Ohanaeze Says ‘Dangerous Nationalism’ Has Taken Over Nigeria, Declares Support For Ebubeagu

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Thursday, declared its support for the newly-formed Ebubeagu security network by the Southeast governors. Its president general, Prof George Obiozor, stated this while briefing newsmen in Enugu. He also called for healing processes in the country, noting that ‘Nigeria is in agony, pains’.

On open grazing in the Southeast, Obiozor said, “There is no ‘No Man’s land’ in Igbo land. Land is a very sensitive issue in Igbo land because land has owners, including some Igbo deities. Those encroaching on land in Alaigbo are provoking our people and our deities.

“We all are aware that we are passing through one of the worse times in virtually all aspects of our national life. General Murtala Ramat Muhammed over four decades ago succinctly captured the mood of our nation today in his message to the National Episcopal Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops held at Onitsha on September 9-14, 1975. For too long we have paid lip service to the remoulding our society. We have talked glibly in the past of the birth of a new nation while our nation continued to burn, leaving big scars on our image as a people. 

“It is another critical time to rethink, reflect and to act before the prophecy of the late Chinua Achebe’s book “There was a Country” becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of a national reality and a national tragedy foretold. Sub-national consciousness or ethnocentric nationalism which is a dangerous form of nationalism to national unity and empires has taken over Nigeria, the dream of the Nigeria unity is receding and fading fast with violence, crises and conflicts.

“The result of all these is the rise of ethnic militias, agitation for secession, self-determination, insurgency, banditry, etc. These are historical protracted and unwinnable wars by nations and empires, and there will be no exception. And among every other issue in contest in Nigeria today, this situation has produced the state of insecurity throughout the country. Today, Nigerians have no place to hide and also since there is nothing new in history, history has solution for these national problems. The federal government must therefore learn a lesson from history by not fighting an unwinnable war against nationalism but seek possible peaceful options that are the only solution that guarantees national unity and peaceful co-existence.

“I urge the federal government to reconsider the use of force in resolving the present national crises. Again history shows that military and violent means to solve the national question is bound to fail as it leads to further national fractionalization, anarchy and eventual or inevitable disintegration. Nigerian political leaders must make haste and make careful and delicate choices on how to solve Nigerian problem. The federal government must conspicuously embrace the values of justice, equity and fairness in their true sense for real peace, progress, unity and development to thrive in Nigeria. The greatest problem for leadership anywhere in the world begins when the general public or citizens, including members of the national political elite, become conscious of the existence of governance based on selective morality, outrageous paradox and double-standard. And at that point, citizen alienation set in and the results are loss of integrity, prestige, diminishing legitimacy and authority of the government. No government should get to the point where the citizens will feel uncomfortable or doubtful about its decisions on matters of national interest and destiny.”

Obiozor also called on the government and people to start the healing process because ‘Nigeria is in agony and pains’.