By Invitation:
In life, people or families get misunderstanding and fight, its part of being a human. The wise fight and make amends afterwards, while the fool keep endless malice at the risk of more fights.
If Igbo are considered prisoners of war or conquered people as Wike claimed, then, a prisoner’s destiny is about being free. No wise man should treat or consider anyone a prisoner, because he fights to keep the prisoner while the prisoner fights to break free. In the end, the fight to keep the prisoner and the fight to be free from prison takes the whole of the lives of both, no headway in life for them.
In the heat of the political crisis in Rivers State, FCT minister, Nyesome Wike during a public speech made a derogatory reference to Igbo. In his speech to pointing out difference between his State and Southeast States, specifically Enugu State, he implied Rivers State is not a conquered State.
His remarks pointed to the 1967 Nigeria-Biafra war, where 3.5 million Igbo people were killed through the help of Britain and its allies. Furthermore, he used the reference to note that Rivers is highly committed to Nigeria, unlike Southeast States that agitate for Biafra.
Since Wike made the speech, nobody has questioned him, not even Ohaneze Ndigbo or its sister organisations in the country. Igbo elder statesmen kept mum; the media accepted the notion with deafening silence, and we moved on like we didn’t hear him.
Anyway, Ohaneze Ndigbo are still fighting over their last election; they have not been able to conclude their post-election fight. Since the leader of the apex Igbo group has been declared, and it came from the home/tribe of Nyesome Wike, who is not an Igbo man as claimed, I urge everyone to support him and end the legal battle.
We have to understand or agree with Wike, as he has the freedom to become a Yoruba or Hausa man. Don’t blame him too much; Yoruba and Hausa have the banana everyone of us (monkeys) desire.
Wike’s comments also tried to remind the Igbo people that they don’t have a voice in Nigeria and that the Igbo will never be regarded in the scheme of governance because to him and others, the Igbo rebelled against Nigeria and will continue to be seen as rebels.
Despite everything the Igbo man has done to present himself as a genuine Nigerian, the country always sees the Igbo man as an enemy of the state whose natural resources and ingenuity must be used under the chain of rebellious suspicion.
Boko Haram are killing Nigerians in the name of seeking a caliphate. They want to be separated from Nigeria, where they can absolutely practice Islam. Nobody sees that as a northern problem, and it’s not rebellion.
Yoruba youths are agitating for Oduduwa Republic, and every day, they keep writing to the UN and other international bodies about the desire to be given independence. Sunday Igboho was arrested after battling with the Nigerian police and army; he regained freedom and continued his demand. Nobody saw it as a Western problem.
Igbo youths, like the Northern and Western youths, agitate for a separate state, and all the Western and Northern politicians view it as a Southeastern problem. It became the basis for exclusion, bigotry, and hatred, to the point that even our political leaders that believe in Nigeria are collectively punished for what every tribe is doing without any punishment whatsoever.
Before going further, let me remind Wike that the war had come and gone. Let me also remind Wike that the Igbo were not conquered despite the international support Nigeria had. The war ended on the declaration of no victor, no vanquish. Historically, the Igbo had never lost a war, even in the ancient era – in the time of Islamic and Christian open conquest- the Igbo man came out with his head held high.
Nevertheless, Wike is directly admitting to the fear and betrayal that run in his veins. The 1967 war was between Northern/Western Nigeria, known as federal Nigeria, and Old Eastern Nigeria, which comprised South-South and Southeast. Rivers State, where Wike came from, fought the war against Nigeria. Notable figure like Madueke fought assiduously, injured and killed Nigerian troops.
Yes, I admit that along the line, the federal government, with the support of Britain, came down heavily on Biafra, which Wike is part of, and it disorganised Biafra, leading to compromises. Some surrendered and switched allegiance to save their lives. Wike switched allegiance in the face of potential defeat that never fully materialised.
Wike’s forefathers fought on the side of Biafra, and their spirits would be disturbed hearing Wike make mockery of their sacrifices. I wonder why betrayers find it hard to keep their mouths shut and go about the business of betrayal.
That you switched allegiance because of cowardice between 1967 and 1970 is not enough reason to call those who saw off the fight prisoners of war. Go and ask your forefathers; the Igbo man survived the war and is still standing firm to date.
Oh, Nigeria has heard Wike loud and clear. They have heard that Rivers is not Igbo. They have heard that Rivers did not fight against Nigeria in 1967. They have heard that Rivers is more loyal and committed to Nigeria than the core Igbo States. They have also heard that a Rivers State man said that the war his fathers fought in made them prisoners of war.
What we have not heard is what Northern and Western Nigeria think of Wike. Does Wike believe that by bad mouthing Igbo and putting us in a tight corner will make the Northern and Western Nigeria forget that Rivers fought as Biafra between 1967-1970?
Understandably, after the war, Gowon and his cohorts thought about what they could do to clip the wings of Igbo. That was how creation of more States occurred, and the subsequent Southsouth tag. So, the Southsouth tag was strategically used to check and balance the other divide.
To Wike, Igbo were stupid when former Jonathan was massively supported as an Igbo man. We have heard him, Igbo are conquered people- prisoners of war, but what Wike failed to understand is, we have our voters card, and we can decide heavily contested or close call elections in Nigeria. He might need Igbo one day, but we will take into consideration his comments.
Author.
Ifeanyichijioke97@gmail.com
