Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi
The President of Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT), Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, has said that the major reason behind Nigeria’s prevailing insecurity is the prosecution of Jihad.
Jihad is an Arabic term that means “struggle” or “striving”. In Islam, it refers to the struggle to live a moral and virtuous life, following God’s path. It can also mean defending one’s faith, community, or country against threats, according to the retired Professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
But he was quick to add that the term “jihad” has been widely used to justify violence or terrorism. Prof Amucheazi revealed that the numerous fights going on in different parts of Nigeria are predetermined efforts by the Fulani ethnic group to capture the crude oil-rich southern Nigeria and use the resources to finance Jihad. According to him, Nigeria does not have any other way out from its present economic and political problems except to restructure the country back to the form of the 1963 constitution.
In an interview, Amucheazi stressed that Jihad is currently on in Nigeria, with the administrators of the country and the international communities watching helplessly. Amucheazi, who also spoke on power failure and the unstable petrol prices, however, blamed the Nigerian government for the electricity power supply failure and the escalating petroleum prices in Nigeria.
He said that if all the refineries in Nigeria were working, the war in the Middle East would not have affected Nigeria adversely the way it has pushed up prices of commodities in the country.
“I expected that Israel and the United States would be in sympathy with us, but we are watching. I still feel that they are likely to do something about Nigeria’s insecurity, but they are distracted by the Middle East crisis. Otherwise, the Jihad is on in Nigeria and has not ended. The Fulani plans to take control of the oil and finance Jihad everywhere, and that’s what they are trying to do.”
Amucheazi criticised the government of President Bola Tinubu, stating that the federal government under his administration has not been able to achieve anything for Nigeria, not even the steady power supply he promised he would achieve within four years. He stated that despite the majority of the state governors joining the All Progressives Congress (APC), it would not translate to voting for one party in the 2027 general elections.
He said: “So because 31 states are in one political party, you assume that every state where the governor says he belongs to one particular party, therefore everybody there will belong to that party? That’s what you think.?”
“The world is increasingly interested in what is going on in Nigeria. Emeka Anyaoku said something the other day. He warned, just as Zik warned; he said that the world is watching, especially countries that have embassies here; they’re watching what is going on, and I’d be surprised if there will be an election, unless Tinubu resigns and goes away.
“With all these agitations going on, for how long do you think the West is going to abandon Nnamdi Kanu? What offence did he commit? Why should Tinubu continue to detain him? Tinubu said he is following the law, but which law? The Biafra agitation had not won the kind of support all over the world as it has done now.
“If we can get a confederation of states in Nigeria better, but we don’t have a federation in Nigeria now because the 1999 constitution was a decree. The way out is for a confederation, but it’s a pity if they have to break up. We can continue if we can adjust properly. Ndigbo should be on their own, who created Rivers State, are they not Igbo? Even Aka Igbo. Igbo is the largest in terms of population. The Igbo Leaders of Thought have always talked about restructuring, and that is what is prevalent in this country, and that is what we are asking for.”
