By UCHE DIALA
Dr. Uche DIALA has been around for quite sometimes and since the struggle of Buharism started in 2014 and rode to electoral success in 2015, he has remained resolute and supportive of government and Nigerians. In this article, posted on his verified Facebook page, he responds to an IPOB sponsor, Senator Eyinnaya Aberibe, who has just turned round to complain that “Sit-at-Home has chased businessmen away from the South East”. Excerpts:
If truth be told, we all Igbos were all here when this madness in the South East started.
We saw Nnamdi Kanu grow from a naive opportunist and wanne-be celebrity and many of us especially our Igbo leaders cowed away in pretentious hypocrisy. Maybe because of their own unclean hands and thus Nnamdi Kanu grew to a monster in front of all of us.
I respect Distinguished Senator Abaribe but as my beloved elder brother, I cannot fail to say that he was one of the (if not the most visible) Igbo leaders who by their words, silence and body language enabled Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB. Maybe sincerely, innocently or ignorantly but he did nonetheless.
Our supposed leaders were sheepishly, ignorantly and cowardly looking for photo ops with Nnamdi Kanu and those Igbos who were bold enough to say ‘this is not right’, ‘please let’s be careful’ were targeted and tagged efulefus and saboteurs. Most people were intimidated into silence, including our Igbo Intelligentia.
I vividly recall when Nnamdi called my late Senator before ‘Operation Python Dance’ and said to him: “Distinguished Senator, you don’t want to come and see me. Everyone else has come to see me. I need to put some of my boys on your payroll”. He was the Supreme Leader and everyone must pay obeisance and loyalty to him to have a pass to life, livelihood and position.
PDP elements in the South East were very comfortable and thought it was a convenient tool to use for their opposition politics. Now the chicken has come home to roost. They are finding it difficult to unmount the tiger they rode. Now, right before us many of them are insultingly trying to rewrite history and claim ‘I no follow’. But not so fast.
Since Nnamdi Kanu was apprehended and returned to Nigeria, Nnamdi Kanu has never been in front of a microphone, made a Facebook update or ranted on Radio Biafra. Yet every day we hear Nnamdi Kanu said this or that or onye ndu told ndi ona edu this or that.
The latest being Senator Abaribe’s statement that Nnamdi Kanu said he did not order the sit at homes and now cares about the economy of the South-East. Wow!!. And the distinguished Senator wants us to believe that he was just an innocent or accidental messenger? Our distinguished Senator is now a mouthpiece for Nnamdi Kanu. Okay.
I didn’t say Nnamdi Kanu did not send the message which Senator Abaribe conveyed but please since Nnamdi Kanu did not order the sit at homes, why hasn’t he or didn’t he (Kanu) tell Senator Abaribe and other of his self appointed couriers to tell ndi Igbo that he did not order the sit at homes and therefore they should ignore those orders?
Did Senator Abaribe ask him if he could do so? If he was so caring about ala Igbo and now recognises the damage IPOB, ESN, Nnamdi Kanu and their sit at home have done to ala Igbo and the South East?
By the way, did Senator Abaribe believe Nnamdi Kanu when he said he did not order the sit at homes? If he did, why?
Because every Igbo man, woman and child knows that IPOB instituted and have diligently enforced the sit at home orders for months now. They also know that IPOB is Nnamdi Kanu and Nnamdi Kanu is IPOB. No sensible Igbo person would believe that Nnamdi Kanu did not order or sanction the sit at homes. It’s a no brainer.
By the way, it is on record that Nnamdi Kanu by his own words severally threatened to shut down ala Igbo which was even worse than sit at home and they started that by carrying out his direct orders to kill police men, soldiers, burn police stations, kill saboteurs etc. Indeed he did call for several sit at homes himself.
Did Senator Abaribe and co EVER for once condemn or criticise any of those? I cannot remember.
In case you think I am a coward, no I am not. I put these exact questions directly before Senator Abaribe on a WhatsApp platform we both belong. He has not answered them yet.
The one that pains me most in all these is that these people have concluded that every Igbo person is dumb and brainwashed and would buy any crap sold them.
All these would have made a good script for a Nollywood comedy home video if not that it is the great Igbo nation tribe that is being so ridiculed and destroyed.
Aru mere. Abomination!!
Well, it is okay for anyone to recant or retrace his or her steps but that cannot be effectively done by seeking to re-write history. True restitution and forgiveness can only come after confession and acknowledgement of guilt.
A day of reckoning cometh by posterity and Chukwu Abiama is still on the throne. Everyone should only fear the consequences of their actions and or inactions.
By the way, today is Sit-At-Home aka ‘holy Monday’.
@Uche Diala
