Why Igbo Leaders Should be Overlooked

May 24, 2019

By Nelson Ofokar Yagazie,  Chief Editor | The Biafra Times

It was former President Goodluck Jonathan that promoted Enugu airport to international airport. Stella Odua, functioning in her capacity as aviation minister, worked hard to upgrade the airport really to a standard befitting of international airport. The jealous Yoruba, knowing that the Lagos airport is viable on the account of the Igbos who are the most traveled in the country, and figuring what will become of it should the Enugu airport start functioning in the full capacity of an international airport, began to work against it. Using their very biased media, they slandered Odua, creating the fertile ground for their political players and their counterparts from the North to mount pressure on President Goodluck to remove the hardworking woman from office. Fearing what would become of his desires to return to office should he ignore the demands of the caliphate and their conniving Yoruba political players, Goodluck succumbed to pressure. Odua was relieved of her duties. A Yoruba man now taking over, the ongoing work at the Enugu airport was stalled. Ohaneze Ndigbo saw it all but did nothing. Igbo political players did nothing. Ala-Igbo Development Foundation did nothing. Yet these are the groups that arrogate to selves the position of Igbo Leaders.

Assorted flights operate from Lagos airport, Abuja airport, Kano, Kaduna and the rest of the international airports in Yoruba land and in the North. On the contrary, however, the only flight allowed to land or take off from Enugu, Akanu Ibiam international airport, is Ethiopian Airline. Every other airline is prohibited. Even the Ethiopian airline is being discouraged with extreme charges. Nobody answering to that self-aggrandizing nomenclature “Igbo Leaders”  has stood up against this economic persecution; not the politician, not Ohaneze Ndigbo. Not even the elite fraud-front, Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, who claims to be primarily concerned with developments in Igbo land.

Again, the cost of flight from Enugu to China is almost double of what is from Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Kaduna to the same China. This is part of the grand plan to discourage travelers from taking off or landing at Enugwu. Naturally, people tend to flow to a region where they can cut costs. With the constant shifting from Enugu to either Lagos or Abuja, a time will come when the airline would have no choice than to shut down its operation at Enugu. The so-called Igbo leaders are either blind to this or observe, but choose to do nothing.

READ ALSO: Biafra Heroes Day: No Mockery of Our Dead Heroes on 30th May

Then comes the Federal government’s bold decision to shut down the Enugu international airport. The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, made this known at the 2019 Stakeholders’ Forum, in Lagos. As widely reported by various news outlets in the country, the minister said the Federal Government would have to downgrade the Enugwu Airport in terms of its status as an international airport, excusing the decision on the terrible state of the runway. Yet this is the same runway they stopped Stella Odua from rehabilitating and victimized her for daring to. Igbo political players, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ala-Igbo Development Foundation and all other mushroom groups fancying selves as Igbo leaders are mute. What manner of leaders are they then?

The Heart of Darkness – Lagos state – alone has two functional seaports … one at Apapa and the other at Tin Can Island. And as we speak, a third is under construction at Badagry. Just at the neighboring city of Ibadan, a dry port is being built. Up north in Kaduna, another dry port is under construction. In Biafra-land however, the exact opposite is the case: Calabar Seaport is shut down, Warri Seaport is shut down and Port-Harcourt Seaport is shut down. Meanwhile, ninety percent of importation in Nigeria is done by Biafrans. Where then are the Igbo leaders? Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, Ohaneze-Ndigbo, and the politicians … where are they? None of them has made even ordinary statement about this, yet they love to call selves Igbo leaders.

One could go on and on and on. The economic emasculation is palpable, yet the so-called Igbo leaders do nothing about it. On what basis, therefore, are they leaders? On opposing IPOB?

READ ALSO: Biafra Heroes Day: I must remember my uncle on 30th May

June 12 is declared a national holiday in honor of one man – Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola – a Yoruba man. Yet, the six million Biafrans killed in the genocidal war visited on Biafra are not worth being honored with a day. Sad enough, the so-called Igbo leaders who ought to be at the forefront of the 30th May sit-at-home call in honor of the victims of the genocide have turned themselves willing tools in the hand of the Nigerian state to oppose the call.

Obvious then is the fact that the current crop of Igbos fancying selves as Igbo leaders do not know what leadership is. They are in fact self-seeking elements merchandizing our common good for personal goal, and as such, should be totally ignored.

THE BIAFRA TIMES

Contact us: [email protected]

Twitter:  @BiafraWriters

Publisher: Charles Opanwa