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.