Memo to Igbo Elders: Don’t Awaken Sleeping Giant
Memo to Igbo Elders: Don’t Awaken Sleeping Giant
By Danjuma Katsina
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Recently, the Igbos intensified the demand for an independent state of Biafra by way of protest to some embassies of selected nations. They have already established a radio station that transmits abusive statements on the personality of some section of this country, especially the Muslim Hausa Fulani. They are also disseminating campaign of calumny and false statement on every tribe within the Northern region.
To this end, there is an amateur video making rounds on the internet showing a prominent Igbo leader addressing a congregation of Igbos in diaspora in U.S., calling for the creation of Biafra state and mocking inhabitants of the Northern Nigeria. It is reported that people from this region are tearing their Nigerian passport, setting it aflame and circulate this action on the internet to buttress the point of their demand.
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This agitation began the moment Muhammadu Buhari won election as President of Nigeria in a free and fair election that was widely acclaimed all over the world. It was only in the South East, where the agitation originated, there were reported cases of election malpractices. Prior to this, the Igbos in the South-east had exhibited high level of enmity to anything related to the North, even to their brethren that had joined the APC. According to their view, APC is a northern party, despite the fact that their brethren are competent and can be elected in any political position. Chris Ngige was a former governor and senator very close to Muhammadu Buhari, and Contested for senator in APC. He was the likely candidate for the position of senate president. But the Igbos, his own, connived and made sure he was not elected in senate, because of his close association with Buhari. For so much dislike for Buhari, the Igbos lost this prestigious seat.
The Igbos made sure the APC, they termed an northern party, woefully failed, while the PDP won all the tickets for the office of governor, senate and House of Representatives. You dare not openly proclaim membership of the APC in the South-east.
Rotimi Amechi suffered greatly from the Igbos when he was nominated for ministerial position. His sin was that he contributed to the success of Buhari. They all turned their back against him.
It is so unfortunate that Igbos leaders kept silent while their people are fanning the flame of violence and anarchy. On the other hand, they are suspected to be architects of what is happening.
Igbo leaders should realize the danger inherent in this uncouth agitation, that there are millions of Igbos living across the Northerners. The Igbos are living peacefully in the North, doing their businesses successfully and commanding respect among the northerners even in the arena of politics of the region. Instead of the Igbos to reciprocate this gesture, the northerners are living in the South-east in abject disrespect and being constantly harassed. They are not even honoured to register for national identity card in the area, not to talk of scholarship or aspire for a political position.
Because of the large expanse of land in the North, the Igbos have created for themselves an empire where the accumulate wealth, dominating a particular business. Whereas the case is the opposite for northerners in South-east.
The danger her is that, what if these rural people from the North, who have honoured the Igbos on their land, realized and made it a point of discussion, that their people are not wanted by the Igbos in the South-east; that their people are treated with utmost disrespect by the same people they have accommodated with all respect and humility?
What will happen if the youths in the North started contemplating a retaliatory treatment of the Igbos in the North in the rural areas? What if in the urban areas in the North, the people started contemplating the take-over of all businesses left to the Igbos, which placed them a degree above the indigenes? What do you think will happen if the northerners decided to isolate the Igbos in the North economically?
There are so many examples that readers can also cited regarding this issue. A man from Igbo extract had become chairman of a local government and a councilor in Katsina state. The Igbos also played significant and influential role in the politics of Katsina state.
It is therefore pertinent for Igbos resident in the North to draw the attention of their youths and elders in the South-east of the potential danger of their agitation. They should enlighten them of their comfort being accorded them in the North in terms of economic independence and prosperity. Igbo elders should do away with blind hatred, in order not to wake up the Sleeping Giant. Let the Sleeping Giant lie! They should know that, like every living body with the flow of blood in his veins, there is limit to tolerance. Although its tolerance will take long time before it is exhausted, the Igbos and their elders should realize that, a stitch in time, will save many.
Muhammad Danjuma Katsina
Is a journalist, Secretary MDyusufu Research and Documentation Centre, Projects
08035904408, [email protected]
Whatsapp: 08020570059
Memo to Igbo Elders: Don’t Awaken Sleeping Giant
By Danjuma Katsina
Recently, the Igbos intensified the demand for an independent state of Biafra by way of protest to some embassies of selected nations. They have already established a radio station that transmits abusive statements on the personality of some section of this country, especially the Muslim Hausa Fulani. They are also disseminating campaign of calumny and false statement on every tribe within the Northern region.
To this end, there is an amateur video making rounds on the internet showing a prominent Igbo leader addressing a congregation of Igbos in diaspora in U.S., calling for the creation of Biafra state and mocking inhabitants of the Northern Nigeria. It is reported that people from this region are tearing their Nigerian passport, setting it aflame and circulate this action on the internet to buttress the point of their demand.
This agitation began the moment Muhammadu Buhari won election as President of Nigeria in a free and fair election that was widely acclaimed all over the world. It was only in the South East, where the agitation originated, there were reported cases of election malpractices. Prior to this, the Igbos in the South-east had exhibited high level of enmity to anything related to the North, even to their brethren that had joined the APC. According to their view, APC is a northern party, despite the fact that their brethren are competent and can be elected in any political position. Chris Ngige was a former governor and senator very close to Muhammadu Buhari, and Contested for senator in APC. He was the likely candidate for the position of senate president. But the Igbos, his own, connived and made sure he was not elected in senate, because of his close association with Buhari. For so much dislike for Buhari, the Igbos lost this prestigious seat.
The Igbos made sure the APC, they termed an northern party, woefully failed, while the PDP won all the tickets for the office of governor, senate and House of Representatives. You dare not openly proclaim membership of the APC in the South-east.
Rotimi Amechi suffered greatly from the Igbos when he was nominated for ministerial position. His sin was that he contributed to the success of Buhari. They all turned their back against him.
It is so unfortunate that Igbos leaders kept silent while their people are fanning the flame of violence and anarchy. On the other hand, they are suspected to be architects of what is happening.
Igbo leaders should realize the danger inherent in this uncouth agitation, that there are millions of Igbos living across the Northerners. The Igbos are living peacefully in the North, doing their businesses successfully and commanding respect among the northerners even in the arena of politics of the region. Instead of the Igbos to reciprocate this gesture, the northerners are living in the South-east in abject disrespect and being constantly harassed. They are not even honoured to register for national identity card in the area, not to talk of scholarship or aspire for a political position.
Because of the large expanse of land in the North, the Igbos have created for themselves an empire where the accumulate wealth, dominating a particular business. Whereas the case is the opposite for northerners in South-east.
The danger her is that, what if these rural people from the North, who have honoured the Igbos on their land, realized and made it a point of discussion, that their people are not wanted by the Igbos in the South-east; that their people are treated with utmost disrespect by the same people they have accommodated with all respect and humility?
What will happen if the youths in the North started contemplating a retaliatory treatment of the Igbos in the North in the rural areas? What if in the urban areas in the North, the people started contemplating the take-over of all businesses left to the Igbos, which placed them a degree above the indigenes? What do you think will happen if the northerners decided to isolate the Igbos in the North economically?
There are so many examples that readers can also cited regarding this issue. A man from Igbo extract had become chairman of a local government and a councilor in Katsina state. The Igbos also played significant and influential role in the politics of Katsina state.
It is therefore pertinent for Igbos resident in the North to draw the attention of their youths and elders in the South-east of the potential danger of their agitation. They should enlighten them of their comfort being accorded them in the North in terms of economic independence and prosperity. Igbo elders should do away with blind hatred, in order not to wake up the Sleeping Giant. Let the Sleeping Giant lie! They should know that, like every living body with the flow of blood in his veins, there is limit to tolerance. Although its tolerance will take long time before it is exhausted, the Igbos and their elders should realize that, a stitch in time, will save many.
Muhammad Danjuma Katsina
Is a journalist, Secretary MDyusufu Research and Documentation Centre, Projects
08035904408, [email protected]
Whatsapp: 08020570059
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