AN OPEN LETTER TO NNAMDI KANU: NIGERIA IS ALREADY BURNING.
AN
OPEN LETTER TO NNAMDI KANU: NIGERIA IS ALREADY BURNING.
by Okoye Chinekwu Paul
“If I’m re-arrested, this country will burn, I assure you”. That
was Nnamdi Kanu’s statement during an exclusive interview with Okey Sampson of
The sun newspaper, published on Sept 2, 2017.
I have always had a soft spot for Biafra and what it stands for.
Having learnt all about the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970) while growing up
from a father whose love for Biafra knows no bound. He was and is still very
much Biafra centric.
And since History as a subject was not in our curriculum, I
simply grew with a single story of the events surrounding the events of
1967-1970. I was made to believe that the rest of Nigeria ganged up against my
people and nearly sent them into extinction. That was after a massive pogrom
was carried out against us. I was taught that we are being marginalized and
hated by all, except those of our kind.
I can still remember how enraged I usually was when I was told
tales of how Nigerian troops invaded Biafra land and the smiles that crossed my
lips when the stories changed to victories recorded by the under-armed Biafran
army which had civilians as its core.
I can also remember vividly how I fantasized about becoming like
General Ojukwu, the super hero who tried to take his people out of their Egypt.
To me then, Ojukwu was simply Moses, Nigeria was pharaoh and I am definitely
going to be Joshua. I am going to take my people out of Egypt into the promise
land.
Many years after, most of the views I held then have changed,
not drastically though, maybe I should say my views have now been modified. I
have read extensively and have heard various accounts of what happened and of
course, I can see how things have been going on.
I have made friends with those from other ethnic extractions and
I must say, they are not actually the devil I was meant to believe they were.
In fact, two of my best friends in school are both of Yoruba and Hausa
extraction, and they have been nothing but good friends turned brothers to me,
and every passing day, I bless the day I met them.
I for one have never been a fan of Nnamdi Kanu’s way of running
IPOB, but sometimes the government of the day makes me want to give them kudos.
In fact I started off hating anything that had to do with IPOB; I saw them as
miscreants and as an assembly of low-lives. But over time, I have come to
admire their courage and the tenacity with which they pursue what they believe
in.
Now I see IPOB as a necessary spark that will trigger off other
chains of reaction, which hopefully will usher in a new Nigeria or a divided
one. The way the government have handled their agitations so far isn’t helping
issues either.
However, Kanu and his IPOB members must learn how to embrace
tolerance; they must not castigate or attack those who are not of the same view
with them, especially their fellow Igbos. Even Jesus Christ never had the
loyalty of the 12. They must also learn to cut down on their hate speeches and
inflammatory remarks.
There are procedures to be employed if you want
self-determination, they should also remember that reprisal attacks will not
help it will only escalate issues and also expose millions of Igbos living
outside the South-East in Nigeria to reprisals too.
Scotland and Catalonia amongst other states struggling for
self-determination didn’t get the goodwill of the international community
behaving like IPOB. The earlier they learn to coordinate themselves in a
more civil way the better.
As for the Nigerian government, refusing Kanu bail on several
occasions even after courts of competent jurisdictions have ruled to that
effect is highly condemnable. The rather weird decision of not arresting those
that issued a quit notice to the Igbos is outrageous.
Deploying soldiers to a security threat free zone to shoot and
maim at unarmed civilians in the guise of operation python dance is even more
outrageous. Invading the secretariat of the Nigerian union of journalists and
harassing/manhandling men and women of the fourth estate of the realm is simply
disheartening.
I believe the federal government should look into the claims of
these people and address them accordingly. Its either the country is
restructured or they allow for a referendum.
Social media is not even helping issues, with inflammatory and
all forms of unprintable words and threats making the rounds these days on the
cyber space. The social media is slowly but surely radicalizing people.
Nnamdi Kanu may have said the country will burn if he is
re-arrested, but I dare to say that the country is already burning. The fire
though is still at an infant stage, it is now left for us to fuel it or put it
out.
Nigeria
today, is in a precarious state, tempers are flaring, hate speeches are flying
around, physical confrontations are already being recorded, but before you join
in fanning the embers of war into flames, online or in-person, do kindly note
that when it starts burning we will all be consumed in the inferno that
follows.