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What place
for Ndigbo in Nigerian federation?
By Joseph Mmeh
We view the invitation of His
Excellency, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (EzeIgbo) for an unspecified �chat�
by the Presidency through the SSS as very insulting and humiliating and we
condemn in very strong terms such vitriolic, uncivilised and intimidating act.
We wish to state that any assault on Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu is an assault on the
entire Igbo race of over 40 million people.
The Federal Government should stop
chasing shadow with Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu, for he is a very peaceful and law-
abiding senior citizen of Nigeria, a statesman who has always conducted himself
with decorum. He has nothing against nor is he planning anything against the
Nigerian state, instead he loves Nigeria. He speaks out against the oppression
of Ndi-igbo, Niger-Deltans and all other oppressed Nigerians. As a father and
leader he is, no right-thinking person shall expect Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu and, in
fact, the entire Igbo race not to support his oppressed people (MASSOB and Ndi-igbo).
The President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo, and many notable Yoruba men of letters and culture support
the OPC regardless of the "pockets of trouble" they create in Western
Nigeria.
It is therefore surprising that the
State Security Service is raising hell because Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu, a free born
and citizen of Nigeria, expressed his supportfor the recently MASSOB-organised
"Igbo Memorial Day." He equally reinstated his original idea that
Nigerians of all ethnic stocks shall sit down at a table and dialogue and
negotiate our existence as one country (national conference). Based on this,
the Presidency and its agents known for their selective (in)justice and hatred
of Ndi-igbo invited General Odumegwu- Ojukwu to Abuja for a "chat".
The Presidency through Col. Kayode
Are (SSS Director) instead of addressing the issues raised by Odumegwu-Ojukwu
like explaining to Nigerians and the world what one-way economy class ticket
means; what the Presidency's interpretation of "chat" is and why such
must hold in Abuja and not in Enugu; the issue of assassination and why due
process for such "chat" (arrest)is not followed, went ahead in his
response to abuse and insult Odumegwu-Ojukwuwith many uncomplimentary remarks.
Col. Are went as far as calling an Igbo heroand leader a "coward�. With
this degrading and partisan responseunbecoming of a security outfit, the SSS
has allowed itself to be used as apolitical tool or against political opponents
of those in the government. The response equally showed Nigerians and the world
that Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu has nocase to answer, instead they are looking for a
way to embarrass the Igbo racethrough the humiliation of Odumegwu-Ojukwu, an
Igbo icon.
TheSSS claimed that they have
nothing personal against Ndi-igbo and Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu but just interested
in the peace and unity of Nigeria and that if they see anything that threatens
such, they must nip it in the bud, hence their invitation to Ojukwu. This
assertion by the Presidency and the SSS is not true, what they do is selective
(in)justice. If not, what has the SSS done to OPC and how many Yoruba leaders
or governors � who, as free citizens -identify and fraternize with OPC has the
SSS invited? What has President Obasanjo, Col. Kayode Are (SSS Director), Mr.
Tafa Balogun (Inspector General of Police) and Chief Akin Olujimi (Attorney-General
and Minister of Justice) done to the Talibans/Moslem extremists (who spill Igbo
blood) and those prominent people from the North whom the Presidency openly
accused of fomentingtrouble and causing religious riots in Kaduna, Kano etc.?
What have they done against the Sharia fanatics and states that, without being
told, have already seceded from the rest of Nigeria? What have they done to the
Northern senators and governors who said that 2007 Presidency is not
negotiable? There are also many others too numerous to mention here. In spite
of all these, the Presidency and SSS never showed their muscles nor mooted a
word for, they are so much afraid of the Hausa/Fulani.
Never in the post-war history of
Nigeria has any government openly showed hatred and Igbophobia like in this
present government. We remember the police humiliation of the late Dr. Chuba
Okadigbo even as a Senate President. Mrs. Dupe Adelaja, President Obasanjo`s
then minister of state for defence (Navy), handing down to the entire Igbo race the greatest
insult of their lives by calling Biafrans (Ndiigbo) traitors and that Igbo is a
race of traders, those who are only engaged in the business of buying and
selling. The insults and vituperations poured on Igbo governors by President
Obasanjo when they complained about the killing of Umuigbo in the North, their
comment on confederation was regarded as treasonable felony. Chief Pius Anyim
as a Senate President when he fell out with the President, Justice Akanbi's
ICPC was sent after him. Then came the sponsored daylight election rigging,
police harassment, political battle and destruction of Igbo heartland, mostly
Anambra, then the Ngige ordeal.
Recently Chief Akin Olujimi
(attorney-general) designated MASSOB � unarmed pressure group� as a rebel group
and mapped these Igbo youths out for destruction while he protects and becomes
OPC spokesman. Right now, an undeclared war by the Attorney General, Police and
SSS is being waged against Ndiigbo throughout Nigeria. They no longer have the
right of free assembly such as social club meetings, town meetings, traders
meetings etc. for such meetings are now regarded as MASSOB meeting. The police
are having a payday with the arrest and incarceration of Igbo youths and
traders in Lagos, Abuja and other cities in the name of clampdown on an unarmed
and peaceful Igbo pressure group (MASSOB). Col. Are, not satisfied with Chief
Olujimi and police IG�s war on Ndiigbo, started the mother of all battles which
is to humiliate the Igbo race from the top echelon in the person of
Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Why this Igbophobia?
Of all Nigerian nations, Umuigbo are
the most patriotic Nigerians both in Nigeria and in Diaspora. In Nigeria,
Umuigbo, through their economic activities, have invested and developed all
zones/areas in Nigeria. In Diaspora, we have been at the forefront of promoting
Nigeria's political, economic and socio-cultural interests in Europe, North
America, Asia, among others. During the military dictatorship, we were at the
forefront, organising
protest marches in Europeand US in support of Chief M K O Abiola and for the
release and freeing of political prisoners, including Obasanjo. Despite Igbo
patriotism and zeal for a united Nigeria, Ndiigbo are still being treated like
second class citizen of Nigeria.
There is hardly any federal presence
in Igboland � no international airport; no international trade fair; no
seaports; Ndiigbo have the worst roads in Nigeria; Ndiigbo are under siege by
the police and are constantly harassed and money extorted from them. Marginalisation
of Ndiigbo in the scheme of things in Nigeria �the deliberate killing
("Sloking") of Igbo businesses� banning of some cars, refrigerators
and textiles; the forcing of Igbo traders to import only through Lagos ports
(as against Port Harcourt) and using of Customs and police to extort and harass
Igbo traders all the way from Lagos to Igboland; no Igboman heads any of the
security apparatuses of Nigeria nor are they allowed to reach the pinnacle of
their careers. Ndiigbo have the least number of local governments and therefore
the least allocation from Nigerian oil wealth. Two northern states � Jigawa and
Kano have more local governments and, consequently, have more allocations than
the five Igbo states. The rape on democracy, massive rigging and
disenfranchisement of Ndiigbo in the2003 general elections have added to this
systematic marginalisation. Ndiigbo are constantly killed and their property
looted throughout Nigeria at any slightest opportunity. The recent withdrawal
of Certificate of Occupancy of lands in Abuja was an exercised targeted at
Ndiigbo, who single-handedly developed Abuja with their hard-earned money when
other Nigerians had no faith in the reality of Abuja. For instance, out the 72
top hotels in Abuja 65 belong to Umuigbo. The recent staff retrenchment at FCT
was equally targeted at top Igbo management staff. There is complete neglect of
erosion hazards in Igboland and Ndiigbo are keeping silent lest they be accused
of treason.
"Oburu na-agbaghi uzo owele
mgba, o naghi echi." � if the backyard track is not fenced, trespassers
will continue to use it. Therefore Nigerians should begin to fight fascism of
any sort and Ndiigbo in particular, should fight for their rights. We wish to
state that we can no longer sit and watch Igbo leaders being insulted and
humiliated nor shall we fold our hands and watch Igbo youths (MASSOB) who are
exercising their rights as enshrined in the United Nations and African Union�s
Charters being arrested, tortured and killed by the Nigerian government. Again,
Igbo marginalisation must stop.
MASSOB came as a result of
oppression and injustice on the Igbo people. The federal government would be
embarking on the greatest threat to the Nigeria project by authorising police
brutality or murder of Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Chief Uwazulike or MASSOB members.
Unlike the other groups, MASSOB has continued to protest peacefully, so much
that on August 26 "Igbo memorial Day" when MASSO Burged Ndiigbo to
rest at home and remember their dead ones during the Biafra-Nigerian war, no
single individual was hurt nationwide. MASSOB lives inthe hearts and minds of
all Umuigbo and the other oppressed peoples of Nigeria.If the federal
Government is truly concerned about the unity and just future ofNigeria, then
they should without further delay convoke a National Sovereign Conference as
Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu has suggested and which is supported byprominent and
patriotic Nigerians like Chief Adesanya, Chief FRA Williams,Chief Enahoro,
Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Prof. Wole Soyinkaand many other
persons and groups in Nigeria.
Nigeria as currently constituted is
a big fraud and full of injustices, and in order toaddress these problems, we
the Nzuko Umuigbo Worldwide (NUW) support theconvocation of a National
Sovereign Conference where all the ethnicnationalities in Nigeria shall sit
down and iron out our problems and proffersolutions. In this conference, we all
shall agree on the structure of Nigeria(true federalism), a place where all
shall be happy and proud about, a placewhere no section shall be treated as
second fiddle.
Wehereby warn that any application of
illegal brute force on MASSOB would benothing short of adding fuel to the fire
already blazing and over-heating the polity. It shall be very clear to all
those in the position of authority thatwe do not need another Iraq or Chechnya
in Nigeria, for ours is a volatilestate. Any attempt to arrest or assassinate
Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu orChief Ralph Uwazuruike shall have dire
consequences which shall make Iraq orChechnya look like a child`s play. What
Nigeria needs at this time is a detribalised presidency, attorney general,
police and SSS, those who shall not be engaged in partisan intrigues and
politicking but who, rather, shall enthrone social justice, fairness and equity
for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and political inclination; leaders who
shall be interested in peace and well-being of all Nigerians.
Ndigbo are peace-loving people both
at home and wherever they find themselves (ojembaenwe onye ilo). As travellers, we make no enemies and in keeping with our culture
of o bialu be onye abiagbula ya ma o laba ala mkpumkpu abula ya n'azu. A good
intelligence report shall show that neither MASSOB, Dim Ojukwu nor Ndiigbo is a
threat to the Nigerian state. The serious threat to Nigeria today is the Moslem
fundamentalists/religious zealots up there in Zamafara, Kano, and Borno
who are spilling Igbo blood and trying to impose their wish on others.
The Nigerian government must stop
its hatred of and disregard to Ndiigbo and Igbo nation, stop maltreating,
arresting and killing Umuigbo. It is either we are allowed to be full Nigerians
or we are allowed to go; we are tired of being in this "Catch 22"
situation. Nigeria should decide now whether Ndiigbo should remain in Nigeria
or opt out, by allowing Onye Igbo to be President of Nigeria come 2007. We can
no longer keep quiet while our brothers and sisters are being arrested,
tortured and, in some cases, killed by the authorities. If you feel jittery
about MASSOB�s agitation, address their concerns, enthrone social justice,
fair-play, equity and level-playing ground for all Nigerians; treat Ndiigbo and
Niger-Deltans with respect and give them their due share in Nigeria. Anything
short of this is a wishful thinking on the part of those in authority.
We use this opportunity to express
our support for Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu`s boldexpression of his support for MASSOB.
That this is coming in this period of apathy in Igboland when our self-serving
leaders/ politicians are masquerading at Abuja and are ready to betray the Igbo
nation just to book appointment with whomsoever in power is entirely welcomed.
We wish to re-affirm that we support MASSOB � a pressure group whose actions
are very legitimate, civilized and peaceful, and that we are ready to work
together with any Igbo man, Nigerian, persons or groups in our fight against
injustice, marginalisation and genocide against Ndiigbo, Niger-Deltans and
other Nigerians..Thirty-four years after the Nigeria-Biafran War, nothing has
been done to better the condition of Ndiigbo, instead our condition is getting
worse.
We are therefore crying out and
carrying our case to the United Nations, African Union, Commonwealth of
Nations, European Union, USA, Germany, Britain and all free countries of the
world; Amnesty International and other human rights organisations to help
pressure the Nigerian Government to stop the intimidation, harassment, arrest,
torture and killing of Ndiigbo in Nigeria and to immediately stop the police
brutality on Igbo youths (MASSOB) and traders. All MASSOB members being
incarcerated by Mr. Tafa Balogun, Col. Kayode Are and Chief Akin Olujimi are
political prisoners whose human rights have been grossly abused, they must be
released without delay.
Ndiigbo as a race have no problems
with our Nigerian brothers and sisters, our problem has been with the Federal
Government that never recognised that the civil war ended 34 years ago.
Therefore, we are grateful and thankful to all right-thinking Nigerians - the
Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba and other tribes and their organisations and the press
who have expressed and continued to express their candid opinions on the
intimidation and marginalisation of Ndigbo in Nigeria and the danger it poses
for the unity and continued existence of Nigeria. Live and let live, the
Federal Government should leave MASSOB, Odumegwu -Ojukwu and Ndiigbo alone.
There can be no better time to organise a National Conference than now, a
stitch in time saves nine. Those that refuse to dialogue are making peace
impossible in Nigeria and are in other words making violence inevitable. The
experiences of the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia are still fresh in our
memories.
� Mmeh is
the co-ordinator (International Affairs) of the Nzuko Umuigbo Worldwide
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