You begin to have faith in the future of our dear country and then all of a sudden, something happens and you discover that we still have a long way to go. The past few days have not really gone down well with some group of individuals who are fighting for the secession of Nigeria and the reign of Biafra. There have been series of ‘peaceful’ protest in the south-eastern part of our country by the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) over the long detention of the leader ‘Nnamdi Kalu’. Onitsha, Port-Harcout and Aba metropolis have not been a peaceful area since the inception of the Biafran Struggle. Often times, I wonder if there is something inherently wrong with the black mind. I have often tried to understand what exactly is our utmost desire and why most of the time, our emotions are much greater than logic. The Biafran dream is a pipe dream that can never be achieved unless the agitators channel their anger to the right direction.
Our wants most of the time are largely driven by our emotions at that moment and never for the good of humanity. This is definitely not the right time to express our grievances through violent means, we should be happy that we are Nigerians because God willed it so and the future of our dear country looks bright as the day unfolds. We are in the same Country due to a much greater power and reason beyond human comprehension.
Looking at it from a perspective view, one will discover that the Biafran struggle is not an Igbo struggle but also a black man's struggle. You will also discover that this struggle was borne out of frustration, unemployment, hunger, poverty, idleness and the poor state of our economy. Take a close look at those involved in the so called ‘Biafra Struggle’, you will discover that they are comprised of thugs, touts, illiterate and jobless youths with torn clothes and singlet. No reasonable educated or business tycoon will risk his life for something that is as useless and meaningless as the biafran struggle. If only these touts know what they are fighting for, they will quickly make peace before things get out of hand.
An average Nigerian has the same hopes and struggles as a "biafran". We all have the same dreams. We all experience the same kind of pain and annoyance. No Nigerian has it easy because he belongs to a particular tribe and even the hausas that ruled Nigeria for many years, their people have nothing to show for it. Nigerians need each other because we are fighting the same battle. We are one irrespective of our vast ethnic and tribal differences.
Look at it from this view, the hausa man is very comfortable in agriculture, the Igbo man is very comfortable in his business, just provide a good environment for his business to thrive, the yoruba man loves education and knowledge. Many other minority groups are linked to the three major tribes. Add all this strength and you will get a prosperous economy. What is life without food, business and knowledge? This probably shows that united we stand, Divide we fall.
Nigeria is in a bad state because the citizens are fighting the wrong battle. Now is not the time to preach for the sovereign reign of Biafra, it’s time for us to put heads together and work as one Nigeria for the good of humanity. An igbo adage says: “Anyuko mamiri onu o gbaa ufufu",which literaly meanis 'if we urinate together, it will produce foams implying that united we stand. Whatever an igbo man is going through, is the same thing for a Yoruba man and an hausa man. No free food, no free shelter and no free health care yet each ethnic group has her representatives in the federal level, state level and local government level. In Jonathans government the Igbos were well represented but all we saw was a gross mismanagement of public fund. Who do you blame for this? the government or your government? Are they not the same people to rule in Biafra or are we going to appoint 'saints' to us? The yorubas had nothing to show for years with OBJ as the president. Even the Northerners can’t boost of accessible roads, improved health care services, and quality education even when Buhari is on sit. If Biafra eventually becomes a sovereign nation, an Igbo man will become the President, IPOB freedom fighters would become rich and be given juicy appointments and the poor masses will still live in abject poverty. Who is playing the fool's role here? All of them have something in common and this thing is what represents the black man and his illogical reasoning. The heart of a typical Igbo man is filled with greed and jealousy and that’s why we find it difficult to progress.
So my dear IPOB fighters, what exactly are you agitating and fighting for? What have you put in place in the economy, that an average Igbo man would look up to? What would happen to the businesses and properties outside the east? If you don't know, many of the Igbos in the north are making real cash and are living large not until the insurgency struck. If Biafra finally becomes a Nation, Will foodstuffs become cheaper? Will house rents become cheaper? Will roads be constructed? Will the Niger bridge be built? Will there be massive job creation for the unemployed? The answer is No, corruption in high places will even be on the increase. If and only if the IPOB youths both in Nigeria and abroad can come out to demonstrate against the Igbo leaders who have seized that oppurtunity to embazzle public fund, the way they demonstrated against the Nigerian government for the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, then that is the beginning of our revolution. If kidnappers start kidnapping politicians and their wives and children for a huge ransom instead of kidnapping ordinary Nigerians who work tooth and nail to get to where they are with no help from the government whatsoever, that is the beginning of our revolution. Name one African country that is doing well. What makes you think having a Biafra or an Oduduwa will make you different from all other African countries? The truth is this, Biafra as a country won't solve our problem.
If Africans and indeed Nigerians don't start fighting the right battle, what might separate us will be waiting for us patiently when we get the Biafran independence. We would continue to remain impoverished, the west will continue to trample on us and we would continue to suffer and die of poverty. Come to think of it, how may states even make up the so called “Biafran Country?”, what have they Governors of these Biafran state done now that will give future Biafrans hope of future things to come when we eventually get our independence? The Black man is always fond of fighting the wrong battle and we will keep making the same mistakes each time. Many of these IPOB fighters probably didn’t witness the Biafran War of 1967-1970, maybe that’s why they go on protesting. Those that witnessed it are praying that such an ugly incident shouldn’t repeat itself again in the history of Nigerian.
Dear, IPOB fighters, the earlier you begin to reason in the right direction, the better for our country. Don't allow yourself to be used as an instrument of violence by our so called 'Politicians', I cry each time I see youths with a brighter future being manipulated by our politicians who used their strength to enrich themselves. Notable men that started this Biafra issue have transisted to the world beyond. Life has no duplicate. I advice you to shun all these violent or peaceful protest, it won't solve any problem, it will inflict injuries on innocent Nigerians.
Till we take hold of our destiny and realize we have a common good, which is to cohabit peacefully with one another, Nigerian will be a better place for You and Me.
“What you cannot get out of Nigeria, you cannot get it in Biafra”, I rest my case!
©
Anthony Aniebo JVC
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