Minority Ethnic Groups Arise; Fight For Your Rights -By Dele Sobowale

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, 1929-1968

For the first time in Nigerian history, the North, as a whole, has been marginalised at the Federal level. Malam El-Rufai and Sheik Gunmi who helped to get Tinubu elected on strictly religious grounds, are now realising the consequences of their “success”. For the first time since 1960, the North has lost control of all the three branches of our “democracy” – the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary.

That is bad enough. They have also lost the security and armed forces, and the Federal Capital Territory. One of my sages who always believed that Northerners are more politically astute than Southerners must be baffled. Given the Presidential system of government we adopted; and a Southern Chief Justice in office, why was it impossible for them to foresee that the ultimate line-up of power would be as follows: President– South, Vice President – North and Senate President – South?

As everybody knows, Vice Presidents invariably end up reading newspapers – after the honeymoon period, when the President is consolidating power and creating his own cabal. Nothing suggests that Shettima will avoid the same fate. In fact, he should go and find out what happened to Tinubu’s Deputy Governors.

This is a follow-up to last week’s article; based on my conviction that Buhari and Tinubu have started to entrench a pattern of leadership which would destroy our Federal Republic faster than anything else – unless an alliance of minority groups rescues us. Buhari behaved as if his election amounted to a Fulani-Muslim capture of Nigeria. Tinubu is now following the same footsteps by making appointments suggesting Yoruba conquest. That attitude to governing Nigeria must be stopped now in its tracks before the nation is destroyed.

GUNMI’S GRAB FOR POWER

“Nature [including political] abhors a vacuum.” That was a lesson we learnt in Physics at Igbobi College in the 1950s to early 1960s. As a law of life, it remains valid till today. In social life, a power vacuum invariably invites adventurers ready to seize power. The departure of Buhari and the political defeat of Atiku and Kwakanso has created a political leadership vacuum in the North which Gunmi is now attempting to fill by appealing to regional, ethnic and religious sentiments.

Lacking any other platform, he had jumped on the two that would galvanise the almajiris of the core North and the Federal Capital Territory. Gunmi has taken aim at Tinubu and Wike at the same time. The two represent the North’s present predicament. He has taken the FCT Minister’s portfolio as his handle to cry out against unprecedented Northern marginalisation. Since then, an avalanche of Southern rejoinders have followed – from Ohaneze, PANDEF, Afenifere, etc – among other more responsible groups. The usual fisherman in troubled waters has taken two and half pages in several papers to denounce Gunmi. Food is ready and he has not received his share. So, he must draw attention to himself. My advice to Tinubu is to ignore him.

All the responses were based on one fact – the FCT was built on crude oil revenue. That is true. But, given the calibre of those defending Tinubu and Wike, I was amazed that none of them realised that the truth they stated has been only one of several factors resulting in the selection of FCT Minister. Was it because Obasanjo and Jonathan were not aware of the fact that none of them appointed somebody from the Niger Delta as Minister?

Perhaps, we should ask them why they bypassed Southerners. At any rate, my whole point is this: you cannot refute a sentimental argument by laying out facts. Gunmi and the people he wants to lead don’t give a damn about facts. Their pots of soup have been snatched from them and they are going to raise hell. Furthermore, it is slowly sinking into the minds of Northerners – Fulanis, Hausa and others — that they are all sinking financially. That is what makes Gunmi dangerous.

SOUTHERN MINORITIES BETTER JOIN

“Divide and rule”, that has been the usual strategy of those embarking on perpetuating political injustice. So, it was not surprising to me when some South East leaders expressed gratitude to Tinubu for appointing David Umahi Minister of Works. Obviously, they never thought it was deserved. The embarrassing reaction reminded me of members of the family of house slaves, during slavery in America, who felt grateful to their masters. The Igbo leaders failed to notice how many juicy ministries went to other zones; so, they could not ask: “why?”

Therefore, for purposes of this article, Ndigbo is lumped among the oppressed minorities in Nigeria. Buhari spent eight years terrorising the South East while giving them next to nothing. Kanu and IPOB were declared terrorists for demanding for self-determination for their people. Kanu and IPOB did not kill a single non-Igbo person. Boko Haram and herdsmen killed several thousands; but, Buhari never called them terrorists. That shows the mind-set of an oppressor. Herdsmen slaughtered over 200 in Agatu; Buhari and the security chiefs arrested nobody. Giving a dog a bad name in order to kill it, hundreds of Igbo men were massacred by being deliberately labelled terrorists by Buhari.

Buhari is gone; and guess what? Kanu is still in detention despite a court order that he be released. Yet, those who want to restore democracy to Niger are behaving like military rulers with total disregard for the rule of law. What then is the difference; when elected Presidents throw out the Federal Character principle; serve only their own people and ignore others?

Southern minorities better join Northerners who are gradually coming to the realisation that the remaining three and half years might pass by with all the national cake going to Yoruba, Fulani, Kanuri and Hausa. Leaders, including traditional rulers of ALL the remaining ethnic groups should get together to fight this battle. For once the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Middle Belt Forum, Ohaneze, Ijaw World Congress, Gbagyi, Idomas, Ibibios, Ika, Atyap, Etulo, Izere, Kutep, Langtan, Okrika, Tohan, Yagba, to mention a few, North and South, better unite to fight this injustice to a standstill. By contrast with what is happening now, Babangida and Obasanjo appointed people from over 100 ethnic groups to high office. Whatever else they did not do, they upheld the Federal Character principle – without anybody fighting for it. Now, we must fight.

To be continued….

ATTAH @ 85 COMING UP
“Faith is not just belief without proof; but, trust without reservation.”

Elton Trueblood.

I have absolute faith in three people on Earth – Mummy Victoria Olayinka Sobowale, Uncle Sam and Obong Victor Attah. The first two I met before loving them. I was totally enchanted with Victor Attah; long before I set my eyes on him. My late senior cousin, Femi Agbe, who knew him from secondary school, told me about Attah about eight years before we met. I told my cousin that day: “If I ever get to meet this man, I will never leave him.”

The most fascinating thing about Victor Attah is the fact that he should not be alive today – if an angel has not been specially assigned to protect him until old age. When death did not come looking for him, he went to stare the grim reaper in the face.

On November 20, 2023, D.V, the Father of Akwa Ibom State, by acclamation of the people, will be 85. It is not only my duty, but a great pleasure to bring this information to the notice of all Attah’s well-wishers worldwide.

Certainly, all the states of the Niger Delta, now enjoying 13 per cent derivation allocation cannot forget the leader of the Three Musketeers of RESOURCE CONTROL – Alamieyeseigha, Ibori and Attah. It was Attah who wrote the book which became the Bible for the struggle. The three ex-Governors paid dearly for their audacity; when Obasanjo went after them. I will not mention what happened to Alams and Ibori because a lot of it was laced with Third Term politics – more than most people realise. Attah escaped because as the Americans say: “You can’t cheat a honest man.”

Elsewhere in the world, Attah would have had, at least, a street named after him in every state of the Niger Delta. His birthday would be remembered by millions in those states. But, there is still a chance to celebrate the great man.

Granted, even under the best of economic circumstances, not everybody can afford an advert of any size. So, a few of us have come up with a low cost idea for people to participate in wishing Obong Victor Attah a happy birthday.

The reader is kindly invited to get in touch. Call 0703-777- 2952.

FOREX WAHALA

“Two heads are better than one”. How about several dozen heads? Better than two. Right? If you believe that, you will believe anything. I was the only person to predict that the exchange rate would hit N1000/US$ before the end of 2023. Where were the other heads? Now they are haggling over how to stabilise the rate. From what I have heard and read, they are all wrong again. Wait and see.