REUBEN ABATI CANNOT DECRY THE EXCESSES OF THE FULANI HERDSMEN WITHOUT INSULTING NDIGBO

dailypostng article by ruben abati

Reuben Abati wrote:

"Ethnic hate, serving as sub-text to the January 1966 and July 1966 coups, for example, set the stage for the civil war of 1967 -70. The root of Igbo-Hausa/Fulani acrimony can be traced back to that season when Igbos were slaughtered in the North, and (wait for this) . .

1)THE HAUSA/FULANI WERE SLAUGHTERED IN THE EAST  . .

Really? Please Reuben tell me about it! 

This is a rather strange way of providing balance in a narrative by throwing in a few chunks of falsehood as ganishing? Reuben Abati had earlier been confronted and rubbished by better organised professionals like Chuks Iloegbunam, but obviously he has refused to learn any lessons.

2) He continued, "Ethnic hate also led to the Tiv riots, crisis in the Middle Belt since then, . "

"Since then. ?" Since when?

Reuben has messed up the order of events in history. The Tiv riots against the Hausa - Fulani hegemony in the north spanned a period from before Nigeria's paper independence in 1960 to just before the military coup of 1966. Hence that agitation for Tiv freedom led valiantly by Joseph Tarka of blessed memory could by no stretch have been a  diirect result of whatever "sins" Ndigbo committed (later) in January 1966 as Reuben Abati would have us believe. It is on record that Ndigbo have been hunted as game every so often since the 1950s. Just check the historical records.

Instead of sticking to profering solutions to the menace of Fulani herdsmen (and other criminals elements who have found that appellation a good cover for their illegal activities), Reuben could not resist taking another poke at Ndigbo. I find it rather strange that some people who "write for a living" would suddenly rouse themselves from their self-induced stupour to address issue that ordinary folks like me had taken on a year ago. Thank God that Mr Abati now has time on his hands.

3) Reuben dutifully  warned that if the situation is not urgently addressed, "A resort to self-help SUCH AS OCCURRED IN 1966, could have serious national security implications. . " . Here we go again.
Self-help? It is most amazing that a government organised, approved and tolerated genocide of Ndigbo in 1966/67 could be presented by an otherwise educated Nigerian, who had the priveledge of serving (himself?) in the highest levels of government, to have been as result of self-help by the aggrieved. Even General Gowon cannot say this. He would rather keep mum or accuse the Ikemba of another infraction long fogotten. This is probably part of the reasons Gowon has adamantly refused to write his memoirs.  At this rate, Nigeria has absolutely no hope going forward.

Meanwhile I will concede that Mr Abati's excessively long opinion piece is not completely bereft of redeeming features. Shorn of the Igbophobic overindulgence,  it should serve as another wake-up call to Nigerians and the sleepwalking government at Abuja. His belated commentary was an inelegant rehash of earlier writers.