Nigeria flounders with Ateke Tom

“The fact is, Ateke Tom is a hooligan and a gang-leader who leads one of the gangs usually employed by political parties to kill and maim during elections. He is an illiterate with restricted-worldview, which makes him a terrible choice for an opinion leader”

Nigeria is now throwing caution to the dogs; employing every possible tool – the bad, and the ugly – in its attempt to stop Biafra through divide-and-rule strategy. Their latest tool in executing their only known and effective stratagem over the years – divide-and-rule – is Ateke Tom, a roughneck in Rivers State.

Described as an ex-militant, Ateke Tom was reported recently as telling Biafran activists to leave Rivers State out of their agitation because the state was not part of Biafra. Incidentally, Biafrans were not moved by his rants, because they were well aware that Ateke Tom has been looking for ways to warm himself into the heart of Muhammadu Buhari, the African Hitler. Tom got his break recently when Buhari’s agents came knocking, and recruited him for a divide-and-rule role against Biafra moves.

It is undisputed truth that Nigerian government has already run out of credible individuals to mouth its jaded one-Nigeria mantra, with which the international community and gullible Nigerians have been deceived in the past. Consequently, the government was left with the business of recruiting dregs and scums of society to do the job.

But the fact is that Ateke Tom is a hooligan and gang-leader. He leads one of the gangs usually employed by political parties to kill and maim during elections. He is an illiterate with restricted-worldview, Tom is not only an illiterate that is not in a position to speak for Rivers State people, he is also a man lacking in knowledge of history to know that Nigeria is an artificial creation; and that Biafra existed hundreds of years before Nigeria. He is a poor choice for an opinion leader in any clime.

Now, the choice of Tom as an instrument of Divide and Rule is an indication that Nigeria is fast losing the art of divide-and-rule taught it by Britain. After the country subsequent governments have lost integrity through misrule and dubious political manipulations, it has been losing out in gaining responsible people from Biafraland to support its one-Nigeria mantra. The reality that now stares Nigeria in the face is that apart from political office holders like governors, ministers; and political jobbers and office seekers, no responsible individual from Biafraland is now willing to be recruited for the preservation of Nigeria with Biafraland within its borders. The reasons are: First, those Britain left Nigeria in their hands have mismanaged everything mismanage-able; and second, they could not add value to what was left in their hands. This explains why they had no other options than to pick the likes of Ateke Tom go mouth one-Nigeria for them.

Without doubt, they knew Tom was a special case, he did not qualify, but he was the best they could find under the circumstance. This was why in the media story, the writers had to dust him up first – launder his image – by telling a long story of how he became a good citizen and now engaged in good works. It was after that they quoted him: “In Nigeria we have been hearing many stories, but we are one-Nigeria” he said.

However, Asari Dokubo, Leader of Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) did well to put the record straight in a counter statement. Speaking in an interview with a Biafran media outfit, Dokubo countered Tom by stating that he had no right-standing to speak for Rivers State. He said of Tom: “It is total delusion. In fact, Ateke Tome does not know what he is talking about”. Dokubo informed those interviewing him that in Biafra that Rivers State would get a new lease of life. “The benefit of Rivers State lies with a new political reconstruction of this part of the world” he lectured Tom.

The reality that now stares Nigerian government in the face is that they lost it completely with the advent of the social media. Already, the Nigerian media had so played into the hands of governments that the people were completely ostracized from it – people no longer see themselves in the fares of the media. It was somewhat an information mouthpiece for government. The people no longer saw themselves in what the government was doing or what the media was promoting.

Then came the social media, which was more people oriented and the people could easily see themselves in the subjects of discussions. They abandoned the regular media and faced the social media. This became a problem for government. While government and its agents could rant about one-Nigeria; not up to five per cent of the population would know of what they ranted. But for every thought and idea that went through the social media, a conservative estimate of 60 per cent of the population would know and ruminate over it.

This was why when Biafrans through Radio Biafra and other Biafra social media outlets started stealing the hearts of the youths, government thought it was a joke; they wallowed in their illusions of grandeur until Biafra hits the streets. Now, no amount of divide-and-rule can tame Biafra!

By Tim Tochukwu

For Biafra Choice Writers