MEET FRANK OSHANUGOR
By Frank Oshanugor
Some years ago at the threshold of his revolutionary journey which later brought him in conflict with the Nigerian authorities, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPoB),
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu had reportedly and derogatorily referred to Nigeria as a ZOO – a metaphorical term that seems to suggest that the country is largely populated and governed like an animal kingdom.
He was unapologetic about it that time and still very unapologetic in contemporary time even as acts that confirm his assertion are occuring daily in the country.
Remarkably, there were some of us, who ostensibly out of our nationalistic instinct, had the tendency to condemn Kanu and what he stood for; for daring to despicably refer to our one and only dear country as a Zoo. However, little did we know that Kanu was similarly garbed like the French Astrologer, Nostradamus – the man who saw tomorrow.
In our innocent nationalistic dispositions and perhaps dislike for his fiery revolutionary tendencies that left many innocent people dead in the South east; we refused to operate on the same wave length with him, and thereby unconsciously lost some timely opportunity to clearly understand what he meant by Nigeria being a zoo. He was misunderstood and misjudged.
Even though many of us do not support the bizarre killings orchestrated in the South East connected to IPoB activities, our inability to understand Kanu’s declaration of Nigeria as zoo was a typical case of rejecting the message due to hatred for the messenger.
We detested so much the declaration that our country is a zoo beyond the need for us to critically interrogate the statement with a view to unveiling what informed such.
Interestingly and regrettably too, many unseemly events of today in Nigeria are great pointers to the fact that we are literarily in a zoo. Otherwise, how else can anyone explain the free for all at the National Headquarters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Abuja on Tuesday this week where Nyesom Wike’s supporters and their counterparts clashed over power to control the secretariat. It is only in animal kingdom such brigandry can take place; a place where it is the survival of the fittest, with might being right.
It is only in animal kingdom, people elected by the masses on the auspice of particular political parties would wake up at midnight to switch parties, and brazenly announce in the morning their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) without being mindful of the provisions of the constitution.
It is only in animal kingdom, the wish of one man or a tyrannical group can turn the mindset of million others. This is ostensibly possible due to the scramble for filthy lucre and sustenance of the tendency for primitive accumulation that finds protection in national leadership and dysfunctional state institutions.
It is only in animal kingdom, the democratic doctrines of the Rule of Law and Separation of Powers are non-existent. Ours is a country where the legislature is an extension of the the executive with lawmakers always doing the bidding of the executive. No checks and balances.
Ours is a country where the political sinners’ offences against the state are expressly forgiven once they can switch party to the ruling APC in spite of the gravity of their sins. If I am wrong, let all who have defected so far from PDP, Labour Party or other parties to APC in the last two years come out openly for scrutiny. Let the judiciary genuinely examine their defections in line with constitutional provisions regarding such. I stand to be corrected.
On the other hand, let the presidency give the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) free hand to work on every case concerning all those who have defected so far, it’s only a few who would come out clean.
Talking more about Nnamdi Kanu’s Zoo, it is only in animal kingdom, the citizens of a country will be slaughtered on daily basis by those foisted on the society by satanic political and religious elements, and yet the leadership of the country will pretend that everything is fine.
It is only in animal kingdom terrorists, kidnappers and other blood tasty elements can brazenly display their weapons, go on killing spree of innocent citizens. They even dare the nation’s leadership to do its worse just as they go about displaying video of parts of the slaughtered citizens dripping in blood like the one trending in the social media currently. Honestly, we have lost humanity.
It is only in animal kingdom hundreds of innocent citizens are being displaced, attacked, killed, with women raped why the political leaders are busy scrambling for political opportunities ahead of 2027. They have sold their conscience to blood sucking demons because it is quite unimaginable how any sane politicians who have not bothered to care for the lives of people they had sworn to protect, be warming up for another election.
It’s only in animal kingdom people of particular religion – Christians are being slaughtered by some beastly human beings in the name of Allah and yet the political leadership is denying the prevalence of genocide against Christians.
The other day, American President Donald Trump referred to Nigeria as a country of “disgrace” due to these inhuman occurrences but instead of taking it as it is, the paid political cheer leaders in our midst have occupied some media space to condemn Trump, sermonizing foolishly because the truth is not hidden.
Some scholars of iniquity have even taken it further by theorizing that Trump is only out to economically benefit from Nigeria and nothing more, as if America depends much on Nigeria. Some of them have even made spirited effort to lecture us more on what sovereignty means in international relations as if the principle of sovereignty of nations supercede the rights of persons who in the first place constitute the elements or population of the geographic space that is accorded territorial sovereignty by other nations.
It is humongously disheartening that life does not worth anything in Nigeria. Elsewhere, the life of one citizen means so much to the political leadership. That is why a country like United States of America can go to any length to rescue any of her citizens trapped in any difficult situation any where in the world.
Here in Nigeria the lives of 200 people killed in a particular attack in any part of the country is equal to zero. This is why Nigeria can afford to loose even senior military or police officers at the battle field and it would not mean much to the President and his associates. As far as our leaders are concerned, life must go on even if a whole state is burnt down.
Look at what is happening in a state like Zamfara where media reports have confirmed the sharing of political power between the government and bandits. Reports have it that the bandits are largely in charge of local communities where they have subjected the citizens to all manner of slavery. The men are subjected to work in bandits’ farms while their wives serve as sex slaves. The state governor is looking elsewhere while the citizenry are dying in the hands of the bandits. This can only happen in the zoo.
The question is: why would anyone with his right senses not want Donald Trump to use the American might to help us fish out the devils in our midst since we are helpless and harp-less. Just imagine the killing of an army general this week. It is quite painful that we are daily losing our gallant officers and men in the hands of terrorists due to the insensitivity and greediness of politicians who want to remain in power at all cost.
As it is now, we need more Donald Trumps to tell our leaders that our country is in a higher disgrace courtesy of mis-governance and inactions that are predicated on mundane and anti-people considerations. It is only God who can deliver us from the hands of our oppressors.
