Igbo group blast ohaneze, declares support for IPOB

| Published Monday, 24 September 2018 | 19:01 GMT

Igbo group blast ohaneze, declares support for IPOB

Igbo Chief speaking at an event

The very successful sit at home observed by the people of Eastern Nigeria on Friday 14th September 2018, will go down in history as the boldest statement made by the people of Eastern region since 1970.

In spite of subterranean efforts by the government to subvert and undermine the sit at home, by offering inducements to every union to disregard the sit at home, Ndigbo shut down Igboland on that day.

Despite threats to civil servants that they would lose their jobs and traders that they would lose their shops, over 80% of the people stayed home on September 14.

Even open threats by Police and other law enforcement agencies could not deter the people of Eastern Nigeria from obeying the 14th September sit at home order.

Efforts by the powers that be to plant fictitious narrative that the sit at home order was partially complied with, only resulted in amusing the people. Only turning into a source of entertainment in this horrific period of destroyed economy and anguish in the land.The false narrative also confirms to the masses the troubling reality, that the polity is in the hands of dishonorable liars. 

The fear of the truth and the compelling urge to plant false narrative, point to the fact that the leadership and the led, dwell in two different worlds. The gulf between the two, keep widening every day. But the truth is that our people, the much oppressed and serially abused masses of Eastern Nigeria are tired of Nigeria.

Frustrated with the polity and they now choose to vent their anger the only way they can, by staying home on September 14th in order to send a message to the world.  

The political leadership, shocked by the huge compliance, hurriedly resorted to doing all they can to sell the impression that the compliance was low in order to save their faces. 

But all through history, LIVING IN DENIAL of any uncomfortable situation has never solved any problem. Problems are only resolved when they are confronted and addressed sincerely. The Igbo question has not been addressed, let alone resolved. Neither does the Nigerian state plan to give any attention to their cries any time soon. Their "leaders "are cooperating well with the oppressor. 

Regardless of the continued pretense of the political class, September 14th was a watershed in both the annals and journey of Ndigbo in Nigeria. 

Ndigbo stayed home on September 14th because Nigeria has consistently denied them justice since 1967.

Ndigbo stayed home because every effort to reconstruct Nigeria, and enthrone equity has been consistently rebuffed by the owners of power in Nigeria. Reports of three National conferences have been successfully killed by the owners of power in Nigeria. 

Ndigbo stayed home because they have lost faith in their political leaders. Our people stayed home because our lives don't matter in Nigeria.

 Soldiers invaded our homestead, killed scores of unarmed youths a year ago, took many away, and nobody is saying anything till date.

Ndigbo stayed home on September 14th because our patience is getting to the limit. We stayed home because the present military constitution is a farce. We stayed home because we are imprisoned in Nigeria. We stayed home because we can't take it any longer. 

Regardless of the choice of the political class to live in denial of the truth, our people will continue to sit indoors every September 14th,  because we can't take it any longer. The younger generation rejects the decades-old humiliation and oppression meted out to our people since the end of the war. The message from September 14th successful sit at home is: GIVE US JUSTICE OR GIVE US FREEDOM. 

The now quite obvious division between the political leadership and the masses of Eastern Nigeria is clearly a result of the loss of confidence between the two. 

The masses, especially the youth of Eastern Nigeria want justice or freedom. The political class should either join them in their quest for equity or be left behind. We will never accept the scorched earth policy and war of attrition anymore. Our civil disobedience and passive resistance will continue until freedom is attained. 

Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu Uko 

Founder: Igbo Youth Movement 

Secretary: Eastern Consultative Assembly 

Deputy Secretary:

Igbo Leaders of Thought.