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Author: Anthony Claret Onwutalobi
Posted to the web: 4/19/2006 1:01:45 AM

From the time, Nigeria got her independence until today; Igbos have never “drink water and drop their cup” without any incongruity arising within or outside their territory.

Combing the hairs of Igbo records has always been a sad reminiscence of “feudalistic fatherism” and political oppression to Igbo people of Nigeria.

 

The massacre of over 10,000 to 30,000 Igbos in the mid-1960’s 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 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 particular set of hoodlum? The same ground harbor 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 impart 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 few minutes I said, it is composed of a lawlessness “Mili-cratic” system fortified with survival of the fittest syndrome, where some people are above the law.

 

 

 

Subsequent to 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 pervious, 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 still want to hear more mysterious but factual stories? Haven’t we heard enough?

 

Every Nigerian national and true 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 in 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 State government to 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 sense of sanity, and promote healthy life by providing the necessary infrastructure to ameliorate 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 a good democratic government!

 

Author

Onwutalobi Anthony Claret Bsc. Comp. Sc., Dip Lat, Dip. Bus. Studies.

President of African Students Association and Editor for African Voice society

References

    Collier (1997), Nigeria civil war, Microsoft Encarta reference library 2003
    Onwutalobi A.C (2006), which way Nigeria http://africanvoice.awardspace.com/claretwhichway.html, Date accessed 19/04/06.

 

[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.