WE MUST WALK INTO BIAFRA AS EQUALS
By Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi
For Family Writers Press
The beauty of the Old Eastern region in the British contrapted Nigeria before the egocentric politically and economically motivated divisions into the hawkish regional status, was really what stood us out as one people bonded by love, cultural indivisibility, equity, mutual interest and respect. There was nothing like quota system then pegged on the road of anticipated development.
After the unfortunate 1967 civil war, Nigeria introduced division, distrust and bitter suspicion amongst brothers and sisters. Biafrans stood firmly opposed with the scarce and obsolete weaponry against the combined superior military forces of Russia, Britain and of course Egypt, who allied themselves with Nigeria. But the smartness of the Igbos that formed the major block of the Biafran volunteer force, was deployed to stem to greater extent, the enemies' onslaught. This was followed by the divide and rule policy of the Nigerian government which they steadily sold to non-Igbo Biafrans in order to checkmate the so-called domineering prowess of their brethren. This idea was however bought by the unsuspecting and innocent but ignorant Biafrans within the region. It is quite historic to note however that prior to the period under review that the Igbos never really dominated their fellow compatriots.
The emerging new nation of Biafra, it should be sounded here, has quite a lot of issues to address before the restoration. We need to conscientiously get our minds back to normal. Both the so-called South-South and South-East brothers and sisters have detailed orientation to effect. A typical individual from the South-South has this deep seated animosity against the Igboman because of this seed of division and hatred sown by the agents of the Nigeria government over the years since after the civil war. Same also with some Igbos in the South-East against their kiths and kins in the South South. Igbos have very erroneously been disbelieved so long they sojourned in the midst of their brothers and sisters within the South South region. This group will narrate to you how they support the Igbo Biafrans to prosecute the restoration project and that the Igbos should also understand too how desperate they are about getting their own self determination. They believe in Niger Delta struggle. For this school of thought, Imo and Abia states are not parts of the Niger Delta but Etche, Ikwerre, Ndoki, Egbema, Agbor, Ukwuani, Asaba etc, who are purely Igbos are expressly part and parcel of the proposed Niger Delta Republic.
To them the Igbos in the South East should just respect their own resolve of actualising their separate independence, claiming erroneously too that the Igbos were sandwiched into the South South by Nigeria government. To comprehensively and vigorously counter this array of misinformation therefore, I suggest that crack teams of campaigners of non- homogeneous Igbo nation be put together with a singular determination to propagating the right message to our people.
Kites of mistrust and ignorance are being flown across Biafraland, trying to force the name BIAFRA on the unwilling. Some of these people yet with this dichotomy mentality still believe in Biafra, as only for the Igbos in the South East while others advocate for a Biafra nation that comprises of only all the Igbos in the South South, South East and parts of Benue state. The narratives of some brethren in the South South portray their oil influence over these people. This crop of advocates submit numerous reasons why the Igbos can always be on their own without being landlocked while the Niger Delta Republic campaigners persist with their theory of the Igbos wanting to co-opt the South South primarily because of the oil deposits in the region.
The truth remains that the homogenous Igbo group and the Niger Delta group are divergently not helping the Biafra restoration project. And we cannot effectively confront our common enemy, divided. We need to stand up, synergize and speak as one.
Everybody within the entire Biafraland, whether in the coastal or on the upland areas, should work assiduously towards the unfettered realisation of the Biafra nation. Any drive that will make us to leave our domain, be it resource control, marginalisation or otherwise, it is wisely necessary that we bring on the table of mutuality as one people and as Biafrans whom God has in His wisdom made us to be. We must very definitely, respectfully and satisfactorily, address all. We must unitedly start disregarding and jettisoning the tag Nigerians gave to us. We must come to the reality that the tag South South is mistakeably evil as South East. Detailed study of geography will let you know that where the Igbos are situated has nothing to do with the name, South East. We are all Easterners and that's why our unity must be paramount to us all.
We have been given a lifetime opportunity by the Almighty God to confront and defeat the slavemasters, the British, for selfish reasons, lumped us together with. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, our leader and director has very courageously charted a course for us. He has doggedly, steadily and sacrificially exhibited utmost seriousness in this struggle and is yet making uncommon impacts. He has said it occasionally to those who care and without equivocation that he will rather die than betray Biafra. We just have to uncompromisingly queue behind him in this quest for the total restoration of our fatherland.
We need the resoluteness and priceless contributions of all Biafrans in this Nigeria sponsored dichotomy called the South- South and the South- East for us to walk out from the Lugardian encagement known as Nigeria, not just as equals but as a united people.
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
Family Writers Press
By Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi
For Family Writers Press
The beauty of the Old Eastern region in the British contrapted Nigeria before the egocentric politically and economically motivated divisions into the hawkish regional status, was really what stood us out as one people bonded by love, cultural indivisibility, equity, mutual interest and respect. There was nothing like quota system then pegged on the road of anticipated development.
After the unfortunate 1967 civil war, Nigeria introduced division, distrust and bitter suspicion amongst brothers and sisters. Biafrans stood firmly opposed with the scarce and obsolete weaponry against the combined superior military forces of Russia, Britain and of course Egypt, who allied themselves with Nigeria. But the smartness of the Igbos that formed the major block of the Biafran volunteer force, was deployed to stem to greater extent, the enemies' onslaught. This was followed by the divide and rule policy of the Nigerian government which they steadily sold to non-Igbo Biafrans in order to checkmate the so-called domineering prowess of their brethren. This idea was however bought by the unsuspecting and innocent but ignorant Biafrans within the region. It is quite historic to note however that prior to the period under review that the Igbos never really dominated their fellow compatriots.
The emerging new nation of Biafra, it should be sounded here, has quite a lot of issues to address before the restoration. We need to conscientiously get our minds back to normal. Both the so-called South-South and South-East brothers and sisters have detailed orientation to effect. A typical individual from the South-South has this deep seated animosity against the Igboman because of this seed of division and hatred sown by the agents of the Nigeria government over the years since after the civil war. Same also with some Igbos in the South-East against their kiths and kins in the South South. Igbos have very erroneously been disbelieved so long they sojourned in the midst of their brothers and sisters within the South South region. This group will narrate to you how they support the Igbo Biafrans to prosecute the restoration project and that the Igbos should also understand too how desperate they are about getting their own self determination. They believe in Niger Delta struggle. For this school of thought, Imo and Abia states are not parts of the Niger Delta but Etche, Ikwerre, Ndoki, Egbema, Agbor, Ukwuani, Asaba etc, who are purely Igbos are expressly part and parcel of the proposed Niger Delta Republic.
To them the Igbos in the South East should just respect their own resolve of actualising their separate independence, claiming erroneously too that the Igbos were sandwiched into the South South by Nigeria government. To comprehensively and vigorously counter this array of misinformation therefore, I suggest that crack teams of campaigners of non- homogeneous Igbo nation be put together with a singular determination to propagating the right message to our people.
Kites of mistrust and ignorance are being flown across Biafraland, trying to force the name BIAFRA on the unwilling. Some of these people yet with this dichotomy mentality still believe in Biafra, as only for the Igbos in the South East while others advocate for a Biafra nation that comprises of only all the Igbos in the South South, South East and parts of Benue state. The narratives of some brethren in the South South portray their oil influence over these people. This crop of advocates submit numerous reasons why the Igbos can always be on their own without being landlocked while the Niger Delta Republic campaigners persist with their theory of the Igbos wanting to co-opt the South South primarily because of the oil deposits in the region.The truth remains that the homogenous Igbo group and the Niger Delta group are divergently not helping the Biafra restoration project. And we cannot effectively confront our common enemy, divided. We need to stand up, synergize and speak as one.
Everybody within the entire Biafraland, whether in the coastal or on the upland areas, should work assiduously towards the unfettered realisation of the Biafra nation. Any drive that will make us to leave our domain, be it resource control, marginalisation or otherwise, it is wisely necessary that we bring on the table of mutuality as one people and as Biafrans whom God has in His wisdom made us to be. We must very definitely, respectfully and satisfactorily, address all. We must unitedly start disregarding and jettisoning the tag Nigerians gave to us. We must come to the reality that the tag South South is mistakeably evil as South East. Detailed study of geography will let you know that where the Igbos are situated has nothing to do with the name, South East. We are all Easterners and that's why our unity must be paramount to us all.
We have been given a lifetime opportunity by the Almighty God to confront and defeat the slavemasters, the British, for selfish reasons, lumped us together with. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, our leader and director has very courageously charted a course for us. He has doggedly, steadily and sacrificially exhibited utmost seriousness in this struggle and is yet making uncommon impacts. He has said it occasionally to those who care and without equivocation that he will rather die than betray Biafra. We just have to uncompromisingly queue behind him in this quest for the total restoration of our fatherland.
We need the resoluteness and priceless contributions of all Biafrans in this Nigeria sponsored dichotomy called the South- South and the South- East for us to walk out from the Lugardian encagement known as Nigeria, not just as equals but as a united people.
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
Family Writers Press
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