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By Godwin Etakibuebu
This column ended last week by saying there are lots of interpretation derivable from the Arewa House in Kaduna’s declaration, where the North, through its dynamic representatives, gave the Igbo nationality of the South/East geo-political zone of the country a deadline of October 1, 2017, to quit the 19 States of Northern Nigeria.
The declaration spelt out consequences on the Igbos for disobeying the order to quit. Of greater fear is part of the declaration that stated categorically that a committee [of northern elements obviously] has been set-up to compile “all landed resources currently owned by Igbo in all the 19 States of the North” with the view of confiscating them.
The governor of Kaduna State “acted swiftly” by ordering the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the declaration. The Inspector General of Police and Director General of the DSS are still “looking” for the “Northern Militants” that made the declaration till tomorrow and maybe, till Armageddon comes.
That is understandable within the circle of those being deceived in this market place of betrayal called the Nigerian political clime. It has always been George Orwell’s animal farm, where some animals became more equal than others. Except that in the Nigeria’s animal farm, the north must always be more equal than the south. No cause for alarm on this “inequitable equals” of the South and North Nigeria. God shall do the right thing on the day of final judgement.
What the North declared in Arewa House in Kaduna on that fateful day of Tuesday 6th of June 2017, was treasonable felony – yes it is highly treasonable. But since there is no effective government in Nigeria except as empowered by the north, there is no way therefore anyone in Nigeria, judicially speaking, can interpret the law of treason to my northern brothers.
It remains maintenance of status quo ante. Again, it is one of those things that God will rectify when He comes at the end of the age. Will Nigeria still remain in existence by the time He comes? Only Him knows the answer and maybe those political leaders who are “principality and powers of darkness” manipulating this country in Abuja. Let us leave the North alone for now and move to the South.
There should be great concern by all [other geo-political zones of Nigeria] about events in the South/East, where the Igbo people have rolled out drums of wars and beating these louder than ever before, in a bid of bringing back to life a supposed soul of Biafra that was dead and buried 50 years ago.
Ralph Uwazuruike’s Movement for the actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSOB] tortured Nigeria and Nigerians long enough on this dead Biafra issue before his brother; Nnamdi Kanu, with his Indigenous People of Biafra [IPOB] metamorphosed from only God-knows-where with only one mission, albeit throwing Nigeria into abyss of destruction.
Or how do we interpret a situation where an individual who has no de-jury nor de-facto recognition in law would give order to a constitutionally recognised constituent part of the country to go on holiday within specific days and this is obeyed without any challenge from the constitutionally recognised Federal Government?
Who does not know that the sit-at-home order given recently by IPOB to the South/East geo-political zone and same was faithfully implemented by the zone in question, is highly a treasonable offence? That order which itself is a declaration of war against the Nigerian State, annexed that particular geo-political zone from the Nigerian federation within the period the order lasted.
Yet, there are more events happening all over Nigeria that help the gathering of the storm for break-up of this great country into pieces. Yes, in the words of the late sage, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, “the ship of the Nigerian State is heading for a wreck” and those employed by the Nigerian people to steer this ship to anchorage are pretending that things are well with us when only the ungodly that cannot see the disaster ahead. Let me point to a few other interpretations indicating that the end has come for Nigeria.
Herdsmen of Fulani stock are emerging as more dangerous than the officially recognised terrorist Boko Haram. They have pitched tents of war in every State of the federation – from the Sahara of the North to the Oceanic coast of the South. There is no State machinery of anger against them.
Whenever the Nigerian State deploys troops with sophisticated weapons, it is against Rustlers and not Herdsmen. Nigerians have come to understand the interpretation of conspiracy of silence on the side of the federal government when herdsmen are mentioned. The herdsmen are the “anointed” in the scheme of a long drawn agenda to “conquer and subdue the infidels”. Things like this are nothing but instrument of breaking a country into pieces.
Nepotism is the greatest contaminated instrument in the household of corruption. If President Buhari says that “we have to kill corruption before corruptions kills Nigeria” and this same PMB is caught in the web of nepotism, as it has been fully manifested more in the public sector of the country, then this administration has succeeded than any other tribe or region in beating the drums of separation for the country.
A look at the Ministry of Interior where the feared retired Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau presides can only bring tears to the face of patriotic Nigerians on the evil of nepotism. All the government departments in that largest ministry is headed, not just by northerners but strictly Hausa Moslems only.
Such insensitivity display of arrogance in employment and deployment of selected personnel based on tribe and religion to public institutions; which ordinarily belong to the whole country, would always be a sad reminder that “one group own the country more than others”.
It is a common treatise of survival’s doctrine for those that have been told that their portion is not in this nebulously packed country to find their roots elsewhere, hence the call for dissolution of the country by these disadvantaged groups.
These and many more, to be interpreted next week by the grace of God, are what l call the pains, agony and tears of saying goodbye.
Godwin Etakibuebu, a veteran journalist, wrote from Lagos.