution when we had tin and groundnut pyramids as foreign exchange earners, why has it collapsed to a pathetic 13 % today? The reason is not far to seek. What  happened  was  that  the  Northern Military  ruiners, sorry, rulers  abused  their  positions  by  severally  reducing  the  50 % derivation  to  a  mere 13 per cent. Now  that  we  want  to  restructure  the  country  and  tell ourselves  the  truth, that  dichotomy must  be  redressed. This is why Kano State has 44 Local Government Areas(LGAs) while  its opposite  number in the South, Lagos has just a  paltry 20 LGAs. It is  also  the reason the South East  has  a  mere five  states  while  others  have six or seven states.

There is  a need to  emphasize  that  there is  no other place in the  world  where people troop to the  country’s  capital  to  share  monthly allocations from the Consolidated Fund. It  is  only in Nigeria  that   the  federating units gather  at  the  nation’s  capital  to  share  someone else’s  money. Whose money are they sharing in Abuja every month? The money they are sharing belongs to  the  oil-bearing  areas  of the Niger Delta  Region; it  should  not  be seen as  a windfall ,a manna  from Heaven. Even the Manna  from Heaven  was  for  a  specific group-the Israelites; it  was  not  meant  for  every Tom, Dick and Harry.The  oil-beariong states  should mine  their  oil  and pay  tax to the Federal Government as  is  done  in other  democracies.

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The  ongoing  debate  in the  National Conference  on the  need  for government  to  provide  grazing land for cattle  is  an unnecessary digression which  must  be  nipped in the bud. There is a  need to  emphasize  from the  outset  that  it  is  not the  business of  either  the  Federal Government  or  the  state  governments to  provide  free grazing  land  for use  by Fulani herdsmen. This  statement  is  validated   by the  fact  that it  is  not  the  business of  the  Federal/ State  governments  to   provide  free  business offices  for  those  Nigerians  who are  plying  their  business  in other  walks  of  life.  At this  stage  in our development , the  Fulani  herdsmen  and  their  chieftains  must imbibe  the  technology  of  operating ranches. Ranch could be defined as “a large farm where cattle or other animals are bred”. This  practice which  is  very  common  in North America or even Australia  should  be   introduced  in Nigeria  now, more  so, since  the  Fulani are  vehement  in  telling  us  that  they  love  their  animals  more  than  they  love  other human  beings. Above all,  the  Fulani herdsmen pose  a  threat  to  society  as  they are  fully  equipped  with  AKA 47 Rifles and  other  weapons  of war. They maim rape and kill defenceless people in their host communities.   This idea of   compelling the animals to trek  over  long distances  is an anathema as  it is nauseating and antiquated.  it tantamount  to barefaced  cruelty  to  animals , more so, since  we   all belong to  the  mammalian family. The Fulani should  not  do  their  cattle  business in  someone else’s  business premises. Is it  possible  for  one  to  see cows  and cattle  being  moved  in the  streets  of  New York, London, Texas and the like. The Fulani nomads  are  in  business and  this  should  not  be  done  by  hijacking  someone  else’s  facility or land.

The  NASS should  promulgate  a  Law  to  outlaw  the  moving  of  cattle  in the  streets  of Nigeria. Government should not have  any  business   providing  Fulani herdsmen with  grazing land or  ranch. It is  this  dichotomy  of   over-pampering  and  spoon feeding the  Fulani that  makes  them  to  constitute  a  menace  to  the  larger  society and  often  deludes  himself  with  the  nebulous brain wave that he  is  born to  rule.  By the  way, are they born to rule human beings or animals?

More important is  that , the way these  animals  are   punished  and  subjected  to  torture  while  on transit  is deleterious   and  inimical  to  both their  health  condition and  even  that  of human  beings who  consume  them. One  does  not  need  to  be  a  Professor  in Veterinary Medicine  to  know  that when  these  animals  are reared in dirty and  unhealthy places, they  are  vulnerable and  susceptible  to  contracting  the  virus  of Bovine  Spongiform Encephalopathy(BSE) and  its  human equivalent  called Creutzfeidt-Jacob disease(CJD). BSE is  defined  as  a  fatal  brain disease  of cattle; it’s  also  called  mad cow disease. The   Mad Cow Disease is very deadly and has a high rate of fatality. Once it breaks out, it can be as dangerous as Ebola fever or Bird Flu pandemic/influenza. The Creutzfeidt-Jacob disease (CJD) which could  be  traced  to  the  Mad Cow Disease is  defined as  a  disease  of the  nervous  system caused  by a  slow-acting virus which  eventually affects human beings.

So, the bottom line  of  this  thesis  is  that  these  Fulani  herdsmen must  rear  their  animals  in line  with  international  Best Practices. They  must  be  sensitized  on the  imperatives of  owing  ranches so  that  the cattle are  not  subjected  to  unnecessary  torture and  above  all to  obviate the  incessant  clashes  with  those  whose  farm lands and  agricultural  produce  are  vandalized by  these  cattle. On a more important  note,  restricting  the  movements  of the  cattle  to  ranches  will save  humankind  the  risk of contracting   the deadly  virus  of BSE and  its  human equivalent  called  Jacob-Creutz disease. In the  second part  of this  analysis,  it will be  pertinent  to  throw  the  search light  into  some  of  the  critical  areas  that  must  engage  the  attention of  our delegatesFinally, there  is  a  dire  need  for  our Igbo  delegates to  forge  a  working relationship  with  the  members  of the  Nation Assembly especially with  such principal  officers  of NASS as HON Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, Federal House  of Representatives and  Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Deputy Senate President. The imperatives of such a synergy cannot be overstressed. (To Be Concluded)

JOHN MGBE

johnmgbe@yahoo.com

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