Aftermath Of Food Blockade Losses Portrays The Northern Ignorance On Who Really Feeds Who In Nigeria

Aftermath Of Food Blockade Losses Portrays The Northern Ignorance On Who Really Feeds Who In Nigeria

Since the year 1970 when the genocidal war levied against Biafrans by the Nigerian government in open battlefield ended, the Fulani controlled Arewa core North has erroneously continued to think that Southern Nigeria was being fed by it. This position of thought stemmed from the supplies of their purported agricultural products. This tainted belief of the Northerners hinge on the fact that they have been cultivating, harvesting and supplying food commodities such as cattle, fresh tomatoes, onions, pepper, grains, water melon, cucumber, potatoes, carrot, cabbage, garlic and ginger. Therefore, crossing of border between the two major regions means exchange of  buyers/consumers of the commodities. This erroneous mindset of an average Arewa Northerner, has persisted over decades of years because they adjudged most of the Southerners as merchants and entrepreneurs that are incapable of engaging in agriculture and peasant farming. They have unfortunately and persistently held unto this mindset of dark ages till this year, 2021.

The people of Southern Nigeria which consist of Biafrans and Yorubas, have simultaneously made an unequivocal declaration that the notorious Fulani Killer herdsmen must completely vacate their bushes, forests and farmlands. Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), immediately stepped in, compelling Northern foodstuffs' traders to stop forthwith, further supplies of all agricultural products to the Southern region. This they reasoned was a way of registering their retaliation aimed at punishing the South for daring to evict killer Fulani herdsmen out of their bushes, forests and farmlands. Embargo was equally placed on the consumption of beef (Fulani cow meat), in some towns and communities within South-East (Biafraland). The resultant effect of the tactless move adopted by this over-ambitious Miyetti Allah (Fulanis) on the seeming helpless Hausa indigenous traders, resulted great in losses. Prices of agricultural products abysmally plummeted to all time low with nobody having that purchasing interest anymore.

However, the record of losses incurred by the Hausa indigenous traders for that one week blockade exercise is over ten billion naira. That is where the North shot itself on the foot. The argument was completely lost on who is actually feeding who in Nigeria. Which of the regions is realistically catering for others? This one week period of food diversion by Northerners against Southerners, has pointedly proven that the Southern consumers are the feeders of the North through their patronage of their agricultural products. Truth be told however that the people of Biafra will continually patronize agricultural products from the Arewa North even after the restoration of the sovereign nation of Biafra. But there is no gainsaying the fact that Biafrans are conversely the real people that are feeding Northern Nigeria from all angles. Biafrans are ably doing this because they are residing in Arewaland and duly paying billions of dollars on house rentage, utility bills, income taxes and general government revenues. This point particularly, will form another salient subject of publication in the future.

The entire global community has therefore discovered that food blockade against Biafrans even in this 21st century, is yet another meaningless project as the North cannot effectively and sustainably function with that against the South beyond a week. Northern farmers and agro-merchants unavoidably need Biafrans to survive much more than Biafrans need them in so far border crossing of supplies of agricultural products and patronage are concerned. The all time plummet in Arewa commodities' prices has the realistic picture of a medium-sized basket of tomatoes which previously sold for eight hundred naira (N800), selling for one hundred and fifty naira (N150). A bag of onions which formerly sold for thirty five thousand naira (N35,000), went down to seven thousand naira (N7,000) in agriculture market with virtually no one interested in buying even at reduced prices.

It is therefore important for the notorious Miyetti Allah members to fully understand that no amount of federal government backed intimidation, blackmail and blockade, will cow the people of Biafra into allowing Fulani killer herdsmen to dwell in the bushes, forests and farmlands of the people anymore. The aftermath of the food blockade has resulted in the Northerners' gross losses and they are regretably licking their wounds even as they yet have the liberty to try out some other options. But let it also be made obviously clear that these Fulani Islamic killer herdsmen, will never ever return to South-East (Biafraland) bushes, forests and farmlands even before the eventual rebirth of the much anticipated Biafran nation.

Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze

Edited by Peter Oshagwu

For Family Writers Press International