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| IPOB |
By Dave O. Umahi
For Biafra Choice Writers
“Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed people can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only that ever has” – Margaret Meal.
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) must have known this much. That was why he declared in one of his
broadcasts that he was looking for only 100 committed Biafrans to secured the
separation of Biafra from accursed Nigeria.
But few weeks ago, on 30th of May 2018
(Biafra Heroes Remembrance Day), some groups of Biafrans, which described
themselves as Biafra Freedom-fighting groups had a meeting in Anambra State,
where they exhibited their ignorance of this truth. They said they were forming
a coalition to make it easier for them to secure Biafra independence from
Nigeria.
The coalition expressed the belief that their dream of
getting Biafra would be a mere mirage if they continued to work individually. Uchenna
Madu, spokesperson of the about 15 groups posited that the need for them to
jaw-jaw on the current approach being employed by different groups had become
imperative in the struggle. He said the approach must be coordinated for the
groups to achieve their goal, which is Biafra actualization, despite their
ideological differences.
He noted that it would be irrational that different
groups fighting for the same goal would be at one another’s throat instead of
working and walking together to actualize their aspiration. The meeting was
held at Rojenny Sports Village, Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of
Anambra State. Madu, is the leader of Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign
State of Biafra (MASSOB).
Speaking on a Seminar that was held on the day, he
said their meeting was also held to make the 51 years’ anniversary of the
declaration of Biafra as a republic by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
It is important to state that the coalition partners
must have been motivated by other consideration than securing Biafra freedom. This
assertion comes to mind knowing that it might prove counter product with the
groups coalescing into one command. It seems not to know that in such a
situation, once the leadership is taken out, that the whole body would be in
disarray as the good book states: “strike the shepherd and the sheep will
scatter”.
This is why many critics believe the coalition leaders
were just agents of Nigerian government being used to set-up the groups for
emasculation. Indeed, there have been reports that money exchanged hands
between the government and many of the coalition leaders.
One another plank, some other critics of the group believe
it is either the coalition leaders were working in tandem with government to
emasculate the groups or they were out-rightly ignorant of history. According to
them, if the leaders were not ignorant, they would have known that many past
struggles had been successful simply groups worked independently of one another
with each focusing and operating from their areas of strength. They hold the
view that it made it impossible for government to track each group and subdue
at the same time. They gave ready examples with the human rights struggles of
the 60s in the United States of America (USA) and the struggle against apartheid
in South Africa.
Expectedly, IPOB did not join the meeting. They were buoyed
by such quotes of Margaret Mead above and the philosophy of their leader. Luckily
for them, even though their leader asked for 100 men, millions are following
them, which is crippling Nigeria on a daily basis. Indeed, when it called out
Biafrans from the streets during the Heroes Remembrance Day, it was a total
lockdown as more than 97 per cent of compliance was recorded.
No wonder Liar Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of
Information once declared that IPOB was more dangerous than any other group in
the world.
For this reason, the coalition leaders should know
that they were wrong in believing that they would be ineffective working alone.
That means they were ignorant of the strength of IPOB’s non-violent strategy,
that it was not just because of their number. They were just ignorant of the
that wonderful quote from Wendy Lesko that smallness is not limitation to
effectiveness: “If you ever think you are too small to be effective, you’ve never
been in a room with a mosquito”.
IPOB have several other things going for it, which
includes truth, honesty, trust-worthiness, determination, and non-compromise
with anything Nigeria. If they should imbibe these and do them, they will also
be effective.
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