WHEN REJECTION TO PROTEST BECOMES A KIND OF PROTEST: NEVER AGAIN SHALL THE IGBO PEOPLE PROTEST UNDER NIGERIA

Opinion
By Nkem Ossai

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel.

Scholars have defined protest as a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance. It has also been defined as a public expression of objection, disapproval, or dissent towards an idea or action especially actions that are seen as inhuman and devastatingly deadly against a people.

Elie Wiesel’s thoughts on protest are truly desirable when people are driven to the wall but when a people is conspiratorially targeted, hoodwinked, orchestrated and very wickedly chosen for annihilation by a people who are supposedly sharing the same nationality, it is time to think outside Elie Wiesel’s thoughts on protest. It becomes appropriate to refuse to protest as a kind of protest.

The 1966 Nigerian military coup de’tat planned and executed by Nigerian soldiers was deliberately singled out and tagged an Igbo coup.

Since the end of the Biafra/Nigeria hostilities in 1970, all socio-economic activities of Nigerian State against the Igbo people has been suggestive of a marked people designed for obliteration.

The Igbo have suffered countless provocations and injuries in the hands of their fellow Nigerians at every excuse. For instance, the recent #EndSars protest basically started by the West was seen as the Igbo uprising against the rest. During the #EndSars protest, the North pretended not to be part of it because their son, Muhammad Buhari was in the helms. Now that there is hunger and general deprivation of all means of livelihood which has resulted in a situation of hopelessness (especially in the North), and incidentally about to unleash a nationwide protest, some children of Lucifer are out there perfecting their age old design by accusing the Igbos of sponsoring the protest. One notorious journalist, that goes by the name, Bayo, has already taken Mr. Peter Obi to the cleaners on the planned protest. Just imagine, Peter Obi who cannot hurt a fly. This goes to show the level of unfeeling by some tribal jingoistic elements in the corridors of power about the Igbo race.

However, this time around, it will be different. Igbos will not be part of it. We dare to say, “never again.” There is no gain saying that we are a people set aside for destruction save for Chukwuokike Abiama’s intervention. In fact, we were declared anathema at the end of the civil war leading to the seizure of Igbo properties and the money they saved in all the banks in Nigeria including an embargo on all economic and developmental activities in Igbo land.

We cannot forget. We do not forget. We will never forget though, we have forgiven.

*How can we forget that they built railroads in the North and South excepting Igbo land?

*Or that they released all the freedom fighters in Nigeria except Igbo tribe
*Or that election was rigged to make sure Igbo man never becomes the president
*Or the disparity in states creation between the rest and the Igbo
*Or that Igbo children are not employed in the federal civil service and parastatals?

In fact, the list can never be exhausted until they kingdom come.

We shall not protest. Any Igbo man seen protesting shall be considered three times a fool and an incurable idiot.