OPEN LETTER DESIRE TO LECTURE VANGUARD NEWS ON ITS EDITORIAL ‘KANU’S UNENVIABLE DILEMMA

Nigeria Vanguard News Blog

If you didn’t read to the last letter of this column, let it be clear to you that you have not learned anything. It is time we forbid deceit and come on a round table than try to use force and gun to solving problems. I am opposed to violence hence the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu will cause violence, let us avoid it now and negotiate within Biafra context. Vanguard messed up in its editorial which prompted my desire to lecture them. Had they investigated the effect of Kanu’s continued detention, they would not have written trashy opinion that tends to have unlawful incarceration on its options.

This is not the first time I am writing in response to Vanguard’s editorial position; in the past I have reacted angrily to articles by Vanguard even though it’s my best newspaper and online news platform. I love this news outlet because of its truth and straightforwardness; though there are times a national daily must be patriotic and throw away its virtue to serve the nation. I have keenly followed reports by Vanguard and I can vouch that this is the media outlet that puts the wellbeing of humanity before anything else. I don’t know much about eulogy, but the little I know is when a woman gets praised, she gets carried away and behaves awkwardly. I have seen a lot of them but my favourite will definitely be my favourite and nothing will alter what it lives for.

I read with strings of anger and a total displeasure at the lack of quality and consciousness of Vanguard’s editorial on this topic “Nnamdi Kanu’s unenviable dilemma”. The editorial seems to be subtly illegal and mischievous or rather what I should define as poor knowledge of existing law and unhealthy patriotism. The column which seems to be fair and balanced is nothing but deceit and trying to mildly attack what cannot be attacked. It is one thing to want to choose a side but it is entirely a different thing to manipulate the consciousness of men. This is what stirred my desire to lecture Vanguard my favourite media outlet; I am wholeheartedly doing this with belief that they would learn from me and continue to be unbiased umpire.

I will not love to rush into my topic as I would relevantly digress to beat Vanguard on the need to ask questions or have the face to reply this topic in any form or means. Vanguard openly told the public that two things are involved in Kanu’s case, either Nnamdi Kanu stay very long in detention until Biafra is restored as the symbol of the agitation or he renounces Biafra and get reprieve. They went further to buttress the opinion with Nelson Mandela circumstance and Abdullah Ocalan, what a poor judgement! Vanguard consciously made it very clear that Nnamdi Kanu is a political prisoner, a political prisoner simply means a man thrown into the prison for committing no crime but due to his political view. The editorial technically implies that a man can be rightly imprisoned for sharing different opinion with another and the most annoying thing is the undertone of the editorial that seems to support this illegality. I am already losing my cool and this makes me think; were they paid to peddle this deceit and promote criminality of the Nigerian state?

Vanguard did much of learning or giving illustration from years of Apartheid, they also sufficiently viewed the situation in Turkey; seriously I will conclude that the editorial wrote that column under influence; I will first of all ask Vanguard if it understands the meaning of Democracy and effect of non-violent approach? Democracy which was fought by heroes was done so that Nnamdi Kanu can be safe in circumstance like this. Fela Kuti and all the men that died fighting for democracy did it for Nnamdi Kanu to have the right without interference to agitation. It would be a very big dishonour that after men gave up their lives for a cause, Vanguard today disrespectfully rant or make worthless the ultimate prices paid for democracy. Democracy is abused and the heroes that fought for it ridiculed for every single day Nnamdi Kanu is denied his freedom and it is quite disappointing that Vanguard today try to subtly buttress state criminality or illegality. If Nnamdi Kanu should remain in jail; I also expect some Vanguard writers/Journalists that share opposing views to the State’s view which is what Nnamdi Kanu simply did, in prison custody.

Yet again; Vanguard failed to see what is happening in Catalonia and UK where agitation is at its peak; the approach and civility of the States’. They quickly went back to Apartheid of donkey-years when Democracy has not seen the light of the day. Failed to see or learn or urge for the British approach and Spanish mentality, civilization is alien to Nigeria or has corruption made it impossible for everybody in Nigeria to be civilized? If Nelson Mandela is brought into Kanu’s case, Vanguard should endeavour to take us back to 1960s 70s 80s when no law sanctioned self-determination and when Democracy was in coffin. We have moved on for God’s sake! We have left the dark days to days of computer, we have moved on from days of the emperor who imprison a man for sharing opposing view. We have moved on from the time of political imprisonment and I see no reason Vanguard should proudly be mentioning Kanu as a political prisoner who would remain in Prison until Biafra is restored.

If Nigeria is averse to civilization and claims to be blind or unaware of tenets of democracy; Vanguard should be in better position to give the orientation and not the other way round. We as journalists and writers hold the moral responsibility to impact people for a better world; this deviation from Vanguard is very much unlike them. Let me quote them “For instance, Kurdish separatist leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was sentenced to death for a treasonable offence similar to that of Kanu, but when he renounced violence and opted for a political solution to the independence of the Kurds from Turkey, he was eventually granted reprieve”. Vanguard has betrayed all sense of responsibility; this same media outfit everyday praises Nnamdi Kanu for embracing peace. Nnamdi Kanu has peacefully and legally embarked on Biafra restoration and I ask, has there been violence from Indigenous People of Biafra? Okay, let us assume that for peacefully asking for referendum on Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu should be sentenced to death and then renounce that he doesn’t want Biafra. For the fact there is no form of violence associated or from IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu remains a model that should be celebrated instead of imprisoned. Comparing violent Abdullah to peaceful Nnamdi Kanu is yet another blunder I don’t expect from Vanguard. Nnamdi Kanu should be compare to the leader of Scotland and Catalonia, which is his place and comrades.

In its entirety, Vanguard has disappointed democracy by yet bringing in Abiola issue, today they try to tell us that we have not moved on from Military rule to democratic rule; a position that could be dangerous to the mindset of the people and government. For being peaceful, Vanguard and Nigerian State seems to be ridiculing Nnamdi Kanu as a man that doesn’t know the Nigerian business. They are seeing peaceful approach as weakness and urging the people to take up arms as any peaceful agitation within the confines of law will land you in prison. The leader of Boko haram is enjoying his freedom simply because he is armed and Avengers are bubbling simply because they are reasonably violent while a man that chose peace languishes in prison and Vanguard editorial makes mess of education by writing trashy article. Instead of setting Nnamdi Kanu as model for agitation, they have fallen so low to discouraging any form of peaceful approach to a cause.

As a ploy to convince Nnamdi Kanu to accept negotiation to renounce Biafra, Vanguard further said “. Abacha and his supporters would have been overjoyed to let Abiola go only if he would renounce the struggle for his annulled presidential mandate, but Abiola’s supporters, who were fighting – and some were dying – for him and the struggle, would have none of that. Fancy what would have happened if Abiola had broken bounds, renounced his mandate and come back to open society?”. Let me make one thing clear, Biafra is not Yoruba and nobody has ever decided to die for Biafrans. Vanguard is motivated to rant to and fro because Biafrans have not picked up arms and should Nnamdi Kanu be jailed or not released sonn; Vanguard will know what fanaticism or religion is all about. Biafra is a religion and the people are fanatical about it; nobody is supporting Nnamdi Kanu but everybody is fighting for Biafra and Nnamdi Kanu is the Biafra they know today. Vanguard might have not have investigated the situation in Biafra before writing but I assure them; hell will let loose very soon if Kanu’s continued detention is not called off. Both the author of this trash and I- the lecturer will pay dearly because nothing will be left. I am ready to die without regret and let Vanguard also write their will before this crisis is triggered, second Biafra war will be disastrous “If they force us into the path of violence; Somalia will be a paradise compared to Nigeria” Nnamdi Kanu quoted. As he is struggling to avoid violence; Vanguard and the rest are ranting like wayward lady in the wood.

Nnamdi Kanu cannot stay in detention any longer because patience is fading away and people are clustering. Anger is festering because UN 2007 declaration made it clear that Nnamdi Kanu has done nothing wrong but politically intimidated. We saw what is going in Spain where Catalonians are doing what we are doing without being hurt. Scotland doing same and we are aware that Nigeria signed same international treaty with Spain and UK. Biafra is a people that don’t love to be intimidated and once they start something, they get to the end and should second civil war that would start from violence commences; be rest assured that Biafra will come this time.

I will not love to go on as I have other things to do, I have lectured Vanguard enough to know that continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu will only set the stage on fire and men will burn. There is no repeat of Nelson Mandela scene because Democracy and UN 2007 backed Kanu. There is no Turkey’s Abdullah scene because Kanu has peacefully asked for Biafra within the confines of law. If Kanu will stay in prison for asking for something without any violence and yet a legitimate thing, then Nigeria sees Biafrans as slaves that have no right to talk to their masters. Biafrans will respond squarely and vehemently and for the record, Nnamdi Kanu cannot renounce Biafra because it is more than him; the people are religious about Biafra. God forbid! If Kanu renounces Biafra, nobody will do anything to him but thank him for the much he has done and another leader will be appointed and this time with the language of violence. It would be better Vanguard and Nigeria stop wallowing in nothingness and listen to voice of reason to solve Biafra question.

Finally, I have assignment for Vanguard and entire Nigeria, it is high time they went back to the 2007 UN declaration and study the context. With this, they would come to the knowledge that they are boasting or thriving on lawlessness. You can’t rightly come to Nigerian national daily and ranting how Kanu would spend time in your prison or renounce Biafra with knowledge that you are contravening or not living up to your international obligations and treaties. It is shameful that a person (Vanguard editor) who claimed to live with atom of education would try to accommodate illegality or unlawful act that could result to serious crisis. I am of the opinion that as everybody is still calmed and ready to talk for peace, let Nnamdi Kanu be released and negotiation within Biafra context can be launched to solve Biafra question.

By Ifeanyi Chijioke.
For Biafra Reporters.
Published by Akachukwu Udo.