27.04.2016
Though formally undeclared, there is war is going on. In 1966, the blood of Biafrans waterlogged the streets of Kaduna in the hands of jihadists on ethnic cleansing. 50 years later, the same men have taken the war to the door posts of Biafrans in their own native land. Sad enough, descendants of Akanu Ibaim, children of Umuekumenyi, sons and daughters of Ohanivo are busy chasing rats while our house is on fire. Wake up Ndi Ebonyi or be soaked in your own blood!
My people are busy with the PDP state congress. We are scheming for 2019 when the enemies are filing their machetes. We are struggling for persons, groups, blocks, that will lead the electoral ambush of 2019. We are in cold war of which geo-political block heads the foot-soldiers’ wing of the ‘janjaweed’ party. We seem to have forgotten that Uncle Gburugburu of Enugu is on dry fasting for failing to act swiftly. Enugu is mourning because he didn’t do the needful, it must not happen here; we don’t want to fast.
No Ebonyian should die standing idle. If we are fated to die, we must not resign to that fate standing, we must be seen fighting. Good enough, Abakaliki people are known for their body reflexes when it comes to brandishing machetes. This is a time to revive our arms technology. All our blacksmiths must resume work; those abroad must return for home assignment, no local weapon should be in want. We must defend our freedom in dangerous Buhari Nigeria.
No Abakaliki man should be frightened by any sight of machete. Armed to the teeth, we must get ready to protect ourselves, defend our sovereignty and make our land safe for children yet unborn. We must cease donating our rice to the enemies lest we strengthen their fighting spirit with our own food. No, politics of rice donation must rest at the moment because our enemies are not even donating their cows. They are grazing on our rice farms.
On the border, let no one raise any hands until they come threatening us, just a provocation will do. Our vigilance is to predict their intention. When we see them invading, we will stand to resist them. In self defence, we should be ready to unleash the maximum danger. If their leaders in government comes killing us like they did in Odii, we must die fighting too. We will not wait for our governor to call the president before acting. Our governor can tell the president about their invasion and our counter response. Enugu has Gburugburu; we have the ‘Iron Gate.’ He must melt and cast more irons.
Enugu should not be our example but our lessons. We are at war, a war of no words. The invaders are not speaking. Their sponsors are not speaking. The victims and would-be victims have been terrorized to silence. Ebonyi people must without speaking move to secure their borders. The Fulani are on the move; the jihad is on. No one is talking. Ohaneze is dead silent. Bakare is studying his scriptures. Gifted men of God with power to predict election victory are silent. Those who called Biafra agitators, hungry business men, have not condemned the attack. They have suddenly realized the border between church and politics.
Barely 50 years after Biafra blood flooded Kaduna, the blood of the Igbo flows again in the Biafra land, in the hands of the same Fulani again, and most annoyingly, right in the capital of the Old Biafra nation. An emerging Igbo leader is languishing in the hands of Nigeria security agents and conspirator-judges and our senators are interested in defending Saraki’s senate presidency. They take pictures with him and hang in their sitting room as sign of their political connection. They invite him to their homes for any type of ceremony. Stupidity!
A month ago, some Fulani herdsmen invaded Awgu, destroyed their farmland and kidnapped 2 of their women. When the people rose in defense, men of the Nigerian army rounded up 76 of Awgu indigenes and locked them up. It took media #hastag campaign before they were released. None of the Fulani herdsmen was arrested. The ‘Awgu 76’ were granted bail of N200, 000 each for defending themselves. Rather than confront the injustice, the governor of Enugu State made paltry donation to the community to help offset the bail. What a leader!
Because no Fulani herdsman was arrested for Awgu atrocities, the Fulani herdsmen went into another town in Enugu. Because those who stood to defend themselves were arrested for planning reprisal attack in Awgu, the people of Uzouwani stood aloof as the Fulani herdsmen had a field day, killing, maiming and raping every soul they could sight because lives of their cows are more important.
They burnt houses, churches, schools and destroyed farmlands that their cows might graze freely.
Because even the men of God with direct phone call to Buhari are still silent on the issue, it is just a matter of days and another community in Enugu falls to the invading terrorists. From farmland they will move; and who knows if the ancient UNN is not in their calculation. They might want to destroy that citadel of learning and reduce it ruins.
When Agatu massacre occurred, a UN representative who visited the community said: “In my 20 years of working as a humanitarian, I have never seen such level of destruction.” When the IG of Police visited, Solomon Arase complained that the damage was exaggerated. Is it not ironical that a Biafra born police public relation officer of Enugu State Police Command blamed the Uzouwani massacre on hoodlums? For a start, his village should declare him a persona non grata.
In Ebonyi, information shows that the herdsmen are scattered in different parts of the state. At Special Science School, Igbeagu, Izzi, they seem to have acquired a permanent habitat, many of them now speak Abakaliki dialect. These would-be killers are also in Ohaukwu area. Ukpa in Afikpo North L. G. A. is a fertile place for reprisal attack following natives’ former encounter where the elders of the area were once forced to pay millions of naira to the Fulani community for allegedly killing their cows.
What this means is that Ebonyi is not safe. As a state under the leadership of an ‘Iron Gate,’ Ebonyi cannot afford to fold arms nor should we join Ugwuanyi in prayers and dry fasting. This is just a time to tell the world that Ebonyi warriors are alive.
What can we do to avert Agatu, Awgu, Anioma, Uzouwani experiences here? Very Simple! The Chief Security Officer of every state is the governor. Engr. Dave Umahi should just know that hard times are here; he should get ready to give us the answers. Leaders are judged not by what they do during peacetime but war times, their ability to respond to the unexpected challenges that usually come redefining their earlier philosophy. With his characteristic swift response to political threats, Umahi must stand like a brother of a general in Nigeria army and draw up guidelines to outsmart the invading enemies.
He should mobilize and empower for actions all Ebonyi youths and warriors particularly those living along the borders and areas where Fulani herdsmen have settlements at the moment. There is nothing wrong with a governor mobilizing his people to beef up the security of his people. Our state radio must drop condolence messages and educate our people on the impending doom. The language is our dialect; after all, the president addresses his people BBC Hausa service.
The State House of Assembly should come up with laws on the movement of Fulani herdsmen in the state. The leadership of the Hausa Fulani in the state must be summoned and implication of possible attack drawn to their ears. They must sign a declaration to avert possible invasion as an attack by any herdsman is attack on Ebonyi community who is at liberty to response as the nerves direct.
For other Ebonyians, we should get our machetes sharp and ready. Time to demonstrate bravery is here. If it means doing away with their beef, we should be ready to do that.
