The average Igbo man is imbued with natural wisdom and sense of judgment to be able to discern and make rational decisions given every situation.

Hence, it is disappointing to see Igbo youths, trooping out in their numbers, chanting the now proscribed “IPOB” only to be massacred in their numbers, in cold blood. One will ask, why embark on a journey, knowing it is doomed to fail? Why risk their lives for “IPOB”, when the youths have tomorrow, their family and loved ones today? Is not yet time for the youths to come back and have a rethink? The youths should desist from putting their lives in jeopardy, for the “utopian state of Biafra. The youths inflict grief and pain on their loved ones who are anguished by the death of the youths, who die while seeking to establish their imaginative state, where everything is perfect.

To a great extent, the youths have a little of the sympathy of the writer. Why will the youth not seek for that perfect state, when state governors who receive allocations monthly, and rather than make adequate provisions for the basic amenities of life for the youths, divert same for their gains? From this point of view, one can imagine the frustration and helplessness of the youths and their perpetual falling gullibly, to the idea of having a separate “state,” where the basic amenities of life, will be provided for their comfort. What the Igbo youths fail to understand, is that, in the unlikely or likely event of achieving that longing for that “state”, it is still the same politicians or political class, that would hijack the entire process, and continue to enrich themselves and their generations while the youths continue to suffer and languish in abject poverty and perpetual neglect.

The youths should rather channel their surging energy, towards realizable and lawful engagements, aimed at changing the unfortunate state of affairs in Nigeria. If the youths, within a short period of time, were able to end the SARS, why can’t they also through peaceful protests, end bad governance by their various state governors who are directly in charge of the monthly allocations, given to each state, and who have, unfortunately, directly and massively mismanaged the common resources meant to improve the wellbeing and welfare of the masses?

Rather than channelling their youthful energy towards the risky adventure of having a Biafran State, why don’t the youths, instead, direct same peaceful demonstration that ousted SARS, to end bad governance in the states, within the southeast of Nigeria?

It is unfortunate that most eastern states, despite the receipt of monthly allocations from the federation account, have failed and neglected to provide the basic amenities of life to its subjects. The youths in these states, who have since lost hope in their state governments and do not depend on the government for anything, are struggling daily to make a living out of nothing, whereas, the state governors, who ought to at least provide the basic amenities of life, by the construction of good roads, building of hospitals and schools, are busy, helping themselves with the same resources meant for the development of the states.

It is strongly believed that the various state governors who are doing little or nothing with state resources are doing so, because, the youths tolerate and bear the bad governance. Is it not time yet, for the youths to peacefully challenge the bad governance by the various state governors rather than embarking on a journey which will yield nothing at the end, for their good? Is not time for the youths in Igbo land to stop and put an end to the massive mismanagement of state resources by those they “voted” into power in the various states, through peaceful agitations, rather than seeking for the unrealizable state of Biafra?

It is strongly advised that the Igbo youths should not continue to risk their lives for IPOB! It is no longer news that innumerable numbers of Igbo youths, lost their lives, to this course. Majority of the Igbo youths are currently languishing in prisons, hoping that someday, a”messiah” will emerge and free them. But the truth is, it may never happen. The youths need not take the laws into their hands, associating with the proscribed IPOB. The youths need not sacrifice their lives, for IPOB, when they have a very bright future ahead of them. The time for the youths in Igbo land, to wear their thinking cap and change their strategy is now. The time to save the lives of the Igbo youths and that of their loved ones, who might die, mourning the youths killed in this unlawful agitation for IPOB, is now. The youths must stop this IPOB demonstration now. The solution to the backwardness of the eastern states, in the provision of basic amenities of life, to engender, growth and development, does not lie, in IPOB. The solution lies, with ensuring that state resources are used solely for the development of the state. The youths should not allow few individuals they voted into power as governors, to mismanage and deprive them, of their commonwealth. The governors have continued to subject the youths to abject poverty and deprivation of basic amenities of life, because the youths have failed to realized or probably protest, against the massive mismanagement of state resources by those in whose hands the resources were entrusted.

The time to change course is for the youths, is now. The youths need to be alive to achieve good governance. The Igbo youths must not continue with IPOB! The truth is that IPOB has been proscribed and declared a terrorist organization. Consequently, any association by anyone, with IPOB, is unlawful and such association has grave consequences in law. Igbo youths need to understand this all-important fact. If what the youths are looking forward to achieving is good governance, then, the proscribed IPOB, can never be a means, by which that laudable objective could be achieved. The youths should rather channel their energy towards the state governors and make them accountable to the people through peaceful agitations.

One believes that what Nigeria witnessed during the SARS demonstration, is just a tip of what awaits those at the helms of affairs in each state, who are using the state resources to enrich themselves. The time to right the wrongs, occasioned by the ingrained custom of mismanagement of state resources for personal gains, for those in power, is now. The time to return the looted state resources for the even development of states in Nigeria, by both present and past state governors, is now. A time shall come, when the people shall take it no more! A time shall come when they (the political class) shall have no hiding place any more. A time shall come when the people shall take back, peacefully what rightly belongs to them.
It may not matter then, how long you may have left power. You cannot be flourishing and enjoying the comforts of life with state resources while the people, who voted you into power, are perpetually languishing in abject poverty. A day shall come when the people shall say, “enough is enough” it might be too late for you then. Yes, I am speaking to you, the governor, the Senator, the House of Rep Member, the Minister, etc. The time to make amends is now.

It is the governors who receive monthly allocations to develop the states but fail in that responsibility, that caused and brought untold hardship to their own people. The pensioners are dying in their numbers because the governors have neglected and refused to pay their pensions, despite availability of state funds. The people are dying daily on the roads because the governors failed to construct the roads, despite the receipt of allocation monthly. The sick in the society are dying daily in the hospitals because the governors refused to build good hospitals, despite the availability of funds. The elderly persons are dying daily because they are neglected by the governors, who swore on oath to work for the good of the people. The graduates are jobless because the government refused to create an enabling environment for job creation. The children are roaming the streets, because their parents whom the governors owe, cannot afford their education in private schools. The governors have turned deaf ears to the wailings and anguish of their people. The governors are silent, when their people die daily, for their negligent and wicked conducts. Though they cannot escape the law of karma, they fail to realize that, no one ever goes to his grave with his wealth. The time to change is now. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! A word they say, is enough for the wise. The political leaders, the youths, he who has ears, let him hear! I rest my case.

Nkem Okoro, Esq.
Human Rights Activist & Constitutional Lawyer