Igbonekwu Ogazimora

By Igbonekwu Ogazimora

Mr. President, Sir!

250 Army Road blocks across a five-state geopolitical zone; Over 49 Customs Road blocks across same region; Over 700 Police Road blocks within the same region!
Anyi mere gini?…what did we do?

Last Tuesday, I was on a programme on the Solid FM 100.9, and the question was, “Has the war ended…and which way forward for Ndigbo.”

I made it clear that I never believed the war ever ended if only on the evidences of policy induced deprivation and stagnation of the region, especially the Igbo areas. These are aside the immediate post war policies that robbed the Igbo of their hard earned fortunes in assets and cash.

The man on the other side, General Momah, on the same programme, argued that the war had long ended and that Biafra must be allowed to rest in peace.

Well, my argument is not whether Biafra should be resting, but I am sure, it is not in peace at the moment.

Biafra is imperilled. The government of the day is working tirelessly for the population of pro-Biafrans to grow in unimaginable profundity. Frustration is like designed, packaged and sent over to the people to induce further rage.

Now take a look at what is designed to befall the Igbo during Christmas. And this is just some light days aftet the report came in that over 150 Igbo were murdered in cold blood in the various IPOB demonstrations some months back.

Operation Python Dance took off in ernest, November 27 and will ensue for over six weeks. Although the military authorities have been lying about the real intent of that exercise, truth remains that it is designed on the wheels of a nonsensical intelligence report that there would be influx of weapons in the region in the Yuletide. And those lazy intelligence officers constructed a scenario of armed struggle for Biafra following suit afterwards. Bunkum!

It is in the imagination of those fallow men that such armed struggles would ensue in Igbo land.

Today, it was reported that there are over 10 Customs check points from Lagos to the Niger Bridge at Onitsha. Each gap is interspersed with different army, police and even Civil Defence checkpoints. A simple 3 minute run from one end of the Bridge to another now takes 3 – 4 hours. Inside South East, you cannot count the road blocks mounted from Onitsha to Owerri, from Onitsha to Enugu, from Owerri to Aba, etc.

Those who understand statistics are firm that this is costing the Igbo and others so unfortunate to use roads in Igbo land over N250 million each day. Of course we know that a road block in Nigeria nets in for the officers at least N200, 000 per day, per road block, and such road blocks mounted during Christmas, when people are so impatient, desperate to get home after many months away, and of course tired over long and unduly eventful trip, are ready to pay anything to be let going. In other words, each road block would be netting in over N450,000 for the officers. Those who are good in mathematics or numerate matters should do the adding and we see how much the Igbo are being robbed on daily basis.

Yes, very provocative, insulting, humiliating and indicative of the desire of the government to go for brokes. Whatever personal effects of travellers considered by these custom men and soldiers as contraband are seized. Cars are already seized and moved to God-knows-where; bags of rice – that eseential item, if not cooked in a home on Christmas day, is considered a sacrilege – are seized; even small items as body spray, shaving kits, etc, are confiscated. Goodness! Who did this to this government?

There were talks about 97% and 5%, which Mr. President actually, openly, regretted and said that on his honour, there would not be any such discrimination, any longer. Please, what is happening?

However bad a scenario presents itself, I believe there is something gainful. It can no longer be doubted that this government has an unusual number of Igbo haters at the helm of affairs and they are not even pretending.

Personally, I had dreaded the date men and women in same frame of mind as Murtala Muhammed, IBM Haruna, TY Danjuma, etc, would take the reigns. I had no doubt that the Igbo would suffer. Danjuma and Haruna never missed an opprtunity in their life to talk about giving the Igbo a bloody nose, to teach them a lesson.

It is yet to be established that General Buhari, who had his fair share of killing Igbos during the war, would belong in this clan. One thing is certain, if he does not belong, one or two persons high up in the administration belong, and that is too bad!

So called Igbo leaders: continue with your jugs of palm wine, Italian red wine, chiken-in-a-basket; while your homes are desecrated. The entire-year energy, sweat and fortunes of your population being burnt in just seven-hour journey from different parts of Nigeria.

To the Government: The Igbo shall outlive you – in Nigeria or in Biafra! My personal home is in the former.

Ka a n’eje n’ubi, ka ji n’aka!