By Jerome-Mario Utomi
One of the most challenging
riddles I grappled with during my formative years was the doctrine of Trinity.
It was during my catechism class as a Catholic Christian and the topic of
Trinity posed a huge
task to me. This doctrine is a dogma which teaches that
God, the supreme being, is actually three persons in one .These three
persons, as I was later told, are God the father, God the son and God the
Holy Spirit coexisting as one entity sharing equality in substance, essence and
divinity .
As a young lad, this teaching
which I had considered strange and untenable logic left me lost in the maze of
high voltage confusion as I laboured to fathom how possible it was to compress
three persons into one. Though I was totally disoriented by the logic of Trinity
I tried not to betray my disconnect with the topic. Alas! I could not pretend
for too long that I was flowing with the class for my teacher soon observed the
utter confusion and frustration raging in my mind. And to douse the nagging
helplessness enveloping me as regard comprehending what he was dishing out, he
quickly declared, ‘Trinity is a mystery’. However, rather than clear my
confusion, his declaration further left me crestfallen. What is a mystery,
Sir?,I found myself asking. He then went ahead to define mystery as ‘’ a
revealed truth that is beyond human understanding but guided by the Holy
Spirit’.
Each time I ruminate over the
marriage of two unwilling brides who had no say in their forceful and ill-fated
union- amalgamation of the northern and the southern protectorates on the 14th
February 1914,a day set aside to celebrate love all over the world, by Sir Lord
Luggard- as well as the pre and post independence political structure of
Nigeria, memories of my catechism class Trinity confusion come flooding.
The British colonial overlords
probably intended the protectorates to operate in a symmetrical manner with no
part of the amalgam claiming superiority over the other. This arrangement
conferred on the fledgling country the form of the Biblical trinity explained
above. And at independence in 1960, Nigeria became a federation, resting firmly
on a tripod of three federating regions-Northern, Eastern and Western Regions.
Each of the regions was economically and politically viable to steer its own ship,
yet mutual suspicion among them was rife. In fact, regional loyalty surpassed
nationalistic fervor with each of the three regions at a juncture threatening
secession.
The late Premier of the Western
Region once described Nigeria as ‘mere geographical expression’ and
later threatened “we (Western Region) shall proclaim self- government and
proceed to assert it”, an euphemism for secession.
In the same vein, the Northern
Region under the Premiership of the late Ahmadu Bello never hid its desire for
separate identity. Just before independence, the Region threatened to pull out
of Nigeria if it was not allocated more parliamentary seats than the south. The
departing British colonial masters, desirous of one big entity, quickly
succumbed to the threat. In fact, the North at that time did pretend it never
wanted to have anything to do with Nigeria. For example, the motto of the
ruling party in that region at that time was ‘One North, One People, One
Destiny’. And name of the party itself ‘Northern People’s Congress, NPC, was
suggestive of separatist fervor, distinct identity.
It has also been said in
several publications-which no one from the north has refuted till today-that
the primary reason for the July 29, 1966 bloody revenge coup carried out by
young soldiers of Northern Nigerian extraction which led to the massacre of
thousands of Igbo soldiers and civilians, including Nigeria’s first military
Head of State, General Thomas Johnson Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was primarily to
pull that Region out of Nigeria. This explained the massive ARABA(secession)
protests that rocked the region shortly after the coup and Lt.Col Yakubu
Gowon’s badly edited maiden broadcast proclaiming himself as the new military
ruler in which he declared that the basis for Nigeria’s unity was not there.
The speech was the original secession speech of the coupists where they had
intended to announce the break way of Northern Region from Nigeria. The speech
was however, later hurriedly edited to remove the secession content of it
after the British High Commissioner to Nigeria at that time and some prominent
federal civil servants had intervened by informing the secession seeking
Northern soldiers the implication of Northern Nigeria standing on its own as a
country.
However, of all the secession
threats since independence it was the one issued by the Eastern Region in
1966-67 following the bloody counter coup of July 1966 and subsequent genocide
by Northern soldiers and civilians in which thousands of Easterners living in
the North lost their lives or maimed, and the failure of Gowon to implement the
Aburi Accord which was aimed at settling the crisis, that was much more potent
because it was actually carried out. The result was the declaration of Eastern
Region independent country with the name, “Biafra” on May 30, 1967 by the then
Military Governor of the Region, the late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Currently, wave of secessionist
sentiments are sweeping across the country with restive youths in the North and
South east as the main gladiators. Some groups in the Southwest and South south
have also joined the fray to demand the marriage of 1914 be ended as the basis
for its continued existence have severely been weakened. However, the very
vociferous agitation for Biafra’s restoration by Indigenous Peoples of Biafra,
IPOB, led by youthful Nnamdi Kanu has been the loudest of the separatist
movements.
Though separatist bug has also
caught some sections of the country, there is no denying the fact that even
with defeat of the Igbo in the Nigeria/Biafra civil war, majority of the
people, especially those born after the war harbor immense sentiment for
separate political and cultural identity for the Igbo nation in the mould of
restoration of the short –lived Republic of Biafra.
For example, at the return of
democracy in 1999,Ralph Uwazurike , an Indian trained Lawyer, from Imo
State ignited a passion for Biafra among South east youths via his separatist
platform ‘’ Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra’’ (MASSOB). MASSOB and
its founder enjoyed tremendous following and respect among mostly youths of the
region that it almost became alternative government in the South east. The
group’s sit-at- home orders were religiously obeyed just as the one declared by
IPOB on May 30th was a monster success.
Uwazuruike’s support base has
since drastically weaned following dissent in MASSOB. But from the ashes of
MASSOB’s bye-gone years of strident pro- Biafra agitation came Kanu and IPOB, a
much more vitriolic but charming personality and organisation.
Kanu happened on the national and
international limelight through a pirate radio Biafra which he used as a
vehicle to promote the agitation to actualize the Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB) quest for independence. Two factors have so far worked for Kanu in his
separatist agenda: His long incarceration by the Buhari government over Biafra
and the recent quit notice given to the Igbo residing in the North by Arewa
youths. Both factors, apparently unknown to president Buhari’s handlers, have
helped and still helping IPOB and Kanu’s cause. One, his incarceration for
almost two years helped to project him to his supporters, a mass of Igbo
youths, and the international community as a prisoner of conscience and freedom
fighter.
Secondly, the thoughtless quit
notice by Northern youths to the Igbo resident in the North, has not only made
Biafra more attractive to most South easterners and portrays Kanu as a messiah
of the Igbo but has triggered off chain of secessionist sentiments in the South
west and South west.
Random sampling of opinion of
pro-Biafra supporters indicates that they have rock-solid belief in their cause
and are even prepared to give their lives to actualize it. They also believe
that in no distance future, Biafra will be realized and point to the total
compliance by the entire South east and some parts of the south- south
states like Delta and Rivers to IPOB’s sit-at-home order as evidence of the
justness of the Biafra cause and unstoppable progress of their dream.
While those of us who belief in
the unity of Nigeria may not agree with Kanu’s campaign or campaign of any
group or ethnic nationality to dismember Nigeria, the truth must be told to the
effect that the whole gamut of restiveness of youths, whether in the South
east, South south, North or Southwest, and resurgence demand for the
dissolution of Nigeria stem from mindless exclusion, injustice and economic deprivation.
The template to solve these problems is already there: the Report of the 2014
National Conference. The holistic implementation of that report is germane to
the survival of the Nigerian which is right now in its most fragile state since
the end of the civil war.
Sadly, while President Buhari
continuously mouth his determination to preserve the union, the feudalistic and
oligarch nature of his government and his handlers have collaborated to ensure
that the confab report is not implemented. The Buhari government is doing this
country more harm than good and quickening its disintegration by insisting that
Nigeria’s restructuring via the implementation of the report will never happen.
I believe that the likes of Kanu
would instantly fizzle away and their cause dies naturally, if Nigeria is
restructured to ensure more inclusiveness. But agitations for the death of
Nigeria cannot go way when nepotism and sectionalism continue to be evident in
the manner of political patronage and distribution of our common patrimony as
currently obtained.
It is barefaced truth that the
Nigerian state has not treated the Igbo, one of the three tripods on which the
federation of Nigeria stands, fairly since the war ended. The situation is
exacerbated by the current government with its mindless near-exclusion of that
zone in government appointments.
In fact, President Buhari’s
remark shortly after assuming office that he would treat those who gave him 5
percents votes differently from those who gave him 97 percent votes is one of
the very potent factors that fuel the raging Biafra agitation, and the return
of militancy in the South south as well. Obviously, Mr. Buhari’s ‘hate’ speech
was targeted at the two zones which together did not give him up to 10 percents
of votes during the 2015 presidential election.
And specifically to the governors
of the south-east states, they are not expected to support a group that is
advocating for the dissolution of Nigeria but as at this material time, Biafra
agitators are still their subjects and citizens of this great country. That
alone qualifies them to be listened to.
Finally, the Igbo, especially its
youths, should allow sanity prevail over emotion. I hold the opinion that if by
omission or commission this agitation is allowed to sail through, Kanu may not
be the messiah they lost their limbs for. Chance are that, Kanu, from the
character he exudes, may want to establish what Niccole Machiavelli called the
‘’hereditary principalities’’. For example, he now parades himself as the
supreme leader of Biafra with his supporters equating him with God.
‘’The destiny of the ship is not
in the harbor but in sailing the high sea’’ and so shall our collective
responsibility be, not to destroy this great nation but join hands
to nurture and sustain it . If we are able to manage this situation and other
social menace effectively and navigate out of dangers of disintegration, it
will once again, announce the arrival of a brand new great nation where
peace and love shall reign supreme. But, then, no nation enjoys durable peace
without justice and stability without fairness and equity!
Jerome-Mario, a Journalist could
be reached through; jeromeutomi@yahoo.com
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