By Amanze Obi
I have just been reading
one of the most recently published books on the Biafran War in which Lt. Col.
Yakubu Gowon was quoted as saying, through his August 3, 1966 broadcast to the
nation, that the basis for Nigeria ’s
unity no longer existed. Gowon was then Nigeria ’s Head of State. His
broadcast was fallout of the ominous events of the period. A revenge coup had
just taken place in which Igbo military officers were systematically
eliminated by their northern counterparts.
*Gowon and Buhari |
Because Gowon, a lily-livered officer
from the Middle Belt, could not but do the bidding of the northern oligarchs
who controlled him, his government could not protect the defenceless Igbo
officers. He could also not protect the Igbo civilian population in the north.
An organised massacre otherwise known as pogrom carried out against the Igbo
under the watch of Gowon saw to the elimination of about one million Igbo in
the North. The result was the Biafran War in which a Gowon, who had earlier
told the world that the basis for Nigeria ’s
unity no longer existed, suddenly declared that keeping Nigeria united
was a task that must be done.
Ordinarily,
we should be saying that the rest is now history. But we cannot. The wound is
as fresh as ever. Gowon says he is now praying for the country, which he
brought to its knees. That is hypocrisy at play. His occasional interjections
on Biafra usually betray his private
convictions. Gowon is, therefore, deceiving no one but himself with his prayer
project.
We
cannot also say that the events of January 1966 to January 1970 are now history
because there has always been a constant playback of the insanity of the era. Nigeria has,
from time to time, been engulfed by ethnic flames. Our governments, as
pretentious as ever, have always papered over such developments. They have
always made them appear as if they were isolated occurrences. But we know that
such sectional strifes are a constant staple on Nigeria ’s table.
The
present security situation in the country clearly betrays and exposes the
institutionalised pretences that successive governments in Nigeria have
been taking us through. They have always told us that Nigeria is a
great country of diverse peoples, who have great faith in the entity. We may
not quarrel with this romantic and paradisal portrayal of Nigeria . After
all, it is not a crime to engage in mental flights. But when we refuse to face
reality, then we have ourselves to blame for the lack and loss that it may
bring about.
We have
seen Boko Haram insurgency for what it is – a murderous quest by Islamic fundamentalists
to extend the frontiers of Islam in Nigeria . The affront has cost Nigeria so much
in human and material terms. Yet, the misguided religious zealots have not
come anywhere close to realising their objectives. The insurgency has remained
a northern phenomenon. Boko Haram has no foothold anywhere in southern Nigeria .
But it
would appear that whatever Boko Haram has failed to achieve in the South, the
Fulani herdsmen have undertaken to accomplish. I did say in this column a
fortnight ago that we should be imaginative a bit in this matter. We should
stop to ask why herdsmen, who have been roaming the length and breath of Nigeria for
years on end have suddenly become a problem. Is cattle-rearing a new
phenomenon in Nigeria ?
We know it is not. So, why has it suddenly become a blight in the land? We
should ponder this question.
I
suspect, as I hinted earlier, that Fulani herdsmen have undertaken to
accomplish a task, which Boko Haram, for logistical reasons, could not broach.
The recent activities of Fulani herdsmen in southern Nigeria is suggestive of
insurgency. It is Boko Haram in a different form and shape. And the target is
to infiltrate the South of the country, which the conventional Boko Haram could
not penetrate. That is the way it starts.
As
always, the victims of the brand new insurgency represented by the activities
of the herdsmen are crying for help. They are looking up to the Nigerian
government to fulfill its constitutional obligation to the people – that of
protection of life and property. But like the government of Yakubu Gowon before
it, the government of Muhammadu Buhari is looking on while a section of the
country is being gradually decimated. Our government has not expressed any
interest or concern in the matter. Like the Gowon government before it, the
government of the day is, probably, waiting for the oppressed and persecuted to
react with equal measure and aggression. When they do, government will then
have an excuse, an opportunity to take sides on the matter.
As I
noted earlier, that is how it starts. The dark clouds are gathering. The
pretenders to the throne of Nigeria ’s
unity are looking on. They are waiting for the shove to become a push so that
they can remind us that Nigeria ’s
unity is not negotiable. Such hypocrisy. Such double standard. It is for
reasons, such as this that Nigeria
has continued to crawl when it should be walking tall.
I am
beginning to have a sense of ominous foreboding, following the gruesome
massacre that has just taken place in Enugu State .
Imagine this story. Defenceless and unsuspecting villagers were swooped upon
in the dead of the night by Fulani herdsmen and slaughtered like cows. The
mayhem claimed scores of lives. It saw many buildings, including churches,
razed and burnt. After the wanton destruction, the herdsmen have returned to
their base, obviously getting ready for another murderous attack.
So far,
we have not heard from our government. It has not taken a position on the matter.
The Department of State Services (DSS), which has been carrying out an
inquisition in Abia
State , has not spoken. It
may not have heard about the massacre of the Enugu villagers by Fulani herdsmen.
The
situation really rankles. Here, we are talking about the massacre of people in
their ancestral land. We are not talking about migrant Igbo, who always fall
victim in foreign lands. In this case, the people are being uprooted from their
homes. They are being driven into exile. Then you ask: Is anyone imagining that
these villagers do not have the capacity to defend themselves against the
onslaught of the herdsmen? The answer is simple. They have the capacity to
engage the herdsmen in a bloody combat. We have been told that the herdsmen are
usually armed to the teeth with sophisticated assault rifles. But no one has
stopped to ask how they procure these arms. Who armed these herdsmen and for
what purpose?
Since
it is right and proper for Fulani herdsmen to bear arms without question, it
is equally right and proper for other Nigerians to bear arms. Those at the
receiving end now may resort to this option to protect themselves. Since
government is not interested in protecting them, they have no choice but to
protect themselves. That is in line with the truism that self-preservation is
the first law of nature. When this begins to happen, the situation will become
that of everyone for himself and the devil will certainly take the last man.
The last man in our context here is the Nigerian state. The pretenders have,
at every turn, sounded so protective of the Nigerian state. Yet, they are the
worst enemies of its oneness. Their studied silence in situations, such as the Enugu massacre, speaks
volumes. They are singing a requiem for Nigeria .
*Dr. Obi is a
columnist with the SUN newspaper (amaobi@yahoo.co.uk)
Mazi Obi,
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, you said it all and any attempt to add or drop from the content of your write-up, I believe wouldn't suffice to convince the Buhari Administration to take the Bull by the horn by doing what is expected of a government whose responsibility it is to guarantee the security of her citizenry. It is a shame that Buhari's regime is only for the Hausa/Fulani and a section of the Islamic citizenry and not for the entire populace of Nigerian. My question, therefore is, for how long would this non-sense continue? Do we ever have the hope that we would live to see a peaceful and united "ONE NIGERIA?" Ndewo.
Mazi Izuchukwu B. Ihemelu
Emenyio ya anya, ma Chukwu kwe
n'Aguluezechukwu.