Enough of Bayo Onanuga and his anti-Igbo stance, by Joachim OLUMBA

The recent ranting by Bayo Onanuga, one of the presidential aides, accusing Peter Obi and his supporters of being responsible for the planned protests in Nigeria is, to say the least, nonsensical and very unfortunate.

Over the past year, this particular pretentious fellow have shown very clear ethnocentric tendency with a manifestation of bias and hatred of the Igbo people. It was during the last general election that his warped mindset against Ndi Igbo came to limelight when his anti-Igbo slur culminated in an ethnic bigot of his kind sending provocative warnings to Igbo people in Lagos, threatening their participation in elections in the state.

Since we are literally not in a sane clime, nothing happened to the bigoted Onanuga after spewing statements that were capable of fuelling ethnic tensions and actual crises in the country. That victory for him, and perhaps, his perception that the Igbo people have been set apart for vilification and maltreatment prompted him to make spurious allegation against Peter Obi and the legion of his admirers.

Onaguga’s false allegation should convince Nigerians beyond every reasonable doubt that their leaders are completely out of tune with the problems they have helped in no small measures in breeding for them. Beyond this, one is certain that Onanuga is not that daft not to know that Peter Obi and his numerous supporters, especially those of them who are from the Igbo stock, are by far not connected with the morbid fears of the present faltering government. They know too well that Peter Obi has nothing to do with the impending protests.

They know exactly what the problem is; that Nigerians can no longer contain the unbearable hardship and suffering which the present APC government and no one else had imposed on them. Nigerians are provoked beyond description by the extremely harsh, insensitive and ineffective policies of the federal government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigerians cannot stomach the mindlessly profligate and irresponsible use and application of public funds and resources. Nigerians know that this government is a disastrous failure when their welfare and wellbeing are concerned. They know that the government has no shred of empathy for the suffering masses of the country.

Those who are plotting the protests are not hidden from the government’s consciousness. They know that thousands, if not millions of Yoruba people are terribly angered by the misery which this government has brought to them. The government is not unmindful of the fact that millions of Nigerians of northern extraction have grown weary, impatient and intolerant of the terrible state of the economy and its tragic impacts on them. They know precisely that they are the ones itching to pour into the streets of our cities to ventilate and vent out their anger against the government. The government and indeed, Nigerians of good conscience know too well that, virtually all of Ndi Igbo have no or little interest in whatever misrule that the people are suffering today. They knew from the onset that this misgovernance and maladministration will be the ultimate outcome of the present bunch of characters saddled with the leadership of the country. Hence, Ndi Igbo have severally demonstrated indifference to the Inglourious activities of the present government. They have shown very clear lack of interest in whatever form of protests against the tottering and unproductive government, because they are not surprised or disappointed with what they are encountering in the hands of the present government.

Blaming Peter Obi is diversionary and sheer lunacy. They’re indirectly telling us that they dread the Labour Party flag bearer in the last presidential election beyond imagination. It’s quite curious and unreasonable to level any allegation of Peter Obi or Igbo people being masterminds of the planned protests.

Nevertheless, what’s wrong with Nigerians protesting against a very bad government that has brought unprintable and unbearable hardships upon them? Did Tinubu and the great proportion of those serving under his government not plot and participate in protests against the then President Goodluck Jonathan? Nigerians were literally in heaven enjoying dividends of being citizens of this country then when Tinubu and his likes called out people to invade Ojota in Lagos and parts of Abuja in protests against a mere fuel increase from N87 to N146. Now, under Tinubu, fuel is selling for N780 to N900. If they could call out Nigerians to pour into the streets to save Nigeria then, is it not now that Nigerians are literally going through hell that the people should as a matter of necessity be called to protest vigorously against the worst hardships in the history of this country? Onaguga and his masters should know that whatever goes around comes around. This is a fundamental principle of nature. You cannot wish another person ill and expect to reap goodies. Whatever you sow is definitely what you will reap. Period!

Inflation had reached the zenith in the history of Nigeria under President Tinubu. Naira, the nation’s currency is about the weakest in the world. Unemployment rate has reached intolerable limits. Insecurity remains the nightmare to virtually all Nigerians. Under the APC government of President Buhari then, Nigeria became the poverty capital of the world. Now, under the APC government of President Tinubu, Nigeria is symbolic of gruelling and agonising poverty. Only top politicians holding strategic government offices and positions at both the federal and state levels are immuned to the debilitating effects of pervasive acute poverty. So, why would any reasonable person expect that Nigerians would remain silent and smiling while suffering untold hardships?

Please, Onanuga, you and your masters must leave Peter Obi out of your predicament. Go and lick your self-inflicted wounds. Your hatred for the Igbo will eventually and ultimately undo you. That Peter Obi has effectively positioned himself as the only viable and credible opposition to your government does not imply that he’s an enemy. He’s indeed a true patriot, committed to the ideals of building a new Nigeria in which the people will be happy and proud to call their country. You can not be fighting against a man who has convinced well-meaning Nigerians of his determination to lead the onslaught against treasury looters and those whose activities are bogging the nation down and you expect that we’ll remain calm and be watching you. You’ll definitely not be spared from the wrath of patriotic Nigerians.