By Daniel Kanu (Assistant Politics Editor)
A former governor of Kaduna State, Abubakar Umar, has warned the Nigerian government over its latest move to re-arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, for flouting his bail conditions.
Kanu is presently on bail after being charged with treasonable offences. He has dismissed the government’s plan to re-arrest him.
Umar said the move to re-arrest him is a ‘dangerous and politically unwise’ effort that could backfire.
The retired colonel and social critic said the Buhari administration should stop seeing Kanu ‘as a common criminal.’
The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra was granted bail late April, after spending 19 months in the detention of the State Security Service.
But he had openly violated almost all the conditions set for his bail by the Federal High Court, prompting Attorney-General Abubakar Malami to approach the court for a revocation of bail last week.
But Umar said the government’s move was not the smartest way out of the delicate situation.
”Mr. Kanu is a bitter young man fighting for a fairer deal for his Igbo kinsmen. His seeming militant approach is the result of the strong-arm tactics with which the federal government deals with him,” Mr. Umar said.
He cited a quote by Usman Danfodio in which the famed Islamic scholar and founder of Sokoto Caliphate used to preach against inequity.
“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a kingdom is to give preference to one particular tribe over another, or to show favour to one group of people rather than another, and to draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those that should be drawn near.”
Umar said Buhari had in his words and actions kept the people of South-east marginalised, a development that contributed to the seeming popularity of secessionist campaigns across the region.
“Many Igbo genuinely feel marginalised since they belong to the category of those who gave Mr. President only 5% of their votes and appeared to have fallen out of his favour,” Mr. Umar, who governed Kaduna from 1985 to 1988, said.
He also wrote extensively on the country’s unity.
“President Buhari’s insistence that the unity of Nigeria is a settled issue is a nationalistic wish and is no surprise coming from a veteran of a civil war fought to keep the country one.
“However, this does not take into account the mood of the nation as indicated by the growing agitations for self-determination, restructuring and many other similar demands. If indeed the president is able to ignore and silence those agitators, it will be a case of suspended animation.
“All indications are that Nigeria has become so polarised that it requires a strong personality like General Buhari to sustain its fragile unity. Needless to say that this does not bode well for the survival of the nation.
“Most Nigerians are convinced of the need to maintain Nigeria’s unity, cognisant of the enormous benefits all sections drive from a large, diverse and resource rich country.
“The federation also provides a security umbrella to all the federating units which enhance their survivability and prosperity. It is difficult to see how any of them can fare better out of the federation. But the fact that there are growing agitations for self-determination, restructuring and other similar demands speak gravely of the way the federation is being governed.”
Mr Umar said Nigeria’s unity can only be guaranteed when all its citizens feel they are getting a fair deal and when all its component parts are treated justly and equitably.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, [Deji] Adeyanju and other similar agitators might seem like felons or even anarchists. But as often happens over humanity’s turbulent history, appearances can be deceitful. One man’s terrorist could well be another man’s freedom fighter.
“In any event, despite what the security agencies might feel, there is nothing to fear from Mazi Kanu. He and his compatriots are people who love their country dearly and are willing to take a risk with their lives while blowing a whistle on some of our bad habits. It will be a tragic mistake to treat them as common criminals. It is evident that they are fighting a cause millions consider entirely legitimate.
“Until our democracy learns to accommodate dissent, vigorous, robust, even if inconvenient, it will be incapable of serving our common good,” he said.
Meanwhile, South-east governors on Wednesday said dialogue and not confrontation was the only panacea needed to solve the agitation by the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB.
The governors had a meeting on Wednesday with the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, at the Government House, Enugu.
The governors, it was gathered, told the IPOB leader during the meeting that the group’s demands ‘must not be absolute.’
The forum also promised to engage the entire leadership of IPOB in further dialogue to address their demands.
The meeting commenced at about 2 p.m. and ended by 4.30 p.m.
Kanu arrived Enugu Government House around 1.30 p.m. in the company of a constitutional lawyer, Ben Nwabueze, who is also the leader of Igbo Leaders of Thought, ILT, and Eliot Uko, deputy secretary of ILT.
The Chairman of the South-east Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi; Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Anambra Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke, were present at the meeting.
The Imo and Abia governors, Rochas Okorocha and Okezie Ikpeazu, were said to have travelled outside the county.
Mr. Umahi, who read the communiqué after the meeting, spoke on the outcome.
“The meeting agreed that these demands by IPOB should not be absolute, rather the South-east Governors shall immediately engage the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, and the entire leadership of IPOB to further meetings and dialogue with a view to quickening the resolutions of all issues amicably,” Umahi said briefly.
Below is the full text of Col. Umar’s letter:
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Do Not Re-Arrest Nnamdi Kanu, PleaseBy Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (Rtd)“One of the swiftest ways of destroying a kingdom is to give preference to one particular tribe over another, or to show favour to one group of people rather than another, and to draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those that should be drawn near”. -Shiekh Usman Danfodio.Reports in the media indicate that the Federal government has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail granted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and have him rearrested. This is both dangerous and politically unwise.Mazi Kanu is not a common criminal as the government appears to think. On the contrary, he is a bitter young man fighting for a fairer deal for his Igbo kinsmen. His seeming militant approach is the result of the strong arm tactics with which the Federal Government deals with him.His long incarceration before a court granted him bail testifies to this. Like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, many Igbos genuinely feel marginalized since they belong to the category of those who gave Mr. President only 5% of their votes and appeared to have fallen out of his favour. President Buhari’s insistence that the unity of Nigeria is a sealed issue is a nationalistic wish and is no surprise coming from a veteran of civil war fought to keep the country one. However, this does not take into account the mood of the nation as indicated by the growing agitations for self-determination, restructuring and many other similar demands.If indeed the President is able to ignore and silence those agitators, it will be a case of suspended animation. All indications are that Nigeria has become so polarized that it requires a strong personality like General Buhari to sustain its fragile unity. Needless to say that this does not bode well for the survival of the nation. Most Nigerians are convinced of the need to maintain Nigeria’s unity, cognizant of the enormous benefits all sections drive from a large, diverse and resource rich country.The Federation also provides a security umbrella to all the federating units which enhance their survivability and prosperity. It is di2cult to see how any of them can fare better out of the federation. But the fact that there are growing agitations for self-determination, restructuring and other similar demands speak gravely of the way the federation is being governed. Nigeria’s unity can only be guaranteed when all its citizens feel they are given a fair deal; when all its component parts are treated justly and equitably. When none feels oppressed.Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Adeyanju and other similar agitators might seem like felons or even anarchists. But as often happens over humanity’s turbulent history, appearances can be deceitful. One man’s terrorist could well be another man’s freedom fighter.In any event, despite what the security agencies might feel, there is nothing to fear from Mazi Kanu. He and his compatriots are people who love their country dearly and are willing to take a risk with their lives while blowing a whistle on some of our bad habits.It will be a tragic mistake to treat them as common criminals. It is evident that they are fighting a cause millions consider entirely legitimate. Until our democracy learns to accommodate dissent, vigorous, robust, even if inconvenient, it will be incapable of serving our common good.”Col Abubakar Umar, a former military governor of Kaduna state, is current Chairman, Movement for Unity & Progress, MUP