By Carl Umegboro
(Published by VANGUARD newspapers on 28 September, 2016)
(Published by VANGUARD newspapers on 28 September, 2016)
South-East
geopolitical zone is no doubt, aggregately robbed in terms of federal presence;
social amenities, basic infrastructures and political appointments since the
end of the last civil war. Igbos were hardheartedly massacred, humiliated and
deprived of arights and benefits from the fatherland as if the zone was
pityingly coopted into the Nigeria project as rightly recollected by the
suddenly-emerged fan of the south-east region, Femi Fani-Kayode, former
Aviation minister who lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari in his piece titled,
“a president without memory and recollection of history”, which accused Buhari
of dysfunctional memory on account of his statements against the agitation of
the sovereign state of Biafra. Admitted, the south-east so far suffered
tremendously in the Nigeria project more than any other geopolitical zone.
However, the entire south hasn’t had it so good. Hence, as a core believer in
self-determinism, while supports are graciously given to the agitators from
south-east to march on, a coalition with their counterparts from south-west
geopolitical zone will produce remarkable statements.
Excellently, the aide-mémoire grandiloquently
captured atrocities mischievously meted out against the south-east region; an
indisputable core stakeholder in the Nigerian project. But as I almost
blubbered, I reminisced when a prominent philanthropist, Ona-Kakanfo, Bashorun
MKO Abiola was calculatingly deprived of his mandate in a free and fair
election, in the process lost his wife, Kudirat, and finally his life. I also
recalled when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Oladipo Diya, among others from
south-west passed through the shadows of death under the oppression of late
General Sani Abacha. I then stand to disagree that rationally, south-west
cannot stand as spectators on the self-determinism project as perceived by
Fani-Fayode; who is believably fighting back on account of his prosecution for
alleged-embezzlement of public funds by the anti-graft body in the court.
However, before I digress, among the salient
questions begging for answers to the south-east suddenly-turned-lover,
Fani-Kayode over his empathy likened to Onyeka Onwenu’s ‘Love nwa-ntiti’ in the
80s, who as the director-general of the presidential campaign organization of
ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in the last elections, was responsible for vital
decisions throughout the campaigns are thus; how come no traditional ruler in
the south-east was eligible to be short-listed for the presidential visits
embarked upon by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan alongside fat-envelopes allegedly loaded
with US dollars; how come neither the MASSOB nor IPOB was then considered
serious-minded to be incorporated for the lavishly-distribution of campaign
‘national cakes’ as done in the South-west where traditional bodies including
the Odua’h People’s Congress (OPC) were beneficiaries of Jonathan’s generosity,
and even awarded contracts-without-bid to empower its members in hundreds of
millions of naira? Meanwhile, their counterparts in the south-east and the
region were stuffed with campaign branded t-shirts and caps, and sadly
cuckolded with the second River Niger-Bridge project that was never bided for
talk-less awarded as if the project will benefit the south-east zone
exclusively. How come all the while in power, your love was one-sided, and
periphrastically standby to run down anyone who dared challenge the presidency
of imbalance in the system? How come throughout the 16 years of PDP
administration, no substantial development was witnessed in the south-east you
admitted is grossly marginalized but each time election drew near, the second
River-Niger Bridge rhetorically surfaced in the manifestos.
It is also noteworthy to recall that when the
Oba of Lagos, HRH Rilwan Akiolu threatened to unleash violence on the Igbos
similar to same fate from the north, the new defender of Biafra’s
self-determinism never condemned it as bizarre despite the fact Lagos state as
a former Federal Capital Territory has numerous national chattels and
investments and therefore qualifies every citizen of the country as a bonafide
stakeholder same way it is on the present Federal Capital Territory. Even prior
to Jonathan’s administration, the new Biafra’s fan served in Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo’s administration which also ignored and ill-treated the
south-easterners as visitors to Nigerian project, but boldly defended the
administration on all policies of marginalization against the zone.
Essentially, on the current adverse economic
situation in the country, taking a queue from other countries of the world, the
treasury-looters should by now be accredited-inmates of various prisons across
the nation, perhaps communicating from custody. However, I totally agree that
President Buhari needs a review on his cabinets to revive investors’
confidence. If I may ask; where are the Jim Ovias, Tony Elumelus, Charles
Soludos and others who doggedly through expertise revived Nigeria’s financial
sector to make our banks, insurance companies compete ably with counterparts
across the globe? It is obvious that the present cabinet reflects more of
analog than digital system compliant; nevertheless, the present woes of the
nation are the harvests of the PDP’s wasted 16 years due to visionless
leadership. Considering the prices of crude oil that crashed beyond
imagination, Nigeria being a mono-economy nation couldn’t have faced something
different from the present scenario irrespective of whoever is in charge. The
president cannot perform magic overnight albeit ought to be proactive. Former
Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealla was deployed by Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo from the global economic arena and not from any political party in
Nigeria. Hence, presidency should reflect more of capability than partisanship.
By and large, Fani-Kayode should for now face his corruption charges in the
court and halt using the self-determinism agitators to settle political
scores.
Umegboro, Public Affairs Analyst and
publisher, Pinnacle InfoGallery writes from Igboekulie
To trace in the VANGUARD newspapers,click here>>>http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/biafra-fani-kayodes-meteoric-sympathy-antics-marginalization/
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