Many Thoughts About Biafra: An Article By Samuel Benedict Jumbo

This article has nothing to do with the current political situation in Nigeria. Therefore any attempt or attempted attempt of name calling will not be welcomed. This is purely the authors own view concerning the Biafran agitation within the week that led to the loss of lives and properties as well as the peace of the Nation.

The Biafran or the Afrans agitation is a justified one. Of a truth,a nation simply connotes those who shares common attributes. nation means a large group of people united by a common language, ancestry, history, or culture which however pushes us to ask whether or not Nigeria is a nation or a mere geographical experiment.

Overtime, historians have dated back the problem (s) of Nigeria from 1914 when Lord Fredrick Lugard forcefully amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorates which of cause some scholars have argued that he was virtually under some spell while others argued that he was however drunk with the woman poison otherwise who on his right senses will make such decision.

On the one hand, some scholars have also argued that it was a deliberate act by the Europeans so as to continue exploiting Africa.

Be it as it may, a section of the country known or considered as the igbos a.k.a 9ja Japan are set to secede from Nigeria owing to the fact that them, the yoruba’ and the northerners shares absolutely little or nothing in common and as such, cannot be regarded as a nation.

Recall that in 1967-1970, that the late Odumegwu Ojukwu a native of Nnewi in Anambra State championed a struggle to secede from Nigeria during the reign of a military dictator Gen. Guwon. Well, the rest of the story is no news to us but the fact yet remains that thousands of lives were wasted for a struggle that wasn’t achieved. God knows why.

Today, the OPC’ are kicking against the Biafrans but have forgotten so soon that they once were and continually are agitating for Oodua Nation.

is Oodua Peoples Congress Nigeria Oriented?

In a statement released by the leader of the OPC sometime last week. Mr. Gani Adams warned the Biafrans from protesting in any of the yoruba towns or states else, will be faced with violence. This is in a synopsis, the motive behind the call for Biafra.

Considering the factors that led to the formulation of OPC, the yoruba’ should hide their face (s) from this statement made by one of them, the leader of OPC.

This however, simply brings out bluntly the hypocrisy that they are known for (not all anyway).

In as much as Nnmadi Kanu has initiated a bad approach to the pursuit of Biafra, we yet know that the fight or struggle to achieve Biafra is a just one.

Common let’s look at it this way; we have no common culture, language, norms nor believe.

What then makes us a Nation?
Therefore, this doesn’t call for any form of blood shed nor segregation but common sense to curb this call for Biafra.

I believe in one Nigeria, but let’s tell ourselves the truth that the struggle for Biafra is a just one just as the OPC Nation under the disguise of an organisation
are making their position in Nigeria known indirectly.

Democracy allows for any body or group of persons who feels they are being marginalised to speak out and seek for freedom or an even distribution of wealth.

Howbeit, I won’t advise anyone to follow the steps of our freedom fighters in the Niger-Delta who only used that medium to garner wealth for themselves, building and investing heavily outside the country meanwhile those they claim to be fighting for are dying in perpetual poverty. (No names mentioned, but I think they know themselves. hypocrites).

WHAT I FEEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE:

Radio Biafra existed before the administration of President Mohammad Buhari but was ignored by Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan. Why giving them a sense of belonging by arresting or paying attention to them?

For Nnamdi to summon the courage, announcing his coming to Nigeria should have sent a signal to our leaders.

To me, I’ve not really come to terms with the identity of the supposed Coordinator, Nnamdi Kanu whose followers cannot even tell you categorically his actually State or origin nor the village he comes from in the East.

Initially, I thought maybe they were doing that for security reasons, but overtime, I discovered that these fundamentals about Nnamdi Kanu is not known by them.

However, it is rather too late to start asking these questions.

Thus, I think three (3) things are involved now.

(a) If Nnamdi is kept in prison for too long, you’ll make him become very popular like Nelson Madela when you have no such intention.

(b) Kill him and you know, there won’t be peace althrough in this nation till God knows when.

(c) Release Nnamdi and provoke a revolution like that of the famous Arab Spring because he will be seen by his people as a ‘demi god’ and thus, whatsoever he says, is acted upon (a threat to our national unity).

I know the next line of negotiation will be towards promising the Igbos serious leadership positions come 2019.

But then, will Nigeria yet be in existence come 2019?