Ndigbo, Saboteur/Mole Mentality And History Lessons Not Learnt, By Mazi Nke-Echika

Growing up in the Igboland, I loved reading igbo and Biafran historical books. I read almost every literature by Fredrick Forsynth. I read the story of the five Majors including Banjo, and Ifeajuna. I read the one sided story version of the civil war presented by renowned author Elechi Amadi to spite the igbos, And many others.

Mazi Nke-Echika

The unique thing about reading these historical literatures and growing up in igboland at the same time is that they complete the oral historical stories very often shared frequently both at home and schools. I commend these literatures for every young igbo man for it is from these stories that you understand what it means to be igbo in Nigeria before you experience it in real life.

Many themes resonates in these literatures and one prominent among them is what i will call "Saboteur/mole" mentality that gripped the Biafran nation, particularly the igbos as the war progressed. It is a mentality that caused the Biafran nation dearly.

In its simplest explanation, the mole mentality is a grave feeling of suspicion that some people are more Biafran than others. Most times, these feelings are mere hunches because of disagreement in point of view or other policy and strategic decision. The person that feels a superior sense of "Biafraness" concludes at the slightest disagreement that the ONLY reason why the other person does not share his view is because he is a MOLE  and have sold out on the young nation. At some critical stage of the struggle for survival in the young nation, almost all minority tribes of the Biafran nation were suspected by default of being moles and saboteurs. And to know that being accused of being a Mole or Saboteur at that critical time was punishable by death either in the hands of angry and frustrated Biafran (mainly Igbo) mob or by Biafran soldiers underscores the gravity of such accusation.

While it is agreed that the saboteur accusation are usually rife in all war times and that some of these allegation in more advanced places,these allegation are subjected to judicial processes and either established or discarded, in the Biafran case, it was massively deployed as propaganda to shut people with a slightly different idea on  how to approach the survival war to achieve same goal for the young nation up. Biafra paid dearly for this on her first attempt at independence for this faulty mentality.

The war ended. History kept record of the events. The lessons were clearly visible in the stories both oral and written. But it seems WE, the post war generation of Igbos didn't learn the lessons even as there is a surge for a second attempt at independence.

WE, the post war generation are still held hostage by the "SABOTEUR/MOLE" mentality that was of no benefit to us in the struggle for Biafra independence in the 60s. We exhibit this daily in our discussions and arguments daily on the way forward for us as Igbos In Nigeria and even in the second surge for a separate country.

In my brief excursion on Facebook, i have had opportunity of discussing igboness, Biafra, Nigeria, Ojukwu, Civil War, and many other daily Nigerian Topics including APC and PDP. I have observed that once you disagree with many fellow igbos, the first thing he/she attacks is your igboness. Depending on how you respond, the stage is a negative and abusive tag.(Hausa brainwashed usually). I have vigorously defended igboness where necessary and asked relevant questions where necessary. I have opposed what i personally consider not right in the interest of the igbos no matter how popular it might be to other igbos.

Back to the issue of Mole/Saboteur mentality.

There was a time around 2012/2013/2014 that a virulent attack was lunched on social media in Nigeria against igboness  by Yoruba, Hausa, and some Niger Delta intellectuals. Femi Fani Kayode penned down  many genocide inducing articles that was published widely against the igbos, Aliyu Tilde, did similar article, Kayode Ogundamisi also did similar thing both on his popular twitter handle and facebook. Adeyinka Grandson and many others people on facebook maintained the momentum. It was almost like an organised onslaught. Abusing Igboness was the pastime of almost all Yorubas and Hausa on social media. Revisionist historians arose and attempted to rewrite the 1960s stories. Ojukwu Bashers grews in hundreds.

Happily Igbos on Social Media including my humble self rose to the occasion and defended igboness with all we had. In no time, we put many of our foes in the defense. We won on all fronts and many of them apologized for the unfortunate attempt to rubbish igboness.

Perharps, this was the time, Igboville spoke with one voice and it was felt in Nigerian cyberspace before the saboteur/mole mentality  possesed some of us.

This was the time i was added to a closed message group of fine Igbo gentlemen. It was a group of passionate Igbomen with the aim of sharing ideas on moving Igbo forward. It was a great group of well meaning igbomen at its start until PDP and APC happened before 2015.

There was a surge among igbos to interpret PDP as Igbo party while the contrary is the case. i argued against this because i know it is not true. I was convinced that Jonathan was wasting the Gods giving opportunity of the south trying to placate the north. I believe that if he continue, we would not have benefited in any meaningful way and at the end will loose the sympathy of those that see us as marginalized around the world. A sentiment needed to push for for the restructuring of Nigeria.

It was at this point of disagreement on what was the best interest of the igbos, that one Paul Achalla started who happened to come from a town next to my hometown but resides permanently started shouting on the group that i am saboteur. I had always disagreed with him on Peter Obi and his claims of leadership qualities. He preached to members of this message group of how he is sure i am an Hausa agent. I ignored him having been used to his wild and dramatic accusation to anybody that disagreed with his paid PR on Peter Obi. I know he once accused Victoria Ibezim Ohaeri of the same crime.

All the members of the group except John Okiyi Kalu and perharps Obi Nwaogbe at some point agreed with Paul that because, i dont share the PDP is Igbo sentiment, i am a saboteur. JOK was it was that cautioned Paul on the need to have divergent view even though he didn't quite agree with my view being a pro PDP himself.

Then, 2015, happened and PDP lost the presidency. Like i foresaw, the Igbos became stronger, all the PDP is Igbo adherents started the true igbo cause... emancipation of the Eastern Region. In less than 2 years of APC government, the surge for independence or redefinition of Nigeria has grown the loudest in post civil war era. But have we learn the lessons of the first independence struggle.

I dont like Peter Obi, i honestly believed that he a mediocre. He was the governor of Anambra State when i finished my University from Anambra State University. I was among the Young Igbo enthusiastic about Massob, when we thought it was a genuine struggle, at the time Peter Obi ordered shoot at sight against anything Massob in 2007. I dont think he represents the best of igbos and definitely wont make a great igbo leader in Nigeria. Majority of Students that schooled in Anambra during Peter Obi's tenure share this sentiment.

So when his October 1st Platform Speech was trending, It was my opinion that on Peter Obi, we as Ndigbo may be proceeding in error as i consider the man hypocritical.

So, a message came to my facebook inbox. It was from the message group i described before. It was short and simple " ECHIKA IS A MOLE" by Ejikeme Ibe. I was thereafter removed from the group. That was when it dawned on me that we may not have learnt anything from our history.

Here i am, a young igbo professional living in Nigeria and faced with the realities of being Igbo in my everyday life in Nigeria being accused of being an Hausa mole by a fellow Igbo who resides permanently in Europe/USA and only experiences being Nigerian Igbo on social media.

It is my hope that in our march to move the Igbo Nation forward, we don't repeat the mistakes so glaringly exposed in our history books.