By Rusell Bluejack

"CRUSH IPOB": THE HATE SPEECH FROM A MILITARIZED DEMOCRAT, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, AND THE IMPERVIOUS STANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS
A lovely day to you all. Hate speech has become a new mantra to the clueless APC-led Federal Government of Nigeria. Having failed to hatch true change from the CHANGE mantra, the party, its slavishly blinded faithfuls, and handlers of Nigeria's Aso Rock, Abuja, have reeled out another weapon of deception. Today, all we hear is hate speech did this, hate speech did that. This resort to condemnation of nonexistent hate speech is another form of diversion that is second to the dead "CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME". "Change Begins with Me" was used to shift blame for failure from the government to the governed, and this slogan was introduced when it became crystal clear that the APC government is a nest of wannabes, desperadoes, and kleptomaniacs. Of course, "change" has taken place in Nigeria since the change of baton from PDP to APC. Perchance some of us do not know what has changed and the direction of the so-called change. The following depicts the APC change:
1) the disappearance of 280 oil vessels a month ago;
2) the padded 2016 and 2017 Budgets, with their attendant criminal duplications;
3) the attempt to exterminate Shia so that Sunni Islamic sect can Islamise Nigeria;
4) the distinction between 97% and 5% Nigerians by a sitting president, which itself is hate speech devoid of comparison;
5) the use of brute force and Gestapo approach to quell unarmed Biafra protests, leading to the killing and consequently cremation of thousands of non-violent agitators;
6) the use of over N200m by a government official to cut grass in an IDP camp;
7) spending more than the Constitutional 90 days outside the shores of Nigeria without parliamentary action;
8) the exclusion of commercial banks from FOREX whilst providing dollars to friends, brothers, and cronies at wee hours of the morning and at rates lower than can be imagined; etc
The points above depict change in the negative direction. Yes, the Buhari-led APC has really changed Nigeria from the third fastest growing economy to one pillaged by recession. The ease with which food is provided has changed, as hunger has become the order of the day in this enclave of fiat mistaken for a nation. The monetary and fiscal policies of this association of embezzlers have submerged whatever was left of Nigeria in the sea of economic degradation, with no salvation in sight. Nigeria's economy has been damaged beyond repair, and those that are sapient and desirous to surmount the conundrum should own up that the only panacea to peace is dissembling the various discordant nationalities that were forcibly welded in 1914. This time around, the situation is so bad that it is imperative that every machinery be put in place to facilitate and control the peaceful dissolution of this contraption. This is not the time for "Crush them". This is the time for pronouncements like "Engage them in a civil manner". Nigerians, whose hopes were lifted sky-high by the grandiose cum gold-plated promises of the APC, are in rage. The pervading rage in the land, the unlawful absence of Buhari for over 100 days, and the free fall of the rising cost of goods in the country all saturated the country with rage. An apology to the nation would not be a bad start.
IT IS UNLAWFUL TO CRUSH A NON-VIOLENT AGITATION FOR SELF DETERMINISM
President Buhari's order to security chiefs is itself the real hate speech we must guard against. Asking them to "crush IPOB" is different than asking them to "crush Book Haram". You crush a dangerous enemy, but dialogue with an aggrieved and wounded party. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPO pose no danger whatsoever to the lives and properties of the geographical location called Nigeria. All they are asking for is the right to govern themselves, having been the victims of oppression and socio-economic and political disintegration/alienation in a northernised Nigeria. The constituents of the reinvigorated IPOB are decendants of those that fought the Civil War. It is their observation that the remote and immediate causes of the war fought by their fathers are still unattended to today. It is their RESOLVE to pursue this agitation in a non-violent way and liberate their people from the oppressive proclivity of Nigeria. How is the clamour for self-governance a hate speech? Does hate speech have a different acceptation in Nigeria? I just wonder.
The use of "crush" in a democratic dispensation is itself the worst hate speech worthy of attention. The order given to service chiefs in Nigeria portends grave danger to the peaceful activities of the IPOB under the aegis of Director Nnamdi Kanu. Whereas the agitation for self determinism will always seek and find legality and legitimacy under the shelter of international laws (UN Human Rights and ECOWAS Human Rights Charters), the order from Buhari that they be "crushed" will always meet condemnation worldwide. No true democrat should crush what he can engage and control. It is a tragic flaw. It bespeaks incompetence. He whose tempers flies off the handle has no business being an administrator.
Some of our friends on the other side have said that the Biafra Secret Security (BSS) recently advertised by the IPOB incriminated the activity of IPOB, but they have failed to convincingly criminalise it. Let me educate us all, since ignorance is the real cause of our misgivings and misjudgements. First, it is never criminal to be on the defensive. Where a government either fails to protect a people or is responsible for the palpable and pervading insecurity, the people should do everything LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE to defend themselves in line with the SELF-PRESERVATION LAW OF NATURE. Every living person has the duty to preserve his life. It is criminal for anyone to see danger and walk into it. Your safety is your PRIMARY duty. The role played by government is INTERVENTIONIST. You are your real defender.
Second, the BSS parade that was watched on every audiovisual medium did not showcase anything that makes it actionable in Court. For instance, I did not see any weapon. I did not hear any declaration of war by the Commandant. What I saw was a parade of able-bodied young men and women who had decided to DEFEND their territory against further destructive incursions by unprovoked law enforcement agencies in Nigeria. How this bodacious display translates to declaration of civil war is all bizarre to me. This violent disposition of Buhari to the decorous activities of the agitators pinpoints his uncaused spite for the people of the Eastern Region. Agitation for freedom from oppression is not terrorism in any way. This government's misinterpretations, misjudgments, and prejudice are the real causes of the agitation. It is also noteworthy that our Buhari hardly talks tough when issues bothering on terrorist groups like Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram come to the fore. I am wont to conclude that our Buhari prefers terrorism to peaceful agitation. It is my observation our Bubu's hatred for 5%ers beclouds his sense of judgment. My problem is why he does not want those he hates to go! Why?
The UN, NATO, AU, ECOWAS, Trump-led USA, Putin-led Russia, Britain (our real problem) should arise from their imperviousness and act fast before more lives are taken by the militarisation of our democracy. The short-timed presidential broadcast by the estranged President of Nigeria is a declaration of war on unarmed agitators. The international community should note that the said broadcast was made by Buhari prior to his transmission of a LETTER OF RESUMPTION to the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. The maker of that hate speech called broadcast has identity that is not recognised by law. A president that is AWOL has no right whatsoever to act when an Acting President exists. Nigeria has become so cabalised and balkanized that the international community is duty-bound to facilitate the peaceful divorce of Nigeria by Biafra. This furtherance of hatred towards the Eastern Region proves that the SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, RELIGIOUS, and POLITICAL pre-conditions that gave birth to the reinvigorated and refined agitation for emancipation can only worsen, if Biafra continues to remain tethered to the oppressive contraption called Nigeria. The time to revisit our over 100 years old forced amalgamation is now! The international community should impress upon Nigeria the superiority of international Charters over national constitutions. Freedom is a right. Biafrans are tired of being killed like animals in games. If the situation snowballs into an avoidable Civil War, we shall have the docile international community and President Buhari to blame.
Crush the violent Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, but dialogue with the non-violent IPOB.
God bless Biafrans all over the world!
God bless IPOB!
God bless Mazi Nnamdi Kanu!
Russell Idatoru Bluejack is a thinker, revolutionary writer, university tutor, and socio-economic and political analyst that writes from Port Harcourt.