One of the unfortunate things the Nnamdi Kanu issue has revealed about the Igbo political and civil society ecosystem is that most of those at the helm of discussions or those who have been given authority to speak on behalf of Ndigbo have chosen treachery as a leadership strategy.
Rather than tell the people the truth or take far-reaching actions to correct an anomaly or solve problems affecting the Igbos, they have mostly taken the path of convenient and careful rhetoric while allowing the real problems to fester.
Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB, ESN, Simon Ekpa, and other purported secessionist movements—which are, in truth, business ventures—have continued to thrive because those with the responsibility to speak out or act to put these things in check are being “diplomatic” about the issue.
The consequence is that Ala Igbo is on a free fall economically, politically, socially, religiously, educationally, and in every other developmental index. Gradually, Ndigbo is losing what makes them tick in the Nigerian Union because of the insincerity and cowardice of our political, religious, cultural, and business leaders.
Instead of coming up with some far-reaching strategies to rein in the atrocious decimation of Igbo’s economic and political potentials as championed by some ragtag criminals hiding under some fraudulent Biafra agitation struggles, our leaders and opinion leaders have chosen to either exploit the situation to advance their personal political and economic interests, while others have been forced into tactical acquiescence because they do not want to become targets of the hooligans.
Yet, like I had always argued, “You can’t be safe with terrorists.” I know several people who had been reluctant to condemn the activities of these terrorists or who had even tactically endorsed and defended their atrocities and eventually became their victims. While some are fortunate enough to live to tell the story, others are not.
Tomorrow’s Supreme Court hearing of Nnamdi Kanu’s appeal has allowed these leaders to strategically intervene if they want to, or at least, accurately inform the people about the facts of the matter, but instead, they chose to play to the gallery by issuing false claims and deceitful press statements, either appealing to President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu or claiming to be making interventions for Kanu’s freedom tomorrow. Others take their irresponsible clout-chasing and falsehoods a notch higher by accusing some governors and political leaders of sabotaging efforts to free Nnamdi Kanu through the courts tomorrow.
The truth of this matter is that if Nnamdi Kanu is freed by the Supreme Court tomorrow, the entire credit should be given to his lawyers and not due to any political intervention by the President or anyone else. And if he is not freed, then it should also be blamed on his lawyers for not presenting a good case before the panel of judges that will hear the case.
If the President wanted to release Nnamdi Kanu, he would not have waited for the Supreme Court to order his release before he freed him; he would have given a presidential directive granting amnesty to him or dropping all the charges against him. Allowing the Supreme Court to sit and rule on the matter makes it entirely a judicial process, and if the Supreme Court rules in favour of Nnamdi Kanu, then the Afara man will beat his chest and count himself as someone who defeated the Federal Government rather than someone who got favour from the Federal Government.
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The intervention of any individual or group of people will no longer matter, and no person but Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers should take credit if the Supreme Court affirms the rulings of the lower courts tomorrow. Also, if the Supreme Court decides otherwise, then MNK’s lawyers must accept responsibility for failing to convince the judges of the validity of their arguments.
MAY ALAIGBO SURVIVE!
- Script Credit: ONWUASOANYA FCC JONES
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