P R E S S  R E L E A S E

Nzuko-Igbo, USA, Inc. has been monitoring the activities of the various arms and levels of government, the activities of notable non-governmental organizations (NGO): cultural, regional, ethnic organizations and political associations and parties. Nzuko-Igbo monitors these institution and organizations to determine their contributions to the stability, the unity of Nigeria and their efforts to address the imbalance, the complaints of various groups and the vicious corruption and misrule inflicted on the country by despotic military rulers that have virtually retarded the growth and development of the country.

We were shocked by the Guardian Newspaper report of May 17, 2001, " The North demands reparation over civil war" credited to one Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadin, the acting secretary of the Arena Consultative Form (ACF). It is unfortunate and regrettable that a reputable ethnic organization like the ACF featuring well respected and experienced politicians like Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Alahaji Wada Nas, Alhaji Abubarkar Rimi, etc will spend time to add salt to injury by deliberating and scheming why the Igbo should not be compensated for their losses during the tragic 1966 - 1970 national intrigue and conspiracy against the Igbo called the Nigerian Civil War or Nigerian - Biafran war.

In the May 17, 2001, report the ACF instead of presenting logical and documented evidence as to why any ethnic group or tribe in the north or the north as a heterogeneous region of the country should demand compensation from the Federal government, the ACF made an illogical case aimed at trivializing the legitimate demand of the Igbo. A properly articulated demand backed by documentary evidence and sound reasoning.

Nzuko-Igbo, USA Inc. contends that

It is unfortunate that the ACF has refused to embrace the truth concerning the real brains behind the January 1966 coup and that the coup itself was not an Igbo coup or directed specifically against any group in Nigeria. It is often forgotten that Colonel Unegbe, an Igbo of the Nigerian army was also killed in the same coup. It was Igbo army officers - Colonels Emeka Ojukwu, Conrad Nwawor, Alexandria Madiebo and others who frustrated the efforts of the coup plotters and collaborated with Federal Government in quashing the coup. The plotters were all in detention before the outbreak of hostilities. No Igbo Organization elected Igbo Politician, or Nigerian army officer of Igbo extraction above the rank of Major has been linked or implicated in the coup. Officers of other ethnic groups of equal or comparable ranks participated in the same coup but their ethnic groups were not targeted for annihilation.

 

It is mischievous, outright falsehood rooted in ulterior motives to continue to blame the coup on the Igbo and propagate the baseless falsehood that the former northern Region suffered more than the Igbo. There has been no proof that northern Nigerian civilians were targeted or killed by the January 1966 coup plotters. The activities of the coupists were targeted at and limited to politicians and power centers in Nigeria. The May, July and September 1966 coup were directed at not only Igbo army officers and other ranks but also at Igbo civilians, children of all ages, women and the yet to be born Igbo. Non Igbo Eastern Nigerians were not spared. It is an abomination and mindlessness to be comparing the episodes. This type of comparison with the intent to hide the truth erodes the unity and the foundation of the country leaving it with a defective structure.

 

These kinds of utterances and statements negates the spirit of the Oputa Commission and all it stands for: The reconciliation of past grievances, investigation and remedies for human right abuses. The Commission was not constituted for groups or individuals to further their hideous agenda that impedes the future progress of the country.

 

If the Northwest, Northeast and Middle belt zones individually or collectively have legitimate claims or demand regarding human rights abuses, they should proceed to the Oputa Human Rights (OHR) commission with their cases and not to rebut or trivialize cases and demands presented by others. The commission was equipped with erudite legal practitioners; some of them senior advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to represent the government and cross-examine witnesses appearing before the commission. ACF is not the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the government’s defense counsel at the commission.

 

There have been many other coups in Nigeria since the 1966 January coup that resulted in loss of lives. The ethnic groups of those post 1966 January coups were not targeted for extermination, deprivation marginalization and dispossession of properties (abandoned property). Their tribes or ethnic groups have not been subjected to yearly periodic attacks and their properties looted and destroyed, nor have their states neglected with all Federal infrastructures broken down. If the atrocities visited on the Igbo since May 1966 till date are punishment for the a coup committed by a few Igbo in the army as suggested by the ACF report, what is the punishment for others from the then Northern and Western Regions who acted in concert with them. What is the punishment for the Gowons, the Babangidas and the Buharis, and their ethnic groups? Are they sacred cows or more Nigerians than others?

 

It is ironic that the ACF who not only prescribes perpetual punishment for the coupist of January 1966 and members of other ethnic groups who participated in the coups extended the membership of its organization to coup plotters of the former northern Nigeria. Those coup made generals have almost taken over the affairs of the ACF. Some of them are the organization’s spokesmen. It is irrational, double standard and at odds with civilized norms and conventional wisdom for the ACF to be dining with Hausa-Fulani coup plotters of the Nigerian Army while castigating coup plotters with other ethnic backgrounds.

 

Ohanaeze did not demand reparations for Biafran soldiers who lost their lives in action but for civilians who were victims of the then Federal governments outrageous policies of ethnic cleansing, starvation, air bombardment of civilian institutions, summary execution of civilians and for the civilians who lost their lives and property before (May, July and September, 1966 pogroms), during and after the civil war.

 

It has been proven that the January 15, 1966 coup plotters acted on their own. They were driven by their beliefs and self-conviction. The same cannot be said of the May, July and September 1966 coup plotters or of the civil war or the calamities committed by federal troops even after the surrender of Biafra.

 

The Federal Government of Nigeria formulated, implemented and supervised the annihilation of the Igbo nation instead of protecting her citizens. If the Federal government after thirty years, have decided to address the neglect of its over due responsibilities that culminated to the massacre of the Igbo and other nationalities of the then Eastern Nigeria and to broaden the investigation to cover other abuses, injustices and human rights violations perpetrated by the Nigerian state and its agents, let no group or individual constitute an impediment. After all, the immediate post war slogan was no victor, no vanquished, yet the Igbo lost their jobs and property. Were this slogan and the three Rs (reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction) policy espoused by the Federal government a ploy to deceive the international community?

 

The Oputa commission is a right step in the right direction in healing the wounds of the past. It is a right step in removing obstacles to unity and progress and fosters the spirit of reconciliation. No country prospers by sweeping the truth and its ugly past under the carpet. Countries do not hide the real facts of events and rewrite the history of its people or part of it thereof in a misleading fashion. Countries do make-up for its excessiveness by compensating and tendering apologies to their victims. It is on record that the USA paid compensation and helped to rebuild Japan after the Second World War. Japan paid compensation to China and Korea for the destruction of property and excessiveness during its defeat and occupation of those countries. The ACF should remember that righteousness exalts a nation. It is only when the ills of the past are heeled that Nigeria assume its place in and compete effectively within the community of nations.

 

According to the "Washington Post" of May 22, 2001, the USA financed the "Marshall Plan" to the tune of 13 billion dollars to revitalization the economy of European countries including Germany after World War II. Military defeats or victory without negotiation aimed at addressing the remote and immediate causes of conflict and reparations and compensations paid where applicable as in this case do not ensure peace.

 

The ACF unsolicited response to the demands of reparation by Ohanaeze following various crises in Nigeria notably in the northern parts of Nigeria denotes insensitivity on the part of the organization. It negates the spirit of reconciliation, rehabilitation and unity of Nigeria. Furthermore, it is an inhibition to progress and development of the country.

 

Accordingly, Nzuko-Igbo, USA, Inc. enjoins all patriotic Nigerians to renounce and ignore all efforts by ACF and its agents to undermine or thwart every endeavor to set the country on the right course. ACF's attitudes and response to the progressive Federal government initiatives are indicative of its inimical attitudes towards the stability, progress and development of the country. Our records show that in spite of the caliber of people in ACF and its membership appear to be the brain behind the retrogression and structural defectiveness of the country, and has chosen to be a cog in the country’s wheel of socio-economic development. Arewa Consultative Forum positions on the following national issues speak for itself and indicate where the Hausa-Fulani stands on the one Nigeria policy they espouse:

RESTRUCTURING OF THE COUNTRY:  

The ACF, its agents and membership are the only notable organization that has continued to campaign against restructuring the country without proffering any viable alternative. They favor the baseless army created states, which by their mere existence portray Nigeria as a laughable federation. A federation is the union of pre-existing political units and not political subdivisions carved by military regimes. Nigeria had pre and postcolonial era existing political units besides the then four Regions. Those units can converge in a National Conference to negotiate the nature of union suitable for Nigeria. They proffer the imposition of a unity system of government on a multi ethnic country. It is laughable that ACF fails to see the present set up for what if is – a mass or bag and baggage of illegalities operated on military imposed constitution.

SIX GEO-POLITICAL ZONES:  

The ACF is the only group in Nigeria that is yet to recognize and respect the six geopolitical zones. The oligarch within the apparent feudal clique trivializes the existence of Middle Belt, Northeast and Northwest geo-political zones. They are not at peace with the people of those zones establishing their own identity. The urge and compulsion to dictate to other Nigerians is so inherent in the organizations policies. They seem to forget that the era of colonialism is over. It is even more fallacious that they forget that they are not a colonial power in Nigeria.

NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARD (NIC):  

This group opposes NIC presenting mass illiteracy in the north as an excuse. The question is who left those millions of Nigerians uneducated. ACF can boast of about four ex-head of states (both military and civilian) why did they choose not to educate those people they pretend to be speaking for. They left them perpetually uneducated to enable ACF to manipulate them for their religious, personal and political advantage. It is one of their efforts to forestall accurate population figures for the country. To them, the sharing of political goods and services must be based on projected figures from the notorious and falsified census figures of 1963.

RESOURCE CONTROL:  

This group saw to it that the two major covenants that united the country at its inception (1960 &1963 Constitutions): the derivation sharing formula of 50/50 between the Federal and the federating units, and the absence of a state religion. These were established by the founding fathers of the nation and were evidenced in the Nigerian Independence and Republican constitutions. To the members of the organization crude oil is the act of God; two percent is more than enough for deprivation. Land is no longer owned by family lineages and communities in Africa but by National governments that trace their origins to Berlin Germany in 1884 - 1885. The ACF saw to it that these two binding covenants were expunged or changed to their benefit during the very civil war they claimed to be victims.

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT:  

Nigeria should adopt a unitary system of government but camouflaged with a federation. Every resource should belong to and centrally controlled by the federal government. Employment, political appointment and promotions should not be on merit but quota. They forgot that meritocracy is an indispensable attribute of a unitary system of government. Nevertheless, Nigerian’s diverse cultural, religious, geographical ethnicity and historical setting have favored an airtight federal system of government. Arguments to the contrary are disguised form of colonialism, anti progress, unpatriotic and defense of the status quo.

ROTATION OF THE PRESIDENCY: 

Every geopolitical zone in the country has agreed to this arrangement but the ACF. This is a measure that assures equality of the zones and guarantees every group in a zone regardless of size and population the opportunity to contest for the office on equal footing. Members of the ACF contend that it is undemocratic and will breed mediocrity. Are they suggesting that people of other zones are incapable of producing presidential candidates? Each of the zones is more in size and population than most sovereign nations who elect their own presidents. Obassanjo-Falaye contest has proven them wrong. The two candidates were capable and were from Yoruba of the Southwest zone. The nation voted for Obasanjo. He won without winning votes from his native Yoruba land. No one or group can claim that the Yoruba imposed a president on Nigeria. This indicates that this system is workable and will eliminate negative tribalism in our electoral process.

The list of ACF obstructive policies is inexhaustible. The organization should jettison its inimical policies to the progress, unity, and development of the country. ACF is a highly esteemed non-governmental organization. It should weigh the implications of its responses to national issues and what its officials put out for public consumption. Its efforts expended in formulating and pursuing divisive policies (Araba) capable of distorting facts and misleading the masses should be redirected and geared towards finding lasting solutions to Nigerian’s endemic problems for which we believe that Justice Oputa’s Commission on human rights was empanelled. ACF should not degenerate to a tear in the ligaments of Nigerian unity, federalism and good governance. It should not degenerate into ex-dictators club of the North. It should encourage and ensure the equality of the geopolitical zones instead of exhibiting insensitivity to the plight of other Nigerians as was the case in the May 17, 2001 Guardian report.

TV COMMENTATOR ON AFRICAN AFFAIRS     

COORDINATOR MONITORING COMMITTEE 

OSTER NWANKWO

CHAIRMAN, NON GOVERN. ORG.