IT is no longer news that Igbo, especially in the five South-East states did not take part in the End Bad Governance protest that started in other parts of the country on August 1.
However, why the Igbo shunned the protest and the implications for the country are raising issues in the polity.
Across other parts of the country, angry protesters stormed the streets and for more than five days vented their spleen against what they described as bad Governance, hunger and hardship in the country. The protest became riotous in the North as hoodlums looted shops, and business centers among others. Many states declared curfews to contain the mayhem.
But there was pin-drop silence in the South-East leading many to ask if the zone and Igbo are insulated from the prevailing economic downturn in the country.
Ameh fingers inequity, injustice
Speaking on the issue, Chief Peter Ameh, former Presidential candidate and national secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, said the “absence of equity, justice and fairness is the reason for the political apathy by Igbo in the Nigerian project.”
According to him, “constant and unjust scapegoating of the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria is the major reason why Igbo abstained from the nationwide protests.”
He continued: “Failure to implement General Yakubu Gowon’s Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation programme is a catalyst for growing lack of commitment by all persons of Igbo extraction within and outside Nigeria in many programmes of the government.”
Chief Ameh also attributed Igbo boycott of the protest to “marginalisation of Igbo in strategic economic and administrative positions under the APC governments, and acts of tribal exclusion mixed with political bigotry.”
He continued: “The main reason why the entire South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria were unanimous in their decision not to participate in the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest across the country is primarily as a result of the easy targeting of lives and property of Igbo whenever there is an uprising or protests in Nigeria.
“Being the only tribe in Nigeria that could be found and visibly seen in the remotest parts of the country, Igbo are always at the receiving end of the consequences of any activity carried out either by the Nigerian government or the public. A typical example is as seen in the 2023 general elections where Igbo were violently attacked and threatened because of their decision to vote for a particular candidate of their choice.
“I may be inclined to justify the decision of Ndigbo to distance themselves from the ongoing protest based on the way and manner they are being treated in Nigeria with regards to their engagements in the affairs of the Nation especially under the APC governments.
“Just like other marginalised ethic nationalities in Nigeria, Igbo remain an integral part and the economic backbone of the Nigerian Nation and the earlier they are fully accepted and given a sense of belonging in the affairs of this Nation, the better and more productive the country will become.
Implications of the boycott
“The entire South-East boycotting protests can have long term implications and consequences. Boycotting protests can marginalize the voices of those who are already vulnerable or excluded, making it harder for them to be heard and potential for further division between South easterners and their regional allies in Nigeria. “Boycotting protests can create divisions within them and other regions of the country, potentially leading to further conflict and distrust between them and other ethnic communities of the Nation.
“The region may be further marginalized if they are not actively participating in such national protests, potentially leading to increased exclusion from decision-making processes.
“By ? boycotting the End bad Governance protests in Nigeria, they may have missed the opportunity to build alliances, negotiate with other sub-national regions that could bring about meaningful future collaboration.
“The boycott may be perceived as a lack of commitment to the plight of others and maybe viewed as an act of insensitivity toward others which may further widen the trust deficit in the country.”
Why our people shunned protest- Igbo Elders
Some Igbo Elders shared Chief Ameh’s thoughts.
According to Prof. Obasi Igwe, the Director, Media and Publicity, United Igbo Elders Council, UNIEC,Worldwide, the Igbo declared lack of interest in the protests not because they didn’t know there was bad governance but because the same souls being badly governed have never condemned the isolation of mostly Igbo, and some Middle Belters and Hausa, for slaughter and annihilation.
‘The Igbo shunned the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest based essentially on the differential attitude to human rights that the organizers have shown towards the Igbo/East in particular, and other Nigerians as well.
“The Igbo also feel, with experience, that the people who are angry that they did not participate in the protest may turn round half way to claim it was Igbo that caused the bad governance protests, with the usual consequences on the Igbo people.
“Easterners in general must establish the seriousness of anything before deciding on it, because they desire the salvation of everybody on a common civilizational principle, not ad hoc coalitions to forge ahead against one side today and another tomorrow, ending up with no substantive beneficial change.”
Prof. Igwe also stated that Igbo were suspicious of the whole arrangement of the protest, saying: “You are protesting against your oppressors, and you have time to negotiate with the same oppressors on how you talk, where to talk, how, where and when to assemble, and other such pretences as discussing how to present your case to a starving and dying populace with the same people responsible for your ordeals! And, you will be presenting your case, the “protests,” in concealed corners where you would only be talking to yourselves while “life” or “bad governance” goes on outside the walls, and, you are protesting!”
Added to that according to Prof. Igwe, is “you start looting the shops and markets of those you wish to join you. That was why the Igbo refused to participate, without this being any form of acquiescence to bad governance, of which, by the way, the Igbo have all along been the worst targets in Nigeria.”
He also said Ndigbo did not only shun the protest but they equally opened their markets and demanded unconditional release and rehabilitation of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and others.
“Also, the Igbo shunned the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest because of the loud silence, signalling acquiescence, of some of its organizers to the extremely targeted injustices against the Igbo/East and, for the last nine years, orchestrated killings, with countless evidences of official involvement or conivance, with no sympathy from anywhere.
“Right now, even before the August 1 date the protest started, the Ndigbo were already being threatened, attacked and molested in Lagos with no word of condemnation by those said to be fighting against bad governance.
“Nevertheless, the Igbo population, being the major victims, understand the Nigerian situation very well, and know what can be done to address it, starting with ending the unparalleled oppression of Easterners.”
Staying away wisest decision in recent time– Ukwu
To Dr Lloyd Ukwu, the president of the United States of America chapter of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO-USA, the Igbo decision to shun the protest was wise.
His words: “Politicians in Nigeria have historically used two tools to hold the Nigerian people down namely, ethnicity and religion. Depending on the circumstances they deploy one or both of the tools. For example, during Buhari, the North refused to participate in #endsars for those two reasons. Today the Yoruba are refusing to actively protest against Tinubu because he is one of theirs.
“However, in the case of the South- East, both the North and the South West have realized that an Igbo man does not play with his business. They also know that South-Easterners are spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Having discovered the Igbo man’s attachment to his business, they have capitalized on that strength and have now converted it into a weakness of the Igbo man. You will notice that they have used it successfully during the last few major events in Nigeria.
“The Igbo leadership and the traders are collectively in agreement to stay away and are the ones calling for non-participation. Contrast that with the South-South where it’s a few militants who have been compromised that are calling for no protest while the population is eager to participate and they did.
“The irony here is that the majority of Nigerians are angry that Peter Obi was denied the election and a lot of people feel that he won because he is an Igbo. So this anger, this protest, is indirectly to protest how the Igbo are treated but unfortunately, the Igbo man prefers not to participate in order to protect his business instead of protecting his freedom and liberty.
“The decision by Ndigbo to stay away is probably the wisest decision made in recent years. Some people were waiting to slaughter the Igbo and convert the protest to Igbo versus Nigeria or Igbo versus Yoruba but the Igbo outsmarted them this time around.
“I’m aware that Igbo in other cities like Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc came out to protest but not as Igbo but as Nigerians since the South-East was calm.”
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