In the context of a study facilitated via the Africa Capacity Building Foundation, Harare, Zimbabwe for one of the UN Agencies under the theme, “Africa’s fiscal space, fragility and conflict”, we have been conducting field surveys this December 2021 and January 2022. This study addresses current conflicts, diaspora interface, remittances, and well-being in rural communities of Southeast Nigeria. It is already well known that the impacts of the Igbo Diaspora in the economic well-being of Igboland is very critical. These impacts are seen at the levels of individuals, families and households, communities and our famed town unions and self-help projects, institutions such as Churches. They are seen in diverse areas including food security, health services and medical missions, education and scholarships, capital projects and infrastructure, entrepreneurship funding, and virtually all aspects of living and livelihood. Current security issues place these at jeopardy.
Preliminary indications are that the economic loss and poverty-inducing consequences of this are known to the people. Hunger is rising. Poverty is all around our people. Sales by local merchants of commodities in the rural areas slumped at least 30% this December.
Lives have been lost. There are no records of these as people resume what life they can, as anyone killed on a Monday seem to be a non-issue and attributed to “Unknown Gun Men”. Fear of this keep people indoors. People live in fear. Socialization is restricted. The Igbo rural areas were somewhat damp this December 2021 and January 2022. Crimes such as Robbery and kidnapping which in the past rarely occurred around the Christmas period occurred in multiple places in the same period. Many persons scampered out as the first and second Mondays of the year approached. Many who were home avoided even Christmas Church services.
Some neighbouring states seem luckier. Rivers state for instance is one with aggressive Government approach to crime and insecurity. See Min 24:29 of the link below and what Governor Wike of Rivers state is doing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NSbLOe2_mE.
In some states neighboring Rivers state, some LGAs have no police stations, after being destroyed by unknown and in some cases like Ihitte/Uboma LGA of Imo state, by known persons. In those areas there are no police nor army check points as we find in Rivers state or Ebonyi state. The people are alone.
In some of those areas kidnappers are having a field day, and these kidnappers and Robbers are known to the people of the area. They do not hide because according to the locals, they are connected to politicians and government office holders.
While IPOB has said that there is no more Monday stay at home, no one dares come out on a Monday, in some parts of Imo state, for instance. On Mondays, Owerri in Imo state and Umuahia in Abia state will be active, but in addition to some areas of Orlu, most of Mbaise, and all of Obowo, Ihitte/Uboma and Ehime-Mbano LGAs are shut down completely. Not even the local weekly markets are allowed to operate. Those who are doing this are also known to the locals.
Sometimes we read in the media that some local Government Areas in Bornu, Yobe, Niger, or other places in the North of Nigeria are being occupied and controlled by Boko Haram. The mentioned Local Government Areas in the southeast that seem outside the control of the known instruments of formal governance, who controls them? This question arises because the IPOB has announced that there should be no more Monday shut down. So, who is controlling those areas, and why is it that unlike Rivers state where Governor Wike claims and acts that he is in charge, those areas seem not to exist in the radar of formal governance and security provision? Who exactly controls those areas? Is the provision of security no longer the first duty of the state/government?
Is it possible that the control is by Robbers and kidnappers?
Why is it looking like the people of those areas are on their own, without any formal security measures to address this loss of sovereignty, or this new sovereignty?
Children stay at home on Mondays and avoid schools. How can we have a society with our children attending schools only 4 days a week, and sometimes no schooling the whole week? Why can’t we use Saturdays as school days if we have adopted Mondays as rest days? The Igbo phenomenon in Nigeria sprang from the speed with which we adopted formal western education from the 1930s. Today serious formal schooling seems to be in jeopardy, and this is happening at a time illicit drugs are ravaging our society. All around us are young men alien to core Igbo values. And they are not a few.
Most of our successful people are avoiding returning home. Many who came home for December end of year 2021 and the new year 2022 refused to come out. This is not who we are as a people. Success is not a crime. Akuruolu should be encouraged. The loss of financial inflows from our economic better-off brothers and sisters breeds more poverty and hardship.
While it is true that IPOB introduced the Monday sit at home, which the people obeyed, IPOB has said that there is no longer sit at home, but the people are still sitting at home every Monday. Perhaps the IPOB should be encouraged to convince the people to go about their lawful duties and activities on Mondays. IPOB should be encouraged or advised to find out those who are enforcing the continued Monday sit at home and ask them to stop.
The people who know these people, as is commonly told on the streets of these areas should please beg them on behalf of the suffering people to stop enforcing the sit at home. Our people have lost so much. There is already too much bloodshed. Those who are ruling us whose boys are involved should please have mercy on us and ask their boys to stop. We do not want any more bloodshed in our land. Please we are begging that our people should be allowed to resume their lives.
God bless you.
Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba