The spirit of nationalism is inherent in every tribe; hence the Igbo’s will not be the first to opt out or request for a separate state. The Jews lived in Europe and other parts of the world peaceful until anti-Semantic ideology became the order of the day. Nigeria is a united territory today a result of the British colonial interest, the name “Nigeria” came as a consequence of romantic fallout, and hence it becomes imperative to rethink Nigeria, so that we can take ownership of it.
The Igbo’s are not the problem of Nigeria, on the contrary they have contributed to the growth of the nation more than any other ethnic group, this is also in view of the fact that they have not been given enough leadership positions to give the nation her best. This is as a result of the official policy to keep the people out of the main stream of power and other deliberate government policies. Today they are requesting for their fundamental right of self determination. It is a natural human principle that you cannot beat a child and at the same time stop him/her from crying. The Igbo’s have been beaten severally and they are merely just crying to be entrenched in the scheme of things.
To reduce the tension for the agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra therefore, the government must stop creating divisive tendencies, there has been several government policies since independent that have encouraged disunity, thus this government must genuinely see Nigeria irrespective of any part we all came from as one. For instance, since the President assumed office he has visited almost all the geopolitical zones to commission a project or do one or two things but he has not visited any state in the South East.
All the regions in the federation have six states each, it is only the south east that has five states, Igbo’s are not fools. This is a country where states share the national resources and the number of states a region has means more money to that region. Take for instance if the south east is given one additional state, they will have three additional Senators, 9 additional House of Reps members, another Minister and so many other jobs within the federal government that is allocated on the bases of state of origin. This will eventually create more jobs for the youths of the region.
The Igbo’s are fighting for a separate country because they have not been given a sense of belonging in Nigeria; some people in that region hardly see the presence of government. Why is it that since they rejoined the union after the war, no Igbo man has been given the platform to lead this country? After the American civil war which officially ended the institution of slavery in that country, a President from the south was elected, but here we feel some people are born to rule while others are perpetual followers.
The arrest and prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu will not stop the agitation for the separate state for the Igbo’s; it will only heighten the spirit. The only way to control this struggle is to give the Igbo’s a sense of belonging, let them feel that they are part of this country, make an Igbo President, restructure the system to accommodate them, encourage their business by not blocking the nation borders, create a sea port for them, give them enough electricity to work and most of all, let them have a sense of ownership of the country.
ROLAND UWAKWE C.
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