The situation in Nigeria is grim. The economy has gone haywire. People are becoming self-fish and only mind themselves irrespective of what others think or believe. Insurgency, militancy and conventional crimes, like armed robbery, prostitution and corruption seem to be the order of the day in Nigeria today.
In the midst of this topsy-turvy and rag tag situation, people do all sorts of things to survive and in surviving, they do not care what the outcome of their actions will be so long as they achieve their objective. Some people in a bid to survive, engage in blackmail while some others engage in praise-singing and hero-worshipping to eke out a living. Some don’t even mind betraying their loved ones or their race so long as they can get their daily bread.
Of all the things that happen in this country, the worst is a situation where people distort facts or present half truths to curry-favour those in authority. This explains why a man who claims to be an Igboman should insult the sensibilities of the entire Igbo race in the bid to defend President Muhammadu Buhari who he thinks is being maligned and insulted by some Igbos.
This piece is spurred by a write up credited to one Joe Igbokwe who wrote in one of the social media that Ndigbo of all the people have been criticising President Buhari before and since he assumed the presidency. Igbokwe in the treatise advised Ndigbo to emulate the Yorubas and other Nigerians that think positively and patriotically about Nigeria.
Igbokwe maintained that the Yorubas did not let hell loose when their son, Abiola lost presidency in 1993 and even Abiola’s wife, Kudirat died. He pointed out that the elders of South South did not go to war when Jonathan lost the Presidency in 2015 and even noted that elders in the zone have been preaching peace since the militants began their destructive destruction of oil installation.
At this junction, it is better to cue in the Buhari lover, Igbokwe.
“Ever since President Buhari won the 2015 Presidential elections he was destined to win having labored in 2003, 2007, 2011 and then 2015 a very vast preponderance of South South and South East indigenes have descended on the President, pouring invectives, calling him names, abusing his person and his exalted office, preaching hate, and ethnic divisions. I have followed this dangerous trend over a year now, and it is not abetting. It is growing like wild fire everyday. In recent times the South-South people whose son lost the election have moved on except the criminal avengers who are fighting for their pockets only and destroying their environment.
“I have seen spirited and genuine efforts being made by the leaders of South-South to bring peace to the Niger Delta, and I heartily commend them for this. It is in their own interest. But in the South East, our people have refused to move on. In the diaspora, in Nigeria, in schools, in the markets, on the streets, in Churches, in Town Meetings etc Igbo have refused to move on. Every move the President makes to rebuild and reposition the country is abused, castigated and ethnic meaning read into it. The dangerous trend has become so embarrassing that one is compelled to speak out. While leaders of South-South have made interventions to make way for harmony and peaceful co-existence, Igbo leaders have maintained a deafening silence but this silence is no longer golden. Ethnic bigotry and hate speeches our people both at home and abroad dish out everyday endanger our people living in all parts of Nigeria. President Buhari belongs to a section of Nigeria and must not run away with the thinking that his people will be happy and clap for us when we malign and abuse one of their own.
“No ethnic group in Nigeria moves and settles in any part of the country like the Igbo. They settle and do business in almost every part of the country, and when we throw stones to other Nigerians, we endanger their lives and their businesses. The worst sets of Igbo guilty of this dangerous trend are those living outside the country. While some of them are engaged in meaningful employment, many of them are unemployed. They have become economic refugees and cultural savages. They have formed an association of hate preachers and wailing bigots. They have through actions and deeds created millions of enemies for Ndigbo in Nigeria while they waste their precious gift of time abroad doing nothing.
“Last week the Vice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was in Afe Babalola University Ekiti State as Guest Speaker during the University’s Convocation ceremony. In the cause of his speech, he told his capacity audience the Niger Delta Avengers are not freedom fighters but those fighting for their pockets only. I saw the story on facebook and other sites on the internet. The one on Facebook caught my attention because of nearly 400 reactions as at the time I read it. I took mental note of the reactions and the names attached to it. 95% are Igbo names and they abused and called the Vice President unprintable names.
“This is a shame. Ignorance should not be a virtue. Ignorance is a disease. Foolishness is a tragedy. This is ignorance stupid. This is mental darkness. A roaring lion kills no game. It is only a river that wants to get dried up that forgets its source. A Chinese proverb tells me that “He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is half way there. He who blames no one has arrived.”
“Igbo people must forget the past and move on.
“Now, it is time for the Igbo to move on and join other Nigerians to begin the process of rebuilding Nigeria. I want Igbo Governors, elected Senators, elder statesmen, House of Reps Members, House of Assembly members, political leaders, traditional rulers, Igbo intellectuals, professionals, market leaders, town union leaders, village heads, etc. to rise up to defend the integrity and honor of Igbo race. Are these ignorant ones who preach hate speaking for us? Are they representing us? Are they our brightest and bests? Are those asking for Biafra and using it as business venture speaking for all of us? Have we taken a look at the situation in South Sudan today? Shall we continue to sleep pretending that all is well? Can we be honest enough to see the real danger ahead? For how long will our leaders continue to be silent on these weighty issues? Can elders continue to sleep while the kids wear snakes as necklaces? Can the young teach tradition to the old? Who will bell the cat in Igboland? Who will call the ignorant kids to order?
“Did the Yoruba go to war when June 12 1993 Presidential Election won by their illustrious son Chief MKO Abiola was annulled on June 23rd 1993 on a sheet of paper by IBB? Did Yoruba go to war when Abiola’s wife Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered in Lagos in the morning of Jun 4 1996? Did Yoruba go to war when the winner of that historic election was poisoned on July 7 1998? Did Yoruba go to war when those who killed Abiola imposed Obasanjo on them as President in 1999? Did Yoruba accept Chief Ernest Shonekan when IBB made him to head the interim government in 1993? Yoruba rejected OBJ and Shonekan because this unique race has never been slaves to public office and yet they have remained number one in Nigeria in almost everything. This is wisdom and strategic thinking at work.
“Those of us who have lived in Yoruba land for years should not only learn how to wear Aso Ebi, eat Ewedu soup or dance Owambe, music.
“We must have also learned other unique things from them like sharing property to both male and female children, religious tolerance, ethnic tolerance, transferring legacies from generation to generation. Do you know that APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wife is a Christian? Do you know that former Governor Fashola’s wife is a Christian? We can learn a lot from Yoruba. Yoruba too can learn from Igbo in areas of thinking home, business enterprise, self-help, apprenticeship, etc,” Igbokwe submits.
What is surprising is that Joe Igbokwe must be eyeing political appointment and he thinks that by attacking and insulting Ndigbo will pave way for him. Was Joe Igbokwe too young in 1993 that he did not know that virtually the whole Yoruba went beserk when Abiola was adjudged the winner of the election. NADECO and other pressure groups were formed and they fought until their son was made head of Interim government and later presidency was ceded to them in 1999 and Obasanjo ruled for eight years. Maybe Igbokwe was too young then.
He probably must have been too young to know that Niger Delta militants held Nigeria by the throat for years before amnesty was organised to assuage them.
The North East is virtually in tatters today due to the activities of Boko Haram. Can Igbokwe name any Northerner that was killed or imprisoned because he was pleading with Boko Haram to cease fire?
Without much ado, how does Igbokwe want Igbos to behave having suffered men and materials during the Civil War. Can Igbokwe say what government has done to assuage Ndigbo?
Ndigbo and all those who are agitating for the emanicipation of Biafra do not hate Buhari. The only thing is that they want to go their way as a sovereign nation. They don’t want to be part of Nigeria any longer. What Igbokwe and people of his ilk see as an attack on Buhari is a way they are expressing themselves to say that they are tired of Nigeria. Igbokwe should communicate this to Buhari or anybody that cares to know. How does Igbokwe want Ndigbo to behave when they have seen something in the apple barrel and want to opt of out Nigeria where a community will be wiped out overnight in the name of one Nigeri
