Can we put this prejudice behind us?

Can we put this prejudice behind us?

Posted By TheScoop on November 20, 2015

"Prior to the 2015 Presidential election in Nigeria, majority of the people in the south east had expressed their support for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ), the former President, to run for a second term, and dissatisfactions with the All Progressive Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB). The support of the people of south east for GEJ under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was reflected in the outstanding votes that GEJ recorded against PMB. The Presidential election results revealed that in each of the five states that make up the south east the PDP won by over 75% of the total votes cast. The same results revealed that apart from Imo state where APC scored about 18.2% of the total votes cast, the then opposition party scored a maximum of 5% of the total votes cast in each of the south east states."

"Though opinions may divide across the lines of arguments as to what triggered the current secession call by a group called the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), it is not a myth that before now this group and its promoter, Nnamdi Kanu, were inconnu. While popular opinions have heaped piles of blame on PMB-led APC government for mal-handling the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu, which have been suggested to be the main explanatory variable in the equation of the ongoing secession saga, it will be hard not to doubt the validity of this logic, more especially in the context of the role of a state (Nigeria) in ensuring peace and stability within its territory. It is one thing (commendable) for a group in a state to pursue genuinely enforcement of fundamental human rights of its member, and it is another thing (lamentable) for a group to force the hands of a state through agitation for secession to release its member who has not fulfilled the conditions of his bail. It is frightening to see admonitions that Nnamdi Kanu should be released and put on security radar. In all good conscience, I cannot recommend that the federal government release Nnamdi Kanu without him fulfilling the conditions on which he has been granted bail. For me, if the federal government pursues (which I strongly doubt) the call of the people on the streets it will be setting a bad and untenable precedent."

"It is a well-known fact that the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has been on the front burner of the struggles to establish the state of Biafra. Despite the dogged stewardship of Ralph Uwazuruike to secure the resurgence of the state of Biafra from the previous administrations, his cracks were not strong enough to leave a fragment. MASSOB was emasculated during GEJ’s administration. In 2013, GEJ branded MASSOB as one of the three extremist groups threatening the security of Nigeria; hence outlawed the groups. Few months after PMB took oath of office IPOB reared its ugly head and people are dancing around the truth to call it prejudice."

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