By Ikemba Anaocha
People have been asking why the Igbos are not taking part in the ongoing protest to end bad governance and hardship; are they not affected by the economic downturn? Well, here are the 21 reasons why:
1. A planned protest by your foes must be avoided at all costs. For instance, a protest with leaders like Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju cannot truly represent the interests of the Igbo people. Both are pronounced bigots.
2. Just like endsars, this protest will serve as a ground to accuse Igbos of trying to overthrow the Bola Tinubu administration or damage Lagos state government assets.
3. If Igbos had joined this protest, the APC-led government would blame them for their failure to deliver democracy’s dividend.
4. An end to Igbophobia was not among the demands of the protesters. In fact, some of the protest’s leaders are IGBOPHOBIA drivers. Thus, Igbos are no longer able to engage in protests with others who harbour animosity and promote Igbophobia towards them.
5. In 2023, Igbos with the help of other patriotic Nigerians from other tribes formed Obidient movement, demonstrated with their PVCs to demand the election of a sound leader without much support from non-Obidient Yorubas and Muslim northerners. Thus, even if their candidate now President turns out to be the worst president ever, Igbos will not protest against the person other Nigerians prefer. Ndi-Igbo hopes it will serve as a learning opportunity for future elections.
6. Despite Nnamdi Kanu’s unconditional release one of the protesters’ demands, many regions started opting out because of this demand, until it was dropped, indicating that their agenda differs from the Igbos’.
7. As traders, Igbos do not want their shops and markets in the Southwest and Northern regions targeted by state-sponsored hoodlums, as has always been the case in previous protests.
8. Igbos do not want the protests to be tagged as Igbo protests, which was the case in #EndSARS so that the looting and arson cases won’t be linked to the Igbos.
9. Despite the fact that Igbos did not protest, SE remained militarised, with trigger-happy policemen and soldiers waiting to kill them at the slightest provocation. Interestingly, the demilitarisation of the SE region is not among the demands of the protesters.
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10. Igbos can’t protest with those who harbour animosity towards the idea of a Nigerian president of Igbo origin. While we appreciate non Igbo obidient members for their trust on Mr Obi, It senseless to protest with those who tweet, “Igbo people can’t be president.”
11. Why is the removal of the INEC chairman and the prompt re-conduction of a new general poll not a major agenda item for the organisers of the protest?
12. Why are other Nigerians not acknowledging our right to pursue independence or/and supporting the right of Igbos to readjust the boundary and establish a New region that includes all Igbo-speaking regions in old Eastern Nigeria?
13. Igbos cannot join in protest with those who consistently and constantly abuse our integrity-filled, corrupt-free son, Mr. Peter Obi, even when he has never abused any of their leaders.
14. Why are the demands of the protesters not include stopping Lagos State and Federal Governments from rewarding individuals who consistently attack Igbos with appointments? For instance, the appointee from Lagos State appears to be following the now-deleted LAGOSPEDIA account, while Bayo Onanuga continues to serve as a Special Assistant to the President and is considered a worthy son of those we are supposed to be protesting with.
15. It seems the state is sponsoring division among Igbos in SE and Igbos in SS, with the support of those who want us to join the protest.
16. If Igbos had joined, it would be tagged Obidient led protest. This will give room for Government-sponsored thugs to hijack the protest, label it as violent or IPOB, and kill the protesters.
17. What plans do the organisers have to compel the oppressors to release the arrested protesters, beyond retweeting online? While some few arrested protesters were released, till date, Ibrahim Abdukarim (@Ziter001), a known Obidient, is still being held for embarking on a protest.
18. Igbos are interested in a protest that will completely transform the system of governance, rather than one in which the oppressors and those who rigged elections will implement the protest demands. Your oppressor can never be your saviour.
19. Protest is a waste of time, and leadership in Nigeria is not a call to service rather a call to plunder the public treasury. Therefore, looting of National treasury is a greater incentive for the leaders than making a name for themselves through effective leadership.
20. The APC leaders don’t believe in the effectiveness of protests. In fact, they can kill citizens rather than obey protest demands. For instance, the states in SE still observe sit-at-home on Mondays, demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu. Are the government of APC listening?
21. For now, Ndi-Igbo will only protest to curb the weaknesses of their governors, and it will start soon in Imo (insecurity), Enugu (Fulani herdsmen, Demolitions) and Anambra (kidnapping and high taxations). Abia and Ebonyi are seemingly stable for now.
