Ever since President Buhari won the 2015 Presidential elections he was
\ndestined to win having labored in 2003, 2007, 2011 and then 2015 a very
\nvast preponderance of South South and South East indigenes have
\ndescended on the President, pouring invectives, calling him names,
\nabusing his person and his exalted office, preaching hate, and ethnic
\ndivisions. I have followed this dangerous trend over a year now and it
\nis not abetting. It is growing like wild fire everyday. In recent times
\nthe South-South people whose son lost the election have moved on except
\nthe criminal avengers who are fighting for their pockets only and
\ndestroying their environment.<\/p>\n
I have seen spirited and genuine efforts being made by the leaders of
\nSouth-South to bring peace to the Niger Delta and I heartily commend
\nthem for this. It is in their own interest. But in the South East our
\npeople have refused to move on. In diaspora, in Nigeria, in schools, in
\nthe markets, on the streets, in Churches, in Town Meetings etc Igbo
\nhave refused to move on. Every move the President makes to rebuild and
\nreposition the country is abused, castigated and ethnic meaning read
\ninto it. The dangerous trend has become so embarrassing that one is
\ncompelled to speak out. While leaders of South-South have made
\ninterventions to make way for harmony and peaceful co-existence, Igbo
\nleaders have maintained a deafening silence but this silence is no
\nlonger golden. Ethnic bigotry and hate speeches our people both at home
\nand abroad dish out everyday endanger our people living in all parts of
\nNigeria. President Buhari belongs to a section of Nigeria and must not
\nrun away with the thinking that his people will be happy and clap for
\nus when we malign and abuse one of their own.<\/p>\n
No ethnic group in Nigeria moves and settles in any part of the country
\nlike the Igbo. They settle and do business in almost every part of the
\ncountry, and when we throw stones to other Nigerians we endanger their
\nlives and their businesses. The worst sets of Igbo guilty of this
\ndangerous trend are those living outside the country. While some of
\nthem are engaged into meaningful employment, many of them are
\nunemployed. They have become economic refugees and cultural savages.
\nThey have formed an association of hate preachers and wailing bigots.
\nThey have through actions and deeds created millions of enemies for
\nNdigbo in Nigeria while they waste their precious gift of time abroad
\ndoing nothing.<\/p>\n
Last week the Vice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi
\nOsinbajo was in Afe Babalola University Ekiti State as Guest Speaker
\nduring the University\u2019s Convocation ceremony. In the cause of his
\nspeech, he told his capacity audience the Niger Delta Avengers are not
\nfreedom fighters but those fighting for their pockets only. I saw the
\nstory on facebook and other sites on the internet. The one on Facebook
\ncaught my attention because of nearly 400 reactions as at the time I
\nread it. I took mental note of the reactions and the names attached to
\nit. 95% are Igbo names and they abused and called the Vice President
\nunprintable names for speaking the truth. This is a shame. Ignorance
\nshould not be a virtue. Ignorance is a disease. Foolishness is a
\ntragedy. This is ignorance stupid. This is mental darkness. A roaring
\nlion kills no game. It is only a river that wants to get dried up that
\nforgets its source. A Chinese proverb tells me that \u201cHe who blames
\nothers has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is
\nhalf way there. He who blames no one has arrived\u201d
\nNow, it is time for the Igbo to move on and join other Nigerians to
\nbegin the process of rebuilding Nigeria. I want Igbo Governors, elected
\nSenators, elder statesmen, House of Reps Members, House of Assembly
\nmembers, political leaders, traditional rulers, Igbo intellectuals,
\nprofessionals, market leaders, town union leaders, village heads etc to
\nrise up to defend the integrity and honour of Igbo race. Are these
\nignorant ones who preach hate speaking for us? Are they representing
\nus? Are they our brightest and bests? Are those asking for Biafra and
\nusing it as business venture speaking for all of us? Have we taken a
\nlook at the situation in South Sudan today? Shall we continue to sleep
\npretending that all is well? Can we be honest enough to see the real
\ndanger ahead? For how long will our leaders continue to be silent on
\nthese weighty issues? Can elders continue to sleep while the kids wear
\nsnakes as necklaces? Can the young teach tradition to the old? Who will
\nbell the cat in Igboland? Who will call the ignorant kids to order?<\/p>\n
Did the Yoruba go to war when June 12 1993 Presidential Election won by
\ntheir illustrious son Chief MKO Abiola was annulled on June 23rd 1993
\non a sheet of paper by IBB? Did Yoruba go to war when Abiola\u2019s wife
\nAlhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered in Lagos in the morning of Jun 4
\n1996? Did Yoruba go to war when the winner of that historic election
\nwas poisoned on July 7 1998? Did Yoruba go to war when those who killed
\nAbiola imposed Obasanjo on them as President in 1999? Did Yoruba accept
\nChief Ernest Shonekan when IBB made him to head the interim government
\nin 1993? Yoruba rejected OBJ and Shonekan because this unique race has
\nnever been slaves to public office and yet they have remained number
\none in Nigeria in almost everything. This is wisdom and strategic
\nthinking at work.<\/p>\n
Those of us who have lived in Yoruba land for years should not only
\nlearn how to wear Aso Ebi, eat Ewedu soup or dance Owambe, music. We
\nshould also make efforts learn other unique things from them like
\nsharing property to both male and female children, religious tolerance,
\nethnic tolerance, transferring legacies from generation to generation.
\nDo you know that APC National leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s wife
\nis a Christian? Do you know that former Governor Fashola\u2019s wife is a
\nChristian? We can learn a lot from Yoruba. Yoruba too can learn from
\nIgbo in areas of thinking home, business enterprise, self-help,
\napprenticeship, town Union meetings, August meetings etc.<\/p>\n
A Yoruba woman, a Pastor Mrs Eunice Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed
\nChristian Church of God old NEPA Road Phase 4 Kubwa, Abuja was killed
\nby unknown persons on Saturday morning of July 9 2016 while preaching
\nthe gospel around 5.30am. I have followed the reactions on the internet
\nand Yoruba do not behave like the Igbo. They have been speaking but not
\npreaching hate. They have called for the culprits to be fished out,
\nprosecuted and punished. If Mrs Eunice Elisha had been an Igbo hell
\nwould have been let loose. There would have been abuses and abuses. But
\nYoruba are not Igbo. This is civilization. This is strategic thinking.
\nI hope our people can learn from this. Civility is not a sign of
\nweakness. He who fights and run away lives to fight another day.
\nTo have ears is not to listen, to listen is not to hear, to hear is not
\nto understand, to understand is not to put to practice. I know that
\nwriting this may not get me many friends among the Igbo but it always
\nget me the right ones.
\nCase Rested!<\/p>\n
Joe igbokwe
\nLagos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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