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| Joe Igbokwe |
At
the risk of being tagged once again as anti-Igbo by rabid, commissioned slave
traders who see Ndigbo as easy wares to be marketed to their political masters,
I write this open letter to my people.
At
the huge risk of being called names by my brothers and sisters, I boldly write
this piece to my people. I have been called names in the past for speaking out
and I may be wrong but please forgive me. I write because I know that a story
that must be told never forgives silence. I write despite all odds because I
know that when a writer is silent he or she is lying. I write because I want
things to be done differently, because I know that the greatest part of hell
will be reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of great
moral crisis. I write knowing fully well that I am not the best God ever
created and therefore mine cannot be the last word. Two incidents involving
Mrs. Stella Oduah, who was removed as a Minister for corruption, and General
Ihejirika, who just retired from the Nigerian Army necessitated this open
letter.
Mrs.
Stella Oduah was removed as a Minister of Aviation for issues bordering on
corruption. She was accused of financial recklessness.
When
the lid was blown open, our people went to town to defend Mrs Stella Oduah. All
Igbo organizations went to town with the chorus “LEAVE STELLA ODUAH ALONE”. The
shouts came from our people all over the world and it was loud enough and at
best, deafening. When Mrs. Stella Oduah was eventually eased out by the
presidency, one thought our people will learn the lesson but not Igbo. Our
leaders went to town with a project to honour Mrs. Stella Oduah and others with
awards in Lagos. In preparation for the ceremony one of the leaders spoke to
the press. Hear him “we are honouring our own Mrs. Stella Oduah to show the
world that even when Nigeria mocks our brightest and best for doing a good job
at the Aviation Industry, we must tell the world that we love and celebrate our
own.” She was given an instant title of Ada Igbo. As I write this, billboards
are at strategic locations in Igboland, celebrating her as ADA IGBO.
Now
enter General Ihejirika, the former Chief of Army Staff.
General
Ihejirika just retired from the Army after serving for more than three decades.
General Ihejirika is now eyeing the governorship seat in Abia State on the
platform of PDP just few months after pulling out of the Nigerian Army.
But
just recently an Australian peace negotiator, Stephen Davis, who was allegedly
contracted by the federal government and who spent four months in Nigeria
negotiating with Boko Haram to get the kidnapped Chibok girls out, told the
world that the former Governor of Borno State Ali Modu Sheriff and Ihejirika
have hands in sponsoring Boko Haram. The moment Stephen Davis’ statement hit
the Nigerian public space, hell was let loose once again. Our people went to
town with the usual mantra: “LEAVE IHEJIRIKA ALONE”. Almost all the Igbo
organizations have issued press statements suggesting that General Ihejirika is
now being persecuted for staking his life to fight Boko Haram for Nigeria.
Again the noise was so loud and deafening.
According
to our people Ihejirika is being persecuted because he is Igbo. Even Igbo World
Assembly (IWA) in faraway United States was not left out in the drama. In the
social media it is Igbo and other Nigerians.
Now
the questions are: do we need to defend Mrs. Stella Oduah and General
Ihejirika? Are they not old enough or competent enough to defend themselves?
Were our people with them when they were serving? Can we swear we know them
very well to continue this noise? Do we really know the character of these
persons? Why this prebendal politics? If we continue to defend our tribes only,
who will then defend Nigeria? Who is working for Nigeria if I may ask? Is it
not bad behaviour for Igbo to continue to defend what they know nothing about?
Are we not making ourselves objects of ridicule in the eyes of other Nigerians?
When we pour invectives on other Nigerians or people who are different from us
are we not endangering the lives and businesses of Ndigbo scattered all over
Nigerians?
Have
we forgotten that our people are the most mobile in Nigeria? Do we know how
other Nigerians rate us in this predictable primitive defense? Do we consider
the feelings of other Nigerians? What signals are we sending out with this
improper behaviour? Don’t we have men and women who will say enough is enough
in this madness of defending the indefensible?
We
know Igbo history, philosophy and sociology, when did it tolerate blind and
unquestionable defence of someone who might have compromised his or herself
while in office? When has Igbo become so ethically compromised that they do
must defend even thieves from Igboland? Are these Igbo not aware that such
fight, like in the case of Stella Oduah not only ridicules the Igbo but
belittles them before others? What happens to the sanctimonious resolve of our
fore fathers never to get involved in war of blame?
When
Professor Grace Grange, IG Tafa Balogun, and Speaker Patricia Etteh, were
removed for corruption, did the Yoruba resort to this kind of blackmail? What
is the North saying about Ali Modu Sherrif, the former Governor of Borno State
implicated in Boko Haram insurgency with Ihejirika? These are just few cases I
wanted to mention for emphasis.
To
the best of my knowledge I do not think our people are playing better politics
in Nigeria now. I do not think the way we are going now will help us
politically. I do not think other Nigerians will trust us if we continue this
way. I have slim hope that other Nigerians will take serious in matters of
Nigerian politics. I am not led to believe that we are getting it right, rather
I think we are going the wrong way.
For
emphasis, Ihejirika may be guilty or not but it is his to prove. I am not
saying he is guilty for I do not know the details. He doesn’t need all the
cahoots of persuaders now striving to show their support for him to do so. In
every sane society, security is a complicated issue and every person within
that society, even the president, is a suspect until proven otherwise. The best
for Ihejirika is to step out and put a solid defence and shame his accusers. If
he believes he will get the mob to extricate him, he is making a mistake and
getting himself indicted by history and that is far more dangerous for him.
I
suggest that Igbo should stop creating enemies for itself in Nigeria. I suggest
that Igbo should rise above ethnic preoccupation to help move Nigeria forward.
If we are still one Nigeria, Igbo should consider the feelings of other
Nigerians. This defeatism attitude must give way to politics of ideas. This
persecution complex must stop. This leadership complex must seize to exist.
Joe
Igbokwe is the Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos
State.
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