By Joe Igbokwe
I have restrained myself since yesterday from making comments on the State of the Nation given the wanton and primitive destruction we witnessed in Lagos yesterday and other states in Nigeria..
Since yesterday I have been reading all the narratives on social media. A friend of mine sent a Video purportedly made by NNAMDI KANU of IPOB which has been circulating on Social Media. I figured out that they are trying to link the Childish and inciting video for being the cause of the mayhem in Lagos. In other words the take away is that NNAMDI KANU instigated Igbo in Lagos to attack Lagos in the name of protest for #ENDSARS.
As an Igbo political leader in Lagos who has been here for close to 40 yrs I think history will permit me to speak out and put the records straight before the feeble, weak and senseless narratives create ethnic war in Lagos.
1. Igbo I know do not have the character to destroy but to build and that is why we always say in Igbo proverb: Ebe Onye bi ka ona awachi, meaning where you live is where you build your home. Check your streets , check all the markets in Lagos, check Estate developers, check everywhere in the metropolis and see and feel the presence of Igbo. They build anywhere they go and they do not destroy.
2. NNAMDI KANU does not speak for the Igbo Nation and therefore his opinion is not the opinion of intelligentsia and business moguls in Igboland. He is speaking for his brainwashed young elements who are lost in his antics and fruitless separatist agenda. Those who matter in Igboland are not on the same page with the Kanu boy of IPOB.
3. Igbo in Lagos do not posses the character and the courage to invade His Royal Majesty OBA Akiolu’s Palace in Lagos Island, TVC, LTV, CHANNELS TV, ORIENTAL HOTEL, GTB, BRT, NATION etc. My people will say in an adage that : It is rat inside the house that will tell the rat outside the house that there is something in the house. We have to look inside.
I have been in Lagos enough and deeply too close Asiwaju to know all his enemies in Lagos and Yoruba Nation and it is political.Every PDP member in the South West do not like Asiwaju until they entered AD, AC , ACN and APC. I was the spoke person of our party for close to 14 yrs and I know what Iam talking about. They see Asiwaju as the dominator of the environment and armor bearer of South West politics. They put all their political failures on the doorsteps of Asiawaju BAT. If it rains heavily it is Asiwaju that caused it. If there is thunderstorms it is Asiwaju that caused it. If their businesses fail it is Asiwaju that caused it. If their wives cannot get pregnant it is Asiwaju that caused it etc. Success breads envy. As you are going up some people are going down and those going down will not like those going up.
4. The political hate for Asiwaju BAT has no boundary even in Nigeria. It goes beyond Nigeria. The PDP Nigeria knows it was Asiwaju that defeated them not President BUHARI. PMB came in 2003 and did not win, PMB came in 2007 and did not win, PMB came in 2011 and did not win until ASIWAJU’s political sagacity, creativity, and strategy pushed South West ACN to form alliance with CPC, ANPP, and some APGA members to give birth APC. This is root cause of this hate.
5. If you are a deep political thinker with great eyes, if you follow political events like I do everyday, if you are a good student of politics and if you have third eyes you will know at once that Asiwaju BAT has built an intimidating,formidable and unputdownable political networks across Nigeria to the extent that it is difficult now if not impossible for anybody to stop him from becoming the President of Nigeria in 2023, all things considered. Only God can stop him and this I know very well. The strategic ,well coordinated, clinical attacks on his interests in Lagos is well planned , well structured and clinically delivered to stop him in 2023 at all cost but will it stop him? No sir!!!
6. Asiwaju is not the only Governor that ruled Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. Where are other 35 governors, and why are they not trending like Asiwaju after 13yrs out of power? You cannot stop an idea whose time has come. You cannot cover the sun with bare hands.
7. While they are busy burning bridges across Nigeria, Asiwaju BAT has been building bridges across Nigeria since 1999, East, West, North or South. As I speak to you now he has formidable and intimidating networks and groups across the 36 States in Nigeria including Abuja. This is reason they started the war against him.
8. Please help to find the progenitors and the leaders of #ENDSARS MOVEMENT even though they will tell you they have no leaders. I am sure the leaders are not Igbo and I know it . #ENDSARS may be a dummy sold to the public but i have a feeling that it has deep political undertones. When they started #ENDNIGERIA, #ENDBUHARI, #ENDASIWAJU, #ENDEVERYTHING people like us started doubting the movement. Now see the rot and the damage staring us on the face.
9. Now having said all this,let me ask this fundamental question: who is driving this narrative that Igbo led a sophisticated Yoruba nation to destroy Lagos in their own land because one funny character called Nnamdi Kanu told them to do so? In the Yoruba Nation, in the 21st Century? Where is the muscle? Where is the courage? Where is the strength? Where is the capacity? We can do better than this.
10. Without sounding immodest let me say it here that the Sophisticated and well cultured Yoruba Nation I know very well should throw this narrative away with left hand. It is not good politics. Lagos has the machineries, deep political structures and cultures, great understanding, and all the trappings of modern civilization to investigate this horrible allegations trending on Social Media that one funny character called Nnamdi Kanu commanded his boys to attack Lagos. It is one dangerous allegation that can cause disaffection in the metropolis and beyond if not properly managed and handled.
11. Finally let me use this medium to draw the attention of of South East Governors, Senators , House of Reps MeMbers, State Law makers in the South East.Igbo intelligentsia, Igbo leaders of thought , Traditional Rulers, Captains of Industries from Igboland, Igbo business moguls, Igbo Professors and intellectuals, all Egg Heads in the South East , Igbo intellectuals in diaspora, Igbo professionals etc to rise up now and speak out. By all means Nnamdi Kalu must be called to order.
Nnamdi Kanu is putting all Igbo in danger across Nigeria. Igbo remain the most traveled tribe in Nigeria and they have settlements across Nigeria and across the world. The kind of statement he issued yesterday which I listened to is capable bringing up another genocide and millions of Igbo will die.
Evil triumph in any society when good men do nothing. When elders are not at home children may wear snakes as necklaces. The hottest part of hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of great moral crisis. Let us gather to reason together and run when the rains is yet to come.
Nnamdi Kanu is putting all Igbo in trouble and danger in Nigeria. If we are sensible people and I know we are this is the time to call a spade a spade and tell Nnamdi Kalu that a tree cannot make a forest. I am the political leader of NDIGBO in APC Lagos and I do not want any harm to come to any Igbo and other tribes in Lagos or anywhere in Nigeria. Let history be my witness. Case Rested.