RE: HIS BOND, THEIR BONDAGE: THE DEMYSTIFICATION AND DECANONIZATION OF NNAMDI KANU.

For obvious reasons, I had refrained from reacting to the Odenigbo incisive and damning piece above.

Happily, the responses so far especially those from Jude Ndukwe, Chris Maduka, have done a good measure of justice to the Odenigbo piece.

My only addition to the fittingly excoriating ripostes, would be as follows:

(i) That the author “Odenigwe” deemed it necessary to conceal his identity, is by itself, instructive. That is the first indictment because whatever may be his/her reasons for concealing his/her identity, it is obvious that he/she fears to take responsibility for the piece and so, hides under the darkness of anonymity to unleash his/her verdict.

(ii) The next indictment is the very last line in the Odenigbo piece, where it is stated : “And the search for a credible Igbo Leadership Continues”.

If anything gave away the grand motive of Odenigbo, it is this closing line and that is where Ndukwe and Maduka scored the bull’s eye in identifying the real grouse and motive of Odenigbo. I agree completely with both of them and that is not to say that there is nothing good to take from the Odenigbo Treatise.

(iii) For anyone who lifts himself or herself from the narrow confines and pettiness of whether Nnamdi Kanu is now the hero or not, the big question is to ask whether the Igbo is search of Self-Redemption or of some new Hero?.

If, as I believe, the answer is “Self-Redemption” and not “Hero”, it is therefore in the context of the search for Igbo Self-Redemption that the efforts and exertions of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB denizens should be evaluated.

I recall that after we managed to extricate Ralph Uwazuruike from Treason Trial in 2007, there were some of our people including his MASSOB followers who raised similar sentiments as the type “Odenigbo” has now raised against Nnamdi Kanu. I simply challenged them to show us what they have done or are doing towards the Igbo Self-Redemption imperative, agreeing with them that Ralph had done very badly.

They had nothing to show and so had to just hold their peace.

Despite the many wrongs committed the Project by Ralph, those who read the ALADIMMA EPISTLE 2012 will see where in the closing paragraphs, we had praised the retiring Ralph Uwazuruike for his pioneering role in the uncharted course which a liberation struggle is, urging the MASSOB footsoldiers he had left in the middle of nowhere to reconfigure their campaign by embracing the Self-Determination and Referendum Route as emplaced by the LNC.
The post-Uwazuruike MASSOB heeded that call and likewise today, the IPOB that is now in the middle of a previously totally uncharted voyage has just embraced the aforesaid Referendum Route as charted by the LNC. The Referendum Train is already gathering momentum and will sweep past many spectators some of whom might be blown into oblivion by the accompanying winds.

(iv) Considering the fact that the burning Igbo Question in Nigeria is yet to find any meaningful answers, is it not an indictment on the Igbo Leadership Collective (on whose behalf Odenigbo ostensibly spoke), that it has not found the courage to take a definitive stand in support and reinforcement of the bold attempt by a younger generation, to reformulate and relitigate the Constitutional Grievances of Eastern Nigeria in what how now become the “Biafra Agitation”?.

(v) The further thing to take away from the Odenigbo piece is the unwritten imperative for the Igbo Collective especially, the Leadership Echelons, to identify with the undeniable Self-Determination aspirations of the Eastern Populace instead of denigrating, sabotaging and child-like scaremongering and generally hedging around the vexed issues of the rigged Protocols of mutual coexistence which is the crux of the disputations and Biafra Agitation.

(vi) Why is it impossible for the Igbo Leadership to find the courage and gumption to join the Eastern Self-Determination Collective to demand that the well known Constitutional Grievances of Eastern Nigeria be referred to a General Referendum of the People for resolution, thereby lifting the longstanding Igbo Question which has now been reframed as the “Biafra Question” by a bold younger generation, above the uncharted “Biafra-or-Death” pedestal, instead of sitting on the fence, too terrified come down on the side of the People they claim to lead?

In closing, I have no hesitation in reminding us that there are no real choices left in this matter for the Igbo Leadership Collective than join the People it claims to Lead.

The alternative is to plunge on to the head-on collision assured, just down the road, with the very People they Lead.
Respectfully

Tony Nnadi

LNC

07/05/17