I have read many horrible news and reports today about Nigeria’s bloody
Monday, May 30, 2016 and cannot imagine how such a solemn celebration to
mark and honor Biafra fallen soldiers who gallantly fought to defend their
people and land against worst pogrom and genocide unleashed against them
by Nigeria and their co-conspirators should degenerate into such bloody
violence including those arrested or massacred while praying inside a
Catholic Church at Nkpor near Onitsha yesterday.
The Biafra Heroes Memorial Day remembrance is an event that began in 2004
because of the neglect of the Nigerian State to cater for the well-being
of Biafra veterans after the war ended. Many of the Nigerians who fought
on Biafra side continue to live in penury and thousands have passed away
due to poverty and refusal of the federal government to re-integrate them
into the Military Force.
Biafra Memorial Day, for most part, has been a peaceful event that is
celebrated by Ndigbo around the world. This year, because of its historic
importance, was celebrated in so many nations around the world including:
Ghana, South Africa, U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland,
Israel as well as in Malaysia, Dubai and other Islamic nations without any
violence.
But in Biafra land in Eastern Nigeria, hundreds of peaceful celebrants and
even bystanders were either arrested, injured, or killed with life bullets
being fired at them by Nigerian DSS, Navy, Army, Police, and Boko haram
jihadists in order to disorganize them. This is really sad indeed. Is
this the end of freedom and democracy in Nigeria?
The Nigerian State must understand that freedom cannot be tampered with in
a constitutional democracy. By the way, Biafrans can never be enslaved,
Islamized or exterminated in Nigeria. They can scatter, live in exile, in
captivity, but can never be exterminated from the face of this earth—just
like the Israelites. Nigerian essayist, Poet and Nobel Price winner,
Prof Wole Soyinka, eloquently said, “Biafra is spirit” and a spirit does
not die.
I’m alive today because of the heroic efforts and sacrifices made by those
gallant Biafran soldiers to defend their people, their land and the unborn
from what Prof. Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe, called: “Africa’s most expansive and
devastating genocide of the 20th century and the inaugurator of
contemporary Africa’s age of pestilence.” According to the erudite scholar
on Africa’s genocide, “a total of 3.1 million Igbo people, a quarter of
Biafra nation’s population at the time, were murdered during those
harrowing 44 months,” while the world watched. What an evil and wicked
world!
Fast forward 50 years later, the same human rights abuses—marginalization,
repression, oppression, killings, massacres, pogrom and genocide are still
going on in Nigeria today. Nigeria’s online news media are awash of
reports of arrests, violence, and killings of Biafrans by a combination of
DSS, Navy, Soldiers, and Police, who are peacefully marching, singing and
praying to honor their fallen heroes who died defending them against the
worst pogrom and genocidal war in Africa.
Every sensible, caring and honorable Nigerian must ask why. Why is the
president’s armed forces massacring peaceful protesters? Why is the
Nigerian soldiers shooting down innocent and defenseless citizens? Why is
the president’s army squad killing young citizens from the East? What is
he afraid of? Past governments have always ignored Biafra Heroes Day
celebrations since 2004.
Today, every where you turn in Nigeria – people are being killed like
chicken. What’s going on in Nigeria? What does President Buhari wants to
achieve? He vowed to die for the unity of Nigeria. Does he think, he can
achieve such illusion by arresting, imprisoning, killing and massacring
the young generation and go free in this 21st century world? Does he
think through his actions or inaction as the leader of the so-called giant
of Africa? Are his advisers advising him wisely or are they deceiving and
damaging him and his presidency? Does the President know the implications
of what he’s doing? Does he want to lead Nigeria into disintegration and
dismemberment? Is this a setup by the West or what?
Currently, guerrilla war is going on in Niger Delta creeks. The federal
government has just deployed a fleet of five warships, 100 gunboats and
fighter jets to the creeks of the Niger Delta, in response to continued
bombing of oil and gas pipelines by Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). Last
week, I read that British submarine is nearing the seashore of Riverine
area. Nigerian soldiers are being deployed in droves to Niger Delta
region to crush NDA and other freedom and militants groups forming
everyday in Nigeria’s oil rich islands.
Buhari has vowed to crush MASSOP, IPOB and NDA and will not live to see
Biafra realized. He also vowed to die for the unity of Nigeria – simply
because of the oil blocks and wealth – he and his northern oligarchy are
controlling.
The President has been cruising the world asking for weapons to crush
Biafra agitators, Niger Delta militants, his political enemies and
opposition, while Fulani herdsmen insurgents with Boko haram jihadists are
still rampaging and massacring many innocent and defenseless citizens
across many states in Middle Belt, Southwest, Southeast and South-south of
Nigeria with impunity, taking over their farmlands and villages.
Earlier this month, the New York Times warned and cautioned President
Obama not to sell warplanes to Buhari because of his human rights abuses.
In February, President Obama donated 30 military tanks/trucks to Nigeria.
IPOB leader, Nnamdi kanu is still incarcerated. Shiite Muslim leader,
Sheikh Zakzaky is still be held. Political enemies: Dasuki and Metuh are
being held by EFCC. Fani Kayode, the outspoken critic of the President is
also being held by EFCC. Gov. Foyose of Ekiti State, another critic of
the President is being threatened and the entire SE/SS leadership are
practically silent for fear of reprisal – except the elderly ex-governor
Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who speaks out from time to time. Yet, well known
ex-governors who emptied their States treasury are presently serving in
the President’s cabinet or enjoying their loots.
The Nigerian Army has vowed to descend hard on Niger Delta Avengers while
Boko haram jihadists and Fulani herdsmen are still unleashing mayhem in
the NE and SW. Boko harm has re-taken some of the local government areas
in Borno State. The Fulani herdsmen are still massacring defenseless
farmers and villagers with impunity. Yesterday, the OPC leader, Mr. Adams
said that he’ll not be able to defend the Yoruba land anymore from Fulani
herdsmen who continue to massacre local farmers in the area. His group of
vigilantes have been called terrorists, while Fulani herdsmen insurgents
with AK-47 and assorted weapons are not reprimanded even though the global
terrorist watch group has named Fulani herdsmen the 4th deadliest sect on
the planet.
On May 29, 2015, the ex-military dictator, Mohammadu Buhari came to power
after defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan on April 29,
2015 to be come the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after
three failed attempts. While ex-president Jonathan was hailed by all
Nigerians and world leaders for accepting defeat and congratulating Buhari
even before the presidential election result was announced, Buhari’s win
was greeted with euphoria that he’s the messiah that Nigeria has been
waiting for to fix Nigeria. His stance against corruption and war against
indiscipline during his military regime in the 1980’s were only his known
credentials.
President Buhari and APC leadership promised Nigeria change – outlining
seventy-five promises to deliver to Nigerians in their administration.
Today, is one year President Buhari and his deputy, Prof. Osibanjo took
oath of office and not a single of those promises has been delivered yet.
Rather, the country is mired in lawlessness, barbarism, impunity, lack of
vision, and corruption of the highest order, executive rascality,
extremist regime, hypocrisy, genocide, human right abuses, violence,
killings, and massacres.
Since Buhari came into power one year ago, the nation has been thrown in
enormous suffering, violence, killings, massacres and worst economic
crisis of our time. Today, one gallon of petrol sell N184 from N68 it was
selling before he took office. Naira is at 368 to $1 and poor masses are
dying of hunger due to food scarcity, high inflation and worst economic
crisis since 1999.
How did Nigeria with so much human potential and abundant natural
resources degenerate into a state of lawlessness, hopelessness, and
barbarism. How is that Nigeria – a nation with so much promise of
prosperity and greatness has degenerated into lawlessness and hopelessness
because of ethnic hatred, tribalism, State injustice, government
corruption and rascality, religious ignorance, intolerance and violence.
Millions of Easterners have embraced a call for Biafra Independence from
Nigeria because of marginalization and neglect by the federal government.
Despite my personal belief that Nigeria can be great, yet, I believe in
the promise of Biafra more because Nigeria has not given me anything but
suffering, insults, bondage, enslavement, captivity, marginalization, and
death.
Why would anyone from the East continue to call himself or herself a
Nigerian in a nation that arrests and murders her best brains? Nigeria is
a nation that murdered one of her best journalists and writers – Dele
Giwa, hangs one of her brightest scholars and intellectuals – Ken
Saro-Wiwa, kills one of her best leaders and billionaire – Chief M. K. O
Abiola, kills her attorney general in his own bed room and until now no
one has been arrested or punished for the crime, imprisons her freedom
fighters – courageous leaders fighting fro justice and equity.
This is a nation that continues to exile her brightest minds, scholars,
engineers, doctors, educationists, scientist, poets, writers and media
professional, philosophers, social thinkers, human rights activist,
pro-democracy activist, and its young citizens.
This is a nation with institutional tribalism against its own people,
discriminating against the potential segment of its own people, and goes
on rampage killing her innocent and defenseless citizens.
This is a nation that does not maintain its infrastructures or build new
ones but prefers to embezzle and launder public money overseas, money
capital destined for Federal projects, State programs, community and rural
development.
This is a nation that fails to educate her young generation, a nation that
has disregarded education which is the foundation, pillar and engine of
economic growth and prosperity. This is a nation where their billionaires
gives millions of U.S dollars to American and British universities while
no university or equipped university exists in his own State.
I weep for Nigeria. Nigerians are under tyranny, extremist regime and
full-blown dictatorship. There is no democracy in Nigeria now but
military dictatorship. Nigeria is degenerating into anarchy and
disintegration.
“One Nigeria” is a myth. How can Nigeria be one and continue to live
together when variant tribes distrust and hate one another so
passionately.
This amalgamation of Nigeria is a forced union and a British contract that
expired in 2014. The amalgamation contract must be re-negotiated. It is a
critical document that needs to be dusted and reviewed again and urgently
addressed by Britain and world powers before Nigeria degenerates into
another brutal civil war.
If the global community wants to live in peace and harmony, the human
rights abuses and genocide that’s going on in Nigeria must be stopped now
and the national question addressed.
The urgency is now. Sincere and courageous Nigerians, African leaders and
world powers must speak-up now and condemn the extremist genocide regime
of this government and call the President to order before Nigeria
degenerates into another civil war – which will be more catastrophic than
the 1967-70 civil war.
Nigeria has become simply a den of death, of sorrow, sadness, pain,
suffering and hopelessness – a lawless and failed nation. Nigeria has
truly become an embodiment of a degenerate people and “a degenerate
society” according to the powerful statement of an erudite scholar and top
diplomat, the late Dr. Joseph Nanyen Garba.
In the words of late Dr. Julius Kambarage Nyerere, former Tanzanian
President and African statesman and leader, once said, “Nigeria has
chronically chosen to be moving steadily back to the cave, when its
counterparts and peers of 60s and 70s are busy finding their ways into the
orbit or moon”.
Nigerians are screwed – and it’ll take courageous, true, and authentic
leadership or revolution to fix Nigeria.
May the souls of those Biafran soldiers who gallantly fought to defend us
from worst genocide and pogrom by Nigeria and her global co-conspirators
made up of evil empires of Britain, former USSR, Egypt, Arab countries as
well as the rest of other nations that did nothing to stop the worst
genocide in Africa’s history – continue to rest in perpetual peace in
heaven. I salute you and honor your bravery and noble sacrifice. Amen.
To be continued—
Dr. C. K. Ekeke, is a public theologian, author, activist and leadership
lecturer.