AN APPEAL TO IPOB

By: Deji Yesufu

Yesterday I was at the staff clinic of a tertiary hospital somewhere in South West Nigeria. As we waited to see the doctor, a young house officer came in for her medicals. She had just been taken by the hospital to do her internship. From the conversation between herself and the nurse on ground, I learnt that she had schooled in Enugu, South East Nigeria. And had travelled all the way to the South West for her continued training in medicine.

I immediately engaged her in a dialogue, showing her that I enjoyed my trip to Enugu in 2018 but that unfortunately my second trip last year was not so enjoyable. I told her that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their agitation was not adding to the economy of the South East, rather it was destroying it. The young lady responded saying that at the moment IPOB has split into different factions with each of them having different modus operandi – some are more violent than others.

Now, there is nowhere in the world where violence has been the sole means of actualizing a vision. Everyone employs the carrot and stick approach in realizing a purpose. Even in the house, a wise father knows when to employ the stick on the recalcitrant child and he knows when to offer some carrots. It is time IPOB and all other agitating groups in South East Nigeria begin to consider other options before them.

I have listened to many of their thinkers and they come off to me more like rabble-rousers than persons with ideas that can convince a nation. Those who effect change in society are individuals who do not always employ a gun; those who effect lasting change mostly involve the pen – which they use in enumerating their ideas in coherent ways. Even if those ideas are not utilized in their lifetime, a generation will rise up; pick up what is written and implement them. In this article, I want to talk to IPOB about the idea called Peter Obi.

In 2018, when I published Victor Banjo, my primary audience were the various groups agitating for Biafra. My main thesis was this: Eastern Nigeria had more reasons to call for secession in 1967 than they have today – yet, even in 1967 Ojukwu and others with him made the wrong decision by seceding. The cost of that decision was that some three million people perished in a needless war and every part of the country paid a price for that decision; some families are even still mourning fifty years after.

One of such families is the family of Victor Banjo. Therefore when a people agitate, they think the matter through properly. And war should always be a last resort. In that book, I suggested that Eastern Nigeria should put forward one of their sons and sell him to the Nigerian electorate with the hope that they will buy him. When I made that suggestion, Peter Obi was not in the picture. Today, even his detractors cannot deny the fact that Obi is the best option among the individuals that have come forward to run for the presidency of the country.

So, my appeal is to the various factions of IPOB: sheath your sword and give Peter Obi a chance. It is sad that while people from other parts of the country are spending and being spent to see Obi elected into office, members of IPOB are carrying out attacks on INEC offices in South East Nigeria. Do you realize that politics is a game of numbers? Do you realize that no one will deny Eastern Nigeria a place in Aso Rock if 100% of the votes casted in the whole of Eastern Nigeria and South South go to Peter Obi? Do you understand that those of us in the South West and the middle belt of the country are poised to give Obi at least 25% of votes casted?

With these numbers, there is no way Obi will not coast to victory in the coming election. And there is no one born in Nigeria today who will deny him the right to rule the country. I am saying in essence that the best chance you have in realizing your desires to be inclusive in the whole Nigerian project is Peter Gregory Obi. Kindly consider that option.

The other option before you is the continued division among you. The continuous hit and run measures you employ. You may need to check the history books and see that there is no group in the world that has ever realized their purposes in such a manner. Dialogue is what the modern man employs in realizing their vision. Put your best ideas forward and run with them. Peter Obi is the best idea for South East Nigeria today. Run with him.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/an-appeal-to-ipob/

Trash from a pig

Nigerians are the only people on earth who pray for peace to come, while sitting on top of a mountain of injustice

That doesnt happen in the real world

Nigeria is 6th most terrorised country in the world for a reason. Rather than asking what is propelling young people to take up arms against government, you are asking and praying to come from where?


From a country built on injustice, unfairness and corruption?

This is not a matter of IPOB, this is a matter of Nigeria

I love peace but Im a realistic person who knows that the Nigeria of today cannot bring peace

gidgiddy:
Nigerians are the only people on earth who pray for peace to come, while sitting on top of a mountain of injustice

That doesnt happen in the real world

Nigeria is 6th most terrorised country in the world for a reason. Rather than asking what is propelling young people to take up arms against government, you are asking and praying to come from where?


From a country built on injustice, unfairness and corruption?

This is not a matter of IPOB, this is a matter of Nigeria

I love peace but Im a realistic person who knows that the Nigeria of today cannot bring peace

So you take up arms against the state?

It. Is my humble opinion that IPOB are Capable of Genocide and Peter Obi has simply refused to call them to order

Did Peter Obi utter a word when IPOB murdered a heavily pregnant Harira and her 4 Children in the Street for being Northerners?

Do you realize how many people from the SE live in Kano alone?

I wonder why they keep talking to IPOB instead of telling Nigerians government to obey simple court order ?

I really don't understand , it's like telling a child to be matured n understand his father while the father acts foolishly

IPOB today can't be controlled by anyone ,one one man can and that's nnamdi kanu simple ... releasing kanu solves the issue by 85%

But no

christistruth01:



It. Is my humble opinion that IPOB are Capable of Genocide and Peter Obi has simply refused to call them to order

Did Peter Obi utter a word when IPOB murdered a heavily pregnant Harira and her 4 Children in the Street for being Northerners?

Do you realize how many people from the SE live in Kano alone?

. Your Fada, did buhari, Tinubu or even shettima, who even organized the chibok girls kidnap uttered a word or have you ever seen uttered a word when kabiru sokoto bombed the church in abuja or even have any of them condemned the killing recent killing of Rev Fa. Achi? Hypocrite like you

On Election day we will know the owners of the Land.

Since you said Peter Obi is the best option. You can vote for him in the South West, and any Igbo son or daughter who wishes to participate can equally go to the South West to vote for him.

As for me and my family and friends; Peter Obi is on his own. We have decided and agreed not to participate in any Nigerian elections. We are IPOB and we are Biafrans by birth and not Nigerians.

We have seen a lot of Injustice. Nigerian military are surrounding us from left to right, building check points in every corner, robbing us at gun point. Burning markets and houses, raping our women, and killing our youths. Have you for once gone to our hospitals to see the amount of dead youths gunned down unprovoked by the Nigerian armed forces. Not given the Nigerian Armed forces bribe means death sentence.

We have seen numerous occasions when Nigerians vowed never to vote in any Igbo son or daughter as the head of State. Or have you guys suddenly forgotten your vow.

Any Igbo son trading our Biafran struggle with Peter Obi's presidential ambitions is either born in the 21st century, those not no what happened at Onitsha head Bridge and how Peter Obi collaborated with SARS to kill us.

There is no Nigerian elections in our land. You can do your elections anywhere but not in our land. Do not say you have not been warned.

Idiotseverywher:
. Your Fada, did buhari, Tinubu or even shettima, who even organized the chibok girls kidnap uttered a word or have you ever seen uttered a word when kabiru sokoto bombed the church in abuja or even have any of them condemned the killing recent killing of Rev Fa. Achi? Hypocrite like you

I will not insult your Father

I doubt you even have one

Just make sure you keep all your insults and

nonsense On your own side of the Niger

Bridge

Idiotseverywher:
. Your Fada, did buhari, Tinubu or even shettima, who even organized the chibok girls kidnap uttered a word or have you ever seen uttered a word when kabiru sokoto bombed the church in abuja or even have any of them condemned the killing recent killing of Rev Fa. Achi? Hypocrite like you

Boko haram are terrorists, ipob are terrorists, bandits are terrorists. All of them should be killed.

Wiseandtrue:

Another concocted lies! Deji Yesufu, it's in the news how this regime is committing different crimes and blaming it on Igbos! Go and educate yaself!

Dialogue Buhari tell you say him want dialogue How many people have intervened, did he listen

Person wey want dialogue dey call a part of country he preside 5% and dot

We are talking about a "president" that kills protesters here!

So abeg! Keep your advise for Buhari because if he truly want dialogue, he knows how to go about it!

Curtail the venom...