TRACKING >>The recent attack on Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, in Nuremberg, Germany, allegedly by some members of Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) came as a very huge surprise to Nigerians at home and abroad. He had obviously showed up to honour an invitation by the umbrella group – Igbos in Germany – as a guest speaker for the traditional ‘Iri ji’ (New Yam) festival. He had gone there in solidarity with his kinsmen.
The attack therefore negates the communal welcoming and hospitable disposition that such festivals are known for amongst Igbos. Any guest at such events seemingly carries some unstated immunity due to the spiritual import of ‘ani’, the Igbo god of harvest. Moreover, the fact that Ekweremadu was deputy senate president between 2007 and 2019 makes him a national figure that must be treated with respect by his people, especially in a foreign land.
While we strongly condemn the attack on the senator, we recognise the fact that in a democracy, the people are granted their civil liberties, one of which is the freedom to protest. However, the protest must be without physical assault. The allegation that some of his attackers are members of IPOB, the regional group that has been fighting for self-actualisation, should be very instructive.
The viral video that was recorded during the attack was very clear about the basis of the annoyance of the mob. There were allegations against Ekweremadu who was deputy senate president for more than a decade. They alleged he did not do enough as a representative of the Igbos in Nigeria. They mentioned the attacks by herdsmen in the southeast region, the killings/kidnappings, maiming and raping of women in the region without any firm reaction from politicians of the zone. They recalled the ‘Python Dance’ that saw the military invasion of the zone as they tortured and killed some young men and women. The fact that IPOB was tagged a terrorist organisation and proscribed while the herdsmen and other groups of bandits that have been terrorising the people had not gotten equal treatment was equally stated by them.
However, we believe that after the expression of outrage, the country must now see how to amicably handle the issues nationally because, given the treatment the senator got, there are clear indications that the alleged group is so enraged it has earmarked many Igbo politicians for attack outside Nigeria because, as it said, they would not be protected by too much security as they enjoy in Nigeria.
It is equally surprising that a man of the calibre of Ekweremadu could be so naïve as not to have intelligence report about the mood of those he was going to celebrate with. His choice of dressing did not reflect someone who as a lawyer understands the symbolism and social import of dresses. Many public figures hire professional wardrobe consultants.
Going to a purely socio-cultural event and dressed in the Nigerian coat of arms instead of the traditional ‘isi agu’ or any other Nigerian cultural dress, in an environment with a strong presence of IPOB members who for long have continued to affirm their struggle for self-determination, was not very discreet.
While we condemn the attack, we wish that this can help the country, especially the political class, to have a serious introspection. The distrust that is pushing up regional groups like IPOB, Arewa youths, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), militant groups in the Niger Delta and other ethnic groups is very ominous. It will be delusional to assume all is well and that these groups can only be exploited by the political class for elections. Countries work on national unity.
We equally believe that while sympathy for the senator is in order, we wish the blood-letting, the kidnappings, the arson, the general insecurity in the country could be tackled with the seriousness they demand. Progress is made when a country puts equal value on every human life and security. There must be more deliberate bi-partisan efforts to dialogue with regional groups as each group has its own plethora of grievances.
Display of mere outrage over this one incident, sad as it may be, without effectively addressing the regional complaints across the country might give rise to a chaotic and a more disunited nation where individuals take laws into their hands. Politicians must begin, too, to realise the dynamism in global politics, as people now demand that their leaders treat them well.
Being aloof and behaving like special breeds that only go to the people during elections seem to be counterproductive. The Arab Spring stands as a shining example of the resilience and doggedness of the human spirit. Let Ekweremadu’s experience signpost introspection for both the leaders and the led for a better country.
We expect the German government to act swiftly to pick out the culprits, prosecute them and hand punishments according to their laws and decency. No matter the grievance, assault has no place in a civilised society.
