Some professionals of Igbo extraction have come down hard on the special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, over recent disparaging comments about the South East, insisting that such amounted to profiling of an entire race known for peaceful coexistence and order.
The professionals said Adesina’s statement, which came less than forty-eight hours after the signing of a peace pact by presidential candidates of the various political parties, constituted hate speech, hence must be viewed seriously.
Operating under the aegis of South-East Professional Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), the patriots called on relevant security agencies to, without further ado, invite Adesina for questioning, noting that his opinion, which enjoyed wide publicity, is inciting in form, and provocative in character.
In a scathing essay, Adesina had literally said that the glory had departed from Igbo land as, according to him, the South East zone is now bugged down by killings, and other tendencies that may be at variance with peace, and order.
In a post entitled, “I missed the South East we used to know”, Adesina had said, among others, that: “Each time I read of killings by gunmen in the South East, I go into the doldrums. I get mortified by the sheer waste of precious lives, the wantonness, malevolence and viciousness of it all. And I mean killings on both sides.
“The innocent law enforcement agents, mowed down in cold blood, and the misguided, brainwashed gunmen, who more often than not do not get away with their evil acts. MAD. Mutual Assured Destruction. That’s what usually happens.
“I then tell myself. This is not the South East we used to know. What happened? How did grace turn to disgrace? How did young men, who used to be moved, motivated by sonorous songs and choruses suddenly become bloodthirsty hounds, not distinguishing between friends and foes, good and evil?
“How do you claim you want to liberate a people, after first shooting them to ribbons? How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isaiah 14:12).
“The South East we used to know had Voice of the Cross. Oh, what a group of gospel singers! It had Sir Warrior, Oliver De Coque, Oriental Brothers, and many others.
“They would sing, and inspire you, and transport your mind to nobler things. Now, the soulful tunes have given way to the staccato sound of gunfire. What went wrong.”
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