Igbo Enwe Eze; A Maxim Of Consequence By Bamidele Ademola-Olateju

Yesterday,  I wrote to condemn the torture of IPOB members. Many of you, Bamidele Diehards broke openly with me on the issue that they deserve whatever comes to them. I went to bed wondering if the average Igbo man or woman sees the level of hate they have manage to corral among other ethnic groups within Nigeria. I spent 4 hours after that update in engagement on messenger, with people urging me not to lend any support to the Igbo cause.

I woke up this morning to a gruesome video sent to me by an Igbo sister. An igbo teenage girl was caught with the head of a non igbo boy/man whom they killed and severed his head. She said the boy/man whose head she has was the second they have killed. I will not dwell on the damage a teenage girl, who has taken part in murder and was able to hold the head of a dead man, can do to society. That will be discussed another time.

The Commissioner of Police house has been burnt, civilians have been killed, IPOB is making Abia State ungovernable. The time has come for Igbo leaders to wake up and tell Nigerians on which side they belong. Igbo enwe Eze- translated as Igbo has no kings is a maxim that speaks to the Republican nature of the Igbo. Unfortunately, it also means Igbo has no elders and respects no hierarchy among themselves. That is why they fail in politics because they cannot come to an agreement on issues and represent a common interest. It is a shame this is happening because intra-ethnic distrust among the Igbo runs deep. Where is an Mbaise man in all of these? They are not buying into the charade. The Anambra considers himself the purest Igbo stock and disdains the rest. The Owerri has no regard for the Nnewi. Why can't they put their political house in order? They should ask themselves that question. What is the future of the Igbo in the cramped space they occupy?

From reports, the situation is degenerating fast in the East and most Igbos are quiet except for a few. That is giving tacit support to rebellion. I am afraid if the ripples get to the North. Governor Ganduje and El-Rufai have been managing the situation but for how long if the killings continues? When Northern Ireland began it's face off with the British government. The government made it clear that the monopoly of the means violence, coercion and intimidation lies with the government. Nigeria has made that clear with Operation Python Dance.

The activities of IPOB constitutes a clear and grave danger. We should educate ourselves on the costly breakdown of Yugoslavia. The genocide started in the mixed areas of the Yugoslavia federation. In Nigeria, our mixed areas are Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Jos etc.

IPOB is a ruse! It is not about self-determination, it is about its about territorial expansion. It is about the strategy and tactics of the Igbo political establishment. Once they are out of power, they will begin to foment trouble. If Osinbajo is replaced with Pius Anyim or Ken Nnamani, we will not hear a word about Biafra again. Who is marginalising who? The Igbo controlled everything in Nigeria prior to the civil war. An example can be found in the federal government scholarship list when Aja Wachukwu was the federal minister of education from 1961-1963. Sixty eight percent chance(68%) of the scholarships went to the eastern region. They controlled the railways and the ports. Prof. Ben Nwabueze who is at the forefront of "Restructuring" today was the draughtsman of the Unification Decree 34 of 1966.

Nnamdi Kanu does not know history and those enabling him are charlatans. We know history. The hunger for land and a very bad topography in the East triggered immigration from the East in the 1920's and continued till today. The entire Igbo nation is the size of Oyo state! Who is crazy enough to cramp an entire ethnic group into such a small landmass? The Igbos are best served within Nigeria but it is left for them to decide.

President Buhari should serve the governors in East notice that he will declare emergency in any state that is capable of setting Nigeria on fire. It is about time to wrong foot these agitators and call a plebiscite. Pierre Elliot Trudeau did it in Canada. Enough is enough. Let's face the truth once and for all!