Why I Don’t Support The Weekly #SitAtHome Order By IPOB -By Jeff Okoroafor

The Biafra war, also known as the Nigerian civil war, ended in 1970, 51 years on the Igbos are yet to be fully integrated into the Nigerian society – this is by design. After the wrap up of the war in 1970, the Igbos were confronted with the challenges of beginning life afresh from scratch with almost nothing. They were systematically excluded from the affairs of the country, especially in government appointments, setting of infrastructures and in the sharing of the resources. The dissatisfaction amongst Ndi-Igbo over the state of governance in Nigeria, renewed the agitations for self-determination and secession.

The continuous marginalization of Igbos in Nigeria is why groups like Ohaneze-Ndi-Igbo, Aka Ikenga, Mkpoko Igbo, Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), Odenigbo Forum, South East Movement (SEM), Igbo National Assembly (INA), Ndi Igbo Liberation Forum, Igbo Salvation Front (ISF), Igbo Redemption Council (IRC), Igbo People’s Congress (IPC), Igbo Question Movement (IQM), Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and lately the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), came to be.

Even though the Igbos suffered great loss during and after the Biafra war, they still are being punished and unfairly treated by the Nigerian government.

In 1984, Muhammadu Buhari wondered HOW Ndi-Igbo managed to thrive in business, rebuilding aggressively and growing back their economic strength despite the 1967-1970 Biafra war that completely crippled the economic power of the eastern region. He attempted severally, through his policies and lopsided interventions, to re-destroy their economy, but failed. Buhari was one of the Northern Heads of State that took the indegenization policy of the government seriously – ensuring that no Igbo person, man or woman, ascend to the commanding heights in and of any government establishment. The first was Sir Ahmadu Bello. He didn’t call it an indegenization policy(or did he?) during his time, but the principles and concept were all very clear to him and the application or should I say, execution, was direct and adequately targeted.

For Sir Ahmadu Bello, the crime of Ndi-Igbo is their knack for enterprise – their quest for industrial growth or as some will eloquently put it, their industriousness. The fact that an Igbo man is allergic to poverty was a problem for Ahmadu Bello.

The principles for which Yakubu Gowon declared the war ended are far from being achieved – Reconstruction, Reintegration, and Rehabilitation. The Southeast remain infrastructurally, the worst part of Nigeria today. Every major highway that is Federal government’s responsibility is in disrepair, including the ones under construction. There’s no construction of any rail line going on in the Southeast. The people of the Southeast do not feel that they are part of this federation. They do not feel so because of the way they are treated. By a constitutional conference, the six geopolitical zones was agreed to be used as units of administration in Nigeria. Now of all the six zones, we have the least number of states, and we have the least number of local government. Since the return to democratic government, we have had the least allocation in capital development, in the previous budget we had about N28 billion, compared to zones with over N129 billion. We are the fastest growing economy as far as manufacturing et al is concerned, we are perhaps the second in terms of value added tax in the whole of the Federation yet the attention to capital projects in our states is the worst. Take electricity generation and distribution for example, only 9% of electricity generated in the country is allocated to the entire zone of Southeast. How can one not cry foul?!

If the Southeast is on sit-at-home or total lockdown for one month or one year, Buhari will not be bothered one bit. In fact, he will like it and subtly encourage it, with the hope that it will help to destroy the Southeast economy and make people flee from the Southeast and maybe help him to achieve his RUGA aspiration and initiative through the back door.

Any action that hurts Ndi-Igbo alone but does not affect Buhari and Nigeria means nothing to Buhari.

Crude oil is the oxygen that keeps Nigeria alive. Any act of civil disobedience that does not affect Nigeria’s crude oil is like water poured on the back of a duck!

This is why I am not in support of the weekly sit-at-home Order issued by IPOB.

What is the alternative?

Since IPOB introduced the sit-at-home concept of civil disobedience, the compliance level has been total, and it is a clear indication that Ndi-Igbo are generally not happy with the way things have gone(and still going) in Nigeria, especially under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. There are those who participate and observe the sit-at-home order, but not out of volition. Their number is huge. They do it out of fear of being attacked or killed. But if continued endlessly and push comes to shove, they’ll revolt and come out prepared. Nobody wants that. Why hurt yourself to drive home a message? Right now, IPOB have what it takes to takeover the entire Southeast region. They can politically organize themselves and through the ballot, takeover the five government houses and State Assemblies. Once that is achieved, they can lunch a strong push for Igbo presidency, referendum, or any other cause they wish to pursue, only then will they win the minds and hearts of the entire Igbos both within and outside the shores of Nigeria. I hope they realize the enormous power they wield in Nigeria, and act fast before it is too late.