On Who’s side are you? -By Obi Thrice Emeka

One popular expression advised that we learn from the experiences of others as making all the mistakes will lead to one’s death.

What is happening in the SE is an ideological war: on one side are those like us who believed and still believe that violence solves nothing beyond creating another social problem. On the other side are those who believe that the only way is violence and to achieve this they have become experts in disinformation and magnifying ethnic points of differences.

Leading this group are the diaspora Igbo who are all over social media making acerbic videos, post and comments that threatens and malign other Igbo who do not agree with their methodology. Off course, they learnt this from their boss and have multiplied using this methodology. They foreclose the possibility of discussing the Igbo nation and believe in the absoluteness of their ideas, quoting cliches from the struggle of other states.

What does the Igbo man want? In my thinking it’s life basic amenities, and the conducive environment to do business. Obviously, the violent actions of this group has further eroded this conducive environment and infrastructure. I must admit that this group through concerted disinformation and violence have the support of the locals. Everyday they win more converts.

Their thinking is that the creation of the Republic of Biafra will create an El-Dorado where their illusions can be found, but those who understand the process of Nationhood know that it’s mere fantasy. We will not import new humans into Biafra. Those who can’t solve problems in Nigeria as leaders will not reinvent the wheel in Biafra.

What’s happening in the SE is no different from the emergence of Boko Haram and other rebel groups across Africa. I do not know of any group that have achieved progress this way in the last 100 years. Forget the jaundiced and revisionist history they rely on. Violence is no good and in reality offer nothing beyond moving the balance of power from the educated to the least educated, whom themselves love the crude display of power. In reality, the poor are crude users of power than the rich. They love to kill and dehumanise when they have power.

Ambazonia often referred to by our freedom fighters is a breakaway region in Southern Cameroon, whom the diaspora members urged on and funded the violence there. Today, the diaspora have realised their folly and have abandoned Ambazonia to become the most ridiculous. They now enjoy in the abroad while the fire they set on have refused to be doused. There are more than four groups jostling for the control of that region. Unfortunately, Cameroon have allowed that region to decay and self annihilate. Not a single person of importance live in that region and the humanitarian disaster is spilling into Nigeria.

Ambazonia is what Diaspora Igbo wants us to copy arguing that freedom doesn’t come easy and that the only language is violence. To them, no collateral damage is enormous.

To salvage Igbo land in this fight against violent ideology, our voices must be louder than theirs, helping to retool the thinking of many whom have been led astray