warns the Presidency over harassment of Ojukwu and MASSOB
We view the invitation of His Excellency, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Eze Igbo) for an unspecified ‘chat’ by the Presidency through the SSS as very insulting and humiliating and we condemn in very strong terms such vitriolic, uncivilised and intimidating act. We wish to state that any assault on Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu is an assault on the entire Igbo race of over 40 million people.
The federal government should stop chasing shadow with Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu for he is a very peaceful and law- abiding Senior Citizen of Nigeria, a statesman who has always conducted himself with decorum. He has nothing against nor is he planning anything against the Nigerian state instead he loves Nigeria. He speaks out against the oppression of Ndigbo, Niger-Deltans and all other oppressed Nigerians. As a Father and Leader he is, no right-thinking person shall expect Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu and, infact, the entire Igbo race not to support his oppressed people (MASSOB and Ndigbo). The President and Commander in Chief of the nigerian armed forces Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and many notable Yoruba men of letters and culture support the OPC regardless of the "pockets of trouble" they create in Western Nigeria.
It is therefore suprising that the State Security Service is raising hell because Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, a free born and citizen of Nigeria expressed his support of the recently MASSOB organised "Igbo memorial Day". He equally re-instated his original idea that Nigerians of all ethnic stock shall sit down on a table and dialogue and negotiate our existence as one country (national conference). Based on this, the Presidency and its agents known for their selective (in)justice and hatred of Ndigbo invited General Odumegwu Ojukwu to Abuja for a "Chat".
The Presidency through Col. Kayode Are (SSS Director) instead of addressing the issues raised by General Odumegwu Ojukwu like explaining to Nigerians and the world what one-way economy class ticket means; what the Presidency`s interpretation of "Chat" is and why such must hold in Abuja and not in Enugu; the issue of assassination and why due process for such "Chat" (arrest) is not followed, went ahead in his response to abuse and insult General Odumegwu Ojukwu with many uncomplimentary remarks. Col. Kayode Are went as far as calling an Igbo Hero and Leader a "Coward". With this degrading and patisan response unbecoming of a security outfit, the SSS has allowed itself to be used as a political tool or against political opponents of those in the Government. The response equally showed Nigerians and the world that Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu has no case to answer instead they are looking for a way to embarass the Igbo race through the humiliation of General Ojukwu, an Igbo Icon.
The SSS claimed that they have nothing personal against Ndigbo and Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu but just interested in the peace and unity of Nigeria and that if they see anything that threatens such, they must nip it in the bud hence their invitation to General Ojukwu. This assertion by the Presidency and the SSS is not TRUE, what they do is selective (in)justice. If not, what has the SSS done to OPC and how many Yoruba Leaders or Governors – who, as free citizens - identify and fraternize with OPC has the SSS invited? What has President Obasanjo, Col. Kayode Are (SSS Director), Mr. Tafa Balogun (Inspector General of Police) and Chief Akin Olujimi (Attorney-General and Minister of Justice) done to the the Talibans/ Moslem extremists (who spill Igbo blood) and those Prominient people from the North whom the Presidency openly accused of formenting trouble and causing religious Riots eg. in Kaduna, Kano etc.? What have they done against the Sharia fanatics and states that, without being told, have already seceded from the rest of Nigeria? What have they done to the Northern Senators and Governors who said that 2007 Presidency is not negotiable? There are also many others too numerous to mention here. In spite of all these, the Presidency and the SSS never showed their muscles nor muted a word for, they are so much afraid of the Hausa/Fulani.
Never in the post-war history of Nigeria has any government openly showed hatred and igbophobia like in this present government. We remember the police humiliation of late Dr. Okadigbo even as a senate-president; Mrs. Dupe Adelaja, President Obasanjo`s then minister of State for Defence (Navy), handing down to the entire Igbo race the greatest insult of their lives by calling Biafrans (Ndigbo) traitors and that Igbo is a race of traders, those who are only engaged in the business of buying and selling. The insults and vituperations poured on Igbo Governors by President Obasanjo when they complained about killing of Umuigbo in the North, their comment on Confederation was regarded as treasonable felony. Chief Pius Anyim as a Senate –President when he fell out with the President, Justice Akanbi`s ICPC was sent after him. Then came the sponsored daylight Election rigging , police harassment, political battle and destruction of Igbo heartland, mostly Anambra, then the Ngige ordeal.
Recently Chief Akin Olujimi (Attorney-General) designated MASSOB – unarmed pressure group as a rebel group and mapped these Igbo youths out for destruction while he protects and becomes OPC spokesman. Right now, an undeclared war by the Attorney General, Police and SSS is being waged against Ndigbo throughout Nigeria. They no longer have the right of free assemby such as social club meeting, town meeting, traders meeting etc. for such meetings are now regarded as MASSOB meeting – The Police are having payday with the arrest and incarceration of Igbo youths and traders in Lagos, Abuja and other cities in the name of clampdown on an unarmed and peaceful Igbo pressure group (MASSOB). Col. Kayode Are (SSS Director) not satisfied with Chief Akin Olujimi (Attorney-General) and Mr. Tafa Balogun (Police IG) war on Ndigbo started the mother of all battle which is to humiliate the Igbo race from the top echelon in the person of His Excellency, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Why this Igbophobia?
Of all Nigerian Tribes, Umuigbo are the most patriotic Nigerians both in Nigeria and in Diaspora. In Nigeria, Umuigbo, through their economic activities, have invested and developed all zones/areas in Nigeria. In Diaspora, we have been at the fore-front of promoting Nigeria`s political, economic and socio-cultural Interests in Europe, North America, Asia etc. During the military dictatorship, we were at the fore-front, organising protest marches in Europe and US in support of Chief M K O Abiola and for the release and freeing of Political prisoners including Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Dispite Igbo patriotism and zeal for a united Nigeria, Ndigbo are still being treated like second class citizen of Nigeria.
There is hardly any federal presence in Igboland – no international airport; no international trade fair; no seaports; Ndigibo have the worst roads in Nigeria; Ndigbo are under siege by the police and are constantly harassed and money extorted from them. Marginalisation of Ndigbo in the scheme of things in Nigeria –the deliberate killing ("Sloking") of Igbo businesses – banning of some cars, Refrigerators and Textiles; the forcing of Igbo traders to import only through Lagos ports (as against Port Harcourt) and using of Customs and Police to extort and harass Igbo Traders all the way from Lagos to Igboland; no Igboman heads any of the security apparatuses of Nigeria nor are they allowed to reach the pinnacle of their career. Ndigbo have the least number of Local governments and therefore the least Allocation from Nigerian oil wealth. Two northern states – Jigawa and Kano have more local governments and consequently, have more allocations than the five Igbo states. The rape on democracy, massive rigging and disenfranchisement of Ndigbo in the 2003 General Elections have added to this systematic marginalisation. Ndigbo are constantly killed and their property looted throughout Nigeria at any slightest opportunity. The recent withdrawal of Certificate of Occupancy of lands in Abuja was an exercised targeted at Ndigbo, who single-handedly developed Abuja with their hard-earned money when other Nigerians had no faith in the reality of Abuja. For instance, out the 72 top hotels in Abuja 65 belong to Umuigbo. The recent Staff retrenchment at FCT was equally targeted at top Igbo management staff. There is complete neglect of Erosion hazards in Igboland and Ndigbo are keeping silent lest they be accused of treason.
"O buru na agbaghi uzo owelle mgba, na o naghi echi." – if the back-yard track is not fenced, tresspassers will continue to use it. Therefore Nigerians should begin to fight fascism of any sort and Ndigbo in particular, should fight for their rights. We wish to state that we can no longer sit and watch Igbo Leaders being insulted and humiliated nor shall we fold our hands and watch Igbo youths (MASSOB) who are exercising their rights as enshrined in the United Nations and African Union`s Charters being arrested, tortured and killed by the Nigerian Government. Again, Igbo Marginalisation MUST STOP. MASSOB came as a result of oppression and injustice on the Igbo people. The federal government would be embarking on the greatest threat to the Nigeria project by authorising police brutality or murder of General Ojukwu, Chief Uwazulike or MASSOB members. Unlike the other groups, MASSOB has continued to protest peacefully, so much that on August 26th "Igbo memorial Day" when MASSOB urged Ndigbo to rest at home and remember their dead ones during the Biafra-Nigerian war, no single individual was hurt nationwide. MASSOB lives in the hearts and minds of all Umuigbo and the other oppressed peoples of Nigeria. If the federal Government is truely concerned about the unity and just future of Nigeria, then they should without further delay convoke a National Sovereign Conference as Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu has suggested and which is supported by prominient and patrotic Nigerians like Chief Adesanya, Chief FRA Williams, Chief Enahoro, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Prof. Wole Soyinka and many other persons and groups in Nigeria.
Nigeria as presently constituted is a big fraud and full of injustice and in order to address these problems we, the Nzuko Umuigbo Worldwide (NUW) support the convocation of a National Sovereign Conference where all the Ethnic nationalities in Nigeria shall sit down and iron out our problems and proffer solutions. In this Conference, we all shall agree on the structure of Nigeria (true federalism), a place where all shall be happy and proud about, a place where no section shall be treated as second fiddle.
We hereby warn that any application of illegal brute force on MASSOB would be nothing short of adding fuel to the fire already blazing and over-heating the polity. It shall be very clear to all those in the position of authority that we donot need another Iraq or Chechyna in Nigeria for, ours is a volatile state. Any attempt to arrest or assasinate Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu or Chief Ralph Uwazuike shall have dire consequences which shall make Iraq or Chechyna look like a child`s play. What Nigeria needs at this time is a detribalised Presidency, Attorney General, Police and SSS, those who shall not be engaged in partisan intrigues and politiking but who rather shall enthrone social justice, fairness and equity for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and political inclination; Leaders who shall be interested in Peace and well-being of all Nigerians.
Ndigbo are peace loving people both at home and wherever they find themselves (ojemba enwe onye ilo) as travellers we make no enemies and in keeping with our culture of o bialu be onye abiagbula ya ma o laba ala mkpumkpu abula ya na-azu. A good intelligence report shall show that neither MASSOB, Dim Ojukwu nor Ndigbo is a threat to the Nigerian state. The serious threat to Nigeria today is the Moslem fundamentalists/religious Zealots up there in Zamafara, Kano and Borno who are spilling Igbo blood and trying to impose their wish on others.
The Nigerian Government must stop its hatred of and disregard to Ndigbo and Igbo Nation, stop maltreating, arresting and killing Umuigbo. It is either, we are allowed to be full Nigerians or we are allowed to go; we are tired of being in this "Catch 22" situation. Nigeria should decide now whether Ndigbo shall remain in Nigeria or opt out, by allowing Onye Igbo to be President of Nigeria come 2007. We can no longer keep quiet while our brothers and sisters are being arrested, tortured and, in some cases, killed by the Authorities. If you feel jittery about MASSOB’s agitation, address their concerns, enthrone social justice, fair-play, equity and level-playing ground for all Nigerians; treat Ndigbo and Niger-deltans with respect and give them their due share in Nigeria. Anything short of this is a wishful thinking on the part of those in Authority.
We use this opportunity to express our support for Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu`s bold expression of his support for MASSOB. That this is coming in this period of apathy in Igboland when our self serving leaders/Politicians are masquerading at Abuja and are ready to betray the Igbo nation just to book appointment with whomsoever in power is entirely welcomed. We wish to re-affirm that we support MASSOB – a pressure group whose actions are very legitimate, civilised and peaceful, and that we are ready to work together with any Igboman, Nigerian, persons or groups in our fight against injustice, marginalisation and genocide against Ndigbo, Niger-Deltans and other Nigerians.Thirty-four years after the Nigeria-Biafran War, nothing has been done to better the condition of Ndigbo, instead our condition is getting worse.
We are therefore crying out and carrying our case to the United Nations, African Union, Commonwealth of nations, European Union, USA, Germany, Britian and all free countries of the World, Amnesty International and other Human Rights Organisations to help pressure the Nigerian Government to stop the intimidation, harassment, arrest, torture and killing of Ndigbo in Nigeria and to immediately stop the police brutality on Igbo youths (MASSOB) and Traders. All MASSOB members being incarcerated by Mr. Tafa Balogun, Col. Kayode Are and Chief Akin Olujimi are Political Prisoners whose human rights have been grossly abused, they must be released without delay.
Ndigbo as a race have no problems with our Nigerian brothers and sisters, our problem has been with the Federal Government that never recognised that the civil war ended 34 years ago. Therefore, we are grateful and thankful to all right-thinking Nigerians - the Hausa/fulani, the Yorubas and other Tribes and their organisations and the Press who have expressed and continued to express their candid opinions on the intimidation and marginalisation of Ndigbo in Nigeria and the danger it poses for the unity and continued existence of Nigeria. Live and let live, the Federal Government should leave MASSOB, General Odumegwu Ojukwu and Ndigbo alone. There can be no better time to organise a National Conference than now, a stitch in time saves nine.Those that refuse to dialogue are making peace impossible in Nigeria and are in other words making violence inevitable.The experiences of the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia are still fresh in our memories.
Signed: Chief Joseph Mmeh - Co-ordinator - International Affairs For and on behalf of Nzuko Umuigbo Worldwide (NUW)
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