Igbo think tank, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) has dismissed the wrong notion that Ndigbo are not in support of the nationwide protest to end bad governance, tagged ‘EndBadGovernance Protest’ by the organisers.
This clarification was contained in a statement released by ADF, Wenesday, jointly signed by the National President, Professor Ukachukwu A. Awuzie, and the National Secretary, Hon. Abia Onyike.
According to the statement, ADF totally condemned the threats issued to Ndi Igbo in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, warning the perpetrators to desist forthwith from such reprehensible act.
It called on the security agencies, especially the Department of State Services (DSS) to quickly go after the persons behind the threats.
The group warned that isolating Ndi Igbo as people who are against the protest, does not properly capture who they are, as their history is replete with die-hard resistance to bad governance, even to the extent of resisting gods who refused to perform their administrative and governance mandate.
The ADF informed the good-spirited protesters that they were not against their protests, but were recounting past experiences where negative people profiled them as a race, for what every segment of Nigeria agreed on.
It said Ndi Igbo supports the protest but could not hit the streets for obvious reasons, stressing that several days before the commencement of the protest on August 1, Igboland had already been militarised, with heavily armed soldiers (not policemen), carrying tanks and gun trucks, taking over the streets of the major cities in the region.
The group observed that the security forces looked on why some unknown gunmen have been on rampage in Imo State, killing anyone they meet outside their homes
The foundation insisted that the non-violent resistance of sit-at-home is more effective for Ndi Igbo who are also victims of bad governance from some of their governors, often foisted on them from outside Igboland.
It maintained that the sit-at-home like the Gandhian one in India, was adopted to protest against bad leadership in Igboland, to prevent Ndi Igbo from coming out to become cannon fodder for security agents once again.
Frowning at Nigerian leaders for having different rules for different peoples of the country, the think tank wondered why Nnamdi Kanu remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), while Sunday Igboho and the President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), who were accused of the same offence with the former, are out of prison and moving about freely.
According to ADF, Ndi Igbo understood their endangered nature in the wake of the protest, when certain despicable characters started their devilish plan in an unsuccessful attempt at profiling them as bad election losers who wanted to use the bad door to get into power.
It, therefore, wondered why a group of people who had gained global recognition in the history of resistance to bad government but had decided to abstain from the ongoing protest, would be falsely accused of what they are not interested in.
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