Igbokwe should apologize within seven days for his comments on OPC or incur the wrath of Yoruba gods
The attention of our organization has been drawn to a statement credited to the spokesperson of the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in the Punch newspaper edition of Wednesday, June 17.
Mr. Igbokwe, while allegedly speaking with newsmen on the pipeline protection contract awarded to the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), said and referred to our members as hoodlums and outlaws.
According to him, “… why should hoodlums be used in securing pipelines…”using OPC is a primitive way of securing pipelines.” “You don’t give sentive jobs like pipelines to outlaws.”
These statements coming from a person like Mr Igbokwe is not only shocking, but also regrettable.
We are, however, not surprised that he would insult and cast aspersions on members of the OPC. Igbokwe needs to answer some questions in order to qualify to insult or abuse our organization:
Though it is easy for him and others like him who are benefiting from the struggle to enthrone democracy in our country, he needs to tell us where he was when members of OPC, alongside other activists like Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana, took on the military after the annulment of the June 12 presidential election.
Igbokwe should tell the world what role he played in the struggle to revalidate the annulment of the election and subsequently enthrone democracy in our country.
We need to know where Igbokwe was in 1995 when civil society groups in the country, under the command of NADECCO, organized what was called the ‘mother of all rallies. Where was Igbokwe in 1996 when Olisa Agbakoba led a rally against the military?
And Igbokwe needs to tell the world where he was on June 4, 1998 when civil society groups, led by the late legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehnmi, took a coffin to Abacha.
I am sure that in all of these cases, Igbokwe was in the comfort of his house, or better still, hiding under his bed, when several thousands of our members battled the military to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of the cabal.
It is on record that most of these activities were led and indeed commanded by members of the OPC.
It is also on record that we lost several members of the OPC to ensure that democracy which unfortunately Igbokwe and his likes are now feeding on to take foot in Nigeria.
It is therefore sad that Igbokwe would refer to members of a group that played such significant roles in the attainment of democracy in Nigeria as hoodlums and outlaws.
Igbokwe needs to be referred to the judgment of Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja, delivered on December 19, 2006, during the detention of Otunba Gani Adams and Dr. Fredrick Fasehun.
In the judgment, the revered justice ruled that the OPC was not an illegal organization, and ordered that nobody should refer to it as an illegal body.
Aside from this very important ruling on the status of the OPC, we would have expected Igbokwe to know that, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution, every Nigerian has the right of association and the freedom to associate with one another without molestation.
Igbokwe also regarded as crude the use of OPC in securing the pipelines. May we ask him if it is also crude for the Nigerian Army and indeed, other armies across the world who do not have military drones and other controlled missiles to go fight a battle?
It is not on record that Igbokwe surfers from memory relapse. But I would like to refresh his memory, hoping that it would do him some good.
Among our members are medical doctors, lawyers and technocrats among others.
Also, across Yorubaland, we have initiated and organized more than 18 cultural festivals as part of the efforts to promote Yoruba culture and traditions.
Perhaps we also need to educate Igbokwe that our organization has also created another platform, the Oodua Progressives Union (OPU) to give Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora a platform to meet and socialize.
As we speak, the OPU has been launched in more than 57 countries worldwide and indeed, would be launched in the Republic of Ireland next weekend.
To organize each of these festivals, the organization spend between N7million and N8million, all sourced from our purse.
I am sure that if Igbokwe is privileged to be a member of such organization, he would be happy and proud and indeed privileged.
When the leader of MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and the leader of NDPVF, Asari Dokubo, were kept in jail, it was Otunba Gani Adams who put together a body, the Coalition For the Freedom of Dokubo and Uwazuike (COFDU) under the leadership of prominent activist, Ayodele Akele, to campaign and organize rallies to call for their release.
I recall that at one of the press conferences organized to draw attention to the campaign, Mr. Joe Igbokwe was invited to speak and he did attend and spoke.
It is funny that at that time Igbokwe did not realize that he was dealing with hoodlums and outlaws, as he would want the world to see members of the OPC.
It is also important to state here that every kobo spent on the activities of the group until the duo was released was spent by Otunba Adams.
It is an incontrovertible truth that the Yoruba races are very accommodation and peace-loving.
It is an incontrovertible truth that the Yoruba races are very accommodation and peace-loving.
I am not sure that Igbokwe can point to about 20 Yorubas whose business concerns are doing well.
Whereas you can find businesses owned by Yoruba doing very well in Port Harcourt and other parts of the south, same cannot be said of Igbokwe’s homeland.
For this same man to now refer to members of a group, made up of more than six million Yorubas, as hoodlums and outlaws is regrettable and unacceptable to us.
He has definitely bitten the finger that feeds him and called for war.
It is not in doubt that Igbokwe and others like him are hypocrite.
It is not in doubt that Igbokwe and others like him are hypocrite.
We have it on record that most of the use members of the OPC as security in their homes, but come outside to tell the people different stories.
Despite Igbokwe’s self-acclaimed knowledge, he has displayed an infantile sense of understanding in the pipeline protection contract.
Maybe out of ignorance or deliberate mischief, Igbokwe and the others have failed to understand that the contract was a duly-signed one between the OPC and NNPC.
It was supposed to last between March 15 and June 15, 2015. So, in effect, the contract ran its course and was never terminated by the Federal Government as been claimed the Igbokwe.
Igbokwe needs to take a tour to the communities where the pipeline runs through and speak with the residents on their experience since the OPC started watching over the facilities.
Our men have brought some sense of safety and security to the people of the areas where these pipelines pass through.
On this note, I wish to say that Mr. Joe Igbokwe withdraws his comments and apologize to the OPC within seven days or risk the wrath of all the deities in Yorubaland.
Igbokwe latest statement is seen as an insult on the entire Yoruba race and would be punished by Yoruba gods and our ancestors if he fails to apologize within seven days.
In our land, it is an insult to speak to an Oba in that manner. Even if the Oba makes a mistake, you do not stand in the public gallery to insult him.
Barr. Yinka Oguntimeyin
Director of Media and Publicity Secretary of Oodua People’s Congress
Signed.
