News Release: The Attempt By The Government Of Nigeria To Re-Arrest Nnamdi Kanu
chidi opara reports
In their Press Statement of June 27th, the Arewa Youths had given the Igbos ultimatum to leave Northern Nigeria latest by October 1, 2017. Many people regarded their action as treasonable and a threat of genocide. The Governor of Kaduna State and the Inspector-General of Police declared that they should be arrested. They were not arrested. Rather what we heard were series of statements from some Arewa leaders supporting their action. One such leader is Prof, Ango Abdulahi, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Consequently, the Arewa Youths continued in their belligerent threats and mocked the arrest orders................
Link: http://chidioparareports.blogspot.com.ng/2017/08/news-release-attempt-by-government-of.html
From chidi opara reports
chidi opara reports is published as a social service by PublicInformationProjects
Cornelius Hamelberg
"I prefer a Biafra movement led by an Intellectual like Professor Uzodimma Nwala, Nnamdi Kanu can be head of the propaganda arm." (Chidi Anthony Opara Esq.)
With Nnamdi Kanu as the agent provocateur- in- chief.
In the name of "Freedom of Speech":
I have not yet read the Professor's communiqué, but before I do and react to it, at this point a well-wisher can only wish for a Biafra coming into being not only in the wakeful minds and nocturnal (seminal) dreams of its wishful-thinking enthusiasts, but also in reality and only if this can be achieved without bloodshed.
No Tribal War . It's a sentiment shared by one of Igboland's great Highlife guitarists, the late Chief Dr. Oliver De Coque : No More War
In my dictionary of synonyms and antonyms, the alternative to war is negotiation which begins with a dialogue between the contending parties - and that the Biafrans assemble behind one leader so that they can speak with one voice. The Power holding the federal umbrella will not easily negotiate with diverse splinter groups simultaneously , even if they share the same dream ( Biafra) but differ, radically / not so radically in their methods and in their vision about e.g. less abstractly , radiating from the heart of Igboland proper, the exact delineation of where the borders of a Biafra are to be drawn... hopefully, there's no one who wants to build a wall....a separation wall as that would not be good for trade - would hinder goods flowing in and mostly out of Biafra to the markets of the great Naija federation...( I imagine a rapid influx of Chinese , helter-skelter working on infrastructure - perhaps taking over Biafra the way they have taken over Jamaica, but trust the very entrepreneurial Igbos to do the right thing for their newly won land of liberty...)
We don't want to see a protracted or even short-lived Israel-Palestinian type struggle with Nnamdi Kanu as the leader of the intifadas, whilst spectators and commentators continue to dream about a " two-state solution, with Biafra and Nigeria living side by side, in peace and harmony/ tranquillity, with Umuahia, Port Harcourt or Calabar as its eternal capital" - for the simple reason that just as the last time ( 1967-1970) the idea was roundly defeated, militarily, even if some Igbo intellectuals still believe that Biafra was not defeated and did not surrender - just as Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross - in which case the question from the dis-believers is, then, where is he? ( An Ayatollah told me that he is in ( his exact words), " another dimension"
With a little foresight, your much preferred intellectual like the venerable professor ought not be blinded by Biafra nationalism to the extent that he should think it wise that the Nigerian authorities should turn a blind eye when Nnamdi Kanu wantonly and consistently breaks the law - and the terms of his bail - and in addition to that is guilty of various acts of incitement such as undermining the democratic process in his province of Anambra. As IBK the lawyer observed, " There is no fundamental human right to assemble for a treasonable purpose! If we are going to burgle a house, de we who are about to do so have a right to assemble close to the house we want to burgle?
So, the fact is that as agitator-in-chief, Nnamdi Kanu should not think that he is above the Naija Federal Law, to do just as he please with impunity and suffer no consequences, just because he is so handsome...
The Arewa Youths' reaction is understandable (I for one understand it and smell no genocidal threat ). It's simple : so you want to leave us , well, why don't you leave now or before Nigeria's Independence day and Mister, please take all your belongings with you, now, not later, to your own country.
As we can see with the UK, the Brexit terms of divorce are going to be expensive. For the Biafrans it could be just like West Germany - they paid in full - cash - to free their Brethren in the East...
Chidi Anthony Opara
Yes Kanu is not above the (Nigerian) law, at the same time, I do not want him arrested, for the simple reason that that action would make him a symbol of Igbo resistance, a label he does not deserve. A few years ago, an International crook became our symbol of democracy
Chidi Anthony Opara
Yes, Kanu is not above the (Nigerian) law, at the same time, I do not want him to be arrested, for the simple reason that that action would give him a false image of symbol of Igbo resistance.
Right now, we are grappling with a pseudo-symbol of democracy, courtesy of Abacha.
CAO.
Cornelius Hamelberg
Chidi,
Now you want to have your cake and eat it too. You don't want to make a martyr out of Brother Nnamdi Kanu you say, because that would give a false image of what the movement for Biafra is all about?
However, perhaps the real reason you don't want him arrested for his treasonable transgressions against the Naija nation is because, as you have previously made us believe, you would like to retain him to run the propaganda department (your words) "Nnamdi Kanu can be head of the propaganda arm"
In my humble opinion,
(a) Nnamdi Kanu is already a symbol of Igbo resistance.
( b) If the propaganda machine does its job well, then Nnamdi Kane’s re-arrest, his trial and the outcome of that trial would reverberate around the globe.
(b) In whatever circumstances, should a pro-Biafra propaganda department/machine be propagating armed rebellion or guerilla warfare as an alternative to peaceful negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the issue?
You have heard these chilling, ominous words from Brer Buhari: "Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable. We shall not allow irresponsible elements to start trouble and when things get bad they run away and saddle others with the responsibility of bringing back order, if necessary with their blood." Whose blood? Their blood. Ayeeeeeeeee!That's what we don't want to see.
(d) a pro-Biafra sympathiser assumes that pro-Biafra propaganda would concern itself with justifications for a Biafra, for domestic and international consumption...
(e) I suppose that the propaganda machine would include inputs from the pro-Biafra literati, the poets, novelists, dramatists, musicians, men of the cloth, a prelate like Cardinal Arinze, and not least of all, distillers of the locally brewed holy Owerri ogogoro that’s hawked at the motor park?
Chidi Anthony Opara
You did not say anything about the international crook who suddenly became "our symbol of democracy".
Well, the Biafra propaganda machine should include all those you mentioned minus the ogogoro brewers. The palm wine tappers are preferred, if you ask me.
Kanu is "symbol of Igbo mobism", I read somewhere that "time disperses the mob", the Igbo mob is not an exception.
Dr.Dozie Ikedife, Professor Uzodimma Nwala, Mazi Mao Ohuabunwa are the current symbols of Igbo resistance, you may not know them because they do not rouse the rabble, but resistance is not about rabble rousing!
Ndewo Mazi.
CAO.
Cornelius Hamelberg
Chidi,
You say that "Kanu is a "symbol of Igbo mobism"
I beg to disagree.
Don't belittle Brother Kanu and his following. In my eyes Kanu is a hero. On the historical stage. The Press Release you posted testifies to his stature.
And I don't like the word "mob" being used to describe Nnamdi Kanu's following . It's inaccurate.
Of course, "I am the Biafra Messiah" is not very humble; others should say it of him....
I don't like the term " Igbo resistance" either - the resistance part - perhaps redolent of other political movements , causes - the ethnic enclave that's the heart of Biafra, is uniquely very different from Palestinian usage of that term "resistance"
You say that you "read somewhere that "time disperses the mob", the Igbo mob is not an exception. " Wrong again .
Don't forget that the so called mob that you are talking about comprises mostly die-hard Biafra supporters - this means that such a so called "mob" is never going to be dispersed,". The press release affirms that " Nigeria is now swarming with many people like him. " Support for the idea of Biafra is so to speak, moral, justifiable, not going to go away soon, like Israel, immortal.
But what do I know? I read "The Crowd" a few decades ago, the world has changed a lot since the. It must be slightly out of date.
We cannot / should not underestimate Nnamdi Kanu's significance as a catalyst. Through him, today, everyone knows that the Biafra idea is very much alive and kicking . For that role Kanu has paid and is still paying some dues. For now, his impact has been greater than all of your professors combined - Nnamdi Kanu has name recognition inside Nigeria and internationally. The professors may be the brains behind the movement but mere press releases are not going to land Biafra on a platter.
I don't understand all the fanfare about Kanu's imminent re-arrest - repeating the mantra "We are going to re-arrest him, we are going to re-arrest him" - perhaps to test public opinion before they dare do so. If he's in the country, why don't they just go ahead and do it?
They haven't so far, because even a blindfolded man can see what will be the consequences: there will be a reaction - escalation of tension, perhaps even an international outcry - and they can only do it, if at the same time - they take steps to create an avenue for dialogue between the Buhari administration - to lessen the tension - and not only between them and the aggrieved Igbos, as was so reasonably advised by former military head Ibrahim Babangida at the end of Ramadan this year...
President Buhari makes it clear in his address to the nation that "The National Assembly and the National Council of State are the legitimate and appropriate bodies for national discourse."
The tensions around the Biafra issue are all set to escalate - along with the litmus test - Nnamdi Kanu's fate - his re-arrest etc. hanging in the balance - so far the matter hasn't been taken up in either the National Assembly or the national Council of State and perhaps it's about time to ease the tension by setting up a Commission to look into the various grievances - before things get further out of hand...
What do you mean "rabble"? With Kanu as a Mark Antony - see what a " rabble rouser" can do
I must now read the press release carefully, before we continue in this thread...
Sincerely yours,
Cornelius
We Sweden
Victor Okafor
CAO.
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Chidi Anthony Opara
The Medellin drug cartel lord; Pablo Escobar had and still has national and international name recognition.
Mazi Okafor,
Try and read "Ahiara Declaration". It looks like you haven't.
CAO.
Cornelius Hamelberg
Chidi,
Like the United Nations, Nigeria united or disunited,
let's keep him centre stage : Nnamdi Kanu
Here's another one and this is his name : Courage
I am sad that Brother Nnamdi the catalyst having done his best to raise pro-Biafra consciousness/ awareness , you do not stand up stoutly in his defence but seem to be prepared to throw him to the dogs...
( Not to be confused or conflated with "the dog and the baboon that's gonna be drowned in the Lagos Lagoon")
As we say in Nigeria, "Think positive!" You don't have to be cynical! The very minimum that you can do is to show a modicum of appreciation and respect for Brother Nnamdi Kanu who in his own limited way , in all his ways, is fighting courageously for not just the dream or idea but to actualise the reality of what was and will be BIAFRA - even as a province of Africa
But what do we have instead? In your shopping, bag searching for an appropriate symbol of name recognition you can only come up with an unsavoury character such as "The Medellin drug cartel lord; Pablo Escobar"? What about Manuel Noriega? In the same breath and along a very different trajectory a more positive one, you could add your own Ibrahim Babangida...
I love inter-acting with you because you are a public poet and an appreciator of words - so these relevant lines come to mind about name recognition
"Friend to the
martyr, a friend to the woman of shame
You look into the fiery
furnace, see the rich man without any name...
Resting
in the fields, far from the turbulent space
Half asleep near the
stars with a small dog licking your face..."
(Jokerman)
Still haven't read that Press Release - only zapped through ( a few seconds) so much else to do... but I did talk briefly with Baba Kadiri yesterday evening and he intimated me about another interesting twist to the heroic Nnamdi Kanu saga - that he has challenged the authorities to come and arrest him in Igbo land proper, if they dare...
Which suggests to me that he is already taking the sovereignty of Biafra as fore-granted, even before the referendum and the formal declaration of Biafran Independence with the improbable preamble "When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another...
In which case we have the comic situation of a state within a state... if Brother Kanu's hideout is not within the jurisdiction of Naija's Federal Police authority...
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu would have been something to look forward to since it should have given him ample opportunity to put up a spirited defence of his ideology ( the reasons /raison d'être for the proposed Biafra) just as we find in The Testimony of Steve Biko
" The Testimony of STEVE BIKO - Black consciousness in South Africa ( Panther Books 1979, reprinted 1984) : " We are looking forward to a non-racial, just and egalitarian society in which colour , creed and race shall form no point of reference"
Fortunately, culture and diversity being something wonderful to celebrate, the ideal will not be worded " in which colour creed and ethnicity /tribe shall be no point of reference"
Sincerely,
Cornelius
Chidi Anthony Opara
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/usaafricadialogue/A999hy7PQ2c/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Cornelius Hamelberg
Cornelius Hamelberg
Corrected:
Wisdom : "One must never stand in a place of danger expecting a miracle to protect the faithful" ( Talmud, Kiddushin 39B)
Good luck to Brother Nnamdi Kanu ? Good luck to Goodluck Jonathan, good luck to all of us ! We will be needing more than good luck - so let us pray for Nnamdi, for ourselves, for everyone in Nigeria, for the whole world and Alagba Bolaji Aluko also prayed, " In any case, I hope that the red Nuclear button in the White House has already been dummy-fied......I pray so....." Because:
Russia warns US not to take action against North Korea
And in this lecture " End of Days "...
Listen only five minutes) : Rabbi Yosef Mizrahi - End Of Days Is Now! ( from two years ago)
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDial...@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/usaafricadialogue/A999hy7PQ2c/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to usaafricadialo...@googlegroups.com.