My thoughts on Biafra

By Chibuzo Obiakor . . .

It hurts to know that very few Igbo grown-ups (elites) are using Igbo youths to pursue money and selfish political agendas. This nonsensical agitation for Biafra is really over the top and will not get Ndigbo anywhere in the present day Nigeria and global village.

Let us assume that Biafra is granted tomorrow, where is the infrastructure to uphold that entity? Do we have enough roads, railways, airports, schools, hospitals, factories, food, medicines, and processes to sustain a country for even one week? It would mean that any Igbo man outside of the five states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo would be in foreign lands.

They would immediately need passports (Biafran Passports) and visas to continue to stay in places like Asaba, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, Ogoja, Warri, etc.

Let us stop this delusion that “the South south is with us”. After the civil war, the only place Ndigbo had “Abandoned Property” issues were in the Southsouth. Not the North. What does that tell us? As of 2013, Igbo assets North of the River Niger were estimated at N45 Trillion. One has to imagine about that much or even greater in the Southwest and Southsouth combined. With this Biafra declaration, all of that would be wiped away overnight.

My grandfather would say “ejiro akpata atufue aba ogalanya”. If Mr. Ralph Uwazurike wants to run for office, he should come out and put up posters and go around talking to people and dancing in the markets like some of us have done. Some with success and the likes of me, without. But it has not pushed us to inciting unemployed, barely educated, unskilled, and poor Igbo youths to violence and putting their beautiful lives in danger.

There is no doubting the marginalization that Ndigbo have endured in Nigeria. The idea of “No victor, no vanquished” that followed the end of the civil war had long been discarded. But wasting more Igbo lives is not the way to assert ourselves. The best way is “ako n’uche”. Ndigbo must remove emotional sentiments and participate in one united Nigeria.

In 2011 I campaigned against Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency because it was not good for Ndigbo, but the few Ndigbos that have financial interests persuaded our people that “Ebelemi (good fisherman) was the same as Ebele, therefore our brother”. I now ask, what did our brother do for us besides desecrating the palace and status of Obi of Onitsha where he sat and promised us the 2nd Niger Bridge twice to no avail?

Read also: The Saraki Travails: Quotable Quotes

Now the same forces are rearing up their heads because they believe that Jonathan left the presidency with plenty of money and they want to get some of it from him by inciting Igbo youths against Buhari’s government. I know that we are traders, but trading on our own blood for money is the height of Alu (Abomination)! This 419 is one that will not go far because the things that make the land in Igbo land will resist this abomination.

To the impressionable Igbo youths that are being used, I say, “shine your eyes”. Your sponsors are only trading in your blood while their own children are in cozy private schools, apartments and comfortable mansions overseas.

And those Igbo compatriots in diaspora that get sentimentally swayed, if you really mean and want to contribute to making Nigeria better, which would mean better lives for Ndigbo, please do what some of us that really mean it have done.

Sacrifice your comfortable homes, secured jobs and steady power, good roads, healthcare and come down here and rough it with the likes of yours truly that did exactly that for exactly that reason. But, it is a matter of choice. If not, I suggest that you just put a sock in it!

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now