Icheoku says has been doing some reflection lately about the last Nigeria presidential election. The verdict, President Muhammad Buhari did nothing wrong but merely presented his candidacy for Nigerians and they voted for him to be their president, despite his known well rehashed faults and shortcomings. So, what is then the beef with PMB one might ask? Icheoku concludes that instead of the continuing attack on PMB, dissatisfied Nigerians should turn their anger at the real harbinger of the outcome of that election. Former President Jonathan Ebelesieme Goodluck of Otuoke, the man who disappointed so many fully invested Nigerians and who did not or rather refused to do what was necessary to win his reelection is the person who left so many people stranded and presently drowning midstream. He is to blame but not the lanky man from Daura who merely took what was surrendered to him.
Icheoku says had the man from Otuoke done what was needed or sought the advice or taken some advice from people who are knowledgable, all these wahallah about and concerning the 2015 presidential election as well as the avalanche of aftermath, including election annulments and selective EFCC investigations would never have arisen in the first place. But he turned tail when it mattered most and without proper consultations, conceded an election which could have been declared inconclusive or marred by unlawful underage almajiri voters as captured variously on video; and now somebody said this man deserves the continuing defense of his whatever points agenda or legacy or lack thereof? Icheoku says we don't think so. Be that as it may, from now going forward, Icheoku will let PMB be because he committed no crime other than present himself for an election and won. Therefore, baring any developing story which compels our commentary, Icheoku will no longer continue on the adversarial side of the political fence in Nigeria. Further, if it might interest anyone, Icheoku is not a card-carrying member of any political party in Nigeria and therefore not a partisan hack. Icheoku is just an interested party, desirously canvassing for what is best for Nigeria and Nigerians.
So did Jonathan do enough for Ndigbo to deserve all these pouring of support and earn the continuing defense one may ask? Ezu River of corpses of massacred Igbo youths just came to mind, reminding Icheoku that more Igbo people were murdered during the government of Jonathan of Otuoke than any other since the 1999 resumption of democratic governance in Nigeria. These murders came through his security agents who operated with impunity as well as Boko Haram, which on one such murderous swoop took the lives of over 29 Igbo people from just one town in Anambra State, Agulu. Was the Ezu River corpses investigated and was anyone held accountable by Jonathan for those floating corpses? Jonathan fired Minister of Internal Affairs (Interior) Emmanuel Iheanacho and had his fuel depot in Apapa raided and shut down by his NIger Delta terrorist thugs Government Tomopolo and company. It took the intervention of a Northerner to force its reopening.
Edwin Clark once told Orji Kalu, who paid him a solidarity visit and to canvass for support for Igbo presidency in 2019, off; telling Kalu that if the Igbo people dreams or wants the presidency of Nigeria, that they should go and fight for it the same way they, the Niger Delta people, fought and won their own turn. As far as Edwin Clark was concerned, the NIger Delta South-south people alone fought and won the presidency by themselves, discountenancing the huge Igbo support, and therefore any other people including Ndigbo should do the same if they want the presidency. That Edwin Clark and his co-Niger Delta travelers hijacked Jonathan's government is a fact which in part led to Baba Iyabo's writing the satanic verses. Further, Jonathan had five years to build and complete the 2nd River Niger bridge but choose to play politics with it that today, rudimentary work on the bridge has stopped.
Continuing, Jonathan fired the first IG of Police from Igboland just six months following his appointment because according to the man from Otuoke, Ogbonna Onovo was not fast enough in tackling crimes in Nigeria, just within six months? Jonathan fired COAS General Ihejirika for simply doing his job, routing Boko Haram just because Governor Nyako demanded that by accusing him of perpetrating genocide. Jonathan fired NPC Festus Odimegwu simply for exercising his freedom of speech right, explaining why census figures have been the way they are in Nigeria. The same subject matter was openly similarly discussed by David Mark but with no consequence. Jonathan fired INEC Maurice Iwu and replaced him with a Fulani man Jega. Jonathan fired two Igbo chairmen of the PDP, Ogbulafor and Nwodo without any substantial cause.
Jonathan begged Fulani man Aliyu Gusau to please accept defense ministerial appointment and also appointed Gusau's inlaw, another Fulani man Dasuki as his NSA, while he was busy firing Ndigbo from positions of authority. Jonathan made two Fulani men Tafida and Ali his campaign directors respectively both times he ran for president because he did not consider an Igbo person worthy enough. Jonathan fired Immigration woman boss Rosemary Uzoma and replaced her with a Plateau man simply because she restructured the department allowing merit to be the order of doing business therein. But the same Jonathan looked the other way when Custom boss Dikko was accused of crass nepotism. Jonathan did not consider Onye Igbo worthy of occupying any meaningful portfolio worth anything including the none headship of any of the three arms of government. The oil ministry, defense ministry, internal affairs, external affairs, NNPC, police, his personal staff including political advisers and spokes persons etc were never considered suitable for Ndigbo by Jonathan. Jonathan did not appoint an Igbo person as even a co-chair of his National Conference.
Jonathan did not site any industry throughout Igboland. Jonathan did not build any road in Igbo land nor completed Onitsha or Oguta inland seaports. No road was made motor able in Igboland courtesy of Jonathan's wasted five years in Aso Rock seat of power. Jonathan did not complete Enugu airport. Jonathan spent hundreds of millions of dollars wooing Yoruba people during the last election with little or nothing to show for it in return; while he ignored Igbo people as an already banked group. Alex Ekwueme celebrated his 80th birthday and Jonathan did not even send him a birthday greeting card but the same Jonathan attended several birthdays for Yoruba people including Tunji Braithwaite 80th birthday in Lagos as well as Olu Ibadan's 100 years, despite that the Olu publicly endorsed Buhari.
All these are neglect were despite his adoption as an Igbo person by some Igbo people; who twice gave him resounding enbloc votes in Igbo land. Jonathan created more opportunities for people of other regions than he did for Ndigbo. Then query, why all these unearned loyalty and continuing defense of this man from Otuoke who did not do jack for Ndigbo. Then add the antecedents of Melford Okilo, Ken Saro Wiwa, Adaka Boro and the ill-fated Biafra that was sabotaged by his River-rine people, one begins to wonder if Ndigbo insensitively poured water in a leaky basket or too optimistically embarked on an ill-advised venture believing that things have changed in the Riverrine areas for good. Anyway Icheoku says choose ye what your position will be moving forward, but as for Icheoku, we have chosen to disembark from the wagon of continuing defense of this timid and cowardly man from Otuoke.
Henceforth, our activities will be limited to general events devoid of acting as attack dog against President Muhammadu Buhari; who merely won an election and should be allowed to exercise his mandate however he sees fit. Moreso those Jonathan shared Nigeria's money with should rise to his defense or fork out some percentages of their loot for hired guns to defend his indefensible record. A man who had such a golden opportunity fretted away deserves no pity nor mercy and should therefore be left to carry his own waters. Like Jesus advised, let the dead be allowed to bury themselves.
FYI:- On Biafra, admitted that reasons abound for the increased agitation, but Icheoku says it is not a viable option; rather a more working Nigeria is preferred as the politics and not the composition is the problem in Nigeria. Our article on Biafra is nearing completion. Thank you guys for your engagement while the politicking lasted; now Icheoku formally signs off from PDP this and APC that and everything and anything PMB is now suspended and will no longer make our talking points. The time to move on to other things is now and on that bandwagon Icheoku hops. So long fellas. Salute.
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