MASSOB'S ORDER FOR MEMBERS TO GET PVC COMMENDABLE.

18/2/2018
The recent order by the leadership of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) for members to get their Permanent Voter's Card (PVC) is an order that is very commendable. For me, it is a sign that the scales that once blinded a section of the Igbo ethnic stock in Nigeria and made them to see the subject of 'Igbo Marginalization' only from a parochial point of view; had suddenly fallen off to pave the way for a clearer view.
In the book I recently presented to the public titled: THE ORIGIN OF IGBO MARGINALIZATION IN NIGERIA (TIME TO TAKE THE AHIARA DECLARATION SERIOUSLY), I made the effort to impress on my target audience - who happened to be every Nigerian interested in the review of History - that the word: Marginalization, is actually divided into Self-marginalization and Outside-marginalization and, that self-marginalization funded the outside-marginalization.
I explained in details how that the structure of the Igbo ethnic nation in precolonial times which is largely the same till date, thus formed the pillars that encouraged self-marginalization. Igbo-ama-eze is a fundamental source of self-marginlization for the Igbos in contemporary Nigeria. It is worthy of note that individualistic-minded people naturally do not have any business with anything that involved organization.
When such people become passionate about saving a situation, then they MUST first learn the art of organization. This is why I believed that Nd'igbo were the WRONG ethnic group to have stepped in in 1966 to save Nigeria from collapse! Reason? They were not united, formidable or organized enough to take up that venture. That step was simply put; A MISTAKE.
By this, incidences of power tussle among Nd'igbo, the case of MASSOB/IPOB defying the political authorities in the southeast geopolitical zone to the point of assuming the powers to direct persons to boycott participation in civil responsibilities like census and voting exercises are analyzed.
The reluctance to embrace anything new - as we can see - is another fundamental issue. About 11 years ago, when Chief Ralph Uwazuruike held sway in MASSOB, I recalled an order that directed members of MASSOB to boycott the census exercise as well as the voting exercise under the ruse that southeast Nigeria was a different country from the Nigeria federation. This reluctance to key into the political opportunities then thus enabled the other federating units to leveraged on that self-destruction mentality we had, to corner every available space since the 4th Republic.
The Late veteran leader Dr. Alex Ekwueme was a part of those who formed the PDP in Jos in 1998. Today, almost 20 years after Nd'igbo are yet to taste Aso Rock as civilian president. The chance that came to the zone to take the slot of the presidency of the Nigeria Senate was an eye opener to many, how that the Igbo ethnic group marginalized self through in-fighting. For the records, I'd like to say that Nigeria is a 'polygamous country' and just like competition existed among the several wives in a polygamous family; so it does here.
If we boycotted registration for the PVC, we only marginalized ourselves and the geopolitical zone. In fact, the national resentment against Nd'igbo today would gladly rejoice if Nd'igbo remained indifferent about the need to unite for impact in politics. It will rejoice if Nd'igbo relinguished the few positions they held in the civil service today. It will rejoice if Nd'igbo stayed at home during census exercise. Question: How many of these folks have sympathized with Nd'igbo since the disappearance of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or the  proscription of IPOB?
Is it not clear now that everyone busied themselves jostling for their own concerns and those of their geopolitical zone? This is why Nd'igbo MUST TAKE THE AHIARA DECLARATION SERIOUSLY. The declaration talked about the need for IGBOS TO UNITE FOR IMPACT. I can bet that in the face of the APC's misrule and in the face of the insult in which Mr. President's desire to seek re-election posed to Nigerians, the southwest geopolitical zone as well as the southsouth and the northcentral are careful about their strategies that it does not put them in the minority when the chips are down.
Therefore, MASSOB's order for members - and apologists alike - of her organization to get the PVCs could not have come at a better time than now. Every Igbo man, woman and youth must become interested in how whatever happened in Nigeria would benefit the southeast geopolitical zone and not in how whatever happened in southeast will serve selfish interests and further incapacitate the zone's relevance in the centre. Southeast Nigeria must realize that it is the sole signatory to PROJECT MARKET SOUTHEAST TO NIGERIA.
Comrade ifeanyichukwu Mmoh writes from Jos.