I still maintain that these sit-at-home situations in the SE is unwise, anachronistic and foolhardy. I don't see what it is supposed to achieve. Some folks tell me it's supposed to push Igbo politicians to prevail on President Buhari to release Nnamdi Kanu.
Others say it is to draw the attention of the UN to the plight of Igbos in Nigeria. Yet others say it is to adversely affect the economy, and indirectly pressure the government to release Nnamdi Kanu.
Unfortunately all 3 propositions make no practical sense and are unrealisable.
Unfortunately all 3 propositions make no practical sense and are unrealisable.
I make bold to say that no Igbo politician in today's Nigeria, has the latitude to make Buhari change his course of action on MNK. It's no secret that none is close enough to him, and it will take more than mere political friendship for him to soften his stance against the IPOB.
On the UN issue, the IPOB issue isn't in the front-burner of global discourse and may never be in the near future. This is because the world is more concerned about wars, famine, climate change and keeping the peace among the world powers, than agitations for sovereignty.
To this end, it's not an overnight solution. The Catalonia and Quebec issue is a case in point. However, there're more practical ways of engagement which is a long haul effort. The agitators need to know that such agitations take a long time and money. It's never a quick fix!
This may involve lobby groups in both UN and more effectively, US. This'll take a lot of money and time! It's not a jab and fix-it scenerio. It can take decades of sustained effort, while the Nigerian state may help the cause in future, if it continues on its present trajectory.
The last issue is that of the pressure on the Nigerian economy. I feel of the 3, this is actually the most stupid assertion. Inasmuch as the lock downs affect the GDP of Nigeria as a whole, the effect is more on the SE states. The long term effect is that businesses may...
find alternative markets to those in the region. The Aba, Nnewi and Onitsha markets which hitherto held a monopoly for some trades may lose it over time. Nature abhors a vacuum. At the end of the day, the SE will be the major loser. You don't cut your nose to spite your face!
The last assertion is the often argued issue that it's better to suffer now and get freedom later. Again this depends on the kind of freedom you're offering. My own idea of freedom isn't a cult-following of a sociopath, neither is it the dictatorship of semi-educated thugs.
If that's freedom, I don't appreciate same! We've gone through that path before as a people, with very heavy costs in men and materials. I am for a restructured polity first and foremost. If that fails to be achieved, I wouldn't mind a genuine referendum of nationalities...
and if achieved, a democracy based on lasseiz faire and true liberty. Nothing more! We can't come out of a frying pan and head straight to fire! Lastly, the IPOB agitators behave as if the average Igbo contributed in incarcerating their Onyendu.
This has informed their entitlement of harassing individuals to contribute to his legal matter and enforcing their infamous sit-at-home protests. Let me use this medium to make it clear that Nnamdi Kanu's incarceration has little to do with the average Igbo man!
Kanu as a political leader/agitator was indulging in his business of agitation, just like some politicians are playing their style of politics today. He is convinced in his cause just like the average activist is convinced in his. I may sympathize with some of his beliefs...
but I definitely don't concede with his MO. What IPOB members should rather do is to morally persuade dissenting Igbos to find a mid-cause to these issues rather than going to the extent of violence, coercion and force. For someone that used confrontations, aggressive rhetorics..
and stealth in his activities, and suddenly expose himself to be arrested within the confines of his enemy's sphere of influence, it will be unethical to make your long-suffering kinsmen pay for your lack of tact and indiscretion! Please let's develop Ani-Igbo instead...
we have come a long way from the £20 in 1970! A lot of blood, sweat and strife has been invested in our homeland, and our people to let a tiny motley of ill-informed men drag us back to the trenches and oblivion. There's time for everything under the sun as the Good Book asserts.
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