“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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlm18JEq27bZHEAexEDKOXc2UosuymziOyhkuZjqQohTEhBOnNXSsqMgwlfNlytwwSgFT-4vl2FGbd7ALl5TNKAqK_yr5gEavQtpyWpRTqGfDAMk9gjS76laDPjtoTLKil_svjynoPn5T/s1600/Ateke-Tom-0.jpg)
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
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