₦airaland Forum

jeremy85:
Ohaneze and Its Unjustified Fear of the Army

By Israel Abiodun

It takes morbid fear to work up the courage to condemn what a large population are commending. When the Nigerian Army inaugurated a 7-member Special Board of Inquiry into allegations of human rights abuses against it the development was met with accolades. Several people commended the development as a plus for the Army because it will help it identify those that conduct themselves against the agreed rules of engagement. But it was not so for Ohaneze Ndi Igbo whose President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo rushed to the public square with a declaration that the outcome of the inquiry would not be acceptable to his group.

Had Chief Nnia Nwodo's tirade happened when Ohaneze was still a group that command respect the Special Board of Inquiry would have been dead on arrival. But for this type of article, Nwodo's tantrum has been forgotten and even horde of separatists troll on the internet barely paid attention to the statement as they moved on to what they enjoy doing, bemoaning a civil war that was fought even before they were born. For Nwodo, and any other person that joined him in concocting the press statement in which it disparaged the inquiry, the task ahead of them has moved from difficult to impossible as Nigerians will take their platform even less seriously now that it has been revealed they are scared witless.

Unfortunately, the fear that propels Nwodo and his associate is not about the safety of the people of the South East – all law abiding Nigerians are safe from the security agencies, including the Army. It is a fear of losing the meal tickets that Ohaneze has severally been deployed to secure for those piloting its affairs. These meal tickets are valid when people running the federal government see a socio-cultural organization as having enough clout and influence that can be drawn upon when it is time to mobilize people. That bite was lost in the last general election when Ohaneze could not even come up with a single voice to endorse the poor performing then President Goodluck Jonathan. It has always been about the sharing formula for the group so they never bothered to pursue things that are in the interest of their constituency.

Even as a new leadership took the mantle of managing Ohaneze, the executive would have preferred that they are able to maintain the status quo; that of lying to the world and misleading its youths that Igbos are victims. The victim blame game serves the interest of these parochial leaders so well that they now accept their own lies as the truth, not because they are dubious but because they have repeated the lie of marginalization so many times that they now believe it to be the truth. They are therefore scared that the Army inquiry would give perspective to Nigerians and the lies would be exposed and the victim card would become worthless.

More frightening for Nwodo and his cohort is the likelihood that the inquiry would expose the true nature of the insurgency being waged by separatists like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of a Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). While Nwodo has openly backed these separatists, the inquiry may establish how Ohaneze is connected with the violent elements in these groups particularly how they are funded.

Ohaneze has done a good job till date in packaging the IPOB/MASSOB elements as harmless protesters asking for a Biafra republic – there has been no mention from the right quarters in Igboland about how this constitute a breach of the law. Had that been the only law broken in the agitation for a state that would not last one football season it would have been easier to stomach. But these are elments that finance their organisations from the proceeds of kidnap for ransom. They are the same people that killed other ethnic nationalities and buried bodies in shallow mass graves; the resort to shallow mass graves is apparently not unconnected with trying to avoid a repeat of Ezu river, when several corpses floated down the river. At one of their protests these separatists threw military personnel into the river in Onitsha.

The smokescreen fell away from the façade Ohaneze has been hiding behind when Nwodo openly declared that “No reasonable father would disown his child publicly because he misbehaved.” So he confirmed that the IPOB/MASSOB militias are their children while the latter half is an admission that these fighters "misbehaved", which is a mild way of acknowledging the destructive path they have chosen. Interestingly, further south of Igboland another Chief had made similar assertion when he claimed the militants that are destroying economic assets are his children. This gives some degree of clarity to the disrupted plan to cause mayhem in Port Harcourt under the guise of celebrating the inauguration of an American President that may soon place members of these militant groups on the US persona non grata list of those not welcome to his country.

Back to the more crucial issue of the Board of Inquiry, the panel must be accorded its status as being at par with a judicial panel; its proceedings and eventual outcomes must not be preempted in the manner that Chief Nwodo did when he said no one can be a judge in his own case and the outcome of the inquiry would not be acceptable to Ohaneze. It is understandable that the President General of Ohaneze with the militant youths he has acknowledged as his children would be jittery at the mere thought of hearing the families of people they have killed or maimed give testimony. The solution is however not to try shooting the inquiry down before it properly began its work.

One must however sympathize with Chief Nwodo. He inherited a fractured organization though a profoundly rancorous process and must now prove that he is the warrior leader of Igbo umbrella organization. Fighting shadows might just count in his favour so he will necessarily undertake more verbal attacks on persons and institutions that will leave his clansmen with the impression that he is leading them somewhere.

Since it will be uncharitable to identify a man's predicament without offering solutions, the suggestion is for Nwodo to get more realistic and persuade his followers, including the fighters to do the same. The slush funds they are angry at no longer having access to was not going to last forever anyway – they should therefore get real and find honest vocations, millions of enterprising Igbo people have thriving businesses all over the country that they would not give up for the pipe dream of political jobbers that are selling the mirage of Biafra. He must also find experts that could help those among his followers that are delusional to the point of dressing as and referring to themselves as Jews. And of course, the preoccupation with what the panel will find should stop if IPOB/MASSOB are as innocent as Ohaneze claims.

Abiodun PhD, a public affairs commentator writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.

What kind of human being wrote this? That IPOB and MASSOB are funded through the proceeds of kidnapp? What sort of useless lie is this?

He said that MASSOB/IPOB buried people, an incident that has since been debunked by the Abia state Government.

He said that asking for Biafra is a crime, let him go and read chapter 4 of the Nigerian constitution. Anyone is allowed to ask for Biafra.

He said that IPOB/MASSOB are violent groups, to this day, not one act of violence can be attributed to IPOB/MASSOB. Infact, they are the ones that have shown a lot of patience for not turning violent after being shot and killed by the Nigerian Army

He is trying to make this out to be all about GEJ's election loss but he does not know that MASSOB/IPOB have been there before GEJ was even president


It is quite clear that whoever wrote this article is someone suffering from the colonial mentality of "Lord Lugard made us all Nigerians and Nigerians must we forever be". When I saw his surname, I wasnt surprised.

Igbos will never be part of that slave mentality

XerXers:
Ogba and Ndoni in Rivers state are supposed to be in Ogbaru Anambra state, while Egbema in Rivers are supposed to join the Egbema in Imo state, Rivers state boundary is full of fraud to remove all oil communities from SE

The worst is that of Egbema. They cut the community into two, put one part in Rivers state and put the other in Imo.

Today there is Egbema in Imo and Egbema Rivers.

No worries, when we start practicing full Regionalism, all these states they used to perpetuate 'divide and rule' will be dissolved.

There is no such thing as SE or SS. Igbo land is not SE

I have to bow to her. Igbo is a very hard language to learn.

Iblad0994:
So if all stupid thinking people are given right to breakaway from their country due to their unrealistic belief of slavery how many countries will have been in the world,, if ibo break away now other tribe will agitate that they are suffering also and they will also want to break away.. breaking away from Nigeria is not the solution I think.

I dont care if 100 ethnic groups demand tbeir own country from Nigeria. There was a time there was no Nigeria and those 100 ethnic groups were on their own. If heaven did not fall then, it wont fall now.

ipobbigot7:
Resources control? Show me the source.

True federalism is a demand and not begging and we are doing that when the igbos whining on marginalisation is becoming a nuisance, we are making the demand for them that if their northern masters will not give them freedom they should allow true federalism to give the igbos recognition and sense of belonging.

You See how magnanimous the Yorubas can be.

That makes it worse. Why should be demanding your right? Who are you demanding it from? The North? And if they refuse, which is 100% guaranteed they will, what will you people do? You keep demanding forever. Lol

ipobbigot7:
Yorubas needs not fight for any freedom since they are no slaves to nobody but masters of themselves.

Well it's unfortunate for those fighting for freedom, your master isn't ready to let you go yet.

Lol, oh really?

If Yorubas are not slaves, why are you people begging for resource control and true federalism? How can you be begging for what is yours if you are truly free?

LordOfNaira:
You people suffer from persecution complex. Who is enslaving your people? You are all over the place, North, East, West, doing your thing without intimidation and yet complain of enslavement. What do you even want?

You make me laugh by comparing your nonexistent plight with the diabolical apartheid in South Africa. Do you even know the meaning of Apartheid. Have you entered a pub or an airport where you were thrown out for being an Igbo? Have you been denied jobs in every company in Nigeria because of your ethnicity? Have you seen signs saying Igbos should not enter this bus, or that shopping mall? Don't we have Igbos as ministers in Buhari's cabinet?

So you do not know that apartheid is also practiced in Nigeria? The Nigeria you see today is run only for the benefit if the North. Is anyone controling their resources in Nigeria? Do we pracractice real federalism? Does anyone have sovereignty?

This is not about being everywhere, this is about if Igbos are happy to be part of Nigeria. If they dont want and are kept against their will, then it is aparthied to do so

LordOfNaira:
This is a disrespect to the African continent.

What do you mean? You dont know that both men were fighting forces that wanted to enslave their people?

ipobbigot7:
For all i know, Igbo pioneer anything for others to follow, they have always been slaves to mallams.

The pdp the Igbos are dying over today was pioneered by two northerners and a Yoruba man, which were Danjuma, Babangida and Obasanjo, hope you read the history as was related recently by Babangida.

In the days of NPN, UPN and NCP, the northerners formed NPN, the Yorubas formed UPN, while NCP was by an Igbo. The Yorubas stuck to their beliefs while the Igbos abandon NCP to follow the superior vision of their master.

When pdp came the Yorubas rejected it be of Babangida and Obasanjo because of their history and stuck their belief again even when the odds was against them but did the Igbos do, they abandon Ojukwu with his apga and ended up killing him with a heart attack.

Go and check the history the Yorubas will always be consistent with their vision. The APC you see today came about when the north resolved to work with the Yorubas to remove the evil party called pdp.

But what do we still have, the north has abandoned pdp to the igbos, apga is almost gone into extinction and Ojukwu legacy is almost perishing because the igbos loyalty to the party their northern slave left them cannot be compromised.

You seem to know Nigerian history well. As you know, the best way a person can prove they are not a slave is by fighting for their freedom

Now can you tell me who and who have fought a war to free themselves from Northern controlled Nigeria?

Did anyone really expect the French Ambassador to come out and publicly support Biafra?

No Ambassador is going to publicly support the division of the country he is an Ambassador to


If that Ambassador did that, he would be expelled that very day back to his home country.

The French Ambassador just said what any Ambassador would say.

They only thing I think he should not have said is that Biafran has no future. He is in Nigeria to be an Ambassador, he is not here to predict future. It is not for him to predict what the indigenous people do with their land and sovereignty.

He is entitled to disagree with Biafra, he is not allowed to predict the future.

Factfinder1:
LET US SHELVE THE IDEA OF A NEW BIAFRA


INOKON HENRY EMMANUEL KINGS

PROUDLY AKWA IBOM
GOD BLESS NIGERIA...

So that we can all become slaves of the Hausa/Fulani Caliphate of Nigeria?

ipobarecriminals:
.Untill u see Okorocha, Kalu, Obiano, Uba @ the forefront of this agitation, nah hopeless, worthless fight una yweets dey fight

And how many of them did you see @ the forefront when Lord Lugard was creating Nigeria?

Died in interrogation means 'tortured to death by police'

One day, this hermen menace in Igboland will come to an abrupt end. Infact, a time will come when if Herdsmen see the border of Igbo land, they will take their cattle and run away. But for now, they can mess up because we have "Hausa-Fulani controlled Nigeria"

That control wont last forever

ipobbigot7:
That FFK becomes a voice some people from a certain region celebrates show the level of derangement of the youths from that region after FFK came to the media to tell the history of how he decimated and licked the plate of the wife of their (Ojukwu) while that one will be screaming at the top of her voice while he is at Work doing her, also told the tales of several of their ladies he had decimated their punany, he still went ahead to impregnate one of them before he married her, what an open impunity.

Who cares who FFK claims to have slept with? If he likes, let him claim to have had a threesomee with Angela Merkel and Teresa May. Not even Ojukwu cared who his wife had previously slept with before he married her.

Vwry few people say the truth in Nigeria to protect their selfish interests so when Yoruba men like Fayose and FFK say their mind no matter whos Oxs is gored, it is worthy of support.

This "the North my eternal master" mentality you people like so much will never be supported by us

Igbos:
Now these are brilliant real Igbos speaking..
Not some hate filled liepod miscreants.

I will mobilize and support for an Igbo President in 2023.

Igbo presidency is nonsense. Do you see Igbos agitating for it any more?

What good will the Presidency be for us in a messed up country like Nigeria?

What sane Igbo would even wabt to be president of a messed place like Nigeria?

I would rather if my people stay away from the presidency of Nigeria, it is cursed.

Fayose and FFK

The two Yoruba men who refused to be slaves of the North.

Mercy is for the weak

Kanu does not need mercy, he does not want it. Kanu is Mandela, the man who fought an oppressive force from behind bars

Kanu is a committed freedom fighter who will never stop untill he achieves emancipation for his people.

Kanu does not need mercy

Okorocha should be ashamed of himself. His party is the worst thing to happen to Nigeria since the end of the war.

NormalCodes:
Aren't you daft and stupid?

It is no longer Nnamdi Kanu is not in Biafra land, it is now his wife and new born u want to be in Nigeria, what of his own siblings and parents who all in Afara Ibeku, I guess they don't matter in your myopic stupid thinking.

I hate Igbos like you, trying to castigate your fellow Biafra because u want others to love u.

Big fool., No wonder your ilks are in their last breed, Biafra saboteurs and betrayers. May your life be like one Nigeria.

Forget that Afonja. They were the ones who said that Kanu can never leave his London base. He proved them wrong. Now they are wondering why his wife didnt join him? Funny people

The same people who have never even raised their hands to fight for their freedom are the ones calling Ojukwu who fought for 3 years.

If Ojukwu who fought for 3 years is a coward, what then do you call those who have never fought even for 3 minutes?

I laugh in Igbo

benkeke:
Ogbeni charge and bail lawyer, FESTUS KEYAMO is a big disgrace to one of the most revered legal chamber in Africa, The Late GANI FAWEHINMI Chamber where he started his legal profession from. FESTUS KEYAMO, a serial blackmailer and womaniser whose marital infidelity is known to everybody. For him to direct the script that was written and given to Stephanie Otobo to blackmail Apostle Johnson Suleman indicates the reason why The Nigerian Bar Association had continuously refused to honour him with the SAN title because of his legal shenanigans. He had attempted twice but failed woefully. He thinks he will get appointment from APC for this onslaught against the preacher. They have given him Judas Iscariot bounty so let him enjoy.

To become a SAN you must have practiced the law profession for 10 years and you must have distinguished yourself in the profession. Oga lawyer has been in the field for more than 20 years. I swear I will become a SAN before him.

All this is nonsense. Keyamo is a Lawyer, his job is give legal services to people. It does not matter who is lying between Otobo and Suleman, it us not for us to judge. The Police and Law courts can do that.

From day one, this little boy is being thought noble lessons which is beyond the understanding of a Nigerian to learn.

This boy is being taught about self determination.

This boy is being taught to accept the country created by his fellow Africans rather Nigeria that was created by European imperialists

This boy is being taught to reject Hausa/Fulani controlled Nigeria

This boy is being taught to reject the colonial name imposed on him by the colonial masters.

The so called Ola Sanmi did not adress even one thing FFK wrote in the article

To attack a person has become a way for Nigerians to avoid addressing issues.

FFK wrote an article. Instead of Sanmi to focus on the article, he started attacking the writter.

Im not a big fan of FFK as a man but he makes a lot of sense in his articles. I want to see people address the issues in his articles, addressing the man himself will not make the issues he raised in his article to go away.

This picture made my day, I love it!

Nwachukwu!

I read the article, what a waste of my time. The man made one of the worst, pathetic excuse for 'one Nigeria'.

Obasunjo is one of the luckiest people I have heard about. That man has escaped death more times than anybody.

In first coup by Nzeogwu, he escaped to Bauchi in the boot of a car

In the counter coup, Obasunjo disapoeared into thin air

In the Dimka coup, those who were supposed to gun Obasunjo down missed him by a stroke of luck

During the civil war, the Biafrans tried many times to kill Obasunjo including one where a Biafran rocket fell where Obasunjo was standing. 4 of his body guards died, Obasunjo came out without a scratch.

In the coup attempt against Abacha. Obasunjo was arrested and clamped in jail. He was just hours from being executed when Abacha suddenly died which saved his neck.

He would be released by the Abubakar administeration and become president within a year

coolestchris:
They claim they want a new country called biafra named after the bight of biafra...


But this particular tribe are individualy domineering..go to any local government in Nigeria and they are present there,and they always have their domineering trait intrinsic in them...they will go anywhere and claim to be the owners of the environs,,they are the omo-Nile of Nigeria...


If you go to the east ,you discover that it is their very own leaders who they voted that are guilty of under developing their lands but they start accusing buhari...


Igbo will never be a president of Nigeria until they stop been greedy,although we can't take the fact away from them that they are smart people,we have Philip emegwali there..but how can they want to separate from Nigeria because of no reason...


Igbo people under ojokwu were brutally and murderously massacred because of ojukwu stubborn head,they even started resulting to cannibalism...

When will they learn

Some people have big problem

Let Igbos go, problem
Let Igbos stay, problem


Personally, I have promised my self to drink 3 bottles of champagne the day my and my fellow Igbos get our independence from Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra

And after that, any heardsman I catch in my village will explain their mission to me.

Nnamdi Kanu is what is called 'prisoner of conscience'

Kanu is born freedom fighter.

kettykin:
If suleman or any other person spent $8000 on that pig then she must have used African magic on the person.

If Suleman sent her any money because she is his girlfriend, he should quit being a man og God until he finds a magic stronger than her own

ImperialYoruba:
The people that enslaved and nassacred you were in North. What was your business planting flag in minority land of South, why plant Biafran flag in Midwest after they opted to be neutral?. What are you looking for when you abandon your adversary in North and advanced instead Westward?

Let me share something with you that your new leader in Ohanaeze said,it follows in next post.

You are actually supporting what Im saying but you dont know it yet.

If a Yoruba man thinks that Ojuwku was stupid to secede, fight, lose millions of his followers

What is it the Yoruba nation can do to top that? Clearly, they cant fight, they dont want to lose millions. So what can they do?

Yorubas are not mentally equiped to deal with life outside 'one Nigeria', if they were, they wouldnt be still begging for true federalism and resource control in Nigeria.

Others are agitating for freedom and independence, Yorubas are begging something lesser like true federalism? Something everyone knows the North will never allow?

Laughable

The war will akways be known as the Nigeris-Biafran war.

As Nigeria were planting their flags in the areas they captured such Ogoja and Nsukka, so were Biafrans planting there flags in places they captured like the midwest.

ImperialYoruba:
Self determination at what cost, three million lives?

Hahahahahahaha.... . This guy is a political comedian.

Yes, even at the cost of 3 million lives. The first world war cost over 18 million lives.

The second world war cost over 50 million lives.

People fight wars because they want to be free against those who dont want them to be free.

In the Nigerian/Biafran war, which side do you think was fighting to be free and which side was fighting against freedom?

If you can answer that question

There you have your answer.