To say I am not happy with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State is an understatement. I am indeed shocked to notice he is a coward of high breed nature.

Few days ago, the Nigeria Army led by General Tukur Burutai announced its intention to carry out what it termed Operation Python Dance II, having done a similar thing in the South East last year. The Army said it would be looking for Armed Robbers, Kidnappers, Secessionists, and criminals etc, but before anybody could decode their statement, it invaded the entire Abia State, torturing, killing and maiming innocent citizens of the state. The video clips of the atrocities of the Nigeria Army in Abia State have gone viral. Many properties have so far been destroyed. Economic activities in Abia have been broughtdown to a near zero percent by the army.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Citizen Nnamdi Kanu has been placed under house arrest. His house in Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia has been surrounded with over twelve Armoured tanks by the Army. Obviously, the Army has the instruction to kill him. I just received information that his father’s palace has been destroyed by the Army, and many people were wounded, while others have been confirmed dead. What is Nnamdi Kanu’s offence? Nothing. Except that he talks about Biafra, Wears Biafran clothes, Wears Biafran shoes, Wears Biafran wrist-bands, Speaks Biafran language, Eats Biafran food and Wants a Biafran Republic. This is not a crime. But he has a court case on this very matter. So why can't the Army allow the Court to conclude the matter? Nnamdi Kanu is even on bail. If he has flouted his bail conditions, the Federal Government should allow the Court to say so. But it is on record that President Muhammadu Buhari first flouted the Court orders (on two occasions) when Nnamdi Kanu was granted bail initially in 2015. He swore that Kanu would remain in detention, despite having fulfilled his bail conditions. So who should be arrested first for flouting Court orders? President Buhari or Citizen Nnamdi Kanu?

The Northern Youths have openly threatened the Igbo; yet the Federal Government has refused to arrest them. Instead, the Buhari-led government has been busy giving spurious reasons why these youths from the North cannot be arrested. President Buhari has shown open hatred and disdain for the people of the South East. He has denied us strategic appointments in the Army, Navy, Police, Customs, Civil Defence, Air Force etc. He has denied us strategic political appointments in the Presidency, NNPC and other federal boards etc. He has refused to visit the South East since he became the President in 2015.

To add salt to malicious and criminal injury, President Buhari told the whole world that he would only pay 5% attention to the people of South East if necessary. Not satisfied, the North unleashed Fulani herdsmen on the South East who kill, maim, rape our women and destroy our farmlands etc. Yet, President Buhari has refused to call his Fulani brothers to order.

Yet in all these open display of hatred, President Buhari expects the people of the South East to clap for him. He wants the South East to be happy with him. Initially, some of us were happy with him. We even named him ‘Okechukwu’ Buhari. We gave him our clothes to wear. We taught him our language. He even ate our food. Today, Buhari has paid us back with evil. He is paying us back with the Army invasion of the South East. He is (through his infamous body language) paying us back with threats to exterminate and annihilate us. Buhari has told us in unmistakable terms that he is not our brother. He has told us he is not one of us. Buhari is telling us he is not Okechukwu but Muhammadu.

Oh, I have just remembered the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He was also a Fulani man like Buhari, but he was different. A good man. A great leader. A humane man. A responsible man. He united this country with love. When he unfortunately died in May 2010, the entire country mourned him. It is on record that the people of South East and South South mourned President Yar’Adua more than the people of the Northern part of this country, where he came from. He came from the same state (Katsina) with President Buhari. It is on record that this same Buhari hated Yar’Adua with passion; hence he was forcing him to resign his position as President through uncomplimentary and ‘unstatesmanly’ comments.

The Bible says in the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 17 verse 13: “If a man returns evil for good, evil will never depart from his house.” The same Bible says in the book of Proverbs chapter 22 verse 8 that “He who sows injustice shall reap calamity.” So if Buhari likes let him continue with his hatred, evil, injustice and marginalisation of the people of the South East. The word of God will surely come to pass in this country.

Back to the Abia debacle. It is during crisis that you know who a leader is. That is when you know if a leader has the capacity to protect his subjects. That is when you know a real man. It is therefore very shameful and disgraceful to note that Brother Okezie Ikpeazu, Governor of Abia State has not lived up to expectation.

It should be noted that there is no security threat in Abia State to warrant President Buhari to order the Army through the Chief of Army Staff to invade the state in a most criminal and crude manner. Innocent people have been tortured, maimed and killed in the process. Brother Okezie Ikpeazu is the Chief Security Officer of Abia State. He presides over security meetings in Abia State. If there is security crisis in that state, he is expected to contain it. If he is unable to contain the situation, he can then seek assistance from the Presidency.

It is on record that Brother OkezieI kpeazu has not complained to anybody that he has a security threat situation in his state. And there is no such threat in Abia State. Why then should President Buhari order the Army to invade Abia State?

One had expected Brother Okezie Ikpeazu to have ordered (or at least tell) the Army to leave his state. He should have told President Buhari to withdraw the troops from Abia State within 24 hours. If Buhari failed to do so, Brother Okezie Ikpeazu should have formally informed the South East Governors Forum, the Nigerian Governors Forum and the National Assembly leadership of the illegal activity in his state by the Presidency through the Army, for necessary action to be taken against President Buhari, Simple. The criminal invasion of Abia State by President Buhari using the Army to torture, maim and kill innocent citizens is an impeachable offence.

But what did Brother Okezie Ikpeazu do? He sluggishly and cowardly imposed a curfew in Aba, Abia State. He did not condemn the Army of occupation in his state. He did not visit places where the Army committed genocide in his state. He did not visit places to see the destruction of properties by the Army. He did not visit Afaraukwu in Umuahia to see how the Army surrounded Citizen Nnamdi Kanu’s house with over 12 armored tanks.

Obviously, Brother Okezie Ikpeazu is timid. He is a coward. He is a Political Efulefu. He lost his voice at this crucial time. He lost and forgot to step out to protect his subjects. It was at this point that I got pissed up with Brother Okezie Ikpeazu. So I fired the first shot at him through my Facebook Account with the title “GOVERNOR OKEZIE IKPEAZU IS A COMPLETE COWARD”. Of course, it went viral immediately I released it yesterday and he got the message. It was a one page article, with a promise to do a comprehensive one later. Somehow, Brother Okezie woke up from his sluggish slumber, but this time around made a bigger blunder.

In a press release signed by Brother Okezie Ikpeazu, he described his subjects as “Miscreants,” Mischief makers and “hoodlums”. He refused to blame the Army for killing his subjects. Chaiiii! Ewuoooo! I shed tears when I read the release signed by Brother Okezie Ikpeazu. He called his subjects miscreants, mischief makers and hoodlums just to perhaps please the Federal Government and the Northern cabal. But come 2019, Brother OkezieIkpeazu will still come back to beg these same “miscreants”, “mischief makers” and hoodlum for votes. It is very unfortunate.

Honestly, Brother Okezie Ikpeazu disappointed the Igbo nation when he lost his sense of direction and authority. This is failure of leadership. Perhaps, he is afraid of losing his position through a declaration of State of Emergency. Let me leave Brother Okezie Ikpeazu for now.

I cannot conclude this piece without calling on President Buhari to examine himself to see what he is bringing upon this country through his clannish, tribalistic and sectional style of leadership. Nigeria is at Cross roads due to Buhari’s wicked utterances, body language and directionless leadership.

He must rise up and be a father to all Nigerians. He should see a Yoruba man as his son. He should see a South-South man as his son. He should see an Igbo man as his son. We are his children and must be treated equally. His jezebelic and evilcratic style of leadership is what has brought about the various agitations in the country. Whatever Citizen Nnamdi is doing with his Biafra, is what the Northern cabal are doing with their Arewa. And that is what the Yoruba people are doing with their Oduduwa.

President Buhari should stop being insensitive to people’s feelings.

Referendum, Restructuring, Equity, Fairness, Equal distribution of resources etc, are sure ways of making Nigeria a united one country.

•Iwuoha is a former Senior Special Assistant on Media, Imo State House of Assembly.

Update news