Needless Sabotage And Arguments Over Mbah’s Banned Sit-At-Home In Enugu State

By Dr. Ferdinand Nworah

I have listened, perused, and followed in public gatherings, places, the media, especially social media, and the back and forth arguements over the banned Monday sit-at-home order in Enugu State. While everyone one is entitled to his or her opinion, it suffices to say that opinions of those in support of continued sit-at-home are anti-people, archaic, biased, emotionally debased, and retrogressive. This is particularly so now that concerted efforts are being made by some Igbo political leaders which include Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and others to politically secure Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s unconditional release.

But who did this to my fellow Igbos? When and how did we degenerate to this abysmal level in our reasonings and behaviours? When did we lose our bravity, ingenuity, and wisdom? Why and how did we allow this useless sit-at-home by a counterfeit IPOB to overwhelm us as a people, with all our intelligence, creativity, and entrepreneurship?

When Chief Ralph Uwazuruike started his MASSOB struggle, of which Nnamdi Kanu was one of his boys, the activity was properly managed and curtailed by the Igbos and the governments then. It was not violent and anti-people to some extent.
Not even Uwazuruike’s long incarceration by the Federal Government made the Igbos to sit-at-home for one day or cause havoc in the Southeast region in agitation for his release. His freedom was quietly, diplomatically, and politically secured by Igbo political leaders, after which he has aligned himself and abided by the understanding that saw to his freedom since then.

When Kanu started his brand of liberation struggle in the name of IPOB, many who saw the dangers ahead for Igbos, warned, but many refused to listen or believe. For political reasons and immediate benefits, many, particularly some of Igbo political leaders and their followers, allowed emotions to becloud their sense of judgment and reasoning. Kanu was somehow made a beautiful bride being convertly sought for and pampered by some political leaders to achieve their political aims.

Before one could say Jack Robinson, Kanu’s recalcitrance, intransigence and obstinacy became so obvious. The centre could no longer hold in the Southeast region and nobody was spared by Kanu and his cohorts. Many misguided youths and emotional elites were indoctrinated and hypotenised. There was fire on the mountain and nobody was able to quench it. The fire whichever started like a smokescreen turned to inferno.

Many economic losses and lives have been lost and properties worth billions had been destroyed in the Southeast region unabated, since then because of IPOB Monday sit-at-home order. It is a fact that when Kanu was first arrested by the Federal Government, some Igbo political leaders volunteered and took him on bail.

Kanu without bathing an eyelid flouted the bail conditions and ran into exile and continued his activities with unguarded utterances, threats and inciting remarks against Nigeria governments and Southeast leaders. That was how and why a character like Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based Ebonyi State indigene emerged on the scene after Kanu’s arrest. Since then, Ekpa had became loquaciously uncontrollable and has remained a threat and torn on the flesh of the entire Igbos in the Southeast region and their activities.

Igbo, the Southeast region, and their governments are mostly affected by the sit-at-home order of Ekpa-led faction of IPOB. I am sure that not many including initial sympathisers and supporters of Kanu and his IPOB members envisaged that their activities will get out of hand and became a great threat to all Igbos in Southeast region and their economies. Not even Kanu anticipated the hijacking and factionalistion of the IPOB group by Simon Ekpa, who never worked for or believed in his leadership. This is why despite repeated denials, condemnations and criticisms against the call for the continued sit-at-home by Kanu’s faction of IPOB led by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, Ekpa’s faction has vehemently refused to budge and had even moved ahead to declare another two weeks sit-at-home to begin on July 31 at the detriment of the Southeast people.

As it is now, it is not wrong to say that sit-at-home is a self-affliction the Igbos brought unto themselves for tactically supporting Kanu’s IPOB struggle that has not brought any tangible benefits to them since it started.

Justification of sit-at-home under any guise by any Igbo is the height of hypocrisy, delusion, and ignorance. It is obvious that sit-at-home order is an enemy of the people that must be crushed, rejected, and defeated.

This is the major reason all hands must be deck to stop the sit-at-home completely not only Enugu State, where Governor Mbah has banned it and is working assiduously to enforce it, but across the Southeast region that it has crippled their economies and development.

No other time is most timely and suitable than now that Governor Mbah is at the forefront of the fight and campaign against it, and the result is being gradually achieved. Governor Mbah should be supported in his move to take Ekpa to the International Criminal Court of Justice.

One thing that is clear about the banned sit-at-home in Enugu State is that it is not of any immediate or personal benefit to Governor Mbah, but is in the overall interest, welfare and benefit of entire Enugu people and beyond. Governor Mbah can afford to gloat over the menace and continue to govern Enugu State, but Governor Mbah, being a great entrepreneur and visionary leader knows that the menace is a great impediment to economic prosperity and well-being of the people of the state, which must be tackled and addressed frontally.

Just like Governor Mbah, most elites and the wealthy in the Southeast region can afford to sit-at-home for days and survive, how many unemployed youths, artisans, petty traders and downtrodden can sit-at-home for days and survive? The worst hit by the sit-at-home order are the youths, the unemployed, and the less privileged, who are in majority.

Unfortunately and surprisingly, the majority of the sympathisers and perpetrators of the sit-at-home order in the Southeast region are within this class of people. Nothing has emboldened and spurred Simon Ekpa in recent times more than the unalloyed loyalty and unflinching support, he has enjoyed from some of these youths and artisans, especially on social media, where they have helped him promote and sustain his devilish agenda and mission against the Southeast people, while enjoying his life unfettered in Finland.

This is why the sit-at-home menace has lingered, gained traction, and prominence on social media. The people of the Southeast region, mainly the misguided youths, artisans, and emotional elders, are major accomplices and allies of the perpetrators of the sit-at-home order.
They have hailed, supported, protected, and harboured them and made personal gains from the menace.

Finally, while I am appreciative and highly in support of the efforts being made for Kanu’s unconditional release as expectations are high, it is pertinent that commitment and agreement of decorous conduct is extracted from him before he is released. His antecedent portrays him as someone who is fastidious, uncontrollable, and desperate for power and fame.

Meanwhile, securing Kanu’s release is one thing, and for him to align himself and save his people, these nightmares and traumas associated with his past activities are different things entirely. Kanu should be made to realise and understand that he is not bigger, powerful and more important than the people of Southeast region, he claimed to be fighting for and the government of Nigeria he is standing against as well.

Event hough I am not advocating or calling for it outrightly, but it would have been better if Kanu and Ekpa alongside their co-travellers in IPOB struggle have taken or can take their agitations to Abuja the seat of power, where it will have more impact than impoverishing, punishing and suffering their Southeast people with sit-at-home order that has done more harm than good to them.