January 13,2018
The message circulated like a wild fire; Hand shake across the Niger will bring notable figures together under the auspices of Ohaneze Ndigbo- a political cum cultural apex group that has been on the wrong side with the people it claims to represent. The occasion will attract Yorubas and Igbos on a table to discuss way they can jointly reach their various political aspirations. Restructuring which the two major ethnic groups aspire would top agenda.
Few weeks ago; the convener- Nnia Nwodo had sworn during a meeting convened in Lagos that he would sabotage the effort to restore Biafra, a declaration that further ignited the anger of the people of Biafra against him. On the popular Radio Biafra; a freedom fighting radio belonging to the Indigenous People of Biafra, callers that joined the daily program vowed to prove that a cabal cannot hijack the wish of the people as the people of Biafra have chosen their nation.
The meeting Ohaneze Ndigbo convened in Lagos was criticized and questions were raised on why a cultural meeting should be held outside the indigenous land of the people. In many quarters; it was viewed as fear of the unknown and also Ohaneze fear of IPOB. When a child does something bad; he fears to come back home because he knew he would be whipped or scolded. That summed up the decision to host Igbo cultural meeting in far away Lagos.
The previous criticisms may have pushed Nwodo into hosting Hand Shake Across The Niger in Enugu, the capital of Biafra between 1967 and 1970, but it was also the right opportunity for the people of Biafra to show him how much he is despised and that he is a reject. Nwodo has for so long claimed that he has the mandate of the people of Old eastern region to speak for them, but in Enugu, he lies were laid bare. The people of Old Eastern region proved once more or spoke with actions that they know their leader and what they want.
Women from Biafra land had converged in the venue of the Igbo/Yoruba handshake to witness the historic friendship. Elders from Bayelsa and other southsouth states joined the meeting, while the women were led by one Nkiru, an Ibuzor woman from Delta state who was said to be a women leader from Delta state. They all gained access into the meeting hall and happily listened to the appointed speakers.
However; trouble brewed when Nnia Nwodo who waited patiently for his time to speak rose from his seat and handled the microphone. Instead of speak issues concerning the killing of the people of Biafra; he carelessly dived into restructuring but the women stood in opposition to his speech and roared on top of their voices, shunning him and demanding he suspends his speech. Every effort to calm the women proved futile and their protest was almost bringing the meeting to abrupt end. When the women were approached to know what their grievances were, they plainly told the ushers to ask Nnia Nwodo to suspend his speech that he has no right to speak in Biafra land because he is a self-confessed saboteur.
“That saboteur should sit down before we all sit down; he is not a leader in Biafra or any Igbo, we want Biafra and not restructure. They killed our husbands and children, operation python dance one and two and three and instead of talk about it, he is talking about restructure, tell that thief and betrayal to sit down if you want us to sit down” a witness reportedly quoted the words used by one of the women.
Effort to plead the women into silence was futile as Nnia Nwodo persisted but when the angry women started to defy security and approach him, pointing carelessly at him without atom of respect, he felt it was getting serious and handed over the microphone and sat down, giving way for another speaker. The humiliation was visible as he was seen sweating all over and so uncomfortable; filled with disbelief how such thing could happen to him in his own meeting. One of the women interviewed narrated to The Biafra Post.
Femi-Fani Kayode stole the show when he was called up to speak; the tensed nerves were calmed by his soothing and fearless words. He showed compassion and sense of justice; reminding the women and men of Biafra that they are fighting for freedom and freedom is justice. Shortly; songs of eulogy for Kayode saturated the hall as Nnia Nwodo looked on with regret but if that would make him have a rethink is left for the gods.
It was entirely shameful that a Yoruba man was eulogized and valued more than any Biafran man in the hall, this goes to show that a leader is lacking in the hall. But when Kayode stole the show; the stewards of the occasion were signaled by Igbo leaders to cut Kayode’s speech but Kayode refused as the women and entire people that came from old eastern region showed solidarity and yelled at the stewards to leave a brave man to speak truth.
“Leave a brave man; a hero to talk, you cowards that could not call us freedom fighters and women seeking justice” a reported quote said of the women.
The major disgrace was witnessed when Pat Utomi was called to give a speech and he feigned ignorance in a bit to avoid saying what may warrant his own humiliation. He pretended to answer call and left the sight of the people and many others that declined to make speech. A speech not in support of Biafra may attract mob action; so everybody was cautious.
The women from old eastern region rolled on the floor crying on top of their voices what the Nigerian government did to them which automatically disrupted the meeting but when Femi-Fani Kayode concluded his speech, the entire women in the building rushed to the stage and lowered their wrappers on the floor for him to match on. It was indeed a red carpet appreciation; they fanned him and fell on his toes in appreciation for speaking against the injustice perpetrated against them, their children and their husbands. While songs of “Holy, holy Nnamdi Kanu is another savior was heard and people made merry for such a leader”
“They sang the song (holy, holy, Nnamdi Kanu is another savior) to humiliate Nnia Nwodo and tell him that there is but one leader that cannot be substituted or joked with” a spectator said.
“If women did such a thing; Nwodo might not stand men, that man might likely face mob action that he won’t survive someday, unless he changes on time” a political activists said when asked his thought over the news of what women did in Enugu.
When the meeting finally came to an end; the women went outside the hall and ready to go mad, protest naked and mob Nnia Nwodo but when Nnia Nwodo got wind of the plan, he was exited through the back door and was not seen anymore. When one of the women was asked what their plan was, she said.
“We
planned to fight Nnia Nwodo, drag him down and match on him to tell him he is
nothing; he supported the killing of our children and husbands. We were ready
to die that day; we would drag him down and show him we are serious when we say
we want nothing but Biafra”
Nnia Nwodo has not said a word since after the
public humiliation but there are insinuations that the disgrace will force him
to change and identify with the aspiration of his people and end trading the
lives of his people with a politically motivated Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Yet in some
quarters; they believe he will continue to be a saboteur and drain off money
from the federal government in the name of Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Ifeanyi Chijioke is a
thinker, revolutionary writer, a senior journalist in TheBiafraPost and socio-economic and
political analyst that writes from Onitsha in Eastern part of Biafraland
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