Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Reacting to the attack on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy, which the Police say claimed at least five lives, Ohanaeze Ndigbo spokesman Alex Ogbonnia said — at least as reported by The Nation on September 13:
“We take the risk of saying that the level of violence in the South East is caused by two major issues: criminality and aggression as a result of alienation and marginalization.”
It’s unclear how much of this statement is official Ohanaeze reaction and how much is Ogbonnia’s personal take masquerading as Ohanaeze’s opinion. However, it is yet another of the sterile, unhelpful, and frankly irresponsible hee-haws that frequently emanate from the South East, over issues that sane voices there should strongly condemn.
After Ogbonnia’s “thesis statement” of “criminality and alienation” — and of course, that buzz word “marginalization”, the Ohanaeze spokesman went cold on criminality: but waxed lyrical over “alienation and marginalization”.
“What is happening now” he thundered, “is an effect of misgovernance. All over the world, the moment you have anger in society, unemployment and poverty, the result is what you’re seeing.” So, to do a logical interpretation: might “criminality” be justifiable, because of “alienation and marginalization”?
Hardball just wonders how Senator Ubah and family; and the kith-and-kin of the doomed five that lost their lives — well, in this romantic criminality — would feel! Such crass insensitivity from a spokesperson of Ohanaeze, sworn to the welfare and wellbeing of all Igbo!
Then, Ogbonnia’s solution to arresting the crisis, which nevertheless ripples with ringing fallacy: “The only solution is for us to go into 2023 elections with open eyes. The future of Nigeria will depend on the kind of government that comes in 2023.”
When the IPOB nonsense started, the otherwise respected Chukwuemeka Ezeife, PhD, elder, former governor and ex-Harvard egg head, was busy claiming the killings were by the non-Igbo, to give the Igbo a bad name. Does Dr. Ezeife still hold that view?
Igbo-on-Igbo violence has since claimed Dr. Chike Akunyili, a gentle soul whose late wife was nothing but an overwhelming symbol of good for Nigeria. Senator Ubah escaped that violence but would battle the lifetime trauma of five aides dying in his name. Yet all the Ohanaeze spokesperson could offer is some romantic claptrap!
No thanks to IPOB and Monday sit-ins, Igbo commerce and economy bleed. By the Ubah attack, the cream of Igbo are fast becoming endangered species, in their own land. It’s time the Igbo faced own demons, and stopped blaming others for own home criminality.
