FEATURE ARTICLE

Temple Chima UbochiMonday, May 16, 2016
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Bonn, Germany

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ATTACK ON UKPABI NIMBO, ENUGU STATE: THE BLUNDER OF THE STATE GOVERNOR (PICTORIALS)

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When placed in command, take charge (Norman Schwarzkopf)

A clever man commits no minor blunders (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way (John C. Maxwell)

Instead of you carrying me on the back and still my legs will be touching the ground, put me down to walk with my own legs (Kama iga akworom n'azu �kw� mu ana eru ala, hapum kam nwere �kw�m gawa.) (Igbo Proverb)

any people from Ukpabi Nimbo were slaughtered, because, no help came their way when they needed it. The authorities knew about the attack before hand, and still, nothing was done to obviate it. An eyewitness said that "the herdsmen were killing most of their victims by slitting their throats with machetes and swords. They, the herdsmen, were even celebrating the massacre. Our people were slaughtered like fowls and yet, nobody has been arrested to account for such evil".

We learnt that when the attack started, the governor contacted the state's commissioner of police and the GOC 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu, and both of them referred him to the presidency for clearance before they will do anything. Then, the governor contacted the presidency and wanted to speak with the president, he was put on hold for more than one hour, and was later told that the president will get back to him, and he never did. The governor then fatalistically resigned to his fate, and failed, as the chief security officer of the state, to protect his people. What he did was to start complaining that even though he's the chief security officer of his state, that he cannot control the security organizations in his state. The governor didn't know that he shouldn't have relied only on the federal security organizations for the protection of his people, as he should have mobilized his people to ward off the attack before bemoaning his inability to control the federal forces in his territory.

The Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army, as colonial creations for the subjugation of the ruled, will never be on the side of the people. That's what makes the call for state police force imperative, as that will be under the control of the state governors. We must re-structure Nigeria, so that the leader of each state or region will be in control of the security forces in his or her territory. That was part of what Aburi Accord was all about.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State failed his people, and infact, it will not be an overstatement if one says that he's not fit to be a governor. What he did was to visit the affected community the next day, and instead of showing leadership, he started shedding crocodile tears. That was not a mark of a good leader. In such moment, what the people needed was courage and boldness, but, the governor showed them the opposite.

A leader must provide direction and respond to the situation in a timely fashion; the governor failed here. When things are happening quickly, no one may have control, but, a leader can assume control. Not only does this apply to personal demeanor - a leader can never afford to lose composure, and he should provide perspective. So, crying was the least expected from a leader in such a situation. Murray Newlands told us that it's important that as a leader you always keep your wits about you and stay cool in difficult situations. Successful leaders don't let their emotions get in the way. The most important thing to do during a crisis is to maintain an example by keeping cool, calm, and collected, which will allow you to think a solution. Successful leaders are brave and possess positive attitudes from the start to finish. I'm afraid Governor Ugwuanyi failed here. While President Buhari snubbed him, refused to pick his call, and refused to call him back, the governor rushed to Aso Rock, and instead of showing his anger at the way he and his people were treated by the president, he was laughing as if "his wife had a baby". A governor, many of his subjects were murdered, and some were raped, who was supposed to appear in Aso Rock in black attire, went in flowing Fulani attire, and was laughing like a "mad" person (the governor should have felt bad because of the way he and his people were treated).

When the picture on the right came out, Chukwudi Nwokoye reacted thus: "I am beginning to think that Gov. Ugwuanyi is not only a fool but also a buffoon! Your state is under siege and the blood of the innocent flowing all over Enugu, but you are in Abuja with the patron saint of the perpetrators smiling with him". I added this in my Facebook Account: "Was this the man shedding crocodile tears at ground zero while laughing like a fish head in Aso Rock? Do we see why Ndiigbo are where they are today, if this man can be elected a governor of an Igbo State? I'm vexed!"

Due to the attitude of some of the governors in leaving their people forlorn in the face of attacks/atrocities committed against them by the so called Fulani herdsmen, the Niger Delta militants expressed their anger by describing governors in the southern part of the country as cowards for their alleged silence over the unprovoked killings by Fulani herdsmen. They accused the governors of allowing the onslaught by the herdsmen without fighting back. According to the Punch, the militants also described the attacks by Fulani herdsmen as an indirect war by the Federal Government against some parts of the southern regions, adding that the governors were not bold enough to confront the Federal Government.

As we were wondering why the governor behaved that way, another picture surfaced.

Chidinma Onyejiuwa posted this: "On the day he declared fasting and prayers for Igbos killed by Fulani herdsmen in Enugu, jadi jadi Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was spotted in Abuja, dining, winning and night-clubbing while the blood of innocents killed cry to heaven for vengeance".

From the above picture, one can see that Governor Ugwuanyi was enjoying himself with Ike Ekweremadu and Busola Saraki. Ugwuanyi and Ekweremadu are from the same state, and should have been mourning, but, look at them enjoying themselves, when their people are suffering. Tell me how the governor went to Ukpabi Nimbo and declared days of praying and fasting only for him and Ekweremadu to be enjoying themselves in far away Abuja?

All the belated efforts by Governor Ugwuanyi to set up vigilante groups to fend off future attacks came too little too late; he should have mobilized groups across towns to protect the lives of the Ukpabi Nimbo people, after the police and the army refused to do their job because of no permission from Aso Rock.

Let me say this: There's bad and good in everybody; If Orji Uzo Kalu was in Ugwuanyi's shoes, the story would have been different. Orji Uzo Kalu, as governor of Abia State, was a thief and he robbed the state blind, but, if he was still the governor and his state was attacked as was done in Enugu State, he would have shown leadership, and would have made sure that none of the attackers left alive. The issue is that Kalu would have handled the issue differently. Also, Governors Fayose and Okezie Ikpeazu would have acted differently from the way Ugwuanyi acted, if their respective states were attacked like Enugu State.

This should be a lesson to all the southerners; the elected politicians and the security forces will not be there for you when it matters most. Get your own security, if you want to live. As I wrote previously, there will definitely be reprisal attacks, but, my fear is that only the innocent Fulani, struggling for the good of their families, will be the victims of the reprisal attacks. I appeal that people should show retrain and desist from attacking the innocent Hausa/Fulani who didn't provoke them. The Hausa/Fulani shoe makers or shiners making no trouble against anyone should be spared; the Hausa/Fulani watchmen (mai guard) causing no trouble should not be attacked; the Hausa/Fulani traders who are plying their trade without any problem to other people should not be molested. The people should only defend themselves against only those who attacked them.

TIT BITS

Let's hear it through the grapevine:

Onwuasoanya Fcc Jones wrote:

When a group of Fulani hoodlums invade a community within your domain and kill your people while they slept, you did not take any action, not a single Fulani head fell, and the man who is your President, a Fulani, never sent a word of condolence, but sent one lowly aide of his speak in tongues. A true Igbo son who is Governor will call the bluff of that President, and take the fate of his people into his own hands. He will devise means to protect his people, for it is obvious that the Fulani have declared war on our people.

But look at Ugwuanyi, full but empty, laughing, scorning his dead siblings and subjects, bowing before his siblings' murderer. Why won't they keep killing us? They know that for every killing rampage they embark on, Governors like Ugwuanyi will go on his knees, grinning from one ear to the other, congratulating the Fulani herdsman for killing his people.

A time shall come, and it is very soon, when the people will resort to defending themselves, as it becomes more obvious that the government has abdicated from that responsibility and our local leaders are so weak that they cannot muster the slightest defense against this murderous gang of terrorists.

Truth is that they will want to continue killing us, raping our wives and cutting down our innocent children, but the choice is ours if we will allow them (to continue the mayhem).

Jude Ndukwe wrote:

The cowardice of Igbo leaders: what was all that smile about from the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on his visit to Buhari? Did he go to Aso Rock to be turbaned that he went in such a flamboyant flowing gown, grinning with laughter from ear to ear? That governor did not look like a man in pain for the calamity that befell his people. He looked more like a man who had gone with the blood of his people to renew a ritualistic obeisance to a leader who cared less how the blood was obtained.

Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia wrote:

After the Attack and another record of failure from Ugwuanyi:

*weeping and praying:-

When Ugwuanyi visited the town and adopted weeping style and ordering for prayer and fasting was one of the lowest of a leader under such situation.

Weeping? No no! I expected him to show leadership by talking with confident and not weeping. A general don't weep in the face of his soldiers while facing a battle! You show courage and NOT weeping! Weeping is like telling the people that you are helpless!

You don't pass such message!!!

**Meeting the President and both of them laughing before the camera:

This is the biggest blunder of the Governor who has gone to the town and saw the human and material damages. For a governor that should be angry that security institutions under the direct control of the Presidency failed him to be in a celebration mode instead of mourning shows that Gov Ugwuanyi need some lessons on how this things are done.

** *will Gov Ugwuanyi laughing at Aso Rock with the President like he did had it been that his wife or any of his children was a victim of Fulani herdsmen attack especially when he is aware that the situation was a preventable one? No!

Listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdlJX-5WiOk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3fwJpF27FU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRmq9ppNSzs

THE THANX IS ALL YOURS!!!

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