The Igbos have not hidden their contempt for the All Progressives Congress (APC) since its formation in 2013. The party’s image has not been redeemed among Igbos with the APC Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari yet to appoint anyone from the South East, the home of the Igbos into his government.
It doesn’t appear pleasing to the Igbo ears that Mr Emmanuel IbeKachikwu from Delta state was appointed Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) boss. This is perhaps why the OhanezeNdigbo (the apex Igbo group) Youth Council recently accused the President of “hatred for the Igbo nation”. In the past few days, words like “federal character”, “marginalisation” “Biafra” and the likes have been used frequently in public discussions especially among many “Igbo” writers who have suddenly found their lost voices!
While no responsible person should support of the marginalisation of any ethnic, religious or national group in Nigeria, wemust consider jettisoning our support of the so-called federal character. Igbos, in particular, have a lot to learn from other Nigerians and must be ready to do away with Civil War mentality to really prosper in a united Nigeria.
On the federal character which was introduced in 1978 and became part of the 1979 Constitution and subsequent constitutions, we need to know if it has added any value(s) to our lives as a nation.
After Chief ObafemiAwolowo lost the 1979 Presidential election, Yorubas who voted massively for him played the role of opposition in the SheuShagari’s administration. The Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives all were non-Yorubas and the heavens did not fall. No one mentioned federal character or “marginalisation of Yorubas”. Much ado about federal character!
If Yorubas did not go into extinction outside mainstream politics for about 40 years under different platforms-AG, UPN, AD, AC, ACN- I submit the Igbos must learn, like Yorubas did, to develop unique political character outside political power!
From a little observation, it appears some Igbos are yet to jettison their Civil War experiences when others have moved on. It is no longer a secret that Igbos made their choice clear during the presidential election and that was not General Muhammadu Buhari , but whether they stand with him through thick and thin is yet to be seen.One of the questions that came up during the campaigns was General Buhari’s role during the Nigerian Civil War.
This question was raised by no less a person than the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) campaign spokesman, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Needless to say that Fani-Kayode or FFK as he is sometimes called himself would have committed “genocide” considering his earlier views on Ndigbo while he was in the APC. How he suddenly become a “beloved Igbo” when he joined the PDP remains strange to me. This only convinces me that anyone can be a “friend of Ndigbo” if he can just oppose Buhari or the APC!
In parenthesis, what role does a soldier play during war? Does FFK expect Buhari to come out and say he did not fight according to command? At the risk of sounding immodest, though I was born over two decades after the end of the War, I have read several Civil War books from both sides; I didn’t come close to any specific command led by General Buhari. Those that play prominent roles were: T.Y. Danjuma, Murtala Muhammed, Benjamin Adekunle “The Scorpion”, more later, OlusegunObasanjo and the likes on the Nigerian side. You can mention people like Joseph “Air Raid” Achuzie, Alexander Madiebo, Emmanuel Ifeajuna and others on Biafran side. I am yet to find any Civil War document on Buhari’s specific role(s) leading during the war!
This leads me to my next point- Igbos do not appear to know their real “enemies”. They supported former president Jonathan, himself an Ijaw man from Bayelsa state even adding “Azikwe” to his name just to make him “our son”. Jonathan himself did not disappoint, he rewarded the Igbo nation with “juicy appointments” in his government. But as at the last time I checked,Ijaws fought alongside the Federal army during the Civil War. People like Isaac Boro and immortal Ken Saro-Wiwa both from “minority areas” fought the Biafrans to a standstill during the war. I am not sure if Ijaws will proudly call themselves Biafrans any time soon!
In anAdvertorial titled “APC is Dead on Arrival in the South East” sponsored by an unknown group in the eve of the launch of the party in Anambra sometimes in 2014, cites the “deportation” of 14 destitudes of Igbo Origin to Anambra and Imo States as a case for Igbos not to support the APC. I wish to say that while I condemn this act by the Lagos State Government in its totality, I am not losing sights of the present security challenges in the country necessitating such actions by the Government. Lagos is not one of those States that harbours destitute (Almajiris).
Apart from this, before this action by Lagos State, the PDP Government of AbiaSrate has adopted the Indigenization Policy leading to thousands (mainly Igbos) non-Abianslosing their jobs in the State Public Service. Nothing was wrong with relieving Nigerians of their jobs but everything was incorrect with clearing the streets of destitutes!
Igbos must accept their presently reality and fast. Buhari is the President of Nigeria at least for the next four years. There are, for me, few options left for Igbos in the Buhari administration considering the fact that they boxed themselves into a tight corner. They can either play the role of a responsible opposition standing with the PDP or join the APC Government the latter which will make them negotiate from the position of weakness.
If Igbos decide to play the role of opposition, that is, standing their grounds till the end and they will be taken more seriously in the political schemes in the future. This can also lay the foundation for Igbo Presidency sooner than we may think.The second option will be that Igbos will join the Buhari government through those their “rejected stones”-Ogbonaya Onu, Rochas Okorocha, Chris Ngige and the likes. This will also mean that pan-Igbo groups will do more than just praise singing of President Buhari and his lieutenants in the region to win him over for their past “sins”.
I do not know how General Buhari must have felt early this year when he wrote to Ohaneze Ndigbo, requesting a simple audience. The response of the organisation in my opinion portrays that of a disoriented body in desperate need of reformation. The group did not even deem it fit to acknowledge receipt of the General’s letter!
In all these, I think all hope is not lost. President Buhari must, through the state his party controls in the region(Imo), provide the lead. The President must shun shallow thinkers and flatterers in the region by building the Second Niger Bridge which has been in the realms of dreams over the years. The administration must also ensure that Ports are located in the region for improved revenue and jobs creation. I know little of Igbo needs except those I am told by my Igbo friends.
The time to build a Nigeria where Igbos can be proud once again to be Nigerians is now. Buhari can do this and more. My only advice to Igbo leaders is for them to drop their toga of Civil War lenses and look at issues more clearly within the 21st century realities!
OlalekanWaheed ADIGUN is a political risk analyst and an independent political strategist for wide range of individuals, organisations and campaigns. He is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
This OlalekanWaheed ADIGUN guy, wetin U know about the WAR? MUMU!
ReplyDeleteMy brother you must have heard the 3Rs-rehabilitation, reconciliation & reconstruction. These are the things FG promised Ndidi Igbo after the war but upto now nothing has been done. Y put must know Igbo people are among the most travelled but every zone except south east has international airport, some 2 & non in Igbo land. Do I talk of number of states & local in each zone. It's Nigeria that refused to forget the civil war & continued to treat Igbo as a conquered territory. There's a time Igbo man can't reach Brigadier or commissioner of police until Obasanjo & Goodluck time. During Buhari's PTF period, about 10%work was done in the whole of South East. So don't blame Igbos for their action
ReplyDeleteTruly they are not wanted & can't be allowed to go. Know it very well Ignore never said they hated Housas. They voted massively for Yaradua against their own ethnic person. No problem Buhari can have his wish it's only for 4 yrs but posterity will judge him..
Just wasted precious time reading another four term campaign for Buhari.rubbish.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not wish to engage u in these hog wash article of yours, for me its an exhibition of your crass ignorance of the igbo nation. How convenient it is for you to sway your arguments on things that are not the key issues as of today. Bottomline for me is that GMB is purely disregarding the same constitution he swore to uphold and until we collectively agree to do away with federal character as enshrined in our constitution, your arguments lacks any real basis. For me it would be better to find out y d federal character is not working and only discard it if it has no remedy than introduce another system that will take us ages again to realize we should not have even towed that line. Enough said joor, please don't come here to tell us about the igbo race again cos u no nothing about us.
ReplyDeleteI am Igbo - what is the so-called 'crass ignorance' in this article. Until we Igbos realize that we are the cause of our own problems, we will continue to lose out. Many of us still dream of a Biafra, where all Igbos will be united. Absolute bumkum - if I know ourselves, the Anambra Igbos will disagree with the Abia Igbos, who will in turn call the Enugu Igbos names and so on...... I actively supported the APC, not because of 'juicy' appointments, but due to the abject failure of PDP, especially under GEJ, to address key national issues on security, corruption, power generation and associated infrastructure, the economy and job creation for the teeming unemployed Nigerians, the dearth of probity and accountability in governance etc. On several occasions, I spoke with leaders of Ohaneze Ndigbo, that I had contact with, on the need to have a balanced approach to the parties and candidates for the elections, but these old and unrepentant thinkers continued in the idiotic 'he is our son' support for GEJ. Now, the chickens have come to roost, and this article summarizes what has transpired and what needs to be done by my people to reposition and gain as much as we can from this position of weakness purely created by ourselves. Please read and understand the relevant issues raised in the message and stop crucifying the messenger.
ReplyDeletewhy are you clamoring for nominations now when you were all clearly against GMB? Abeg lick your wounds with pride rather than displaying disgraceful ego.
ReplyDelete