After this Battle What Next in Nigeria

The massacre of over 10,000 to 30,000 Igbos in the mid-1960s is still very much green at the heart of every faithful Igbo man. While trying to overlook this vicious bloodbath, you would stumble on a further unpleasant incident that took the lives of over a million Igbos who are casualties of the Biafran war.[1]

Such like stories fraught the Igbo history is it not in Igbo territory that gory monsters (Bakassi) emerge as a vigilante, armed with government clout to victimized and killed the poor masses in the disguise of safeguarding the land. Then again, is it not from the same territory that we first heard of a governor swearing before a brutal deity in compliance to share the national cake of the state with a particular set of hoodlum? The same ground harbour many people who were discovered dead at the front of the shrine. What is happening to Igbos? Why are we always the victim of circumstance? Is this a curse?

The incident that resulted in the dethronement of the governor of Anambra state is the issue that is currently disturbing the minds of devoted Igbos. Why godfathers? What impact do they create to the nation? Are they above the law? Somebody asked me a question, on what system does my state operate, is she a constitutional state? It took me several minutes to think of the best answer to give. After a few minutes I said, it is composed of a lawlessness “Mili-cratic” system fortified with the survival of the fittest syndrome, where some people are above the law.

After my response, I became speechless in the whole discussion, as I was ashamed of myself over my current state and country system. Needless to ask, but I know almost every Nigerian will have a different answer with similar meaning if confronted with the same questions except those who would like to cover the truth.

In my previous, article “which way Nigeria ?” I asked symbolical questions of which no one has dared to answer. Where is Nigeria now? Where does she want to be? Which shortest route to reach her destination and who is leading her to the place.[2] The same question applies to our modern-day Igbos. Are we still heavy-eyed? Is this battle not over? Do we always want to hear more mysterious but factual stories? Haven’t we heard enough?

Every Nigerian national and sincere Igbo person should answer these questions. If your answer geared towards progress, let it begin from you. Show progress in your family, in your place of work and any community meeting. We must strive to align our country to a step forward. We must save Nigeria from her precarious anarchy

This movement to combat Nigeria illness must start from families, villages, local government, and the State government to the federal government. It should be a massive fight to a glorious victory. We must fight to eradicate injustice and corruption in our land. There is enough bloodshed in Igbo land over the past years. These bloodbaths of several millions of Igbos since our independence till Date suppose to have served as a fertile ground for peace and progress in Igbo community and Nigeria at large.

My dear comrades, the battle is over, let us match towards progress. The panacea of our precarious predicament is within us. Let us not go too far to source for the cause. The government should educate the youth, (free education) inculcate the sense of sanity, and promote healthy living by providing the necessary infrastructure to enhance the lives of her people. The share of our national cake should be evenly distributed to all Nigerian citizens. There should be a height of transparency in all government affairs. With all this in place, I believe the path to her success will be imminent.

May God bless Nigeria and grant her an excellent democratic government!

Author

Onwutalobi Anthony Claret, MBA, MSc, BSc. Comp. Sc., Dip Lat, Dip. Bus. Studies.

President of African Students Association and Editor for African Voice society
References
[1] Collier (1997), Nigeria civil war, Microsoft Encarta reference library 2003
[2] Onwutalobi A.C (2006), which way Nigeria? http://africanvoice.awardspace.com/claretwhichway.html. Date accessed 19/04/06.