At least some minutes silence were observed over President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged inglorious ascension to the exalted throne of Nigeria management, following the arrest and detention of the Director of Biafra Radio, Nnamdi Kalu by the Department of State Security Services, DSS, in Lagos State.
For some hours if not less than three days (3) days the ugly side of Buhari was not washed in the Biafran Medium, it could be said that President Buhari must have breathed some fresh air while his accuser gnashes his teeth in the dark room of the DSS.
One thing is crucial, in the face of this torture, name calling and what have you, there is always a message and a messenger but while the messenger dies and rots away the message remains either indelible or delible. The delible messages are those not seen, heard or felt and may be discarded through the dustbin or trashcan while such indelible messages are such that no matter the circumstances surrounding it must not and cannot be silenced or laid off with the wave of the hands.
It was never surprising to some Nigerians who are abreast with the workings of desperate governments, what happened to the Ogoni leader, late environmental right activist Kenule Saro-Wiwa and others, so Nnamdi Kalu’s experience could better by now greets Alhaji Dokubo Asari, one of the agitators for the emancipations of the Niger Delta people.
In the Dr. Jonathan’s led federal government of Nigeria, Nnamdi Kalu was there running his mouth even against the president that strongly recognized the Igbo nation and in his federal appointments. While some believed that former president Jonathan had his fault which he must be regretting by now, must such president be brought to public ridicule as orchestrated by Nnamdi Kalu of Radio Biafra?
Indeed, ex-president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan P.hd, despite his failure to either do as expected by his people, had done his best and remains one of the best Presidents Nigeria had ever produced. Even after the incumbent, Nigeria will match on to be led by another man who is yet unknown.
Nnamdi Kalu, the radio republican is not the pioneer agitator of the so-called Igbo freedom and definitely cannot be the least not to mention the last. The likes of former Nigeria general and later Igbo lord Late Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of the blessed memory fought the same fight with little or no achievements.
In the interest of peaceful co-existence, general Yakubu Gowon, the then Head of State had declared, “no victor, no vanquish”, that saw the unity of the entity called Nigeria to date.
The Ojukwu’s method was violent in nature, but does it took the forms and the manners of Nnamdi Kalu’s strategy? It was however disheartening that Kalu was arrested in Lagos but the demonstration took place in Port Harcourt not in Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Abia or Ebonyi States.
A vivid lesson derivable from the Kalu’s arrest, detention and subsequent release was an eye opener to some visioners that the Igbos are contemplating on a higher dimensions on how to drag other states through forceful means into their dream and quest for a republic.
Let it be noticed that, either by design or omission the Ogonis in Rivers State would have gotten a state via stiff agitation but they failed to have a round table discussion with other ethnic groups around them. The reason was simple, they thought of doing it alone, and today it is a course in abeyance.
Igbos should rather than using force or foul means to implicate others form a more formidable common front with others to x-ray the possibilities of achieving such desires.
While Issues Abattoir condemns the antics of the Igbos in Rivers, it is incumbent to appreciate Rivers State government who stood up to condemn the act and call for calmness while dissociating the state from such unholy attitude.
When Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari, High Chief Ateke Tom, Tompolo, etc were incarcerated, the Niger Delta indigenes did not attempt to create any level of unrest in other regions of the country.
While Nigeria remains an indivisible nation, any region that is due secession should and is capable to do so with all sense of decency than fermenting troubles or worse still recall the experiences of the forgotten years.
Should Rivers State and other states be elated to join in the struggle, then the approaches must not be tied to the arrest, interrogation and detention of Kalu, without proper definition of purpose(s).
Issues Abattoir advises all ethnic groups in Rivers State to properly define mission in the state, respect the laws and people of the state in the course of any of their decisions.
Let no protest plunge the state into further crisis, the relative peace should be allowed to thrive because, should Kalu give up the fight for any reason, the message lives on and may continue, therefore no one should use Rivers State as a battle field.
Major Ojukwu, Boro, Kenule had since died but their messages lives on with people like Uwazuike, Asari Dokubo, Ateka Tom, Peter Mede amongst others. Any genuine course must strive irrespective of encumbrances but brothers must not lieu others to an unprepared war.
With James Mgboineme
jamesthenewswriter@gmail.com.
