By Jude Ndukwe
I read with derision theinfantile missive of one Churchill Okonkwo which
he mischievously titled “FFKStabbed Nnamdi Kanu, Betrayed IPOB and Kissed
Kwankwaso” which was published inSahara Reporters of August 3, 2018. Itis
unfortunate that in attempt to score cheap points, use FFK’s famous name
toclimb to momentary limelight and satisfy his paymasters, Churchill
vitiated theseriousness of the struggle of IPOB and reduced it to mere
politics out of theneed to satisfy his hirers. I would have ignored him
but then on a secondthought, what does it take to enlighten an ignoramus
of Churchill’s status.
Let me start by making itclear from the outset that IPOB’s struggle is
not hatred for the Fulani, itwill amount to reducing the noble struggle of
IPOB for freedom and justice tohatred for the Fulani or any other tribe
for that matter just like Churchillalluded to in that unfortunate essay of
his. The fact is that it does notmatter who is president today even if the
person is Igbo, IPOB would stillinsist on continuing with their struggle
unless a better, more acceptable andworkable option is presented before
them.
It is foolhardy if not outrightinsanity to allude that FFK defined the
struggle for IPOB by instigating IPOBagainst the Fulani when it is very
obvious even to the dumbest of all dullardslike Churchill that Nnamdi
Kanu’s struggle against the Nigerian set up wastotally and absolutely
independent of whatever opinion FFK holds againstcritical political actors
and drivers of the nation irrespective of tribe.
It is the same FFK who has stoodsolidly by the former NSA, Col Sambo
Dasuki, rtd, even though Dasuki is Fulani whilehe has subjected the vice
president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, a Yoruba man, torelentless criticism for
the way the country is being run today. So, it is notabout tribes, it is
about freedom; it is about justice; it is about fairness,and it is about
equity.
Churchill and his well knownsponsors should have known better that FFK and
Nnamdi Kanu only crossed paths inKuje prisons as a matter of divine
arrangement and as a result of their commonsufferings callously and
wickedly imposed upon both of them for their courageby the same set of
Fulani actors at the corridors of power today.
Unfortunately for those who wrotethe script of sending the two men to Kuje
prison on different and questionablecharges, they did not know that they
were inadvertently making themselvesavailable to be used by the Almighty
God to arrange for the two lions south ofthe country to meet and strike an
unbreakable chord of friendship that no furyfrom hell can break.
This was just like the biblicalJoseph son of Jacob who was thrown into
prison with the hope of seeing him rotthere but those who threw him in
prison did not know that that it was actuallyGod’s plan to enthrone
Joseph, a stranger in Egypt and one who, by allstandards, was considered
an outcast, unfit and unqualified to hold anypolitical office in Egypt not
to talk of being their Prime Minister. The waysof God are indeed deep and
mysterious. God has a way of using the past toreinforce his supremacy in
the present by repeating those same events of theold in our time.
Unfortunately for some of those who call themselves Christians,they are so
blinded with religious pride that they cannot see what God is doingwhile
the Fulani, just like the children of Issachar in the Bible who
understoodthe signs of the season, understand the signs of the time and
have seized theopportunity to “reconcile” with FFK, and like FFK himself
said, “we had awonderful time and a fruitful and productive discussion
about national issuesand the way forward”, after the visit of Alhaji Musa
Kwankwaso to his home.
How the Churchills of this worlddon’t understand that what is happening is
God’s divine arrangement isbewildering. Joseph was true to his faith and
convictions, he was imprisonedbut God elevated him using the same
strangers among whom he lived. It was thesame thing with Daniel, the same
thing with the three young Hebrew men throwninto the fire etc. “When a
man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemiesto be at peace with
him” (Prov. 16:7). Churchhill should go and understand signsof the time.
One is also not surprised thatChurchill Okonkwo has allowed himself to be
swayed by filthy lucre toneedlessly and vainly attack FFK in an attempt to
stop a God-ordained destiny forhim from coming to fruition. After all even
Herod embarked on such a mindless courseof murdering infants just in an
attempt to stop Christ from manifesting. Even inRevelation chapter 12, the
dragon fought ruthlessly against the woman in anattempt to stop her from
giving birth to the son but she was given wings withwhich she flew beyond
attacks. Let those who have understanding ponder on thesethings!
Churchill in that article of his quoteda lot of verses from the Bible and
even alluded to his pastor at one pointshowing that he is a Christian.
Sadly, this is one Christian who lacks thespirit of discernment to
understand what God is doing in our time and clime. Heforgets that even
Joseph, the son of Jacob still went ahead to reconcile withthose who sold
him into slavery as long as that would make the purpose of Godfor Israel
his home country come to fruition. After all FFK’s disagreement withthe
Fulani was nothing personal but based on national interest. His
criticismsare based on the grave injustices meted out to Nigerians by a
government whosemost powerful cabal is peopled by the Fulani. FFK is
sometimes also riled thatdespite the evil perpetrated in the land by a
government led by the Fulani andthe notorious Fulani herdsmen terrorists,
hardly does any Fulani elite condemnsuch dastardly acts by the murderous
group nor the tyranny our nation hasbecome.
So, if after all his criticisms,some leading Fulani actors have eventually
seen the light and gone to FFK toconsult with him, telling him that all he
had been saying about the happeningsin the country are true and have
eventually sank into them and that they wereready to join forces with him
and his party to oust this current governmentthat has allowed so much
tears, sorrow and blood to flow in the countryceaselessly, it is Nigerians
that gains at last and it shows that even the sameelites of Fulani stock
which FFK has been criticizing for the sorry state theruling cabal has
turned our country into understand that FFK’s interest wasnothing personal
but for the good of all. In the end, we all including theChurchills of
this world benefit from a nation run according to the will of thepeople
and the rule of law rather than the brute of force.
The allusion that FFK waswelcoming the Kwankwasos, to his Abuja home for
his selfish political reasons isbalderdash. FFK does not need to welcome
the new defectors to PDP to his hometo show that his stance on national
issues are pristine and noble. After all,even in the PDP there are staunch
Fulani members including the legal luminaryand former minister of Special
Duties under President Goodluck Jonathan, AlhajiKabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN,
and other notable Fulani PDP leaders across board. Itrather shows class
when you open your doors to those people considered for youas sworn
enemies by enemies of friendship and progress.
FFK has earned for himself theright for his home to be turned to a
political Mecca of some sort. Any presidentialaspirant worth his salt
knows that FFK has become a factor in moulding opinionsand influencing
national discourse to his side. That Buhari has indeed becomeso unpopular
today that his hitherto diehard allies like the Sarakis, theAtikus, the
Kwankwasos, the Tambuwals, the Hunkuyis, etc have abandoned him inquick
succession is largely due to the courageous works, words and writings
ofFFK who has refused to buckle under grievous threat to life unlike
certainpeople who quickly jump ship to Buhari’s party, the APC, just upon
being shownpapers of investigations against them.
World over, noble men who haveproved their fidelity and consistency to a
cause even if it amounts to dyingfor that cause attract to themselves
great men because at certain levels, thesegreat men want to associate with
only those they can trust, and FFK has provedbeyond every reasonable doubt
that he can remain friends with the Igbo andevery other tribe without
betraying one for another but uses that opportunityto ensure justice and
freedom for all. Fidelity is a virtue of the tested andtrusted!
Contrary to the gibberish spewedby Churchill, FFK has not and cannot
abandon his bosom friend Nnamdi Kanu nomatter the circumstance. Just
barely two weeks ago, precisely on July 21, 2018,FFK was in Umuahia the
Abia State capital to bury his mother-in-law who passedonto glory, and the
occasion and venue were abuzz as IPOB high command and membersdid not only
storm the venue of the burial ceremony in their numbers, they camefrom
different parts of the southeast, chanting solidarity songs and hailingFFK
to high heavens for his resilience and support to them and to Nnamdi
Kanueven when they thought they had been abandoned by all.
If the meeting at the burialceremony was agog, the one at the residence of
Nnamdi Kanu where FFK proceededto go and see a multitude of IPOB members
waiting for him was boisterous andvociferous. Nnamdi Kanu’s residence that
had been scantily active since theunfortunate “Operation Python Dance 2”
incident suddenly came back to life once again. Thenews of FFK’s presence
there spread like wild fire and before you could sayJack Robinson, people
had trooped from all corners of the region to come catcha glimpse of their
“Nwanne Di Namba”, withmany acknowledging the fact that it takes uncommon
men with great value andvalour to stick to their friends in the face of
grievous adversity like thatsuffered by Kanu and IPOB. The people were
mesmerized that FFK thought itworthy to encourage them not by phone or
through his numerous intellectualessays laden with incontrovertible
historical and prophetic facts, but topersonally come all the way to see
them and restore their hope in the struggleeven if he had the easier
option of returning to Abuja immediately after theburial of his
mother-in-law as some in his position would have done.
While encouraging the IPOB crowdto be law abiding, FFK was unmistaken in
reminding them that theirs was a just struggleand that that which they are
struggling for is recognized in the UN Charter onhuman rights. He
admonished them that while they keep the struggle alive, theymust not
forget to also be orderly and continue to maintain their stance of
anon-violent struggle until such a time when their wishes would come to
fruitionone way or the other. The crowd went into wild jubilation when FFK
remindedthem to count on him as a true friend who will never abandon them
even if itmeans him standing alone with them. Videos of the event are on
youtube.
The people including IPOB membersknow their true friends, and no matter
the bitter calumny spewed by a demented heartlike that of Churchill
Okonkwo, FFK shall not only remain the people’s voice buttheir champion
and a toast, both of the high and the mighty and the common man.That is
his destiny, and no one can abort it.
— jrndukwe@yahoo.co.uk; Twitter: @stjudendukwe