The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-east zone on Sunday expressed worries over the ongoing mass protest by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other groups across the states in the zone, lamenting that if nothing is quickly done, it could ultimately affect the possible emergence of a Nigeria President of Igbo extraction by 2023.
In a statement by the spokesman of South-east APC leadership caucus, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the party appealed to the protesting groups who are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to stop the war drums in the overall interest of the Igbo nation.
This however came as a faction of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) expressed outrage over the statement credited to the Enugu-based fiery priest, Fr. Ejike Mbaka, in which he reportedly asked the pro-Biafra protesters to seek for other meaningful things to do with their time instead of disturbing the peace of the people.
The group in a statement by its Director of Information, Uchenna Madu, condemned Fr Mbaka’s statement “against Biafra as insensitive, misguided, so selfish and shameful.”
But on its part, the APC said: “Whereas we agree that there is gross unemployment, discontent and despondency among youths in the land, however, it is not peculiar to the South-east alone. The gross unemployment is nationwide and would be addressed holistically, luckily our son, Senator Chris Ngige, is the minister in charge of employment.”
Okechukwu appealed to the pro-Biafra agitators to stop their mass action and drums of war in the overall interest of the Ndigbo at home, across the country and abroad.
“As our record shows, it’s better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Dialogue is the best solution, albeit we are doing relatively well across the country and our human development index is one of the highest.
According to the APC, Ndigbo must be strategic in its agitation, as every evidence suggests that it would be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the progressive and prosperous Nigeria being constructed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We cannot act like the rodent inside the deep hole for years, only to revolt when it was about to be freed. This is not the best of times to hype and escalate the agitation for Biafra, because President Buhari has pledged to resuscitate the dilapidated federal roads in the South-east, revamp Enugu Coal, fix the second Niger Bridge and other physical infrastructure.
“For Mr. President his word is his bond. Critical analysis posits that after his second tenure, it will be the turn of the South-east to produce Nigeria president.
“Is it not paradoxical that the pro-Biafra agitators were not this hyper-active in the 16 years when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party Ndigbo gave unprecedented and overwhelming support, without commensurate reward, was in power at the centre?
“Does it mean that the promoters didn’t see anything wrong when former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonatlhan, our adopted son, allowed federal roads in the South-east to unimaginable decay, couldn’t award the second Niger Bridge on contract bases like Owete Bridge and couldn’t revamp Enugu Coal?’
“Available evidence shows that the promoters of the mass action are suspects, as they neither sampled the views of the majority of Ndigbo at home or in Dutse – Jigawa, in Akure – Ondo, in Oron – Akwa Ibom nor Ndigbo in Lagos, Kano and Abuja,” Okechukwu said.
When asked what made him think Ndigbo would produce president in 2023, Okechukwu quipped: “Going by the zoning convention, equity and natural justice, surely the president will rotate to the south in 2023.”
He remarked that every rational indicator favours Ndigbo and so, “we need to guide our hate propaganda and wait patiently to harvest the turn of the South-east. To be frank this is the golden opportunity for us to join the mainstream, and it should not be scuttled by pro-Biafra agitators”.
On whether the APC would honour zoning convention when it is not in its constitution, Okechukwu said in liberal democracy, there is the law and there is the convention, but convention more often prevails than the law, because of its moral weight.
Meanwhile, a faction of MASSOB insisted that Father Mbaka’s statement remained unacceptable to them.
“How can a revered Igbo clergy man descend so low to in make such a condemnable statement few days after Buhari’s wife visited him. Mr. President should be aware that no amount of money given to Mbaka, persuasion and personal friendship with him can ever frustrate or diminish the rising status, consciousness & global reawakening/acceptance of Biafra. A man who speaks with both side of the mouth at a time is a hypocrite and is not worthy to be trusted. The Igbo Christians, Catholics and even The Pope will prove Mbaka wrong.
“Many Igbo clergymen including the Catholic priests are not in support of Fr Mbaka’s comments on Biafra. This is why the Igbo youths and other citizens have lost confidence and trust on many Igbo leaders in Nigeria. Biafra agitators are more determined to sacrifice our shops, businesses, jobs, comfort and even the supreme price for the sake of our freedom.
“Fr Mbaka should be aware that even during our peaceful and non-violent demonstrations, the agitators, sympathisers and Biafrans patronise his products including the Aqua Rapha satchet/bottle water and yogurts. Fr Mbaka’s business boomed as the protest last. Biafran Revolution is not destructive as God, history and humanity are sided with us,” Madu noted.
However, a former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi (rtd), has identified failure of leadership of the country to address injustices and well as equitable service delivery to every part of the country as a reason for the renewed agitation for equity and justice.
The former Police CP also backed President Buhari’s decision to scrap the Ministry of Police Affairs, saying the ministry was almost doing the work of Police Service Commission (PSC).
He spoke to journalists yesterday in Abuja during the 20th anniversary of the Bahr’i Community of Abuja, the former FCT police boss appealed to the government to act fast by arresting the situation through addressing the issues being raised by the agitators.
He said: “Leadership is not about he who controls or he who dominates but he who serves others and he who controls the needs of others.
‘’It requires trustworthiness, justice and service. If the leaders of this country would do that, we will be like leaves of one tree.
“We must not see each other as strangers, the leaves of a tree don’t fight each other, when the wind blows, they romance each other. So, Nigerians should learn to live together with one another in peace and unity.
‘’The problems of Nigeria cannot be solved until unity is firmly established. When Nigerians begin to see one another as brothers and sisters, when one Nigerian will not see another as a stranger, whether from the North, from the South, from the East or from the West.”
According to him, “Our leaders should imbibe this culture and virtue of seeing ourselves as one and work for the good of all.’’
Commenting on latest scrapping of the Ministry of Police Affairs by President Buhari, Alobi said the action was in the best interest of the Nigerian Police just as he said it would enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force.
He observed that the establishment of the ministry was not necessary in the first place, taking cognisance of the constitutional mandate of the Police Service Commission.
Alobi maintained that the ministry was duplicating most of the work of the commission.
“The Ministry of Police Affairs is supposed to be for policy formulation but we are talking of reducing ministries now because of our financial challenges, policing service is capital intensive and if you have a ministry now, you employ directors, you employ a minister, you employ staff and so forth and doing that will also add to the cost.
” The police can manage itself very well without a ministry, already, we have a PSC and I believe that with the PSC and the management team of the Nigerian Police Force, they can manage the affairs of the force and policies can be formulated and also Mr. President is there to see that those policies are implemented.”(ThisDay)
Source: Sayelbatimes
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