POLITICS: “APC Has The Power To Make Life Unbearable For Igbos In Lagos” Says Owelle Rochas Okorocha. : My 7 Point Critique Of His Excellency’s Above Assertion.

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By Nelson Amaobi Osuala.
15.04.2015, 11:52am

When Critically conscious minds like me come out to speak in public about issues of the above, people wonder and chorus, “They have come again!”. but they seem to forget that what we do is in the business of ensuring National security as we are only saddled with the responsibility to ensure that whatever would undermine the ” Joy of our Being” as a Nation is reduced to its bareless minimum if not completely eradicated.

It is against this backdrop that i hope to engage the reasonable faculties of my readers rather than their emotions as i attempt to bring to fore the foolishness of most of these our carefree, misguided and naive leaders who are bent on abusing the Power and mandate conferred on them as they ascend the ladder in the corridors of Power in our dear country, Nigeria.

I am disheartened, disappointed and a little bit surprised at the way some of our so called Leaders use their Tongue during Interviews and public speaking, some times I wonder if they have never come across that verse in the Holy Writ of Christians which admonishes that:  Whosoever keeps His/Her mouth, will keep His Life, but whoso opens wide His lips shall have destruction” (prov 13:3).

My major worry is in the fact that such misuse of the Tongue is replicated amongst people who are supposed to lead an exemplary Life of love, peace and the pursuance of National integration rather than disintegration. The unfortunate thing is that these category of people call themselves members of the elite class, a people who went to school and not just a Tutorial Home lesson.

About a week ago, on a Monday (If i am not mistaken), prior to the just concluded Gubernatorial election in Lagos, the foremost eminent Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who was in my opinion, someone accorded high respect and reputation, and who should stand as a role model to ambitious youths and future generations. And who should epitomise a godly and goodly Leader with a loving and servant heart devoid of tribalism and partisanism, did to my greatest dismay threaten the Ndigbo in Lagos and outrightly alleged that they should vote the APC governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, or face the consequence of perishing in the Lagos Lagoon.

The statement which according to my trainning is tantamount to An appeal to threat and force. A fallacy couched in latin as “argumentum ad baccullum” and which without mincing words is punishable in the court of law.

He (Oba of Lagos ),after much confrontation and critical reactions even from the foremost contemporary litetary giant, Chimamanda Adichie, conceded stylishly in what looks like a hypocritical appollogy to the Ndigbo community for such rash statement. Even the president Elect,Rtd Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on hearing the poisoning words of the Oba, did also apologize in His stead.

As if to add insult upon the already painful injury, the Incumbent Governor of Imo State,  Owelle Rochas Okorocha, further corroborated and buttressed the Oba’s earlier statement against the Ndigbo in Lagos by stating that :

” If you (Ndigbo ) vote for the continuity of APC in Lagos, you stand to gain more. It is in your interest to vote for the APC.. The Igbos should not be ungrateful
As Life will become Unbearable For them in Lagos, If they fail to vote for the APC governorship candidate “.

The above argument by His excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha is without mincing words, An error in Reasoning (a fallacy) which if analysed from the critical lens of logic and the philosophy of law, is a threat punishable in the court of law. A further analysis of His Excellency’s statement above reflects an appeal to the bandwagon fallacy, which presupposes that the Ndigbo community are irrational beings who will follow to whatever abyss the bandwagon (popular party ) will lead them, not on the basis of credibility and reasonability but on the faulty premise of selfishness, nepotism and partisanship.

It is the above unwholesome and beclouded arguments of the Governor of Imo State that i have prepared to debunk on the strength of Logic as His (Rochas Okorocha’s) argument is no doubt disrespectful, narrow minded, misguided, myopic, emotive, irrationally rational, fallacious and naive.

My, 7 Point Critique Of His Excellency’s statement are as follows:

1# Governor Rochas Okorocha’s statement above is founded on an unholy and unfounded premise.

2# His statement is too emotional and it inherently provokes one to appeal to pity (another brand of fallacy called miscericordiam ).

3# His premise is supported by an irregular Logic of logicity.

4# It is debasing as it presupposes that the Ndigbo community have no reason of their own.

5# It tends to rob the Ndigbo people of Lagos, of their freewill and the fundamental human Rights. An attempt punishable in the court of law.

6# It is selfishly conceived and couched to enslave the Ndigbo community morally and intellectually, supposing to catapult them back to the pristine times in which they served laboriously under their slave masters.

7# Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s statement above is poisonous, anarchic and irrational.
These are my position and my submission.

However, As I conclude , permit me to add that I mean no disrespect as i have meticulously avoided An attack on the straw man, another fallacy that attacks the person rather than the argument.