By Anthony Obi
The ongoing campaign for Biafra and attendant hate speeches by a coalition of northern youths backed by their elders giving the Igbo up to October 1 to relocate to the South East while urging northerners living in the South East to return to the North is to say the least worrisome. This is in view of the fact that the country has been struggling to recover from a devastating civil war that led to the deaths of three million people.
Chief Sam Oduh Ezediaro, former Legal Adviser to Total made the observation in Oguta, Imo State, recently. Ezediaro, an expert in conflict resolution and National Facilitator, Oil and Solid Mineral Producing Area Landlords’ Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN), admitted that doubt that the “country is faced with grave problems of governance that have made the life of the ordinary Nigerian a misery.
“The nation’s economy which is driven largely by oil is manifestly in deep recession due to global shock in oil price coupled with our dwindling foreign reserve that is regularly tampered with to make up for budget deficit. Our country, Nigeria is really in a mess bringing to fore the issue of political leadership, which is actually fueling the ongoing agitations for self-determination across Nigeria’s vast ethnic nationalities.
“The perception of injustice and inequities are spreading like wild fire beyond the frontiers of political and ideological divides. With tempers running high there is the tendency to shift the blame to government and not just government but to those holding the levers of power.”
He said “Nigerians are extraordinary people who are known all over the world to overcome trying periods in the nation’s history. Nigeria survived a traumatizing civil war that led to the deaths of over three million people. Nigeria survived the shock of the 2000 shariah-induced crisis that resulted in the avoidable deaths of thousands of innocent Christians in the north and reprisal killings of Moslems in the South. Nigeria survived the rage of crippling armed campaigns by militants in the Niger Delta region.”
Ezediaro advised Nigerians not loose sight of the war ravaging the North East by the Boko Haram terrorists with attendant heavy toll on life and property: “The Boko Haram war in the north east of Nigeria has claimed several thousands of lives including our brave soldiers that fell to the savage bullet of anarchy. Worse still, is the devastating effect and nightmarish experience of fellow Nigerians who were displaced in thousands from their once-peaceful war-torn areas and are now forced to live in sub-standard make-shift camps.”
He said the various crises rocking the nation should be seen as a clarion call to good governance by the political leadership: “The Federal Government should provide an enabling environment for dialogue in order to bring aggrieved individuals and organizations to a negotiating table where burning issues can be properly addressed. I therefore wish to appeal to those campaigning for self-determination to sheath the sword and accept dialogue as the most effective tool to resolve conflicts.”
He commended OMPALAN and other peace-loving organizations for making bold efforts to sue for peace: “The greatest threat to sovereign Nigeria is insecurity especially the spirited effort of religious bigots to take over the reins of government and force their evil agenda on the country.”