agitate or vent their anger either in support or against the renewed
movement for ‘Biafra’ and from what I have gathered so far there are
three categories of people in this agitation. We have those who still
hold the memories of Biafra, there are those who see Biafra as a means
to end the injustice in our land and those who want a sovereign
territory known as the State of Biafra. Let’s analyze the above
postulations.
The Nigeria Civil War was a war that was fought among brothers and
sisters even though the commanders did not actually have this at the
back of their minds. The war would have been averted if the
protagonist were as matured and knowledgeable as the leaders of USA
and USSR who during the Cuban Missile Crisis averted a major world war
by just a phone call. The war brought distrust, disaffection and
disunity among sister tribes. The post war policies instead of healing
wounds created more disaffection especially among the conquered
territories. So it is that so many persons who fought the war are
still bitter that nothing really have changed, others who lost their
children, husbands, friends and loved ones in the war, still remember
as if it was yesterday when they were with them. For those who read
and studied the horrifying effects of the war and the sabotage from
some elements within the Nigeria society, still have a feeling that
something tangible ought to have been done to reintegrate the
conquered tribe. The threat of the killing of the Igbos living in
northern Nigeria if they do not leave before October 2017 reminds an
intelligent fellow of the pogroms of the 60’s. The issue of abandoned
property, the 20 pounds policy, the 3Rs and the technological
breakthrough during the war are some of the things that will hardly be
buried if something supervening is not done to replace the existing
memories of the war. People still have both bitter and good memories
of these events because; they can hardly forget their love ones and
their history.
Again, there is an aspect of Biafra that represents an injustice in
the land and because it is a trite that threat to justice any where is
an injustice everywhere; hence so many educated Nigerians from every
part of the country feel that our leaders have not done justly to
redress the wrongs which led to the war. How can you possibly explain
to someone in the South Eastern the reason why the North West will
have seven States while his own region only has five States in a
nation where resources are allocated based on the number of States and
local governments, how can you rationalize the fact that the oil that
is found in Niger Delta is managed and controlled by someone in far
away Sokoto, how can you juxtapose the idea of Federal Character
Principle as against merit which is the bedrock of any meaningful
development. It is this second aspect of Biafra that represents the
restructuring process which has become ‘cliché’ in our political
lexicon. Ironically, everybody (except the elites) in Nigeria feels
the impact of this injustice and should support the spirit behind the
Biafran movement in a bid to correct the injustice in our land.
Lastly, Nnamdi Kalu represents the idea of the actualization of the
Biafra as a geopolitical and a Geographic entity separate from
Nigeria. His views and ideology thrives because the leaders are no
longer in touch with the people. The gap between the rich and the poor
in Nigeria is so scandalous that hardly do they meet in social,
educational and religious functions. Mazi Kalu ideology’s represents
the views of the majority of the people of the South East
entrepreneurs, industrialists, mechanics’, traders, Civil Servants etc
who feel alienated from the mainstream of the Nigeria sharing formula.
It is an elementary knowledge that whoever the represents the minds of
the people leads that society. The need for a separate state will not
have been marketable if Nigeria is not sick, hence some people are of
the view that the sickness cannot be cured by administering old drugs
but that there should be a surgery.
Considering, the level of hatred, disaffection and the lack of common
heritage which is the bedrock of a nation building process that has
characterize the modern Nigeria , it is either we federate,
disintegrate or perish. One of the ugliest sides of man is that she
hardly learns from history and history has continuously shaped the
progress of the society. We have to stop lying to ourselves, the
system is not working and something should be done quickly to correct
it.
PHOTO CREDIT: INTERNET
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