By Emmnauel Onwubiko
Igbo marginalization became very pronounced throughout the eight year- long treacherous government of the retired brutal military dictator: Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
Under that unforgettably harsh administration marked by prolonged absence of Muhammadu Buhari himself who spent months in a British hospital, the South East of Nigeria was made a theatre of war when the leader of the self-determination group: Indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, prosecuted for treason.
He was later granted bail by the Abuja division of the federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Murtala Nyako.
Whilst he was at home in his Father’s palace in Abia State, Muhammadu Buhari sent detachments of armed soldiers to invade his residence with a plan either to eliminate or re-arrest him. I think the political establishment in the South-East abd the larger Nigeria became agitated with the messianic popularity of the leader of the self-determination group Mazi Nnamdi Kanu when he was first freed on bail. He hosted several groups of guests in his home and his expansive palatial residence turned into a place for daily carnival. That rattled the government at the centre and according to intelligence, some of the then governors in the South-East moved against Nnamdi Kanu and urged the then president to get him re-arrested which the Army attempted to do but ended up wiping out over two dozens of people who gathered in Nnamdi Kanu’s Father’s palace.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu managed to escape but over two dozens of his well-wishers who visited him at home were killed by the invading soldiers who also destroyed property worth several billions.
Shortly afterwards, Nnamdi Kanu lost both of his parents and he was said to have returned to Britain, a country whose passport he holds.
A year or so after, when Nnamdi Kanu visited Kenya, unknown to him that Kenyan security forces and their Nigerian counterparts laid in wait to pick him up which they did just as he was handcuffed and brought back to Nigeria in the most dehumanising of ways.
He was treated like a dog by Muhammadu Buhari’s goons and upon his forced return to Abuja, the then Justice minister Abubakar Malami paraded him before the press like a common criminal just as he was dumped into the fortified underground cell of the dreaded Department of State Services (DSS), otherwise known as the SSS. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was in the DSS cell when the year 2023 presidential election campaigns started.
The agitation and violence in the South-East of Nigeria dominated the campaigns with the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu promising the South-East that if elected, he will initiate broadbased negotiations and dialogues with all agitators including IPOB, Yoruba Nation amongst others.
The Radio Nigeria (FRCN) also reported the then Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as saying that his administration will make South East zone the Taiwan of Africa through industrialization if elected into power.
Asiwaju Tinubu stated this at the APC Campaign Rally organised at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium in Abakaliki.
He noted that his administration would resuscitate the economy by connecting all parts of the country with rail line and phasing out of estimated billing to save Nigeria from extortion.
The Presidential Candidate emphasized that he would negotiate with all agitators to strengthen the peace of the country noting that Education would remain a priority to secure the future of the children.
Then governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State said the people of the state would vote for the party during the Election.
Radio Nigeria reported that the Vice Presidential Candidate of the Party, Senator Shetima Kashim as well as the Governors of Imo, Jigawa, Bornu, Kebbi attended the rally.
Besides, The Guardian of Nigeria’s version of the report stated that the then All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, had promised the people of South East massive economic development and forward-looking government, which would assuage past difficulties of the region.
He spoke at a town hall meeting with leaders of the private sector and trade associations, yesterday, in Owerri, Imo State capital.
The then APC presidential standard-bearer was responding to remarks of the then Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, who said the region had been neglected and abandoned since the end of the civil war, asking what Tinubu had in store for the region.
Before his response to Umahi’s question, the APC presidential candidate thanked the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, who is also the South East Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Campaign, for facilitating the town hall meeting.
Delivering his remarks, Tinubu addressed the issues raised by Umahi, as well as other development challenges of the region by recalling his experience as a little boy brought up by a mother who was a trader and market leader.
Tinubu said based on his experience and lessons learnt, he understands challenges traders, business owners and people of the region are facing.
Laying out his development plan for the region if elected the next president of Nigeria, Tinubu said new industrial hubs would be created in Aba and Owerri, while existing ones would be modernised. He also promised that access to credit facilities would be available to traders across the region, and the country in general.
He said: “My government shall build an economy with a growing industrial base, more and better jobs for our youths, as well as more high-quality home-grown goods.
“We shall establish industrial hubs throughout the nation, and modernise existing ones. We will encourage and facilitate greater production in places like Owerri and Aba. At the same time, we shall broaden opportunities for you to engage in more international commerce by steering more activity towards ports outside of Lagos such as Onne.
“I envision Owerri-Port Harcourt and Aba-Port Harcourt corridors becoming more active, lucrative trade and manufacturing corridors than they already are.
“My administration will establish policies that would widen your horizons and expand your business reach both in terms of goods, which you sell, and your geographic reach to new markets.”
“Working with state governments, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the banking industry, we shall embark on a two-pronged credit revolution.
“First, on the sale and supply side, we shall seek to drive down interest rates on business loans, especially for investment in manufacturing, as well as small and medium sized enterprises.
“Second, we would seek to make consumer loans more available. This will allow more people to afford and buy more high-quality goods from you. By empowering the consumer, we would increase economic activity and prosperity for the overall economy, as well as for your individual businesses.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the highly contentious election just as Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party came second and third respectively.
The elected president began office on May 29th 2023 and close to two years down the line, it is debatable how far the serving president has done with his campaign promises to the Ndigbo.
But one thing is clear: president Tinubu has compounded the security situation in the South-East because he hasn’t kept to his solemn pledge to initiate dialogues with agitators. The agitation has entered a frenetic dimension and as I write today being October 21st 2024, the South-East is on total lockdown because the Indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB) directed everyone to stay-at-home for two days to pray towards realisation of Biafra.
The Indigenous People of Biafra say the only solution to stop the Monday sit-at-home protests in Anambra State is the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The sit-at-home order is similarly affecting other states in the South-East such as Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi.
The group also asked the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to desist from harassing and intimidating residents of the state over the sit-at-home order.
In a statement last week’s Tuesday, IPOB’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, insisted that the people observe the sit-at-home because of the deep love they have for the pro-Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
He said that even though the exercise had been called off, the South-East residents still observed it as a sacrifice to register their protest and displeasure at the continued detention of Kanu.
The statement read partly, “We, the great and noble family of the IPOB under the command of Nnamdi Kanu, wish to inform Governor Chukwuma Soludo not to underestimate the deep affection Biafrans in the 13 contiguous states and especially those in core Igboland and diaspora have for the leader of IPOB.
“Dear Governor, please know that the people staying at home on Mondays are doing so voluntarily not because of any threat from inconsequential individuals or coercive action by any actors. Ask anybody, including those purportedly enforcing the order, they will tell you that the release of Nnamdi Kanu is all they require to stop. Those choosing to sit at home are doing so because of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and nobody else. You cannot stop it by force.
“The same people you are asking to abandon their quiet protest on Mondays are the same people you and your fellow governors from the South-East have repeatedly disappointed in your calculated failure to honour your words to visit the Nigerian President to formally request for the release of our leader.”
The statement added, “In fairness to you, you tried to appeal to the controllers of the last regime, but they failed to see reason with you due to their pathological hatred of the Igbo race.”
Kanu, who was arrested on June 27, 2021, in Kenya and subsequently extradited to Nigeria, is facing charges of terrorism, treasonable felony, and inciting violence through his Radio Biafra, amongst others.
Contrary to the governor’s directive during his visit to the Onitsha Main Market, where he threatened to seal any shop or plaza that remained closed on Mondays in the name of the sit-at-home, commercial and economic activities were paralysed on Monday across major markets in the commercial cities of Onitsha, Nnewi, Obosi, and Ekwulobia in Anambra State.
Also, there was a low turnout of traders, as most shops in major markets such as Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Market, Nkpor Motor Parts Market, Electrical Market, and Mgbuka Market, remained under lock and key. However, it is yet to be known what the situation would be with the latest round of protest of sit-at-home order in the entirety of South-East.
The Enugu State government is also threatening to sack civil servants and revoke shops belonging to the frightened Igbo traders who stay away for two days from today. The Enugu State governor and his police commissioner are threatening fire and brimstone but they lack any sort of security strategy to secure the lives of those who may risk their lives to violate the order made by IPOB.
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The real deal which president Tinubu promised the people of South-East which primarily should begin with the freeing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from prolonged detention, haven’t been met. There is a general consensus that granting amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu and his detained loyalists can restore peace and development in the South-East.
The late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu fought tooth and nail to secure freedom for Nnamdi Kanu but the Ohanaeze Ndigbo chieftain died without President Tinubu agreeing to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu which majority of observers say holds the solution to the insecurity in the South East of Nigeria.
Many prominent Nigerians from all walks of life including Northern parliamentarians, have called for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to reduce the insecurity in that section of the Country. The president has so far not accepted to do the needful to restore stability and security in the South-East even as soldiers and police are seen all over South-East setting up check points on the federal highways and yet the situation of insecurity is deteriorating by the day. Most of the communities in Anambra and Imo State especially around Okigwe axis are under the total control of all kinds of armed non-state actors. This is not a good sign that the Igbo people are regarded as part of the federation of Nigeria because if we are so regarded, then the President ought to have implemented far-reaching measures to stabilise the region which should begin with the immediate freedom for Nnamdi Kanu.
The former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Amb. Bianca Ojukwu, spoke the mind of most Nigerians when she decried the deteriorating security situation in the South-Eastern part of the country.
She made this known at the annual conference of the American Veterans of of Igbo Descent (AVID) on Thursday last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, made available to newsmen in Enugu.
The theme of the conference is: ‘‘Stand Up For Your People,” which focuses on the current security challenges facing South-Eastern Nigeria, the homeland of the Igbo ethnic group.
The widow of the late Biafra leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, also called for the release of Mr Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“Once he (Kanu) is set free, the security situation in the South-East would greatly improve,” she said.
She also called on Igbo people in the diaspora to continue to uphold and defend their core values, sense of identity and heritage.
According to her, their concerns about the worsening security situation in the South-East are justified.
She noted that the security situation was not only limited to the South-East, but a scourge ravaging most states in Nigeria.
Ojukwu also called on the governors of the South-East states to combine their collective will and collaborate more effectively toward tackling the security challenge.
“The state of insecurity in Igboland is posing an existential threat to life as we know it in our communities,” she emphasised.
She decried the incessant killings and kidnappings, the annexation and takeover of community farmlands by armed herdsmen and other dangerous invaders.
According to her, theses menaces have taken their toll on agro-economic and social activities in Igbo communities.
“Opportunistic criminal elements within Igbo land have hitched onto the separatist agitation bandwagon to commit heinous crimes, and seem to have sufficiently degraded the capabilities of security forces with their superior firepower.
“Many people are leaving their villages out of fear and once thriving communities have become depleted and devitalised and in some cases assuming the status and appearance of ghost towns,” she said.
She called on the governors of the South-East, who are the chief security officers of their states, to intensify their individual and collective efforts towards bringing the alarming situation under control. I think too that the politicians governing the South-East are not absolutely committed to working with the Central government to restore stability and security to the South-East of Nigeria.
The question therefore that agitate most patriotic citizens’ minds is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed to do any of those promises he made to the people of South East of Nigeria during his campaign tours of the South-East or are we Ndigbo not included in Tinubu’s calculations of Nigeria?
So I ask conclusively again, Mr. President, sir, are we Ndigbo a part of your Nigeria?
*Emmanuel Onwubiko is head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA and was NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF NIGERIA.
