2019 And Beyond: The IPOB Agitations And Igbo Presidency; How Prepared Are The People

IPOB LEADER, NNAMDI KANU

The agitations for a Biafra state and an Igbo president have remained as contentious as ever. 

Many see the agitations, as peaceful as it has been, a keg of gunpowder waiting to explode if not handled with the caution it deserves.

Will the leaders of the Nigerian state call for a round table meeting and sincerely deliberate on this or will they sit on their hunches and allow chaos take over?

Presently, there is a fresh stick of carrot being dangled before the Igbos; a shot at the Presidency. The idea sounds as interesting as it comes but the question at the back of the minds of some stakeholders’ remains the sincerity of purpose of those propagating the Igbo Presidency come 2023 when this administration would have completed its two terms in office.

Will this assuage the agitators and persuade them to remain or will the fear of an Igbo being President further give room for the true actualization of their cause?

These and many other questions are being bandied in the polity but that however will only be answered as the elections draw closer with the leaders of the Southeast region, home of the Igbos, working the talk as they try to determine how genuine the idea sounds.     

Against the backdrop of the recent problems that Nigeria has had to contend with, the consequences of the three years Civil War (1967-1970) has remained embedded in the minds of those who witnessed it.

But, with the agitations from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB), there are ominous fears and apprehension that Nigeria and the South-east region, might continue to exercise doubts with one another.

How these doubts and fears can be addressed, has become an issue of concern for stakeholders who believe that, in trying to douse tension and take away the fears, there must be peace in the region and this is the sole responsibility of the Federal Government.

This need to douse the fears and apprehensions has become necessary as the body signal from the government has not shown that it could be trusted, as it has continuously maintained a deafening silence on many issues that have being on the burner of discuss for several decades running.

Allegations and counter allegations have been bandied concerning the government’s inability to build trust and restore confidence and this has become an issue. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the government on its part to sincerely win the confidence of the easterners, instead of trying to make Igbos feel like there was no war in the first place or, that they should just move on after all they had witnessed and went through.

In all sincerity of purpose, there should be a proper documentation of events which should be passed down to our future generations possibly as a part of our secondary school curriculum so that they can grow with a better understanding of our history and not to be told the story out of sentiments.

Politically, this agitation has posed a serious problem for the Igbos for a very long time now as far as the presidency seat is concerned.

Nigeria has never had any Igbo as President, except during the military period in the 60’s with General Aguiyi Ironsi as the Military Head of State. However, many Nigerians are of the fears and apprehension of the fact that if power shifts to the region; there is a possibility of the country becoming divided. This is unsubstantiated.

Speaking about the issue recently, the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha had stressed on the need for an Igbo President in the country but, had equally said; “What I do know is that Ndigbo should talk about Presidency after President Muhammadu Buhari. I think we should support this government”. 

“President Muhammadu Buhari has a tenure to work for: four or eight years” according to the zoning arrangement and everybody should follow the zoning although I am not an advocate of zoning”.

Sharing the same view, we told you a few days ago that Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo also called for an Igbo president in the country.

Do the Igbos deserve the Presidency seat? Yes, it’s long overdue.

The question remains, how can they successfully achieve this while still agitating for a divided Nigeria for Biafra?

Convincing the Igbos that they are equal and genuine stakeholders in the Project called Nigeria, is necessary if we must move together as one nation and people.

Part of this piece is culled from The Sheet