The Igbos are under siege in their country
*Mike Ozekhome
(Nigeria) By Mike Ozekhome
I
am shocked that the Igbos are not speaking up at the apparent siege
laid on their land by uniformed person of different categories. They
range from Army, Navy, Police, Civil Defence, Customs, FRSC, etc. My
journey had taken me by road from Isele-Mkpitime, where I had gone to
pay tribute to a Nigerian icon, Chief (Dr) P.K.C. Isagba, the Odogwu of
Isele-Mkpitime.
He was one of the first Nigerians to believe in my
ability as a young fledgling lawyer. I had been handling his cases
whilst at Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers. When I left as Deputy Head to
set up my practice in January 1986, Chief Isagba personally went to
Chief Gani Fawehinmi, to allow him move his files to me, to continue
handling his cases; a request the amiable and selfless Gani granted
immediately. So, Chief Isagba became my first major client as a
tottering practising lawyer, trying to find my groggy feet. He became my
bossom friend and elder brother.
My
journey from Isele-Mkpitime, through Asaba, to Port-Harcourt, told me
clearly that the entire Igbo land is locked down in a physical,
psychological and mental siege, reminiscent of a civil war time.
When
the Civil War ended January 15, 1970, the then military ruler, General
“Jack” Yakubu Gowon, who became Head of State, at 31 and a bachelor,
proclaimed the three Rs: “Reconciliation, Reconstruction and
Rehabilitation”, which heralded his policy of “No Victor, No
Vanquished”. This was after the unfortunate failure of the 4th-5th
January, 1967, of the “Aburi Accord”, that would have prevented the
bloody war in which over 2 million civilians and 100, 000 military
combatants were killed. Or, was it an historical mistake that these
people who had already manufactured “Ogbunigwe” (series of weapons, that
included detonation mines, IED, and rocket propelled missiles), with
which they prosecuted the Nigeria – Biafra war between 1967 and 1970,
were prevented from leaving Nigeria? Perhaps, we would today have had a
Japan, Singapore or South Korea lying side by side a sprawling “giant of
Africa” on clay legs.
These
policies were meant to quickly heal the gaping wounds of the gruesome
blood-letting, forget the horrors and evils of the fratricidal war and
quickly reintegrate the Igbos into the society.
But,
have these hardworking, gregarious “Jews” of Nigeria been reconciled,
rehabilitated and reintegrated into the mainstream of the Nigerian
society? I doubt it. Simple proof: show me any Igbo man in today’s all
powerful cabal kitchen cabinet of PMB’s Government. My journey from
Isele-Mkpitime, Delta State, through Asaba, Onitsha, Oba, Oraifite,
Okija, Ihiala, Mgbidi, Awomama, Owerri, Aba to Port-Harcourt, was a
strangulating reminder that the Igbos, inspite of their unquantifiable
contributions to the commerce, industry and innovations that drive the
non-oil sector of the Nigerian economy and give it oxygen, are nearly a
conquered people. The check-points along the above stretch of road are
nauseating and asphyxiating, as the security agencies, including
para-military ones out-do each other to harass, torment, search,
intimidate and extort money from travelers.
Earlier
journeys by road (I travel a lot on professional duties), had shown me
the same siege through countless roadblocks: Enugu, through the Ugwogo
Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road; Amansea in Awka-Ugwuoba Oji River; Nnewi, Alor,
Ekwulobia, Amesi, Ugar, Umuchu; Okigwe, Awgu and Ituku Ozalla, Umuahia
and Isiala-Ngwa, on Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. On the Umuahia-Ikot
Ekpene highway, you have exasperating road blocks at Michael Okpara
University junction; Isingwu-Nkweogwu junction of the
Isuikwuato-Uzuakoli-Ajayi-Igbere road; and the 14 Brigade Army barracks
junction at the Ohafia-Arochukwu highway.
As
you are crossing one check point, a mere look ahead of you, of less
than half a kilometer, will reveal another barricade. It is all so
frustrating. There is no war, or security breach. South East is not
North East where Boko Haram still calls the shots (forget about
Government’s pet words of “we have degraded Boko Haram”; Boko Haram is
still very potent, controlling large areas, killing and maiming people
on a daily basis. Their representative said that much at the 2nd May,
2017, Re-Union meeting of the 2014 National Conference delegates at Daar
Communications Centre, Abuja, where I delivered the keynote address).
Yet,
in this Boko Haram-ravaged region, you would not find this armada of
security, treating the entire geo-political zone made up of five states
(the least in Nigeria; some others have seven states), like a conquered
territory.
It
is only the recent suit by my good friend, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, (six of
us founded the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) – the first human
rights body in Nigeria-on 15th October, 1987), over “marginalisation of
the South East region”, that has perhaps brought to the front burner,
these disturbing tons of injustice. That is why no one can ignore Nnamdi
Kanu and his IPOB, Ralph Uwazurike’s MASSOB, etc, agitating for self
–determination, a right sanctioned and recognised even by the UNO.
These
fully armed and trigger-happy security personnel have never taken steps
to protect the Igbo race, against rampaging Fulani Herdsmen that raid
their homes, to maim, kill and rape their wives (remember Nimbo in Uzo
Uwani LGA in Enugu State). They have never repelled the incessant reign
of terror by armed robbers, kidnappers, hired assassins and murderers.
No, they are stationed there for three main reasons: (1) check the bid
for self determination by the Igbos; (2) extort money from the wealthy
and poor Igbo traders who ply these routes; (3) remind the Igbos that
the all powerful Federal Government is on ground to silence the people
and force them to toe their ruling party line. Wait a minute; is that
why some prominent Igbos, including erstwhile leaders, members of the
BOT and two-time Governors for eight years under PDP, have been outdoing
each other to decamp to a non-performing and fundamentally flawed party
like the APC? Let me end this piece by recommending to the Ndigbos, the
legendary Hubert Ogunde’s immortal words, in his most famous 1964 play,
“Yoruba Ronu” (“Yorubas, think”), a stinging satire that got his
theatre company banned, which ban was later lifted in 1966, by the new
military Governor.
Ndigbos, cheenu echiche (Igbos, think).
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