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Igbo Leaders Give Reasons
Food prices have been rising since the president announced an end to the petrol subsidy regime on May 29, 2023. On Monday 19 February, some residents of Ibadan, Oyo State, protested the economic hardship. Residents of Kano, Ogun, Niger, and Sokoto states have earlier staged protests over the economic crisis in Nigeria. Organised labour has also announced a nationwide protest for February 27 and 28 over the rising cost of living. In all these, the people of the southeastern part of the country have chosen to remain focused and at peace in not joining the protest.
This was the call of its leaders urging them to stay away from the so-called protest because they would have been seen as opposition like always, since the tenure of the past president, Muhammadu Buhari. On Sunday, 19 February, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, advised Igbos across the country not to support any protest in whatever form against the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The South East has always suffered government neglect since the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement made available to journalists, commended people of the South-East for their calmness in abstaining from the series of protests against President Bola Tinubu over the economic hardship across the country. He said, “In the wake of nationwide uproar and agitation sparked by escalating living costs, economic distress, and famine, a resolute calmness emanates from the Old Eastern Nigeria, comprising the South-East and South-South region.
“The striking serenity and resolute silence amidst the prevalent anger and upheaval in the North and Southwest have left many, including the Presidency and the North, astounded. “The preeminent Igbo socio-cultural organisation and unwavering advocate for the Igbo people commend the citizens of the Old Eastern region, particularly the South-East, for their exceptional acumen and sagacity in abstaining from spearheading protests against President Tinubu and the Federal Government amid economic hardships,” he said. According to him, since the inception of the Buhari regime in 2015 to the current Tinubu administration, the South East has borne the brunt of governmental neglect and discrimination.
“Whether it be the centre’s exclusions, the wanton demolition of Igbo properties in Lagos without federal intervention, the systematic burning of Igbo markets in the South-West, minimal federal ministerial appointments, or the unjust incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu juxtaposed with the favoured treatment of figures like Sowore and Igboho, the injustices meted out to the South-East are glaring.
“As protests surge in Niger, Kano, Lagos, Osun, and Abuja, the absence of casualties or protester killings resulting from security intervention starkly contrasts with the haunting memories of Southeastern lives lost during past protests against Kanu’s detainment and the tragic Obigbo (Oyibo) massacre in Rivers State,” he stressed.
President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said that he has received many entreaties from many parts of the country requesting him to call Igbos to join in demonstration and violent action in the Country against the government. “As your leader, I am directing that no Igbo group or community in Nigeria or Diaspora should join in this action. I am still studying the situation. “I have asked those who made entreaties to me to tell me what their position was before the current administration.
“I have asked what they did when Igbo land was disenfranchised in the past”. Iwuanyawu described the current economic crisis in Nigeria as unfortunate. He, however, assured that he would convene a meeting of top Igbo economists and experts to strategise on how to overcome the hardships.
He said the economists and experts would offer advice to Tinubu on the economy. “Igbos are opposed to military rule and prefer a democratic government where we can express our views,” he said.
“Youths all over the world are very restive and sensitive to issues affecting their future. In Nigeria, Igbo youths and youths from other tribes at various times have expressed their dissatisfaction with events in the country.
“It is clear to us that when youths from other tribes of the country are involved, they are reprimanded and forgiven; but when Igbo youths get involved they are arrested, incarcerated, and even charged for serious offenses.
“For example, the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu generated a lot of problems for Igbos. “Many Igbos, including governors, law-makers, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and business leaders pleaded for the release of Mazi Kanu without success,” he said.
The president also alleged that many Igbo youths are in correctional centers for flimsy reasons.
“Most of the Igbo are in the southeast and the region is sadly marginalised in all ramifications as it is the only geopolitical zone that has only five states.
“All men of goodwill at the conferences agreed that it was unfair for the Southeast to have only five states. “They recommended that an additional state be created in the south-east, but up till today, this has not been done,” he said. The separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has also pleaded with the people in the South-East not to join the festering protests by Nigerians against the current economic hardship in the country under the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The separatist group warned that such protests must not take place in the southeastern states because Igbo had long lost interest in Nigeria and were only waiting for an opportunity to leave.
The group claimed in a statement on Tuesday by its spokesman, Emma Powerful. Powerful warned that anyone who organised any protest against economic hardship in the South-East would put Ndigbo in danger.
Powerful said: “The current hardship in Nigeria should be the concern of Nigerians, not Biafrans. Biafrans are no longer interested in the affairs of Nigeria. Biafrans were abused, intimidated, beaten, killed, and denied voting rights during the election of this present government. Ndigbo were told to wait, that it was not their turn to rule.
“Anyone who organises any protest against economic hardship in Biafraland will put Biafrans in danger. During the #EndSARS protest, the Federal Government accused Ndigbo of attempting to destroy Nigeria with violence. We don’t want such profiling and targeting to repeat because Ndigbo participates in any Nigerian mass protest.
“Ndigbo should leave the current economic hardship in the contraption called Nigeria for Nigerians to deal with because this hardship is what God Almighty has in store for Nigeria for the crimes they have committed against Biafrans between 1967 to 1970 and up to date.
“We understand that Ndigbo is equally affected by the economic hardship arising from the reckless and thoughtless economic policies of the government, but God is still seeing Biafrans through. We are worried about the suffering of other tribes, but there is nothing we can do. The current situation is why Biafrans are fighting for freedom. Nevertheless, we must apply wisdom.”
The group further said anyone or group that wants to organise a protest for Nigeria’s hardship should kindly go to the northern or western part of the country and stage such protests there.“Our region is battling the state-sponsored insecurity, kidnappings, and killings by the Federal Government’s agencies and agents, including terrorists. We have much on our hands to do. We will not allow anyone or any group to use the arrangement of protests to import more agents of destabilisation into our territory,” it said.
City People spoke to Igbo residents in Lagos and beyond on why they chose to stay out some declined to comment while many came forward with their reasons.
Bright Okoye, a trader, said that he even loves the way it going because they nearly killed him during the election. After all, he is Igbo. “If you see what I went through in Oshodi during the election eh, you will pity me.
“They should cry, especially the ones in Oyo calling President Ole in a viral video on the internet, they chose to take 5,000 naira in other to sell their votes, and now they are shouting, I wish the security operatives arrest them for inciting the president,” he said.
Chukwudi Kalu, another trader said that he won’t join any protest because he and his family are not hungry. “I won’t protest and will advise all Igbos not to.
Believe me, if we join, they would tag us opposition that wants to disrupt the president from achieving his promises to the citizens and eventually I get locked up, all because am from the southeast,” Kalu said.
Chidimma Ekpa, who resides in the east said that most of the Igbos didn’t vote for President Tinubu and you won’t expect them to join in the protest. “We the Igbos are known for suffering and smiling, we inherited that from our forefathers and we are known for our hard work.
“Honestly, if we join in this protest, it won’t be like other regions’ own, they might send the military to threaten us as the past president did in all the southeast states,” she said.
Another resident from the east, Ifeanyi Offor, said that he and his family will never join in any other protest in this country. “I know what the military and police did to us during the #EndSars protest, and you want me to go for another one? That will never be happy.
“I don’t want to die before my time, next thing you’d hear is that I’m a member of IPOB. I didn’t vote for Tinubu, so the people who voted for him should protest. I want the president to rule for 20 years because I don’t care,” he stated.
–Benprince Ezeh
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