“Niger Deltans are beginning to ask questions on who and why Adaka
Boro was murdered. They are also aware that Ken Saro Wiwa who believed
in the friendship with the North was
mercilessly
murdered by the same people he fought for. Odi was wiped out in the
worst genocide in our time and no one said a damn thing; yet you claim
you l
ove those people?”
It was about 8:45am and everyone was seated in the court room waiting
for the arrival of the Judge. Nnamdi Kanu was already seated with two
of his comrades. I went to greet him and assure him of the people’s
support of his cause. I must say that the young man was in good spirit
and very hospitable.
On my side was a DSS officer who engaged me in a long dialogue that
seemed friendly but filled with bitter anger towards Ndigbo and all that
are agitating for Biafra nation. He started by asking me about a young
man he spotted that looked very angry and agitated. Obviously he wanted
to know about that young man. Hence he asked if I knew him. I said no
because I didn’t know that young man.
DSS: Do you know that man?
Me: I don’t know him.
DSS: Are you a member of IPOB?
Me: No I am not a member of IPOB. I am a member of Biafra Foundation and we all work together for the same cause.
At this point the DSS man (name withheld) became serious and started
with, “I can’t understand why the Igbos who are everywhere in Nigeria,
who dominate all areas of commerce and have billions of investments all
over Nigeria are the ones agitating to break away from Nigeria”.
Me: Sir, the Igbos in Nigeria seeks independence because from the
colonial time, our fathers never wanted to be part of Nigeria. Consult
the history on the political development of Nigeria, Ndigbo never signed
any treaty to be part of Nigeria unlike the North and the west. Our
fathers were coerced into being part of Nigeria. Since independence
nothing has worked in Nigeria except what was imposed. As for our
business successes sir, we need to be free to actualize our potentials.
We feel in Nigeria our potentials are buried. It is not about individual
successes in business but the ability to become the president of this
nation. The way Nigeria is structured I am afraid I may never become the
president of this country no matter how hard I try and I fear my
children may face the same situation and it is scary to pass such
hopeless future to children yet unborn. Come to our states federal
presence were only those built before 1966. All our federal roads are
death traps. Though we are the strength of this nation’s economy yet we
are the most improvised in terms of federal presence.
There are so many policies by the federal government that were meant to
punish Ndigbo. The federal character, the quota system were aimed at
unduly favoring one region against the other. It deliberately killed
performance, professionalism and integrity. All we have achieved in
terms of state development is by self-efforts. Most of our roads, pipe
borne water, hospitals and even airports are self-efforts while other
regions enjoy the same from the federal government. I was in primary
school when I contributed one naira for Imo State Airport; I also
contributed for Imo State Blood Bank. Now tell me which of my mates in
other regions made such contributions?
DSS: “What else do you people want”?
Me: We want to be able to control our destiny away from the Nigeria
occupation of our land. We do not want to be part of a country where we
are hated, despised and treated as second class citizens. In Nigeria
today an average Igbo man is hated. We are treated with mutual
suspicion. We are not trusted. Since the war ended, Ndigbo have not been
integrated into Nigeria mainstream. Everywhere in Nigeria, be it in the
North or west there is Igbo phobia.
On Nnamdi Kanu, the DSS said. “This man looks innocent but what he
has started might engulf the nation into another crisis worse than Boko
Haram. Boko haram started like this before it was hijacked by people
more powerful than the founder, Yusuf Mohammed. If we let him go his
movement may fall into hands stronger than him.
Me: It looks like you put this man on trial based on what you think
or fear he might be in future not that he has committed any crime. I can
tell you that the only thing that could lead to this movement being
hijacked is his continued illegal detention and the propped up charges
against him. His freedom is paramount to him directing his group to the
part of peaceful resolution of the agitation. Imprison him today and a
million Kanus will emerge tomorrow. As for your fear that there might be
arms struggle, I can tell you we are not going to fight before we get
what we want. No gun would be shot from our side. No bomb will be
exploded by us. We have learnt from the mistake of our fathers and if we
fail to actual this idea, we will pass it on to our children and they
will learn from our mistakes and continue the agitation.
DSS: “Why are you guys including the south South as part of Biafra
when they do not want to be part of Biafra? Even Igbos in the North like
those in Kano, Lagos who have billions of investment are not supporting
your cause and your leaders are not even supporting you. This man is
alone I can tell you”.
Me: I wonder which state in Niger delta has boundary with the North. I
am at a loss at your attempt to save the Niger Delta from the Igbos who
never had a history of constant violence with our neighbours as the
Hausa/Fulani does with the minorities in the North. In all the middle
belt states, there is constant struggle to survive. The people are being
systematically erased by your cultural domination. You intimidate them,
kill and rape their women, burn down their houses and villages yet you
have the gut to act like the Igbos are oppressing the Niger Deltans. By
the way, are you excluding the Igbos from your definition of Niger
Deltans? Or do you mean south south region? Any way I am sure you are
mixing it up. There are many ethnic groups in the south south region
which also include Igbos. There are also Igbos in the Middle Belt
States. The creation of Cross river state by Gen Gowon was to weaken the
unity and strength of the then eastern region. Till date the north has
been afraid of our unity but I tell you we are closer today than ever.
The Niger Deltans are beginning to ask questions on who and why Adaka
Boro was murdered. They are also aware that Ken Saro Wiwa who believed
in the friendship with the North was mercilessly murdered by the same
people he fought for. Odi was wiped out in the worst genocide in our
time and no one said a damn thing yet you claim you love those people?
Hard love I must say.
DSS:
“I like this man. He is very calm and I am sure if he maintains this
posture the judge might free him though I still consider him a threat to
national security.”
Me: Now let’s look at it this way, those we love we set them free.
How can you put someone you love on trial for propped up charges? If you
love this man you would respect his constitutional rights and set him
free. I don’t think he is a threat in anyway. All he has is microphone.
He has no gun. His followers have never killed anyone. His group has
never detonated bomb anywhere. They respect the sanctity of human life
and no Igbo person will blow himself/herself up to make a point. All
Nnamdi Kanu has is his mouth and brain. He is screaming at those
oppressing him, those holding his generation captive to set him free; is
that a threat to peace?
“You might not see him as a threat but from the security point of view he is very dangerous”.
Me: Let me tell you who is a threat to peace and national security.
The Fulani herdsman who carries AK47, invades peoples land, kill and
rape women are real the dangers to life and threat to national security.
How many of them have you arrested and put on trial before? How could
you accuse somebody who has no weapon, no battalion as threat to lives
while you let a Fulani man walk with assault rifle? The Igbo business
you are saying that worth billions would you allow them to carry assault
to protect their goods?
DSS: “You the Igbos have conquered every market in Nigeria and as
such should be contented. They get 13% allocation from their resources.
What else do they want?”
Me: We get 13% and who is keeping the 87% and for what? Take for
example, Bayelsa state has 8 local governments while Kano state has 44
local governments and national monthly allocation is based on this
unequal and unjust figure. What is the contribution of Kano state to
national treasury?
DSS: “Look at the contracts in the government; Igbos occupy
everywhere. In the North the best estates are owned by Igbos. They own
the best hotels, private schools and the most expensive shops in the
north. These people are not willing to support your agitation”.
Me: I tell you sir, it is not our properties and investments in the
north or west that you care about rather the investments of the rich
northerners that worth trillions in the south and south east that you
care about. Yes my people have invested billions across Nigeria but your
people have investments worth trillions in our region. The oil blocks
in our region are owned and controlled 90% by the northern and western
Generals and business men and women. We do not have such investment and
control of the natural resources in either of these regions. Who owns
and runs the oil merchant ships in the Niger delta? Who controls the oil
allocation in our region?
Let
me also say it to you here. Our desire to leave Nigeria goes beyond
business and material considerations. We are republicans in nature and
we cherish our divergent opinion in life. We strongly believe that we
will fare better if we have our own nation. Take for an example during
the civil war under heavy bombardment, Biafrans manufactured their
aircraft. They built one of the strongest bunkers in the world within
9months. Under heavy bombardment and starvation Biafra built their
airport, drilled and refined their oil. Feat Nigeria has not been able
to achieve since independence. Take away the oil and give us our
independence and we will emerge a stronger nation with booming economy
in ten years.
The insistence of the president that Nigerians want to stay as one
nation can only be proved in the court of the people through a
referendum. On this agitation we are not in a hurry to stop. Biafra
stands for the freedom of all the ethnic minorities that have been
oppressed in Nigeria. The middle belt ethnic group has been consumed by
the north. The minorities in the west have long disappeared; Biafra is
the voice of freedom for all. Biafra is peace to all, equality and
justice that is what Biafra stands for and that is what we want but
cannot get in Nigeria.
Now sir let us take a look at the land graze decree of 1968. Gowon
signed our land to the Fulanis for support to prosecute unjust war
against the former eastern region. Today the herdsmen kill our people
and rape our women and no one is arraigned before any court. Is that
freedom and security? In the North at the slightest provocation Biafrans
are killed with impunity. There is no record where a Hausa/Fulani
person has been arrested, tried and jailed for killing an Igbo man.
There in the north and elsewhere in Nigeria the life of an Igboman worth
nothing. Over 200 bodies slaughtered and dumped in Ezu River and no
panel of investigation was set. No one was brought to just for that
atrocity yet you want to stay in Nigeria so our children will inherit a
nation of death from us? No God forbid.
Ndigbo is majority group in Nigeria but today we are politically
endangered specie. We have the least states. The least representation is
the government. We receive the least allocation from the federal
government. Our population has been doctored to reduce our true
population. We are the minority now. Can’t you see that Nigeria has no
good for us in stock?
Just take a look at all the security men here. Those guiding Nnamdi
Kanu, all of them are Northerners guiding an Igbo man accused of
treason? Where are the Igbos in DSS? How would you convince me that a
man surrounded by enemies will receive fair treatment? It was at this
point that the DSS man laughed as the judge entered the court
Onyema Uche
Angry
Looking Soldiers are currently Destroying the Portharcourt Home of
Ogoni Born Ex-Niger Delta Agitator Mr Solomon Ndigbara
