Before Nnamdi Kanu fails

Before Nnamdi Kanu fails 

“One uncontrolled character flaw can ruin your greatest accomplishment.”

–Wayde Goodall.

There are so many reasons why anybody with revolutionary mind would not want the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to fall so soon from his present height of esteem and reverence.

His struggle has achieved a lot in the political space of Biafra and indeed Nigeria. Until Kanu’s IPOB emerged on the scene and elevated the struggle former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for instance was the lone voice from the North in support of restructuring, today they have multiplied with great irokos like former Military President Ibrahim Babangida joining the fray leaving only the Governor of Kaduna Nasir el-rufai to be leaving in the past about where the country is headed. It is through IPOB “noise” that the careworn and obviously nervous ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that had distanced itself from talking about restructuring are now beginning to shift ground. Also through IPOB’s obstinate position, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria appear to have swallowed its vomit and accepted to consider the report of the 2014 National Conference. Even the seeming unity in the geo-political South is also traceable to IPOB rebellion.

Also the controversial quit notice on Ndigbo to leave the Northern region is a fallout of Kanu’s battles. The quit notice, interestingly, is turning out to be a blessing in disguise because it’s helping to galvanise Ndigbo to think home for investment.

In summary therefore, it can be argued without fear of contradiction that it’s to IPOB’s credit, that Nigeria is now on the table for discussion to determine its future. Before IPOB, languages like “Nigeria unity not negotiable or ‘to keep Nigeria one is task that must be done” were admirable and commonly used vocabularies but they have all lost their fame now.

For all these and indeed many more, no progressive mind would wish that the initiator and founder of IPOB should have slip-ups that could lead to his crash. But the indicators are not alluring at all as the revolutionary boy appears to have been setting himself up for a huge fall which would be most unfortunate as it would not be in the interest of the Biafra struggle.

If this happens and I pray it doesn’t it would not be for lack of good counsel, rather it would be due to the inability of the man to manage success apparently due to his lack of understanding of the environment. 

He may have misread his popularity to be a consequence of his person rather than the course he is pursuing. Probably he misjudged his fame forgetting that he became an issue because of Federal Government’s intolerance to contrasting views that led to his avoidable arrest and incarceration. 

The abuse of his fundamental human rights and flagrant disregard to court orders on him helped to elevate his case beyond the stage it was due to ascend. Against that backdrop therefore Kanu could have known that he and his IPOB group need a fresh strategy and tactics to sustain their relevance.

Even with all the annoyances, nobody is thinking of arresting Kanu again because the man on the seat of Commander in Chief now is a Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who knows the value of the rule of law. 

Kanu and IPOB therefore need to work outside the page to remain significant and keep their supporters. If Kanu fails in this regard, it would be a case of the stubborn fly that ignores advice and accompanies corpse to the grave. If that happens it would not be due to dearth of good counsel as he had met many credible Ndigbo elders like Prof. Ben Nwabueze himself an unrepentant fighter of Igbo course, Second Republic Vice President Alex Ekwueme, the President General of Ohanaeze John Nnia Nwodo among others and they all fatherly guided him.

Even yours sincerely had in this space on May 18, 2017 authored a memo to Kanu where I highlighted a number of dangerous routes he should circumvent if he hopes to take his dream project far. Here is an excerpt from the memo: “This memo is primarily to warn you about politicians. They are group of people you must approach with your thinking cap permanently on.

“As a Prince who grew up in Obi Eze, you must have been privy to the story of why the use of long spoon is recommended while dining with the devil; it’s because when he comes for your hand he would only have the spoon to grab but I tell you that for politicians even long spoon would not suffice so the best is to avoid totally any lure of dinning with them at all.”

In the said memo I also went further to say among others: “My advice to you is to try and have an intellectual arm of IPOB to up your struggle by drawing up an operating template. Biafra cannot be gotten without going through what the law says unless through a war which both Nigeria and Biafra cannot afford again. 

Every step of IPOB struggle must keep in view what the law says and put pressure towards achieving that. My thinking is that if you want to continue keeping your head on your shoulder on this Biafra project you are to avoid like a plague political parties. Once you drag your group into partisan politics you lose the struggle.

“Biafra dream is to be realised in Nigeria not in Biafra, the fight should be outside Biafra not within. Once you enter the fray of partisan politics you drag the fight back and that would be the end. Perhaps your best bet is to work closely with the Ndigbo umbrella organisation, the Ohanaeze, particularly now that its leadership is displaying some purposefulness and appear courageously ready and willing to take Igbo to the next level.”

But what we have been seeing is clear negation of these advisories. Kanu has been celebrating himself rather than IPOB, calling himself Supreme leader and granting interviews to talk like a politician rather than a revolutionary. He has been carrying on as the Governor General of the South-East and the King of the ethnic Igbo.

Through one of his interviews Kanu rummaged into a needless attack on a political election and a former president, an action that has invited a corresponding response thereby distracting from the focus. A hitherto dutiful Kanu supporters like Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri and Deji Adeyanju all who fought for his release have since abandoned him for leaving his Biafra project to attack their mentor, former President Goodluck Jonathan. He has created battle fronts everywhere at the detriment of its main target.

It does not matter if what you are saying is correct once such correctness would derail your focus you ought to avoid it if you are wise.

Referendum is not even in the country’s constitution as of today but instead of relating with relevant leaders to work towards it, Kanu is busy shouting referendum or nothing without any concrete step on the way. All these staccato thinking does not portray the struggle well because Biafra would never be gotten without following the rule and millions of flag carrying jobless youths cannot translate the struggle to success if proper idea is not put on the table. When people who have worked in all parts of this country and related with all manner of characters of all religions and tribes make suggestions it should not be ignored by people who properly have never been in any part of this country or related with others outside their cosy world of Europe, America or their ethnic area.

I therefore recommend for Kanu’s reading the book by Wayde Goodall, “Why Great Men Fall: 15 Winning Strategies to Rise Above It All”. In the book, the author noted that “Being willing to listen to others and let them speak into our lives is a critical attitude leaders must have. It is not weakness to get good advice – it is strength to seek it out.”

However, notwithstanding the apparent shortfalls, I need to stress at this juncture that any missteps by Kanu does not in any way diminish the Biafra struggle as it remains relevant more so that the variables that ignited it are still very glaring and the actors have not shown any sign of remorse. Biafra struggle predates Kanu and if not realised in his time, would be reality someday. It therefore means that Aluta must continue but with an upped strategy.

- Ike Abonyi