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JOE IGBOKWE AND DAN ULASI,TWO BROTHERS FROM ONE MAD FATHER

BY MAZI OMIFE I. OMIFE, MBUZE MBAUKWU

They talk and behave as if they are from one mother.I do not know because they have different surnames. All I know is that both are from Nnewi.Dan Ulasi and Joe Igbokwe.I believe they are brothers from one mad man called Congo Professor before the war.Congo Professor used to move from one village to another in Nnewi, and from one motor park to another.

I had expected the people of Nnewi to caution, and in fact disown Joe Igbokwe and Dan Ulasi whose behaviours are becoming more annoying by the day. They should not only caution them, but also compel them to make an open apology to Ndigbo.It is surprising that all Nnewi people have kept sealed lips while their sons engage in unmitigated sabotage and open insult to Ndigbo over our collective and long quest for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction.Igbos know and regard Nnewi as the cradle of Igbo struggle for freedom, justice and equity which was spearheaded by their son, late Dim Emeka Ojukwu, who virtually single-handedly bankrolled the fight for the freedom of Igbo people in Nigeria for about 30 months.

So, why are Nnewi people sitting on the fence while their sons attempt to demolish the principle and vision of Igbo freedom initiated by Ojukwu and which he fought for and sacrificed so much from his youth until his death.Just listen to the utterances of Joe Igbokwe every now and then cursing Igbo people, as if he is not one of them.Of all his self claimed political exposure and education, if indeed he had any worthwhile education, doesn’t he know the meaning and importance of one’s ancestral roots?

Does it mean there is no elderly person in Nnewi who can educate him on the significance of one’s native roots?In recent times, many Afro-Americans and people from other countries who have traced their ancestry to Africa and Nigeria in particular have been trooping back in search of their roots.Even in the bible, Jacob while on his death bed instructed his children to make sure that they took his bones to their ancestral land and bury him there.And here is Joe Igbokwe raining curses on his roots on daily basis. I am honestly amazed at the way he curses Igbos and often wonder how much he is being paid to insult his own people the way he does.For 20 years he has been curing Igbos, what has Tinubu done for him?

Only an inconsequential and humiliating appointment as personal assistant on Lagos gutters something like that . And recent portfolio of publicity secretary of APC Lagos State or something like that. Ndigbo ibem, are these enough reason for him to keep insulting Igbos every now and then. If he really has any genuine advice to Igbos, he knows the proper Chanel to reach Igbo leadership and not through the social media. By going through the social media he is only trying to show his masters that Joe Igbokwe is working so he doesn’t loose his pay. If Tinubu honestly loves him, has Joe Igbokwe not served him long and slavishly enough to secure a higher job for him at Abuja, like minister or even Special Assistant to President Buhari, since Tinubu is the APC National Leader and claims it was he Tinubu who made Buhari President.

In the NCNC days, Zik placed many of his non-Igbo political acolytes in good positions. Paul Unongo from Tiv land was minister for steel.Janet Akinrinade was Minister of State, Internal Affairs, later a commissioner in Plateau State under Solomon Lar.Olu Akinfosile from Yoruba was minister for communications, TOS Benson from Yoruba was minister for Information.And many others. Did they curse their people in order to appreciate or impress Zik?All these years Joe Igbokwe has been cursing his people, has he ever won any elective political position in Lagos State? Two Igbos in Lagos won elections to House of Reps. Did they first curse their fellow Igbos before they were able to win?

It was the same Tinubu who said that Igbos cannot vote in Lagos.It was in the same Lagos State that Igbo traders were driven from Mushin market.It was in the same Lagos State that Igbo houses at Alagbedo were recently destroyed.It was in the same Lagos State that attempt was made to prevent Igbo traders at Alaba from registering for PVC.For all his hobnobbing with Tinubu, not one single thing has Joe Igbokwe done to protect Igbo interests in Lagos State. Only curses everyday.I can go on with more facts that will make Joe Igbokwe realize himself as a big fool, and that even Tinubu and other Yoruba people have no regard for him. Just one of those people going about causing trouble and creating enmity between Igbos and Yoruba.

Look at Fani-Kayode. The first day he declared for APC, the same day he was flown to Abuja to have a handshake with Buhari. Thereafter he was given a juicy political appointment as a big boy.For over 25 years Joe Igbokwe has been cursing Igbos to please Tinubu, he has nothing to show for it except appointment as Lagos gutter cleaner.At no time in Nigerian political history have Igbos played second fiddle to Yoruba people. It is on record that Awolowo who is regarded as a tin god by the Yoruba people deferred to Zik for the position of Nigerian Prime Minister during the first republic and later in 1979 referred to Zik as Father of the nation.

Joe Igbokwe claims that Igbos are not united. That is in his own imagination. He should say one instance where Igbos were not united.Was it during the Nigeria –Biafra war?Was it during the reception of Ojukwu when he came back from exile or when he died?Are Yorubas more united than Igbos? In what ways?When Abiola’s presidential election victory was annulled, was it not another Yoruba, Earnest Shonekan that became the head of the Interim government?Was it not another Yoruba, Oladipo Diya who conspired with Abacha to overthrow Shonekan?I will go no further to waste words.

I am surprised that Dan Ulasi has joined him.Dan Ulasi should be in the age bracket of 70 and 75 now. If he were younger, it could have been a different story altogether. At his age, he is old enough to be a grandfather who should always apply wisdom in his actions and utterances.It is a puzzle to me why each time outsiders want something from Igbo land, he looks for a cheap Igbo man or woman to brainwash Ndigbo and rubbish the agenda of their own people as Dan Ulasi is currently doing.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry in Igboland and Nigeria as a whole know that Igbos have been subjected to a lot of injustice in this country for several years now. But each time Ulasi appears on the TV, he never says a word about this glaring discrimination and marginalization of Igbos. Instead, he spends all his time castigating Peter Obi, and by implication, Igbos.APC ticket has gone to a Yoruba and PDP to a Fulani. Meaning that Igbos have been played out of the 2023 presidency by the two major parties. And Igbos have to wait, by their own calculation, for another eight years to make another attempt for the presidency which we are not sure of getting, because of saboteurs like Ulasi and his brother.

Everyday, Dan Ulasi goes on TV castigating and blackmailing Peter Obi, who has been selling himself to Nigerians, not because of personal interest but because of a better Nigeria, Igbo political identity and sense of belonging If Dan Ulasi has any genuine case against Peter Obi when he was governor, why is it now, nearly ten years after Obi left office that Dan Ulasi is bringing charges against him? Purely a hatchet job.If Dan Ulasi feels too bad about Peter Obi’s candidature, why NOT say anything good about other Igbo presidential candidates, like Prof Peter Umeadi of APGA?In the entire world, no one is perfect. Nobody expects Peter Obi to be perfect or to be a saint. While in office, it is inevitable he must have stepped on some toes.If it is people like Dr. Chike Obidigbo (Osisioma Ndigbo), one time governorship aspirant under APGA, or Ifeanyi Okonkwo ( Allied Bendix) that are talking, people will listen. But who is Dan Ulasi.?

I plead with Nnewi people and all Igbo organizations in pursuit of Igbo cause to call Dan Ulasi to order. I also call on all Igbo social platforms where Dan Ulasi belongs to expunge his name from such platforms. Ditto for Joe Igbokwe.It is as clear as day light that Dan Ulasi and Joe Igbokwe are spies, spying Igbo political plans and strategies to their masters at Lagos and Adamawa.

Mazi Omife I. Omife

Mbuze Mbaukwu

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