Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko
We may need to remind ourselves that a peace meeting held on the 30th of August 2017, between Nnamdi and South East Governors Forum. Certain agreements were reached at that meeting. A second meeting was scheduled a fortnight away.
A military invasion, 24 hours to that second meeting, put paid to the effort at reaching a peaceful reconciliation.
What really happened?
I had long before that year explained to our people and our leaders, just as I have been doing till date, that my understanding of the agitation tells me that military action may not crush the agitation, and that engagement with the agitators would produce a more fruitful outcome than sheer force.
As would be expected, people in power do not have patience for suggestion out of sync with their own perception and predetermined mindset. They had their own thought pattern and suspicions. Moreover, this unappealing suggestion and advice, coming from a ‘stubborn” activist who seemingly irritates them with his ceaseless campaign for restructuring and who seems at home with the agitators, and maybe discreetly working with them to drive their agenda, they didn’t quite like.
So it seemed. But most importantly, everyone could see that the central government clearly preferred crushing the agitation militarily. So, they simply refused to listen to me. They all found my pleas and suggestions to engage the agitators, unappealing. I didn’t give up.
I was buoyed by the views of Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, : That only attendance to the grievances inspiring the agitation, would douse the restiveness.
And I tried all I could to explain that to them. I don’t think I succeeded.
I spent years studying the political environment and came to the conclusion that, the Patriots, led by, Chief Rotimi Williams, Ethnic Nationalities Conference, Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, Afenifere and other very prominent and concerned citizens, who maintained that only a return to true federalism and devolution of power, could heal the land, could not all be wrong.
The economic and political problems thrown up by the unitary system, was clear for all to see. The dichotomy that fueled the agitation was powered by central control of power, isolating other regions.
I also saw that those pretending that the unfriendly unitary structure was not responsible for the political and economic crisis rocking the land, which in turn, fuels the frustration and bitterness powering the loss of faith in the system, were insincere and fearful of the enthronement of a level playing field for all.
I saw that the only problem would be, how to convince my brethren agitating to secede, that a restructured Nigeria would fairly accommodate all, and also grant everybody enough space to ventilate their energies without being suppressed by anyone. So I took it upon myself to enlighten, educate and share with them the gains and possibilities of a restructured Nigeria, even long before Nnamdi upstaged Ralph as the new face of the agitation.
Moreover, Dr Alex Ekwueme specifically told me there was no other way. I believed him. He was the finest statesman I ever had the privilege to meet. A noble soul and a truly sincere patriot in every ramification.
So when I received signals that the authorities were now willing to hear from the agitators, I promptly began to plead with Nnamdi to see reconstruction of the polity as a veritable agenda, that would free the land from the yoke of oppression. At first, he wouldn’t hear of it.
Consistently, I continued to explain to him the realities of the situation and the inevitability of facing those realities. I pleaded that he considers scaling down the agitation for 24 months while presenting restructuring of the country as the demand. He refused and said he would only grant six months.
Finally, after much pressure, he reluctantly accepted to mute the agitation for between six and twelve months, and said they would go back to the trenches, if the central government refused to play ball.
I must give credit to Dr Alex Ekwueme, who guided me and encouraged me every inch of the way. Nnamdi was of the view, that my efforts was a total waste of time. He consistently told me that the people we shared Nigeria with, were unreasonable and greedy. He maintained that he was just playing along with me, just so future developments would convince me that the people in charge of Nigeria, are uninterested in peace. That they only want to subdue and suppress everyone else for ever.
He insisted he was just doing this to make me happy and also to prove to me that the other side have no interest whatsoever in justice, equity and level playing field.
He agreed to stand only on a return to the 1963 Republican constitution. His problem, he said, was how to get his people to flow with the agreement.
When Governors Umahi and Ugwuanyi asked me to bring him over to a peace meeting, I pleaded with him to allow me invite an elder to go with us. He agreed without hesitation. I reached out to Prof Ben Nwabueze, who I had introduced to Nnamdi a few months earlier, and he accepted to go with us.
Nnamdi, myself and Prof Nwabueze, rehearsed Nnamdi’s position, so Prof would be sure that he stood on the same principles I had explained to Prof earlier. We were elated that a middle ground would mark a new beginning to more talks and negotiations.
Chief Mrs Maria Okwor, who I had also wanted to be part of the meeting, couldn’t join us because she wasn’t very strong at the time. She asked me a direct question. She said ” Elliot, I was born and bred in the North, I know their world view, what happens if Abuja ignores your suggestion to trade secession for restructuring, will Nnamdi go back to the trench?” She said she suspects that the powers that be, only want to crush the agitation, whilst still maintaining and sustaining the suffocating unitary 1999 constitution.
She was hopeful the peace process could spring surprises, but she believed that Abuja would even feel offended at our suggestion for restructuring. Her views rhymed with the opinion of Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, who consistently said the plea for restructuring would only make sense to certain people, only after a lot of bloodletting and only when the situation truly gets messy, very messy.
And that even at that, when they see that they have been cornered and that the demands for restructuring had gained traction, that they would cleverly only yield to constitutional amendment by the National Assembly, where they believe they have the majority, but that constitutional amendment would not restore the loss of faith in the land.
With all these at the back of my mind, we headed to the peace meeting, which went very well.
Of note, during the deliberations, was the assertion by Governor Dave Umahi, that returning the country to the 1963 constitution could be difficult, as states may not want to loose their independence to regions.
Nnamdi stood by the assurances he gave me in my sitting room and agreed to accept the return of Nigeria to regional autonomy, true federalism and devolution of power, as enshrined in the 1963 constitution.
Governor Ugwuanyi pleaded with him to bring his associates to the next meeting scheduled for a fortnight away. Nnamdi agreed that his agitation and his positions, including his demands at the meeting, were not absolute. Meaning, every thing was subject to further review, rejigging and renegotiation.
Nnamdi was supposed to brief the leadership of his group and reach understanding with them before the next meeting. I must say that everyone I confided with, told me that Abuja would not like our suggestion, though they were elated at the agreement.
We were expecting the reaction from Abuja. I had no idea, they had other plans.
As soon as Nnamdi came out from Kuje prison, I had taken him to several respectable elders and leaders who patiently shared with him, the need to eschew violence in any form and to consider restructuring as a sensible option.
Nnamdi was receptive of their suggestions and advice. He assured me that he appreciated the sound advice the elders offered him.
Why am I reminding us all of the events of over four years ago? Because the decisions and actions of certain people, brought the land to where we are today.
I didn’t know some people were determined to truncate that effort at peaceful resolution, in preference for military invasion. I had no idea that some people preferred to crush the agitation militarily. I thought they would see the consequences of that line of action. I was naive to assume that everyone was interested in fairplay, and non kinetic routes of engagement.
I erroneously believed that the people I had been pleading with over the years that only engaging the agitators and addressing their grievances, would calm the land, understood what I struggled so hard to get across to them. I didn’t fully at the time appreciate the fact that as an advocate of restructuring, I had offended people who hated everything about restructuring and they concluded that I was the one manipulating the agitation to drive my restructuring dreams.
I had no idea that professional blackmailers had been hired to spin and spread certain false narratives for a fee. Most importantly, I didn’t know that the folks I thought were with me, were actually wondering how I will survive sticking my neck out, in the uncertain and bizarre battle field. I also didn’t know that those who tacitly supported military operations, would see the futility of that option, only after applying it without success. I had no idea that it would take four long years before they finally accept the inevitability of engaging the agitators.
But we must forgive everyone. It had to be this way, it couldn’t have been any other way. We must truly forgive everyone.
I didn’t know that only after attempting and failing in their preferred strategy, will they ever consider non kinetic measures. And that when they do, their first duty would be to blackmail those who pleaded over the years that the right thing be done. That is human nature. Again, we must forgive everyone.
I plead with those who are pointing out the damage done by the 22 year delay in owning up to the truth that refusal to engage the agitators all these years led us to this avoidable situation, to thank God that finally, everyone is now standing up to the truth.
It doesn’t matter that things deteriorated within the period, what matters, is that everyone seems to have now, finally woken up to reality. We thank God for that.
Every thing must be done to sincerely seek resolution and closure, because patching the situation with deception and manipulation may backfire. Those whose erroneous decisions truncated the peace process of four years ago and deepened the crisis, should kindly, and honestly correct their past mistakes.
Too many mistakes, including mismanagement of the country’s diversity and unbridled nepotism, brought us to where we are today.
I plead that all sides should endeavour to avoid the mistakes of four years ago.
Peaceful resolution is the road to follow now.
I do hope that Nnamdi and his people understand that peaceful resolution is far better than endless crises and unpredictable fluid developments, that will always be manipulated by unscrupulous politicos.
Finally, ignoring the grave reality, that the unitary structure gave birth to all the unkind situations that fuels the bitterness in the land, would be a grave error.
Delaying to collate the grievances of the agitators and addressing same sincerely, would also turn out a big mistake.
Only sincerely seeking out political solution will heal the land.
Justice and equity, enthrones and ensures peace, harmony and stability.
To be CONTINUED.
