Nnamdi Kanu
Ijabla Raymond writes extensively about why Biafra is not at all just about the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Fellow Nigerians: Hate or love Nnamdi Kanu, it is undeniable he has
brought the issue of injustice in our country to the front burner. But
Biafra is not about him. It is about all of us. If you a Nigerian then
you are a Biafran. Unless, of course, you are one of the perpetrators of
injustice against the Nigerian people.
BIAFRA IS AN IDEOLOGY that cannot be extinguished by military
force. We tried in the 1960's but did not succeed. You do not defeat an
ideology with brute force - this is the same argument I have been making
about jihadist extremism. If we had addressed the issues that led to
the Nigerian civil war in 1963 we would not be here today talking about
Biafra. Nigeria is not working for the common man and we cannot continue
like this. Anyone who has the best interest of ordinary Nigerians at
heart would agree we need to restructure this country.
I now understand why a revolution is impossible in Nigeria. We are
too divided and distrustful of one other. Biafra is bigger than Nnamdi
Kanu. Biafra is about the injustice suffered by the ordinary man in
Kano, Maiduguri, Birnin Kebi, Owo, Asaba, Yenagoa, Kalabari, Orlu,
Abeokuta, Makurdi, Ilorin, Jos, and in every nook and cranny of this
country. Biafra is the fight against the injustice of our corrupt
leadership. Biafra is about all of us!
The fundamental concern of Biafra is an injustice. Our citizens are
literally eating from bins whilst our political elites are feeding fat
on our commonwealth. A few days ago, a seven-year-old child died from
typhoid fever that was complicated by a bowel perforation. His father
took him to several hospitals including a tertiary hospital but he did
not get the care he needed because the hospitals were grossly
under-resourced and poorly staffed. This child suffered right until the
last seconds of his short life. Meanwhile, Buhari spent nearly three
months in a London hospital. It was reported that the presidential
aircraft was parked in London all that time. Think about the
high-quality medical care he received which this child had no access to.
Consider the number of dead children that could have been saved with
the parking charges of Buhari's aircraft. I shudder to think what his
medical bills amounted to. What does Aso Rock clinic do with its
generous budgetary allocations that it cannot treat an ear infection? Is
Buhari's life more valuable than the life of this child? For as long as
our public officials can continue to treat themselves and their
families abroad they will have no incentive to fix our broken
healthcare. For as long as these people can continue to school their
children abroad they will have no incentive to fix our broken schools
and stop the incessant strikes. But I digress.
Predictably, some of us are blinded by our hatred of Nnamdi Kanu,
IPOB and the Igbos, and cannot see past the distractions and the
smokescreen. You may rejoice the government has used the "terrorism"
card to crush IPOB but you can be sure they will deploy the same tactic
against you tomorrow. What you do not realise is this: the government is
also sending a clear message to you - put up with your suffering or
complain and get crushed. Citizens have a right to protest against
injustice and bad governance. In Nigeria, instead of listening to the
legitimate concerns of its citizens the government just rolls out
armoured tanks.
What makes IPOB a terrorist organisation? When were Fulani herdsmen
killing innocent citizens - how many of them were charged to court or
even arrested? When Buhari was in the opposition, he was widely reported
to have asked the Jonathan government to stop killing Boko Haram
jihadists and to grant them amnesty. To my mind, Boko Haram is not
comparable to groups like MEND which received amnesty from the federal
government at that time. MEND was campaigning for resource control,
better governance and an end to the exploitation and degradation of the
environment. Therefore, it seems to me that the people who question
Buhari's judgement have a valid argument.
We need to refocus this debate. You can disagree with Kanu and
disapprove of his methods but your enemies are not Kanu or IPOB. Your
real enemies are the people who make it impossible for your children to
have quality education and healthcare. They are the people who benefit
from the current system and who tell you Nigeria cannot restructure.
Therefore, let us unite and seize this moment to demand reform and the
restructuring of our nation. Enough of the bickering and the divisions.
How do you deal or engage with a government that refuses to listen
and slams the "terrorism" label on you in order to legitimise military
action against you? This strategy of giving a dog a bad name in order to
hang it is not new.
It was used by the South African government against
Nelson Mandela and ANC. But as someone said: those who make dialogue
impossible make violence inevitable. Mandela eventually took up arms
against the apartheid government. His organisation was labelled a
terrorist organisation by enablers such as the British and American
governments. In truth, the terrorists were the apartheid government and
its sympathizers.
The solution to this impasse is dialogue. IPOB has a legitimate
grievance - this country is not working for ordinary Nigerians whether
they be in the north, south, east or west. It is much easier to label
IPOB a terrorist organisation and crush it militarily. But this does not
solve the problem that gave rise to IPOB in the first instance. If I
were to advise the President, I would tell him to dialogue with IPOB.
Listen to their concerns. Treat the disease, not the symptoms.
***
Ijabla is a humanist and writes from the U.K.
Email: ijabjay@me.com
Twitter: @ijabijay
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