Again, the Nigerian state has confirmed the rumours, that justice, equity and fair play, isn’t any where near its mindset and that the continued oppression and intimidation of the people of eastern Nigeria through brute force remains her choice strategy of engaging the frustrations and anger of the much oppressed people of the region. The blunt refusal of the sectionally controlled government of today, to listen to the cries, yearning and pleas of the people to begin the consensual reconstruction of Nigeria in order to enthrone equity peace and progress throws up only one option: Application of brute force in order to sustain the unjust status quo. This seems to be the path,rulers of Nigeria today seem to prefer. Whether this path will lead to peace and stability is something else.
For the second time in ten months, heavy military equipment, acquired with oil proceeds are rolled into eastern Nigeria in line with the two year old policy to intimidate, terrorize and silence the long oppressed people of the region, whose only sin is that together with three other zones of the country, they cry for a restructuring of Nigeria, to enthrone fiscal federalism and regional autonomy like we had in the first republic.
Owners of Nigeria who created 36 unviable states according to their whims and handed us a military constitution, say they are only ready to use brute force to try to sustain the unworkable unitary structure that has brought misery and sorrow to 196 million Nigerians.
Younger generation of easterners believe they would never get justice in the current unitary structure where everything including admission cut off mark, is deliberately skewed against them. Like the unhappy people of Scotland, Quebec, Catalonia etc, they desire a peaceful seperation from a land that has vowed never to give them justice.
The older generation believe Nigeria could still be salvaged through a consensual restructuring of the polity along the lines of true federalism anchored on regional autonomy. But the owners of the universe who deliberately took total control of the defence, intelligence and security architecture of the country, believe that prevarication and pretences will hide their acute PARANOIA and phobia for truth.
They therefore believe that brute force will hold down the masses, as they attempt to sustain the unjust unitary structure for as long as they can. This is even as hunger, unemployment, hatred, militancy, boko haram Islamic insurgency, fulani herdsmen brigandage, weak economy and ethnic and religious divisions rule the land. It is in the midst of all these, that pythons are sent to go and dance in the south east, to intimidate and provoke the much abused people of the region. Truly the insensitivity of the sectionally controlled government is appalling. The most marginalised region, whose bold statement on 30th of May shocked the world and the oppressors’s response to the stay at home compliance 7 days later with a childish quit notice and genocidal songs ,over heated the polity, that even folks whose hands were soaked in blood, where heard giving us all sermons on hate speech.
The paranoia, the prevarication and the invasion of pythons cannot in anyway alter the resolve of our people, who are completely fed up with Nigeria as presently constituted and have wholy resolved to stay away from Nigerian affairs, including voting in elections, until Nigeria is restructured into a truly federal nation.
No amount of quit notices, hate songs, cobra or viper dance can stop the restructuring of Nigeria, if Nigeria will survive.
The hubris of the oppressor, could only lead to a direct provocation of the peaceful but angry masses of eastern Nigeria, who continue to bear in a remarkable stoic manner, the savagery of the fulani herdsmen, who clearly are above the law,while praying fervently for the much desired freedom.
Any attempt to slap the honour and dignity of the people, could lead to unintended consequences. We are not perturbed by the desperate follies of a clueless oppressor.
Evang. Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko
Secretary, Eastern Consultative Assembly.
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