Wike and the siege on Oyigbo

By Sunny Ikojoh

SIR: At a time like this, when it appears that our country sits on a keg of gunpowder, with tensions on high, the responsibility of every government is one protection of lives and properties, and of reconciliation.

How would any governor justify the killing of citizens in Oyigbo, Rivers State? What role did IPOB play in that? Going by the events of the past few weeks, is it not clear that the call for change is one made by all Nigerians? The destruction of properties as referenced by Governor Nyesom Wike in his broadcast on the destruction in Rivers could not have been possible if the unfortunate incident of October 20 at Lekki, Lagos did not happen. And it is equally important to note that this destruction was carried out all over the country by frustrated and ignored youths.

You have citizens who cried in deep pains of not having a right to their own lives due to the constant harassment and maltreatment by the same security agencies to which you are part as chief security officer. Or have you ignored the deaths that occur on a daily, weekly and sometimes monthly basis? Do you claim not to see or notice the number of checkpoints put in place as a money-making machine all over the state by men of the armed forces to which you are part of?

By Wike’s statement, a strong signal has been sent to the country and the international community that the destruction seen all over the country was carried out by IPOB. That is not only false but insensitive considering the group’s agitation for a better deal in the Nigerian stage.

As one who has benefited from the hospitality and love that Rivers State offers, but also as one who has been on the receiving end of the brutality dished out by men of the armed forces, I demand the withdrawal of the inflammatory statement particularly now that tensions are still high. I suggest a different approach, an approach that seeks the reconciliation of all citizens of the state; one that offers a listening ear to all. And a dialogue on the issues raised by aggrieved youths.

The governor should ponder on the words of Robert J. Schreiter: “Sacrifice is a notoriously hard concept to understand. Indeed, it is not a univocal concept but is a name used for a variety of actions that attempt communication between the human and the divine or transcendent spheres. Contemplation of the abyss reveals the enormity and complexity of the evil that has been perpetrated upon a society. What would it take to overcome it”?

• Sunny Ikojoh, Knoxville, USA.