As part of the measures to curb growing insecurity within the South East and South-South region President Muhammadu Buhari after his meeting with a 15 member Security Council has ordered for specific military actions within the region. The meeting had since been attracting comments for and against the decision.
Some people critical of the decision have queried the wisdom in ta king actions that seeks to bring peace in a region without involving the people concerned in the situation. It is reported that no Igbo man was in the meeting which is akin to shaving a man’s head in his absence. Many have viewed it as extension of the marginalization of the region.
For so long a time the South East has always been under military siege under one guise or another. If it is not Operation Crocodile Smile, it will be Operation Crocodile. Beyond this the numerous police check points every kilometer on virtually every road sends a wrong signal that the region is in a war time.
All of these have continued to disrupt the business activities of the people who are renowned for their commercial activities everywhere they can find opportunity. It is never arguable that the Igbo are prime leaders in trading and other business activities in the country and the tremendous successes recorded by them have attracted envy, name calling and repressive actions from other ethnic groups.
Naturally, nobody in his right senses would seek to extinguish fire with fire. The agitation for a separatist Biafra nation by the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) is fuelled largely by the perceived injustice and acts of marginalization against Ndigbo. Government responded with force proscribing the group and that intensified the struggle which has now metamorphosed into an armed struggle.
Now the government is eliciting another form of violence by its action which will attract more resistance and possible generate another violence. In the light of this development, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other well meaning Nigerians have called on the government to review their actions and seek other means of bringing peace
Presently the strong presence of the military is frightening the residents and psychologically affecting the well-being of the people. It has consequences too on the economic activities of the people. Already there are unconfirmed reports that people are being whisked away at random to unknown places and never seen again. This is a gross violation of human rights to life.
It is possible that the people who are paying this supreme price may not be the real targets of the attack. The consequences of the military action are far reaching on the people. Nigeria presently is on a precipice and has in fact reached the tipping point. This is the time to pull it back and salvage what is left of it.
News Echo insists that there is no crises that cannot be resolved with dialogue. Government and protesting groups should come into a round table to lay their grievances and win peace from there. Violence is an ill wind that blows none any good. We maintain too that until the root cause of an issue is identified and treated it will amount to shadow chasing using brute force to resolving it. Nobody can quench fire with fire.
