IPOB: How To End Sit At Home

The tragedy of the Igbo man in today's Nigeria is that while the political leaders of other tribes in this country continually work for the interest of their people, the political leaders of Igbo extraction continually work against the interest of their people.



The cumulative effect of this is that among the Igbos of today, being a Nigerian politician automatically translates to being a certified betrayer of peoples interest. I got up to go for work today and discovered something very strange. The usually very busy road in a south Eastern state was palpably starved of vehicular movement to the extent that not even one vehicle was in site in a usually very busy city. It was bad that even the tricycle was as scanty as trees in a desert. The usual okada riders that normally scouth for passenger every where were equally very absent on the road. I had wondered what was the case until I saw a man expressing his bewilderment on the strange nature of the road today, then some one reminded him of a declared " sit at home" holding today. This prompted this short write up. 

I can recall that several politicians including Dave Umahi, the chairman southeast governors forum had some days back adviced Ndi Igbo not to observe the sit at home. Some political groups also faulted the "sit at home" order directing the masses to go about their businesses. But my observation is that nobody heeds the advices of these politicians anymore in the East. It has dawn on everybody who cares to know that there seem to be a subtle and clandestine order to Igbo politicians to always work against the interest and wishes of the Igbo and other easterners. Recall that during the build up to 2019 election party primaries, a certain Kenneth Okonkwo of Nollywood fame in order to curry the interest of the ruling class decided to attack anything Igbo. Many other people did same thing in different forms. Some succeeded while some did not. It is as if the only way to attain political relevance is to attack Igbo interest. It equally seems Nigeria handsomely rewards whoever does. How else can one explain the fact that no Igbo politician can effectively articulate the wishes of the average Igbo man into Nigeria polity like the Yorubas do. Who says that Igbo will not love Nigeria if her interest is fully covered in Nigeria? Two days ago I read a statement credited to the honorable minister of transport Mr Chibuike Amaechi to the effect that Igbos, (himself inclusive), can only be voted as Nigeria President if they play national politics. And to him national politics means that "the Igbo interest must cover the ikwere man's interest, it must cover those of the Yoruba, housa and others...." But what Chibuike Amaechi failed to note is that Nigeria is yet to cover the interest of an Igbo man. Nigeria seems not ready to accept Igbos back after that civil war some decades ago.

The compliance to this year's sit at home like the ones before it has further reinstated the commitment of the Igbos and others to always stand for whatever there interest is no matter the situation. And to me I have always wished that Nigeria should be a place where everybody's interest is protected no matter where you come from. Has anyone ever thought of making the 30th of may, Nigeria Heroes day celebration to enable every body remember their loved ones that were killed during the war on both sides. Don't even remind me of Arm forces remembrance day that is exclusively for army officers. Our civilian cum military personnels that died in that war should be honoured with a remembrance day. Doing this will effectively inculcate the interest of the Igbos and other Nigerians in this circumstance and I think that should be the way to go rather than clamping down and killing those who decides to "sit at home" to honor their loved ones.


- By Napoleon De Great