Since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970 which was between the Nigerian government, and Biafra, the issue of one Nigeria has been in question....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The war which was led by General Yakubu Gowon and Late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu saw many Igbos killed in millions and their small businesses destroyed. That memory is still fresh in the hearts of many. Since after the war, Igbos still believe there was a country.
It is true that Igbos are marginalized since the war ended. They look like aliens in Nigeria. This has led to many agitations resurfacing after that bloody civil war that saw more than 2 million Igbo children die of hunger.
The likes of Chief Ralph Uwazuruike reinforced that agitation with Ojukwu when the Movement For The Actualization Of Sovereign State Of Biafra MASSOB was formed to still remind the Nigerian government that the war may be over, but Biafra is still a reality.
But Uwazuruike failed in his leadership of MASSOB. He was alleged to have at many occasions betrayed the cause he has been fighting by extorting members, and same time having a monetary understanding with different governments anytime he was engaged.
This got many of his followers angry. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu the British – Nigerian rose to the occasion by carving his own IPOB from MASSOB and setting a priority flanked by transparency. He has succeeded so far in making IPOB a strong movement for the actualization of Biafra.
His leadership style is exceptional. He commands a lot of followers both home and abroad, and his foot soldiers listen to him and are ready to die for the cause they believe in.
But Let’s Look at the way things are. Can Biafra be achieved without bloodshed in this present Nigeria?
The facts are straightforward. There is no part of the Nigerian constitution that supports secession. Even referendum is no were in his 1999 constitution as amended. For the government at the center, IPOB is just trying to create confusion.
The Igbo socio cultural organisation, The Ohaneze Ndigbo know better. All the political office holders in Igboland both at state and federal level are aware of this. That is why none of them have come out to publicly declare support for Biafra.
Let’s look at what the Buhari led government did in Aba and other major cities in Igboland where Biafra has its strong hold in 2018. Everybody saw how the Nigerian Army used force to capture Aba and shot many innocent people dead.
They even destroyed the house of Nnamdi Kanu with bullets in an attempt to capture him. His sister and relatives were killed by bullets.
Anybody who saw the kind of military equipment the Nigerian Army moved into Aba and other major cities in Igboland with will know that the government is already preparing to crush Biafra should their activities go out of hand. They have already tagged it a terrorist group and proscribed its activities.
The Igbos especially the youths should avoid another bloodshed in Igboland. The IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu is fighting for the dignity of the Igbos agreed, but it should buy into the idea of restructuring which many Igbo intellectuals are pushing for.
That way, Igbos can develop their region to their taste, and still live in one Nigeria were the federal government won’t have much say in their affairs. What happened between 1967 – 1970 shouldn’t happen again.
