Unconquered, that was how Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe described the Igbo in his famous speech to Igbo State Assembly on June 25, 1949. “Is it not historically significant that throughout the glorious history of Africa, the Ibo is one of the select few to have escaped the humiliation of a conqueror’s sword…Search through the records of African history and you will fail to find an occasion when, in any pitched battle, any African nation has either marched across Ibo territory or subjected the Ibo nation to a humiliating conquest.”
In that speech, he also recounted the suffering of Ndigbo in the hands of Nigeria and in the hands of Britain. “It would appear that God has specially created the Ibo people to suffer persecution and be victimized because of their resolute will to live.”He charged that Ndigbo should wear the suffering as an honour and assert themselves without apologies. Yet, he frowned that “spurious leadership is being foisted upon us—a mis-leadership which receives official recognition, thus stultifying the legitimate aspirations of the Ibo. This leadership shows a palpable disloyalty to the Ibo and loyalty to an alien protecting power.”
The foisting of the spurious leadership and the quest to play at the centre has been the bane of Igbo political, sociocultural life and interests to the detriment of the many aspirations, hopes, dreams and death of talents in the hub of people with thirst for greatness through merit, hard work, resilience, perseverance, vitality, and diligence.
Many have thoughtful ideas on how Igbo people will fare but many think they can fare better if they played the politics at the centre than be at the sidelines or held-up in one landlocked small dot in a circle without access to the sea. The centre which they have no control, the centre which there is massive resistance against them and the centre they are killed for.
The deaths across the Igbo land; the shrivelled looking mothers and children affected by Kwashiorkor, fighting with flies, walking like chameleons, eyes in the skull, bones exposed and muscles dried, that made the unconquered weak and his knees on the ground. They surrendered, but their soul, not conquered. Hunger was the weapon of war.
The effects of the war, when remembered, send them to look beyond a distance watching like a coward.
War; a word used to terrify the leaders of Ndigbo.
Few months ago, and beyond, have put to test, the leaders of Ndigbo. Each time, they fail in the eyes of the people. Their failure to stand up and be bold like the unconquered has set them up with the tenacious youths who are disappointed, dissatisfied and betrayed each time, giving them impetus to cast aside the leaders and pursue their fate in the spirit of the unconquerable soul.
The leaders were pressured; what do you say? Are you in support or against your youths? Give us assurances, remember your businesses are scattered all over the place. It is in your best interest to respond. Civil War is still fresh on our mind.
Terrified for the repeat of the gory scenes of war, countless loss of human lives, the humiliating handing of 20 pounds regardless of previous wealth, and loss of social and political standing, no, there cannot be a repeat of the war. The leaders met on June 19, to wash their hands off the agitation by the youths, just like Pontius Pilate gave a tacit support for the soldiers to take Jesus away; the federal government seemed to be given tacit support.
The leaders were quick to give up their people in contrast to those who protect their people even with the tag of terrorism and world’s fourth deadliest terror group and bandits indulging in kidnapping for ransom. They will search for any argument to justify their activities and even try to bring up laws that will give legal backing to the march of cows and herders across communities, leaving in their wake, violence and terror. They would rather turn guns on the Igbo people.
We want peace. We do not want war. War is expensive. War is horrible. Not behind my kitchen.
They are the spurious leadership from the least of the brave, leading the unconquered to the war of the mind, of wits, of strategy, and of uncertainties. They die before the sound of the guns, leading the people to be truly conquered. The man died in them. They show disloyalty to the aspirations of the people and dine with the detractors for their selfish and personal interest; interest, presented as the interest of the people. They play at the centre while leaving the streets of Igbo land desolate in lack of support, infrastructure and amenities. What is the gain of playing at the centre when Igbo land is not benefiting from the recent reconstruction of standard gauge railways? The roads are bad. The least in number of states and so much more. The youths wallow in streets in search of work, some challenged by the names they bear. With a little piece of cake, the people clap and dance. Calculated and gradual social and political annihilation is systemically unleashed to grind their soul to self-defeat.
The man must not die in the people, but with courage and bravery, affirm their destiny. They cannot afford to “shirk the responsibility conferred on {them} by destiny.” They must revive the ancient record and show “the martial prowess of the Ibo, at all stages of human history,” They must continue to fight for their rights, justice, equity, fairness and merit anywhere they find themselves. Though the Igbo heads are “bloody, but unbowed,” they should be the masters of their fate, the captain of their soul; the unconquerable soul.
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