I say bravo to the legendary Chiwetalu Agu for being who he is – a legend in all fronts.
Chief Chiwetalu is a man that I know very well. He displayed his true natural self that doesn’t pretend about his love, likes and dislikes.
He is a man that despises and dislikes things that irritate his sense of justice, equity and fairness.
Ichie Ogwu, as we fondly call him in the Nollywood industry (and even beyond).
The truth is that there is so much injustice in the land that Chiwetalu Agu couldn’t take it. So that was a heroic, courageous, symbolic and patriotic action that he displayed to cause revolution; which I see happening already across board. A revolution beyond the Igbo nation seeing that the Yoruba and Hausa nations, and indeed, every sane Nigerian have reacted about the terrible misplacement priority from the Nigerian military.
The Nigerian Army should be far above that sham and shame of an act. It should never be caught napping.
The Southeast is the most peaceful part of Nigeria, the army should refrain from occupying the area, but be deployed to areas that are under occupation by invaders.
This is our demand, this is the right thing to do, and this is what IPOB stands for.
It is not enough to tag them (IPOB) terrorists simply because they are traumatizing the Nigerian state with the truth. Truth is bitter, and is the reason President Muhammadu Buhari could not tolerate divergent views coming from the South-East.
So it’s a shame and an indictment on the government of Nigeria, and I think that if there is anything this government should care about at this time, it is to grant the people a peaceful and transparent electoral process that will usher in the choice of the people from the South-East. We want a president of Nigeria from the Southeastern part of the country. That is what will quell this rising tension and pressure. It will also discourage these prisoners of conscience away from chanting the songs that they are chanting today.
We all know that great song, “Shall we sing a love song in a strange land?”.
Nigeria is a strange land when we can’t speak truth and stand by it. It is a strange land when we can’t give justice, equity and fairness to all Nigerians. This is a strange land, and we need to take it back from this invaders as led by President Buhari. That is what the Chiwetalu Agu protest, a one man riot squad, is all about.
Furthermore, the display of ingenuity and the Igboness in him shows that if the South-East is given a chance to govern Nigeria, the country will flourish again and reclaim its lost place in the commity of nations. This is why people like me are pushing for a President of South-East extraction in 2023, so as to douse the tension and reduce the consciousness that Biafra symbolises and activates in the minds of Igbo ethnic nationals of South-East geopolitical zone; and indeed the average Nigerian that is truly an indigenous Nigerian.
So I am sure that the reaction from the public as seen across the media is negative on the Buhari led Federal government.
Finally, the truth must be said! This government has over-stepped its boundary, the Nigerian Army should apologise to Nollywood industry, the Nigerian people, the Igbo and indeed to Chief Chiwetalu Agu.
Signed:
Mazi Nnamdi Iroegbu
Convener: Indigenous People of Nigeria (IPN)
