The National President of Ohanaeze Youths Council, OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka says Nigeria’s path of peace is only traceable to the 1963 constitution, a constitutional document that was drafted by the people of Nigeria “but practically frustrated from being a working document by bravado Soldiers that were indoctrinated at Sandhurst Military College in Britain”.
This is contained in an address as delivered by the prominent Igbo youth leader, today, during his Investiture as ‘YOUTH AMBASSADOR Of PEACE’ by United Nations Polac Foundation, at Nigeria Merit Awards, Center Maitama, FCT, Abuja.
Igboayaka who argued that peace could not be accessed through Justice Fairness and Equity, stated unequivocally that the latter had had eluded the country, lamenting that, “yet those that have sent Justice to exile, buried fairness and imprisoned equity are still gallivanting in pretence of building PEACE AND UNITY in the Nigeria political project.”
He decried the spate of calamity in Africa, as instigated by ethnic and regional bigotry, which he wailed had reduced Nigeria to the “Ant of Africa” instead of “the Giant of Africa’, as it were, while blaming the political elites of insensitivity towards the agonies of the masses.
Read the full speech title:
NIGERIA: A NATION IN SEARCH OF PEACE IN THE ABSENCE OFÂ JUSTICE, FAIRNESS AND EQUITY.
It’s an honor to participate in the 2022 Commemoration of World Human Right Day and International Peace Advocate powered by the UNITED NATIONS POLAC FOUNDATION.
It is a fact that there’s no shortcut to peace, except through Justice Fairness and Equity. However, the absence of these vital factors inarguably results in lack of peace in Nigeria, Africa at large and of course, the whole world in general. All the wars and global conflicts as well as human rights violations are opposed to peace and fairness.
The scramble and partition of the African Continent in 1885 was not fair or justifiable. Presently, such action that took place many years ago is the remote cause of absence of peace in many African countries which Nigeria has shared mostly its negative effects.
Moreso, the scramble, partition or conquest of Africa which was a deliberate invasion, annexation, division, and colonization of most of the African countries by Seven (7) Western European powers that started in 1881 and mature in 1885, was a conscious passion for greed; a deliberate quest to loot and rape the States by of the world and inflict man’s greatest inhumanity to fellow man. What could have been a more devilish desire in the sight of God? Anyway, this a historical fact that will remain evergreen in the heart of political conscious Africans.
I have never and I will never discuss PEACE in my life without Justice, Fairness and Equity as elements that guarantee peace.
In the present day’s Nigeria, it is regrettable to state unequivocally that peace has eluded my dear country, yet those that have sent Justice to exile, buried fairness and imprisoned equity are still gallivanting in pretence of building PEACE AND UNITY in the Nigeria political project.
Nigeria is not yet a Nation or State, it’s a mere country hurriedly coupled together with the mistake of 1914 of Governor Lord Lugard for Britain’s administrative convince.
Let me remind the world today that those who colonized majority of African countries for their selfish gain, planted the seed of crisis in Africa. Nigeria has suffered the highest negative impacts of colonialism but the most excruciating aspect of it today is that years after 1960, Neo-colonialism has taken a dimension that is today unprecedented in Nigeria. Since 1966 till date, Heads of states and various Presidents Nigeria has had were all imposed on the citizenry. Democracy has outrightly gone into extinction, as Nigerians have never chosen their President over the years.
However, it is obvious that Nigerians spoke in one voice in 1993 general election when Alhaji MKO Abiola won but that election was truncated by external influence; yes neocolonialism was the brain behind the annulment of 12 June election.
Neocolonialism in Nigeria has been a further development of capitalism that enabled British and American Capitalists dominate and subject the governmental operation of Nigeria with the aim of oil diplomacy and economic scavenging in Nigeria particularly Southern Nigeria. Evidently, the battle of Liquid in Southern Nigeria and the battle of Solid is taking place in the Northern, while the blood of Nigerians flows.
At this juncture, we cannot continue to dwell in a blaming game to the Western world who came to Africa for treasure looting and maiming of our people for economic and political gain.
It is, therefore, high time Africans woke up to seek the path of PEACE by accommodating every ethnic group or tribe as one African. Nigerians must realize now, that ethnic and regional patriotism since 62 years, is sinking Nigeria and making this renowned “Giant of Africa” the ‘Ant Of Africa’.
Nigeria is in the reign of Injustice and Marginalization in the world where executive rascality, judicial impunity and legislative incompetency is the order of the day, while violations of human right continues unabated. The resultant effect of all these is crisis in Nigeria, hence PEACE automatically becomes almost impossible to achieve.
Since 1966 up until this day when things have fallen apart in Nigeria, PEACE AND UNITY has been the litany of songs that is in the lips of the political elites whereas in their heart, practical injustice, unfairness and inequity reign.
Nigeria perhaps is the only country in Africa that crisis happens at every second and it does not matter so long as the political elites are safe and happy.
It’s necessary now that Nigeria take four steps to promote PEACE.
Firstly, Nigerians must rise to discover their own Country rather than the country discovered by Britain through the profitable business of unequal trade down to 1900 when colonialism was officially forced on Africa.
Secondly, Nigerians should agree to have a new constitution, rather than using a pieces of “Anti-Tribe Paper” drafted by few soldiers influenced by Britain as a constitution. This constitution is no longer working; it has never worked but now is the time for the people of Nigeria and indeed all Indigenous people to come together and build a true Nigeria where everyone would agree on the basis of coexistence.
Thirdly, Nigeria’s path for PEACE can only be possibly found in going back to the 1963 constitution, a constitutional document that was drafted by the people of Nigeria but practically frustrated from being a working document by bravado Soldiers that were indoctrinated at Sandhurst Military College in Britain.
Finally, it gladdens my heart, though with a heavy heart that I am a participant in 2022 Commemoration of World Human Right Day and International Peace Advocate, at a time when the rights of Nigerians are in chains thus we are in endless search for peace even when what to do is not far from our conscience neither do we lack the knowledge to process and initiate actionable policies in the interest of everyone or with the target to build Peace.
I am very sure that with the definitive context of human right, which includes right to freedom of association, religion and freedom of speech, we can indisputably make a case for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu whose human rights has been trampled upon by the federal government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari.
Regrettably, inspite of the extant International condemnation, Judicial pronouncements and advise by regional and continental bodies, the Federal Government has stiff-neckingly continued to incaserate him. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB symbolises the Injustice and Marginalization Nigerian government have meted out to Ndigbo since 1967 up until date. Frankly, Nigeria should, as a matter of necessity and urgency, apply the principle of PEACE in addressing the agitations of Biafra or Oduduwa and indeed any other group that feels disheartened about the Nigerian injustice. Since the end of the genocide against Igbos in 1970, the Federal government has never implemented the pronounced 3R’s policy of Gen. Yukubu Gowon anchored on Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation.
In the quest for PEACE, Nigeria and Britain must seek first how to heal the wounds of 1967/1970 genocidal mission they perpetuated against Biafrans, a horrible incident that took the lives of estimated 4.3 million persons who were mostly Igbos. In today’s Nigeria, we have several documentaries of human right abuses against various people of Nigeria while the federal government plays dumb because those who run the affairs of government would not be seen or heard to have boldly stood up to condemn such dastardly act. This they shy away from in order not to be reprimanded for failing drastically to propagate the interest of their group.
The question we ask daily in Nigeria is; when will insecurity which threatens human rights be a thing of the past in Nigeria? When will the federal government understand the primary function of any actionable government and when will Mazi Nnamdi Kanu be released? When will Nigerians feel safe and secured in their own country?
How can Nigeria have peace with the present of provocative Injustice and marginalization? Even if Nigeria is an inhabitants of Robots, the tears of Injustice that touches the ground provokes the nature, how can Peace reigns in such provocative atmospheric conditions?
These and many more unfathomable questions reverberate on our minds because we at the verge of drowning in our own dear land.
Until we take necessary, urgent steps to address the above, stiff ethnicity, corruption, mediocrity in high places and more especially with reference to the rise of violent militias in different parts of Nigeria, civil military relations as is the constant case in Izombe, Oguta Local Government and Orlu zone of Imo state generally, our dear country may be drifting into much worse calamity.
The most worrisome of the security ordeal in Nigeria is that Nigeria has downrightly become a failed State where the primary responsibility of responsive government which is protection of lives and properties has failed and collapsed in toto. Unfortunately, I make no apologies to state that federal government of Nigeria encourages terrorism, banditry and Herdsmen’s militias. The Nigeria Government led by President Mohammadu Buhari has keep their eyes closed on the continuous ethnic cleansing by bandits and Jihadist going on at every interval within the Middle Belt areas of the country.
I Stand bold in statement of Gen Sani Abacha that any insurgency in a State that existed more 24hours the government in power is responsible. Federal Government has indisputably turned the nights of Nigerians into mere daylights, as the latter now sleep with their wide eyes open. Hence, recent events show a continuous massacring of Indigenous Igbos in the Southeast. The height of it is the recent Ehu-Amufu killings which lasted non stop from November 22 up until 24, 2022. A bloodbath which claimed over 100 hundred lives With 50 people missing. Subsequently, on 7 December, 2022 fulani herdsmen,Bandits and Jihadist strike Ehu-Amufu and Aninri Nenwe all in Enugu State with 0ver 30 people killed. What manner of peace can anyone find in an insecured country like Nigeria…? This is a clear case of Jungle Country wherein some people are born to die while others are born to live. Life in Nigeria has become quite brutal and nasty.
Its also important that international organisations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International begin to seriously publish hunan right violations in Nigeria more frequently than before. I also am of the view that the International organisations engage the international court of justice with a view to prosecuting the culprits.
The National Human Rights Commission must begin to also take actionable steps to protect the rights of Nigerians. This is her International obligation. The Commission seems to have gone comatose since Professor Chidi Odinkalu left as its chairman.
Inconclision, my prayer is for God Almighty to protect Nigerians from all oppressors of peace!!!
Let Justice, Fairness and Equity reign in Nigeria;
Let There be Peace in Nigeria;
Let There be Light in Nigeria!!
