Alex Ekwueme’s major claim to national
prominence was his serving the nation as a vice president in the second
republic. He went into hibernation after
their government was overthrown only to resurface as a delegate to the Abacha
organised National Conference in 1995, where his major contribution was the
proposal for the balkanisation of the hitherto three regions into what he
called “six geo-political zones”. We all
thought Ekwueme was a nationalist and a statesman who got the short end of the
stick from a military lusting for power and an unappreciative political
class. When he floated the Institute of
civil society in 1998, we all rushed to join believing the man was a Nigerian
at heart not knowing he is a closet Biafran.
I was therefore shocked by the vituperations
contained in the press statement released by the Southern Nigeria Peoples
Assembly to find the name of Ekwueme as one of the signatories alongside Archbishop
Ayo Ladigbolu and Edwin Clark. Their
statement came on the heels of another one by unrepentant militants, issued
from the Bayelsa State Government House.
The press statement by those who may otherwise be statesmen in more
civilised climes was to all intents and purposes an intimidation and blackmail
on the person of Professor Attahiru Jega the INEC Chairman and Nigerians. While every Nigerian was well aware that the
president wanted the February elections cancelled for no discernible reason
other than self-preservation, the threats and intimidation were unnecessary and
uncalled for. The tone and language of
the Ekwueme press statement was not substantially different from the one
earlier issued by Edwin Clark, Tompolo, Dokubo and Boyloaf.
The Jonathan administration is the most
divisive government ever in the history of this country and I say this with all
sense of responsibility. This government
succeeded in balkanising the country along all its known fault lines and is
continuing to do so just to achieve its selfish ends. We have seen how it has courted, nurtured,
pampered and protected hate merchants and hooligans and exalted them far and
above their fellow law abiding citizens; we have seen how hate speech has
developed into a trade for some unscrupulous people. Nigerians were treated to the most divisive
campaign ever in the political development of the country led by our neo
Goebbels Fani Kayode and the chief proponent of Janjaweed politics, Olisa Metuh.
The duo and Doyin Okupe seem to derive joy and satisfaction in pushing
Nigeria towards the road to Kigali while the president stand by watching with
amused satisfaction.
It is to this group that Ekwueme decided to lend
his name – not as a Nigerian elder statesman but as a regional champion. Nigeria is finished if the likes of Ekwueme
will allow their names to be associated with barefaced lies, which are easily
verifiable. We thought his horizon goes
further than those of Edwin Clark and Okorunmu because of the exalted office he
was privileged to occupy in the past.
Those who signed the press release know very
well that all the allegations contained in their release are baseless and
without foundation. And this can easily
be verified, like I said earlier. The
allegations seem to have been cooked in the presidency’s dirty affairs
department but in the Southern Nigeria Peoples’ Assembly’s haste to do the
presidency’s bidding, they threw decorum and decency to the dogs and issued a
tissue of lies knowing them to be lies to an already tensed country, no thanks
to their off-springs – the militants. Jega’s
reputation and the general consequences of their action are of no significance
to them. As for their reputation, it
doesn’t exist.
Basking in their earlier pyric victory of
blackmailing Jega into suspending the long overdue constituency delineation
exercise because it didn’t favour them, they have now embarked on the most
dangerous leg of their irredentist campaign and the whole country seem to be
stupefied. The campaign against Jega and
INEC now seem to be a systematic and continual chiselling of Jega’s reputation
and integrity until such a time that Nigerians lose faith and confidence in his
ability and that of the Commission to consduct a credible election. Their logic appear to be, “since they failed
worfully in their efforts to destroy Buhari’s reputation and people pulling
power, why not destroy that of the umpire.”
And in this, there is no discernable difference between Ekwueme, Dokubo
and FunnyI-Kayode.
The truth behind their press conference and
other actions is gradually unfurling for all Nigerians to see. It was clearly to find an excuse of
postponing the February elections and they have succeeded – to an extent. Sadly for them, due to the incoherence nature
of their ill-plans, they couldn’t find common ground as to why the elections
must be postponed – is it because PVCs have not been properly distribute or
insecurity in the northeast or logistical problems as par Fani-Kayode? They couldn’t agree on one thing even among
their small circle.
The Ekwueme group appear to be competing for
recognition with the militants whose understanding of democracy begins an ends
with Jonathan remaining in power until kingdom come. Their threat of taking up arms against the
rest of the country rings hollow to someone like me who is living in the north
and has been living with war in one form or another since the ascension of
Jonathan Goodluck to the office of the president. Breaking up Nigeria wouldn’t be a big deal to
the average northerner and may in fact welcome such a development, so I don’t
think it is still an issue whether the country remain the same or not to most
of us. Insulting one’s cultural values,
religious beliefs and most of the things cherished by one has already broken up
the country, so no amount of threats will make most of us change our political
beliefs. Though it is immaterial to them
that Jonathan is a total failure as universally agreed, it is very crucial to
those who still loves the country, warts and all.
Either by acts of omission or commission,
the federal government has brought the north to its sorry knees. Its agents provocateurs persistently
denigrate the north and its leaders; its economy destroyed and its territory
under the boots of murderers on a rampage unchecked by a federal army more
interested in mounting roadblocks in towns and cities, molesting the poor than
engaging the murderers. While the north
is bleeding from all its economic and social veins, the president’s supporters
are inflicting more cuts on the country and the region.
Now that Jonathan has gotten his wish by
pre-annulling the elections and shifting it to march, what is in store for the
north? Can we continue along these
destructive paths by wallowing in self-pity or do we have at least the mental
capacity to stand-up to those bullying us?
Unsavoury comments have been making rounds
like the replacement of Professor Attahiru Jega with the younger brother to
governor MImiko. Such allegations should
not be dismissed with a wave of the hand because we have seen how the Emir of
Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was eased out of office for blowing the whistle
about the sleaze in the government. He who
is down, fears no fall.
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