[OPINION] The Fowl And The Cockroach, By Hon. Aloy Uzoekwe

It is pedestrian now to narrate the ordeal of Citizen Dr Innocent Chukwuma, otherwise known as Innoson because of the popularity of his brand (a brand which he toiled to build from the scratch without the support of the government or any financial institution till he was able to
afford a sound collateral), in the hands of the authority with the active connivance of his bankers.

A sequel to the drama is his banker’s attempts at revisionism, trying to tar Innoson’s image and the authority’s desperate attempt to hang a fraudulent charge on his neck. The Guaranty Trust Bank’s story in the face of several court judgements in favour of Innoson is not
only mischievous, it reinforces Innoson’s stand. It affirms the proverb “mmiri mara Ugo asago Ugo ahu”(the rain which beats an Eagle has bathed it).

The Innoson saga, as it has come to be known, is long in coming to those imbued with foresight.

Like the story of a dog biting a fowl to death, it follows the usual routine of the Nigerian system to always find reasons and motives to intimidate and subjugate any Eastern success story. What would have made the matter different is if it had emulated the folklore classic where the cock pecked the dog to death or the tortoise caught the elephant in a wrestling match.

The GTB should have obeyed the several judgments against it by paying Innoson first. That way a bird would have been resting in the belly of the grasshopper rather than the reverse. But as it still retains the normal trappings of ‘shoot down any star from the East’, one has nothing but pity for the conquistadors.
The discerning lot amongst the populace know that a cockroach can never be ‘Innocent’ in the gathering of fowls. Come what may, the persecutors will ensure Innocent Chukwuma comes out heavily bruised from the incident. It reminds one of the thematic message in the play by the Egyptian playwright, Tawfiq al-Hakim – “The Fate of the Cockroach”, the more the trapped creature tries to free itself the more it entraps itself. Its story and underlying message best illustrates the fate of Dr Innocent Chukwuma and his Eastern brothers in the Nigerian setting.

To him and his co-successful brothers from the East, the message from elsewhere is clear; there is a ceiling to how far they can aspire bearing in mind that the hawk and the chick can never
trade in the same market. Slaves/servants cannot try to outshine their masters, the Princes. The Easterners are less Nigerians who are not expected to surmount the numerous blocks placed in
their paths to excel in their ventures. How they have not only succeeded despite official discriminations but have gone ahead to break grounds where their Lords have failed is the puzzle their victors try to solve with the various attempts at victimizing them. One wonders what people like the Nnewi son serving in Lagos who always delight in denigrating his kinsmen will put up to defend his masters and friends this time, maybe his voice is locked but I digress.

We thank the heavens that Innoson is among the ‘nnukwu mmanwus’ in the East, that is why God decided to use his case to once more highlight the ills and persecutions the East bear in the country. The number of official measures targeted at stultifying the socio-economic development of the region benumbs reason. Till date nobody has been able to give an explanation for the continued neglect of the Eastern Seaports for commercial activities. Despite the obvious over stretching of the Lagos Ports and the need to decongest the area, none has found reason to direct traffic to the Ports in the East, namely; Port-Harcourt, Onne, Calabar, even Warri and Burutu Ports. The reason is simple; the positive economic effects of such move
will benefit and transform the States in the area, lessen the sufferings of the importers (most of whom are from Aba and Onitsha), and breath new lives to the cities from Calabar to Warri.

Rather than open up these Ports to commercial activities like it was in the 1980s and early 1990s, the authorities are comfortable concessioning large parts of the complexes to favoured individuals for a particular business. They want only one mega city – Lagos – because those in
line to compete with it are in the East, so they must not be allowed to raise a head.

Just recently, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu was closed down and will not be opened till mid January. The official reason is maintenance and upgrading. But the real reason is to ensure the international flights which normally land at Enugu will no longer do so especially during the end of year period when majority of the Easterners travel home from all corners of
the globe. The real beneficiaries will be Lagos and Kano. Somebody will ask, what about the

Port-Harcourt Airport? Port-Harcourt (International) Airport is as it is, at best a domestic airport. The ‘International’ appellation exists only in name. The state of the Eastern roads are already over stated.

The level of injustice to the East and her people is heart rending. One wonders if the punishment for daring to break out from the union is eternal but honestly it will serve the nation and its purposes better if a more inclusive approach is adopted for the Eastern region than the current system. It is also hoped the region’s members of the National Assembly will attach equal amount of vehemence as they exhibited during the Innoson maltreatment episode to seek the redress of the region’s condition.

Again, let the Governors and leaders of the region close ranks now. They should remember the proverb “onye ajuru aju adighi aju onwe ya (one who is scorned should not also scorn himself”. Now is the best time to dust up the Eastern
Region’s master plan of the Dr Michael Okpara led government. We must lick our lips by ourselves lest the harmattan does it for us.

Hon Aloy Uzoekwe
uzoekweao@yahoo.com. 08038503174
Isuofia, Aguata LGA,
Anambra State.