It was most amazing watching some people who call themselves Arewa Youth disgracing themselves and the Arewa in general on television a few days ago. They were calling for the United Nations to conduct a referendum to shepherd Igbo people out of Nigeria because some Igbo, the Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra, dare to disturb their quiet enjoyment of Nigeria, their conquered territory, their inheritance. They also wanted the group declared a terrorist group, again for the same reason above. But even though they claim to be Arewa Youth, it was clear on television that their spokes persons were above forty years of age.
So the truth is out at last. These are clearly the representatives of the Hausa-Fulani branch of the Arewa. When they had made their first outrageous demand that Igbos should leave the north the governor of Kaduna state who sees himself as the next president-in-waiting had ordered that they be arrested. Other northern elders mouthed the same deceit. But nobody has been arrested after months. And here they were, these same `youth’, on television demanding other absurdities. Perhaps the people whose duty it is to arrest them have gone blind or the people who want them arrested have gone deaf or have forgotten!
Their demands are so stupid that the whole Arewa should be ashamed, whether elders or youth. If that is their level of intelligence there is no wonder they have misruled Nigeria since independence. How can the United Nations declare IPOB a terrorist group? On what basis? Has IPOB killed even one human being? Is it because they are clamouring for Biafra independence that they should be declared a terrorist group? Is it that partly because of the order from IPOB that Igbos should sit at home on the fiftieth anniversary of the Nigerian Civil War during which millions of Igbos lost their lives and the sit at home in memory of fallen Igbos was complied with throughout Igbo land that they should be declared a terrorist group? What would the Arewa say should be done to Catalonia, the Basque region of Spain, whose citizens have voted overwhelmingly for independence? Yet their government has not declared them a terrorist group. What of Scotland? The United Nations should also declare Scots a terrorist group? IPOB hold peaceful demonstrations. It is they the Nigerian military has been killing. Did the Arewa not read about the Amnesty International report about Igbo youth being wiped out? What should be done to the military?
Their other stupid demand is that the United Nations comes and conducts a referendum as soon as possible so that Igbos will leave Nigeria and leave their properties for indolent Arewa to inherit? Of course I do not expect them to have read the United Nations rule on referendum. The most obvious one is that Nigeria would have negotiated with Igbo people the terms of their exit and both sides would have agreed to part. So, Arewa, since you own Nigeria and run Nigeria why not commence negotiations with Ndigbo on terms mutually to be agreed before you invite the United Nations to conduct a referendum? Or do you just want the United Nations to walk into the sovereign nation of Nigeria and carry out referendum for Ndigbo to leave Nigeria and their properties for you? If it is any consolation to Arewa, IPOB are also anxiously waiting in futility for the United Nations to come and carry out referendum for them to have Biafra whether majority of Igbo people want independence or not. The United Nations is a more serious organisation than that. THEY WILL NOT COME whether at the behest of Arewa or IPOB. The Nigerian government is insisting on Nigerian Unity.
Arewa should continue playing the proverbial ostrich and not know that the north is no longer the old north. The middle belt is no longer with them. The southern part of the north east is no longer with them. Southern Kaduna is no longer with them. So the game they are playing to incite the whole country against the Igbo will fail this time. Fifty years ago they massacred Ndigbo and got away with it because they had the whole country with them and were backed by Britain, Russia and other countries for their selfish interest. This time around they will fight alone probably against the rest of the country! They will be told that the Hausa-Fulani no longer own Nigeria. The Huasa-Fulani will have to surrender the oil blocks and other booty. The mention of oil blocks reminds one of one middle-belt General that helped them butcher Ndigbo fifty years ago, Danjuma, who some years ago went public asking what he would do with the five hundred million dollars he earned from his oil block which he was given by the powers that be without asking for it. Arewa, the die is cast. It is in your interest to seek a workable solution to Nigeria’s current problems. Otherwise you may turn out to be the greatest losers!