When something that looks like the real thing comes from an unreal person, you begin to wonder the genuineness of it all. I can’t help but wonder when this “new love” for Ndigbo suddenly developed in the heart of Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo as to begin to drum support for Ndigbo to produce the next President of Nigeria in 2019. What could be the sole reason that warranted this sudden call at a time like this? Let’s quickly analyze this.
In recent times, you’ll realize that the former president has been quite restless. He has been moving around from place to place. You see him at Aso-rock, he visits Enugu, he goes to Owerri. He has been globetrotting, showing that he’s always ready for the unpredictable. We always refer to Babangida as a ‘Maradona’, but this deceptive man called Obasanjo, is a bigger Maradona and he understands Nigeria is a fraud which only benefits the Hausa-Fulani caliphate and the Yoruba oligarchy, he enjoys placing intrigues everywhere.
So in the light of this Obasanjo's new idea of raising his voice for an Igbo Presidency, come 2019 that I wish to warn the Igbo-speaking people. Ndigbo should now be very conscious of the unfolding situation of events in Nigeria. There was a period in the history of Nigeria when the West was in a political quagmire. They were so troubled that Hubert Ogunde of blessed memory had to sing a beautiful song he called, “Yoruba rom" "Yoruba people think.” I wonder who is going to sing that kind of song for Ndigbo now.
This is the time for us to begin to think, for this kind of call to come at this time, shows that there is some underground work going on somewhere that may not be in the interest of Ndigbo. For once, am happy that the Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo is being revamped; there’s a new Ohanaeze, albeit there might be some splinter groups of complaints here and there but I do believe that this is the time we should come together, first, not to get worried about what Obasanjo is saying but to face the reality, that of a truth, those referred as the Southeasterners have never had a shot at the presidency of this country, we are being marginalized far more than every other region in this country coupled with enormous and innumerable injustices against Ndi Igbo.
2019 is very close; if the rumors going around are anything to take seriously, then people should start warming up. We hear about Mega parties, people joining Mega parties, people defecting and jumping from one party to another. The most pathetic part of it is that quite recently some so-called Southeast leaders closed doors with the PDP and joined the APC because one of them said it better ideas. The party has superior knowledge that will support the decisions made. But I do think that this is the time for the Igbos to close ranks, one, to analyze what 'Baba' has said and two, to begin to wonder why he has suddenly began to be a lover of the Southeast to warrant him telling the world to give these people a chance.
I think this is the time to heed Hubert Ogunde’s warning for the Igbos to come together and think and when we think ourselves out of the situation, we would determine the best way to go about this.
Now, if you look at the comment credited by the former president, you can figure out certain things out of it. First, he recognizes the fact that seeding the apex government office to the region is the solution to the marginalization. Before the renewed call for a sovereign state of Biafra, one of the things the Southeast were clamoring for is a regional government, right from the time of Ekwueme Constitution.
He had a six regional system which though is not included in the Constitution but it’s already been implemented. So for the first time, he openly told the country that he recognizes regional governance as a way of solving marginalization and he knows that Ndigbo has been crying about marginalization.
Secondly, he also recognizes marginalization as an injustice which is against the Igbo people. Thirdly, the Octogenarian recognizes the right of marginalized people of the world or any part of the country to stand up and take up arms against injustice. And fourthly on his analysis; he said that everybody is crying for peace, no one is talking about justice and there can never be peace where injustice looms.
He made reference to the Yewa people of Ogun West, his own state where the other people has produced governor and they have not produced and then he felt that the same thing happening to them in Ogun state is happening to the Igbos in Nigeria and in that comment, he recognized that Ndigbo has not been treated well in the Nigeria federation and when he said that “irrespective of the thinking of the people ahead of 2019, I strongly believe that the Southeast people should have a go at the presidency of this country in 2019.”
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Now, the analysis here is whether he means what he is saying or not is a different thing but the fact has been laid bare and if you look at the word he used, that irrespective of the “thinking” of the people ahead of 2019... What are those “thinking” of the people and who are those people thinking differently? Could it be that those people who are thinking, he was with them before and this time around, he’s thinking differently in another direction; he’s now a repented man?
Perhaps he was among the clique who never believed that the Igbos should go to the top but now he’s telling the world and singing in a different tune. In the Bible, it was written that Jesus said the only one he knows as his brother and sister, is that person who does what the Lord wants. Similarly, the only man I know as an Igbo friend is that person who no matter the time, decides to think Igbo, think in our own way of thinking.
With his statements, am beginning to feel that the efforts Igbos are making so far is getting to those who is holding them where they are presently, the unity of the people under IPOB, has send strong message to the whole country and irrespective of one or two defections here and there, you can see the strong will of the people coming up in its small way and Obasanjo is restless.
Like I noted before, he recognized regional governance, he recognized marginalization and he’s now looking for a solution and so he believed that one of the best solutions is to give us a shot at the center where we will take decisions about our fate by ourselves. Maybe the former president after supporting the incumbent government led by Muhammadu Buhari to emerge, he’s now thinking that having worked with him for the past 2 years and discovered that Buhari’s government cannot lead Nigeria anywhere, has now decided instead of continuing where we are not getting down to anywhere, that the best thing is to send it down to the Southeast so that it will heal off the issue of marginalization, restore Nigeria’s unity and economy.
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But the bitter truth is that the proposed 2019 Presidency for Ndigbo is another way Nigeria is trying to use to quench the fire in an average Igbo man; the fire of marginalization; the fire of actualizing Biafra. Many understand that he wants to use the presidency to kill off the zeal of Biafra but we cannot be fooled because it will go back to point one.
Looking honestly at the antecedents of the former president and what he has said, it is not something new but my worry is why at this time? The only answer to it is that he’s seeking for relevance where people would be coming to Ogun state to consult him at his Otta farm. He is only playing a game that he and his kinsmen will benefit from at the end of the day and anyone who takes him seriously in his campaign is taking a very big risk.
The Igbos should know that we do not need this man because he’s not a friend of the Igbos, he has never shown love to the Igbos. He does not have the wisdom of the Igbo people. This is the time for us to come together, apply our wisdom and say, “this is what we want.”
I do not understand why some people who suppose to think deeply about the welfare the Igbos are very eager to declare open support for the same regime that has so badly marginalized them and caused their people much pain and hardship. I do not really know whether they are leaders of the people or leaders of themselves, because he who does not feel the pulse of his people especially when you have gone to a national level, may just be a self-centered individual.
We have people who are only thinking about themselves, they have tried everything possible; aligning with this people, aligning with the other people, moving to this party, going to the other one. It doesn’t seem to have gotten anybody anywhere. If those people thinking about themselves would come together and think, they would realize that we have gone beyond the situation of President, Vice President, restructuring or regional government, we’ve had enough.
The situation of being given key positions in Nigerian government has not helped to solve the problems Biafrans are going through. It has gotten to a point whereby because of victimization, neglect, and marginalization in this country, the Igbos should come into the reckoning and to achieve this is not by aligning with those who see us as enemies but by coming out to form a big umbrella under which the Igbo interest will be negotiated and then people will begin to take the Igbos seriously.
From the people’s reaction, there is an urgent need for Ndigbo to develop what I call better future consciousness. There is no doubt that we have lost out on a number of occasions in the Nigerian project both politically, socially and otherwise and it is not something new if there’s a call for us to come together.
When we have substandard people making substandard rules for us every now and then, we get the pinch and we feel very bad and we complain. We urgently need to do something unique this time and forget the rantings and statements of some hypocritical ‘emergency patriots and political scavengers.’ I sensed Obasanjo is just jittery, following the growing consciousness of the struggle to restore Biafra, and he got it wrong by believing that he could use Igbo presidency to entice Igbo people.
The call is deceitful and superficial. Some of our political leaders still talk about “accommodating” the Igbos in the Nigerian project. But we now have over 102 years of national existence and Igbos are still looking for accommodation within Nigeria? I do laugh at the “Igbos have investments in Nigeria” sentiments. What about the Igbos who have investments in other countries like America, Britain, etc? They should throw away their sovereign rights in the name of investments? Igbos equally have investments all over South, West, and Central Africa, should those regions be made to become one country so that it will “accommodate” Igbos' investments?
We really don’t need to beg to be accommodated in a true sense of a nation if Nigeria is a typical definition of what a true nationhood should be. We all know that Igbos would rather choose to be led by an Efik or Urhobo man in a free Biafra than to rule Nigeria where even angels from heaven can never succeed.
That is the problem we are having in Nigeria. We are always looking for a quick, and easy solution to our problems which always appear to be temporary. Jonathan’s presidency couldn’t end or put to halt the militancy in the South-South, Obasanjo’s presidency did nothing better or exceptional for Ogun state or the Yoruba race. Northern leadership for 35 years has not solved their illiteracy, terrorism and poverty issues. If all these are so, then why do people think that Igbo presidency will solve South-East marginalization and permanently put an end to the call for secession?
Other Nigerians called anything produced by the Igbos as being second class or substandard but will be quick to shout “Buy Nigerian goods to grow Naira” during the period of economic crises or hardship. That is hypocrisy of exponential order. But the Igbos must achieve their maximum potentials, irrespective of present harsh economic policies, Igbos still survive.
What we truly need this time is Biafra, anything short of that would mean going about the same thing and still expecting a different result. Nigeria remains a British colonial creation and it is the inalienable right of the various ethnic nationalities to decide their destiny.
In fact, in my opinion, when Biafra is restored, we should do the exact opposite of everything Nigeria did. Pretty much the contraption called Nigeria is a role model on how to become a bad nation with zero improvement, myopic citizens, trigger happy military and corrupt politicians. Having seen and experienced these things in Nigeria will help us know how to shape and remold a new Biafra nation where equity, justice, and fairness must be upheld.
Written By Chukwuemeka Chimerue
Published By IkeChukwu NwaOrisa
For Biafra Writers
