Mbaka’s New Year message epitomises the folly of an average Igbo man in Nigerian politics |
Monday 5 January 2015
Mbaka’s New Year message epitomises the folly of an average Igbo man in Nigerian politics
A Catholic Priest doesn’t care that a man who
has vowed to Islamise Nigeria with all his strength, would be allowed to mount
the saddle of leadership in Nigeria? This is what Buhari
openly declared at the height of the introduction of Sharia law in Northern
Nigeria. “Sharia should be introduced
in full force across Nigeria. I will continue to show openly and inside me the
total commitment to the sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria. God
willing, we will not stop the agitation for the TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
SHARIA IN THE COUNTRY. It is the legal responsibility, which God has given us
within the context of one Nigeria to continue to uphold on the practice of
sharia wholeheartedly.”
Does Mbaka understand
the implication of that? Perhaps breaking it down for him could help. What it
implies is that when Buhari starts his move to Islamise Nigeria “in full force”,
Mbaka will either be ready to be beheaded for his faith or be converted to
Islam, because islamisation = “the Quran
or the Sword”. Arguably, either option
is bad for Mbaka, so why don’t you stop the devil now that you have the power? Obviously,
Mbaka does not understand that under Buhari, he would not be allowed to preach
from the pulpit, not to think of criticising his government. For Mbaka’s
information, Buhari jailed journalists who dared criticise his government. Tunde
Thompson and Nduka Irabor quickly come to mind. In the full force of Islamisation
of Nigeria, which Buhari has pledged to, Mbaka’s church would be converted to a
mosque as was done in Istanbul to the Catholic Basilica dedicated to the Holy
Spirit (Hagia Sophia) that was converted to an imperial mosque by the Ottomans.
Mbaka acknowledged that people have stopped going to mosques in the north and
many churches have been destroyed by Islamic Terrorists, but he wants their
mentor to be enthroned as the President of Nigeria. This is the height of
stupidity. Doesn’t he understand that Islamisation of Biafra is the ultimate
aim of the Islamic Northern Oligarchy?
Spot the difference between Buhari and Abubakar Shekau |
Listening through
Mbaka’s outburst, The
Biafran realised it was a regurgitation of the All
Progressives Congress (APC)’s mantra. It saw a very simple man vomiting his
parochial knowledge of Nigeria’s politics in the guise of revelation from God. The Biafran,
therefore concludes that is either Mbaka is being blackmailed by the APC or the
APC has bribed him. The
Biafran, appreciates that Mbaka swore that he was speaking
for no one, but then we do not expect him to tell us that he has been
compromised or being blackmailed. It was amply clear he was a holding political
rally for Buhari.
Barely two months ago, Mbaka
endorsed Goodluck Jonathan, when the president’s wife came to his church’s
Annual Harvest and probably made some cash donations. He proclaimed to the
Patience Jonathan that “those fighting your husband will fail.” He exonerated
Jonathan from the Chibok girls kidnapped, stating that Jonathan has done a lot
for Nigeria and pledged the support of Enugu people for Jonathan. “Jonathan is
not a kidnapper. We are giving you our support. You have done a lot for this
country. You have done it with distractions. We wonder what you will do without
distractions. We know what you will do. Adoration will support you and your
husband.” So what has changed between November, 2014 when Mbaka endorsed
Jonathan and January 2015 that made him to recant his endorsement? According to
Mbaka, his main reason for asking Jonathan to withdraw from the Presidential
contest was due to the high level of insecurity in Nigeria. However, between
the time Mbaka endorsed Jonathan and now, Boko Haram’s attack has receded. Down
in Ala Igbo, 2014 Christmas has been the best in recent times. There was no
report of robbery, kidnapping etc. Mbaka ignorantly stated that never in the
history of Nigeria has there been “this level of bloodshed” referring to Boko
Haram’s atrocities. Does it mean Mbaka has forgotten millions of lives of
Biafrans killed by the Northern Oligarchy during the Biafra-Nigeria War? The number of Biafrans killed by Buhari alone
in Owerri and other parts of Biafra he fought is more than what Boko Haram has
killed in all their attacks. Is Mbaka this simply or he is being mischievous?
Mbaka stated that
Jonathan caused the oil price to drop, and the subsequent devaluation of the
naira – is this guy living in this world? Doesn’t he realise that the fall in
crude oil price was due to a complex mixture of the Islamic State selling crude
oil at half price, United States and cronies working to crash Russian economy
and increasing production of shale gas? If this accusation was made by a
Russian, it would be somewhat understandable because the rouble is the worst
hit and one can directly link it to President Vladimir Putin’s disagreement
with Western powers over Ukraine.
Jonathan’s achievements
may not have been classic but there is no basis whatsoever to equate him to
Buhari. Jonathan’s problem is that he met a country with myriad of problems and
people’s expectations so high. The people expect him to remedy all the decadal mess
of previous governments in a second. Every consequence of the misgovernance and
maladministration of previous administrations, including those of Buhari are
heaped on his head. His problem is then compounded by the fact that his
achievements are not made known to the masses – a failure of his PR team. His
achievements are suffocated out of the media by opposition propaganda and only
a few with discerning minds can understand exactly what Jonathan is doing and
has done. For instance, Nigeria’s education system has never benefited from any
government the way it has under Jonathan. Under him nine new Universities were
established across the country – you hardly hear about this. In addition, law
school campuses that has only been in four locations were extended all the
regions, and university lecturers and staff are receiving improved remuneration
packages. Federal roads such as the popular Ore-Benin road that was left in
dilapidated states have been reconstructed. The rail service that has been
comatose has been resurrected.
Although Jonathan’s government
has not made concrete achievements in Igboland to remedy the decades of
abandonment by successive Nigeria government, his gestures so far have been
highly symbolic! He broke the jinx and dared the Northern Oligarchy when he
allowed Akanu Ibiam Airport to be elevated to an International Airport. That
singular gesture earned Jonathan the wrath of the Oligarchy that Stella Oduah,
the Minister of Aviation, under whose regime the project was completed, was
sacrificed as a scapegoat. For decades Ndigbo have been treated as second class
citizens by other nationalities in Nigeria, but only a few of them actually
realises this stark reality. The rest carry on with pompous and overrated sense
of intelligence and achievement. To such average Igbomen, ‘the Hausa/Fulanis
are foolish’; ‘the Yorubas are lazy’, only the Igbos have the magic wand to
success. However, underneath the reverse is the case. The Hausa/Fulanis virtually
have all the powers and control every facet of the Nigeria government and
economy (until the miraculous emergence of Jonathan) – despite their ‘stupidity
and foolishness’. Every key position in Nigeria is manned by a Hausa/Fulani man
or few of their cronies from Yoruba land. The seaports in Biafra and every
other part of Nigeria, the airports and customs are manned by the scions of the
Hausa/Fulani Oligarchy. As a result, nothing comes into Nigeria without their
knowledge. With many Igbomen’s lives
dependent on importation of goods, the Northern Oligarchy can and have been
crumbling Igbo businesses at will. Conversely, they can also allow anything they
wish, including arms, to come into the country without anyone questioning them.
The 54 suitcases saga that happened under Buhari’s dictatorship is a case at
hand. That was a blatant contravention of the rule of the day under Buhari’s
heavily nepotistic anti-corruption fight (The Biafran
will address the issue in due cause).
Jonathan has irked the
Northern Oligarchy so much so that they pulled their war chests and arsenals to
get rid of him. It is quite understandable because Jonathan has been reversing
all the ‘born-to-rule legacies and dismantling the domination structures put in
place by decades of Northern Oligarchy rule in Nigeria. Given another term in
office, the Northern Oligarchy hold onto power will be crippled by Jonathan.
This why the Northern Oligarchy has been shouting for change. The change the
clamour for is not to provide jobs to the teaming unemployed youths or
eradicate corruption, because they were the once who institutionalised these
ills. The change they clamour for is to re-dominate Nigeria. They need to stop
Jonathan to regain power and their control of Nigeria. Therefore when the APC
and the North cries that they want ‘change’, they know exactly what they mean.
Never in the history of
Nigeria (except in 1966), has the Northern Oligarchs clamoured for ‘change’ as
they are currently doing. Obviously, the sort of ‘change’ they desire is
similar to that, which occurred back in 1966. We all are still experiencing the
consequences of that. When Aguiyi Ironsi came to power after Nzeowgu’s failed
revolution that led to the death of a couple of northern leaders such as Ahmadu
Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, the Northern Oligarchy screamed for change.
As they screamed for change from January 1966, Biafrans were being massacred in
the North. By July 1966, when Danjuma and Gowon finally murdered Ironsi, more
Biafrans were massacred. For the following months, the Northern Oligarchy
consolidated power by the systematic elimination of Biafran soldiers in the
then Nigerian Army until they were pushed to the sides. The Nigeria’s military
then became dominated by the Northern Oligarchy. This elimination of Biafran
soldiers was extended to civilians leading the pogroms that culminated to the
Biafran-Nigerian War. At the end of the war absolute power was consolidated by
the Northern Oligarchs and Nigeria was ruled by successive military and
civilian dictators, who are scions of Northern Oligarchs and their Yoruba crony
Olusegun Obasanjo. Those successive governments plunged Nigeria into the
quagmire, corruption and deprivation, which Jonathan encountered that Mbaka
alluded to.
It is therefore very
disturbing that Mbaka is chorusing this same ‘change’ mantra of the Northern
Oligarchs. Does he understand exactly what he is doing? For decades no Igbo man was allowed to rise up
to the rank of a Major General. However, under Jonathan an Igbo man for the
first time rose to become the Chief of Army Staff in Nigeria (the powerful
position in the Nigerian army that has been the exclusive preserve of only the
scions of the Northern Oligarchy). This is what change is. But sadly it goes unrecognised
by the likes of Mbaka. Under the administration of General Azubuike Ihejirika,
Boko Haram was pushed to the fringes of Nigeria, but soon after his retirement,
Boko Haram resurged with full force and has established caliphates in the
Northeast. Needless to say that if Ihejirika had not been in charge of the
Nigerian Army, Boko Haram terrorists would have been knocking at the doorsteps
of Biafra by now. The situation in the military is similar to the oil industry
and every sector of the economy.
So when an average Igbo
man ignorantly choruses the ‘change’ mantra what does he want? Has he realised
that under Jonathan, Igbo names have been propping up here and there as heads
one agency or the other? Was Mbaka not aware that under Jonathan, the powerful
National Population Commission (NPC) that has always been manned by Hausa/Fulani
men and used to perpetuate their lies on Nigeria’s demography is now being
headed by an Igbo man? The problem of an average Igbo man is that he lacks the
reasoning to understand the dynamics and schematics of governance in Nigeria. Jonathan
has turned things upside down for the Core North. In every Ministry, Department
and Agency (MDAs) in Nigeria, Jonathan is weaning off the unqualified Northern
elements who have been filling up the positions and replacing them with highly
competent and qualified individuals, who are slowly turning things in the right
direction, as was recently demonstrated by the effective way Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu
and his Health Ministry tackled the Ebola crisis, which is unprecedented in the
history of Nigeria. These achievements or perhaps changes are not glaring to an
average Onye Igbo because in the first place s/he does not in the first place know
that such positions (that has been dominated by the Hausa/Fulanis) exist, to
even know who are occupying them. But to an average northerner, who are directly
feeling the pains of Jonathan’s tornado, “Jonathan must go”.
Mbaka though not “partisan”
has once in a while forayed into the political arena. His longterm battle with
erstwhile Enugu State governor, Chimaraoke Nnamani, earned him some cheap
popularity in Enugu State. But recently, he appears to be derailing the more he
dabbled into politics outside his state. Not too long ago, he endorsed the
highly corrupt former governor of Imo State Ikedim Ohakim and exonerated him of
all accusations levelled against him, including those he Mbaka helped to
propagate (that Ohakim flogged a Catholic priest). In place he went after
Rochas Okorocha, the incumbent governor and the archenemy of Ohakim. He accused
Okorocha of failing to redeem a monetary donation he pledged to the Owerri
Catholic Archdioceses. Mbaka was shamed when his accusation was denied by the
Owerri Catholic Archdiocese who cautioned Mbaka to desist from making false and
unauthorised claims on their behalf. Every Imo indigene knows that Ohakim was a
very bad governor, so it was very surprising that Mbaka could endorse such a
man to rule Imo again, after Ohakim paid him a ‘courtesy visit’. Despite
Okorocha’s enumerable failures, there was no justification of Ohakim’s
endorsement by Mbaka. Both of them are stooges of the Northern Fulani Oligarchy
and none can be elevated above the other.
Mbaka has made a very
big fool of himself, when he chose to dabble into the political realm – this
will definitely mark the beginning of his downfall. In November 2014, Mbaka’s
stated that those fighting Jonathan would meet their downfall, because
greatness [Jonathan’s] comes from God. Now that he is fighting Jonathan, has he
not proclaimed his downfall? It is now glaring that Mbaka has been misleading
his followers. In 2011, he deceived his congregation when he told them that
Ohakim maltreated a Catholic priest. He even sang with it. However, in 2014,
after Ikedi Ohakim paid him a visit, Mbaka recanted and told his congregation
that he erred and lied to them. The bottom however, is that Mbaka recommended a
very bad governor to Ndi Imo as he is about doing to Ndi Igbo, with his New
Year message.
Mbaka wants to save
Nigeria that killed his kith and kin. He wants to save Nigeria that has
subjugated Biafra and Biafrans. He wants to save Nigeria that impoverished his
brothers and sisters forcing them into harrowing experience across the desert
and the Mediterranean in search for a better life? Mbaka’s simpleness is so pathetic!
They only people who wish to save Nigeria are the parasitic Northern Oligarchy
and few of their selected cronies from Yoruba, who have been reaping from the
British fraud called Nigeria. Save Nigeria my foot! In any case Nigeria is
already finished!! It is unsalvageable. Mbaka is either a Biafran saboteur or a
very ignorant Onye Igbo, wallowing in the puddle of the Yoruba media propaganda.
If Mbaka is expecting to recant his endorsement of Buhari as he has been used to
in the near future, he should pray hard that Buhari doesn’t get into power,
because if he does, Mbaka may never get the chance, because he would be among
the first that would be Islamised or beheaded. Father Ejike Mbaka could do
himself a favour by tuning in to the Radio
Biafra broadcasts or subscribe to The Biafran
to get some education that will raise his consciousness.
Jonathan’s biggest failure
is his hesitation to confront the Northern Oligarchy and allow the peaceful
disintegration of Nigeria and emergence of Biafra from the oppressive shackles
of Nigeria. His continued kowtowing to the North is becoming frustrating.
Ironsi kowtowed to the Northern Oligarchy until they assassinated him and
followed it up with the massacre of innocent Biafrans. Despite these failures, Jonathan
is the second best to our ultimate aim – Biafra.
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