Southeasterners are showing displeasure over the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Imo State today, Thursday, September 9, 2021, even as many have asked him to shelve the visit for the interest of the security of the Southeast region.
In a random interview conducted by our Reporter in the Southeast, it was discovered that the people are averse to him coming to any part of Igbo land when their sons and daughters are either being killed in large numbers or detained by security agencies.
Said a respondent to our enquiry, “His coming to Ala Igbo is a declaration of another civil war on the Igbos considering his statement of calling us a dot and threatening to crush us like they did during the Nigeria/Biafra civil war”.
A lady who refused to say his name retorted, “What is he coming to do in Imo? They say some projects…which projects? The man, Hope Uzodinma, that’s reportedly built the projects has barely stayed for twenty months in office. And remember, from day one, he has been running into one controversy after the other”.
A woman in Umuahia popularly called Mama Onyii thundered, “He’s coming to commission a RUGA project which Hope Uzodinma gave to the Fulani in Owerri and nothing more. Is that not bringing war to us? She asked her listeners.
Similarly, a man at one of the newsstands in the zone, after listening to a lecture by one of the free newspapers readers declared, “We don’t want him here. He should go to Sambisa and fight Boko Haram and Bandits there. We’re at peace here and no war is going on in Igbo land”.
However, in the Southeast States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, shops, markets, banks, motor parks and other private places remained shut in compliance with the sit-at-home order called by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) to protest his visit.
Vehicles are off the streets too as few tricycles (Keke) on the streets were seen moving empty. Meanwhile, our Reporter observed that every available space in Owerri was literarily taken over by truck loads of military personnel, police and other security agencies.
Rumours in town say that a large portion of space has been mapped out and given to Fulanis for their settlement in Obinze, near Owerri beside the Army Barracks, and that it is the main reason Buhari is coming to inspect and possibly commission in Imo.
A lecturer in one of the high institutions in the zone contended that Buhari’s marginalization against the people of zone is outstanding and wondered what he would now do for the people when he has barely 18 months to leave office”. The lecturer pleaded that his name should be out of print.
He continued, “This is a man that should have written his name in gold in the annals of history, but he chose to immerse himself in rot. His government is generally perceived as one encouraging banditry and insecurity because he has refused to declared Fulani Herdsmen as terrorists or brand bandits their actually nomenclature, terrorists, and treat as such. But he allows members of IPOB, freedom fighters, to be massacred at the slightest provocation.
“So what is he coming to do in Igbo land? To see how far his military has gone in their evil agenda? It’s unacceptable to us”, he concluded.
Nonetheless, President Buhari touched down Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport Owerri by 9:50am this morning, Thursday, September 9, 2021. He was received on arrival by Governor Hope Uzodinma in company with other governors and top Federal Government officials and key traditional rulers.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
