When has Igbo become so ethically
compromised that they do must defend
even thieves from Igboland? Are these
Igbo not aware that such fight, like in the
case of Stella Oduah not only ridicules the
Igbo but belittles them before others?
What happens to the sanctimonious
resolve of our fore fathers never to get
involved in war of blame?
BY JOE IGBOKWE

At the risk of being tagged once again as
anti-Igbo by rabid, commissioned slave
traders who see Ndigbo as easy wares to
be marketed to their political masters, I
write this open letter to my people.
At the huge risk of being called names by
my brothers and sisters, I boldly write
this piece to my people. I have been called
names in the past for speaking out and I
may be wrong but please forgive me. I
write because I know that a story that
must be told never forgives silence. I write
despite all odds because I know that when
a writer is silent he or she is lying. I write
because I want things to be done
differently, because I know that the
greatest part of hell will be reserved for
those who maintain their neutrality in
times of great moral crisis. I write
knowing fully well that I am not the best
God ever created and therefore mine
cannot be the last word. Two incidents
involving Mrs. Stella Oduah, who was
removed as a Minister for corruption, and
General Ihejirika, who just retired from
the Nigerian Army necessitated this open
letter.
Sacked aviation minister Stella Oduah and
former COAS General Ihejirika
Mrs. Stella Oduah was removed as a
Minister of Aviation for issues bordering
on corruption. She was accused of
financial recklessness.
When the lid was blown open, our people
went to town to defend Mrs Stella Oduah.
All Igbo organizations went to town with
the chorus "LEAVE STELLA ODUAH
ALONE". The shouts came from our
people all over the world and it was loud
enough and at best, deafening. When Mrs.
Stella Oduah was eventually eased out by
the presidency, one thought our people
will learn the lesson but not Igbo. Our
leaders went to town with a project to
honour Mrs. Stella Oduah and others with
awards in Lagos. In preparation for the
ceremony one of the leaders spoke to the
press. Hear him “we are honouring our
own Mrs. Stella Oduah to show the world
that even when Nigeria mocks our
brightest and best for doing a good job at
the Aviation Industry, we must tell the
world that we love and celebrate our
own.” She was given an instant title of Ada
Igbo. As I write this, billboards are at
strategic locations in Igboland, celebrating
her as ADA IGBO.
Now enter General Ihejirika, the former
Chief of Army Staff.
General Ihejirika just retired from the
Army after serving for more than three
decades. General Ihejirika is now eyeing
the governorship seat in Abia State on the
platform of PDP just few months after
pulling out of the Nigerian Army.
But just recently an Australian peace
negotiator, Stephen Davis, who was
allegedly contracted by the federal
government and who spent four months in
Nigeria negotiating with Boko Haram to
get the kidnapped Chibok girls out, told
the world that the former Governor of
Borno State Ali Modu Sheriff and
Ihejirika have hands in sponsoring Boko
Haram. The moment Stephen Davis'
statement hit the Nigerian public space,
hell was let loose once again. Our people
went to town with the usual mantra:
"LEAVE IHEJIRIKA ALONE". Almost all
the Igbo organizations have issued press
statements suggesting that General
Ihejirika is now being persecuted for
staking his life to fight Boko Haram for
Nigeria. Again the noise was so loud and
deafening.
According to our people Ihejirika is being
persecuted because he is Igbo. Even Igbo
World Assembly (IWA) in far away
United States was not left out in the
drama. In the social media it is Igbo and
other Nigerians.
Now the questions are: do we need to
defend Mrs. Stella Oduah and General
Ihejirika? Are they not old enough or
competent enough to defend themselves?
Were our people with them when they
were serving? Can we swear we know
them very well to continue this noise? Do
we really know the character of these
persons? Why this prebendal politics? If
we continue to defend our tribes only,
who will then defend Nigeria? Who is
working for Nigeria if I may ask? Is it not
bad behaviour for Igbo to continue to
defend what they know nothing about?
Are we not making ourselves objects of
ridicule in the eyes of other Nigerians?
When we pour invectives on other
Nigerians or people who are different
from us are we not endangering the lives
and businesses of Ndigbo scattered all
over Nigerians?
Have we forgotten that our people are the
most mobile in Nigeria? Do we know how
other Nigerians rate us in this predictable
primitive defense? Do we consider the
feelings of other Nigerians? What signals
are we sending out with this improper
behaviour? Don’t we have men and
women who will say enough is enough in
this madness of defending the
indefensible?
We know Igbo history, philosophy and
sociology, when did it tolerate blind and
unquestionable defence of someone who
might have compromised his or herself
while in office? When has Igbo become so
ethically compromised that they do must
defend even thieves from Igboland? Are
these Igbo not aware that such fight, like
in the case of Stella Oduah not only
ridicules the Igbo but belittles them
before others? What happens to the
sanctimonious resolve of our fore fathers
never to get involved in war of blame?
When Professor Grace Grange, IG Tafa
Balogun, and Speaker Patricia Etteh, were
removed for corruption, did the Yoruba
resort to this kind of blackmail? What is
the North saying about Ali Modu Sherrif,
the former Governor of Borno State
implicated in Boko Haram insurgency
with Ihejirika? These are just few cases I
wanted to mention for emphasis.
To the best of my knowledge I do not
think our people are playing better
politics in Nigeria now. I do not think the
way we are going now will help us
politically. I do not think other Nigerians
will trust us if we continue this way. I have
slim hope that other Nigerians will take
serious in matters of Nigerian politics. I
am not led to believe that we are getting it
right, rather I think we are going the
wrong way.
For emphasis, Ihejirika may be guilty or
not but it is his to prove. I am not saying
he is guilty for I do not know the details.
He doesn’t need all the cahoots of
persuaders now striving to show their
support for him to do so. In every sane
society, security is a complicated issue and
every person within that society, even the
president, is a suspect until proven
otherwise. The best for Ihejirika is to step
out and put a solid defence and shame his
accusers. If he believes he will get the mob
to extricate him, he is making a mistake
and getting himself indicted by history
and that is far more dangerous for him.
I suggest that Igbo should stop creating
enemies for itself in Nigeria. I suggest that
Igbo should rise above ethnic
preoccupation to help move Nigeria
forward. If we are still one Nigeria, Igbo
should consider the feelings of other
Nigerians. This defeatism attitude must
give way to politics of ideas. This
persecution complex must stop. This
leadership complex must seize to exist.
Joe Igbokwe.
Lagos
SOURCE:
www.saharareporters.com/2014/09/12/open-letter-ndigbo-joe-igbokwe

I feel very diminished. Mr Igbokwe, can I have the 5minutes spent reading this bullcrap back?