Fajuyi, Nnamdi Kanu, and the Virtue of Loyalty

I have refrained from commenting on the tangled politics of Biafra and the merchandising of a people's tragedy. Biafra has caused millions of people untold pain and misery but also put millions of naira into the pockets of some people. On the Biafran question, the empty grandstanding by a few loudmouths is as nauseating as the servile betrayals by some Efulefus of Igbo extraction. Amidst this drama in the marketplace of ideas, it is often difficult to make rational arguments on matters concerning Biafra.

Nigeria is like a bus in which the driver, conductor, and the passengers are violently quarreling among themselves as they struggle for the ignition key and are undecided about their destination. The bus moves an inch forward and 4 inches backward. The occupants scream and yell at one another. Nigeria is a bedlam.

The foundations of the country, be it the Constitution, style of politics, vision or lack thereof, constituent parts, et cetera are simply inarticulate, faulty, and dubious. The 1999 Constitution, drafted by Gen. Abdul Salaam Abubakar, is an obvious lie. Its opening statement "We the People" is a big lie. We should know that. And that partly explains why the country is not a nation.

And so I come to Nnamdi Kanu, a blowhard transformed into a hero in these parts! Wonderful. I have always held the view that the arrest and continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is unnecessary, heavy-handed, and a tragic mistake. There is nothing Nnamdi Kanu has said which others haven't said in several fora. Locking him up adds unwanted tension in a country already on the edge of the precipice.

Inasmuch as I disagree with Nnamdi Kanu's proposition for an exit of Biafra from Nigeria, I defend his right to say his mind. Like every Nigerian, Nnamdi Kanu has a right to say wise or even foolish things. Personally, I think that the argument for the exit of Biafra from Nigeria is intellectually misconceived, practically foolish, and economically suicidal for the Igbos.

I must however doff my hat for Nmamdi Kanu's loyalty to his loyalists and co-travelers in detention. To reject his bail conditions on the ground that the same conditions were not extended to his co-accused and allies is charming and worthy of commendation. He has refused to sell his followers down the river. More power to him. Loyalty is a virtue.

And this brings me to Col. Fajuyi, a brave man and a loyal soul who paid the supreme price in loyalty to his guest and boss, General Ironsi. Col. Fajuyi preferred to die with General Ironsi rather than abandon Ironsi, a guest in his house, to those who wanted to kill him.

To our "bread and butter" politicians who change political loyalties, switch alliances, and somersault from their beliefs at the sight of "Ghana-must-Go" bags of naira or "tickets" to electoral posts, or political appointments, I say, please pause for a moment and look up the word loyalty in a dictionary. Loyalty means something, a lot, if you ask me.