By Emmanuel Ugwu, Umuahia
A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) has cautioned against the widening gap between political leaders and the people they claimed to represent.
The group sounded the note of warning in its review of the level of compliance recorded on the September 14, 2018 sit-at- home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), saying that it was now obvious there is “loss of confidence” between the political leaders and the masses.
In a statement signed by the secretary of ECA, Elliot Uko, made available to journalists yesterday, the group which monitored the level of compliance said that it achieved over 80 per cent success.
According to the CSOs, with more people electing to obey IPOB rather than the political leaders even with open threats and intimidations, the people of Southeast zone have delivered a stunning message that they no longer trust their political leaders.
“The gulf between the two (leaders and the led) keeps widening every day. But the truth is that the masses are tired of Nigeria, frustrated with the polity and vent their anger the only way they can, by staying home on September 14 in order to send a message to the world,” the statement said..
It noted that after the sit-at-home recorded huge success hasty efforts were made by “the political leadership, shocked by the huge compliance, hurriedly resorted to doing all they can to send the impression that the compliance was low in order to save their faces.
However, he stated that the planted fictitious narrative by the powers that be failed to achieve its purpose as it only ended up amusing the people who already knew the truth about the huge success of the sit-at-home order.
Uko, who is the founder of Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) and deputy secretary of the Professor Ben Nwabueze led Igbo Leaders of Thought, pointed out that aside from its entertainment value “the false narrative also confirms to the masses the troubling reality, that the polity is in the hands of dishonourable liars”
He said that it was high time the political leaders started confronting the realities in Nigerian situation as “the fear of the truth and the compelling urge to plant false narrative, point to the fact that the leadership and the led, dwell in two different worlds.
The ECA scribe said that there was no point for political leaders to continue to live in denial because “all through history living in denial of any uncomfortable situation has never solved any problem. Problems are only resolved, when they are confronted and addressed sincerely”
He stated that it was regrettable that the Igbo question has not been addressed, let alone resolved hence the urgent need to start addressing the national question given that “the very successful sit at home observed by the people of Eastern Nigeria on September 14 2018, will go down in history as the boldest statement made by the people of Eastern Nigeria region since 1970”.
He gave reasons why the sit-at-home order was obeyed despite subterranean efforts by government to subvert and undermine the sit at home, by offering inducements to every union to disregard the sit at home.
He said: “Ndigbo stayed home on September because Nigeria has consistently denied them justice since 1967.
“Ndigbo stayed home because every effort to reconstruct Nigeria, and enthrone equity has been consistently rebuffed by the owners of power in Nigeria.
“Ndigbo stayed home because they have lost faith in their political leaders. Our people stayed home because our lives don’t matter in Nigeria. Soldiers invaded our homestead, killed scores of unarmed youths a year ago, took many away, and nobody is saying anything till date.”
