The
recent call by different groups in the eastern part of Nigeria for a self-rule
under the name Biafra has taken a dimension worthy of serious attention. Even
though the process started almost imperceptibly years ago by different
skirmishes of calls and actions that now had reasons to fuse together following
the apparent relegation of the Ibos in the cabinet of current President Buhari as
well as the arrest and detention of Mr Kanu, the Radio Biafra reporter; one is
therefore poised to ask if the Ibos have a legitimate course?
Tracing
the history of Nigeria to the colonial era through the various stages of
nationalism and the eventual independence of Nigeria in 1960 as well as its post-independence
political developments till date; it is fair to say that the Nigerian state as
amalgamated in 1914 is an unholy marriage of a people whose cultural and social
differences permits clashes that will always lead to overall national commotion
and instability.
The
structural, political and cultural dynamics of Nigeria’s major ethnic groups
(Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo) remain historically at variance with unity and
national development. Events in history have shown that it is the level of
distrust among these ethnic groups that is undoubtedly the footstool to anti national
development and advancement. It has provocatively gotten to a point where
leaders are not judged by the content of their competence but by what tribe
they represent.
Meanwhile,
it is essential to observe that while the Hausas and the Yorubas have a
wide
structural scale of conformity in their locally centralized social political organization,
hierarchy and religion; the Ibos are everything the opposite as they have a
structure that is locally decentralized in their social political organization.
And they predominantly hold a different religious view. Apart from that, the Igbos
have proven in history nationally and locally to be a domineering sect that
believes in individualistic enterprise as strength to human relevance. This
equally accounts for the reason the Ibos do not accept a central local
leadership like a king or something.
It
must be said that it is the domineering attribute of the Igbos as evidently
espoused between the early and mid-1960’s that led to the connivance of the
Yorubas and Hausa against them on the leadership front. Meanwhile the events leading
to the Nigeria/ Biafra civil war of 1967 – 1970 further deepened the distrust
among these national galatics. While the Housas see the Igbos as a people that
must never be allowed to test the Nigerian presidency, the Igbos see the
Yorubas as traitors and con people and the Yorubas express great discomfort
with the Igbos as desperate and dangerous people. These postulations where
greatly alluded to by the likes of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first Premier of the
Northern Region of Nigeria as well as some Nigerian writers of thought. This
may be said to be a reason why Nigeria never had an Igbo president since 1966.
On
the part of the Igbos however, it must be observed that they have equally been
a problem to themselves as they lack the social political unity necessary to
lead a nation like Nigeria. This statement is made against the backdrop of the
fact that whenever there is a presidential election in Nigeria, while the
Yorubas and the Housas are able to harmonize themselves and unite behind a
single candidate representing their ethnicity, the Igbos are on the contrary as
a number of them jostle without harmony for the same spot. In the end, they don’t
even succeed beyond the primary level. It is therefore fare to state that unless
and until the Ibos harmonize themselves politically, they may still be very far
away from getting the presidency of Nigeria. And they will remain marginalized
as they claim.
The
only succour the Ibos appear to have is secession as a continuation from where Late
Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu left off. Hence, the call of Biafra has become quite loud
and clear. Interestingly and very worrisome is the fact that some activities of
the
present call by the proponents of Biafra are beginning to be reminiscent of
some of the remotes events that preceded the 1967 civil war that many still
regard as genocide against the Igbos. Reports have it that the Hausas living in
the Eastern part of Nigeria have begun to migrate to the North while many Igbos
in the North have begun to move to the East. Apart from that, there are
unconfirmed reports that Igbos in the North have become targets by some Northern
hoodlums. More than that, the call for secession by the Biafra proponents and
supporters have begun to lead to death of protesters in the hand of the
Nigerian arm force. All these are reminiscent of the late 60’s before the
civil war.
The
aforementioned facts is evident that Nigeria as a state with its current makeup
can best be described as a pyramid standing on its head because the divide and
distrust within the component parts of the state is unsustainable. One would have
expected that some of these factors of anti-national development would have
been buried with Nigeria’s political ancestors. But the seed has grown even
stronger by the generations passing by. To add insult to injury, no Nigerian
government has even given true representation to the people. It has always been
a tale of corruption and stealing of state resources by a few in the political
class. Sadly, the President Buhari’s led regime has not shown viable signs of
being different from what Nigerians are used to. As a matter of fact, the
economic indices are showing dangerous weakness six months into his
administration. At the moment, the devaluation of the Naira is dangerously unprecedented. No availability of petroleum product for the
ordinary Nigerian commuters. Unemployment is sky rocketing and companies and
private investments are folding up because of unsustainability. And all
Nigerians are hearing is anti-corruption like nothing else matters to the government.
Yet nobody is hearing anything about convictions. It is all beginning to look
increasing like a charade to buy time in failure.
While
one will wait a little longer to be certain of the direction of the present
government, it might be fair to say that given the totality of happenings around
the country today, there is the need for Nigeria to accept a referendum for self-determination
by the Biafra people. This might be the way out for Nigeria and everybody to
have a lasting peace because the agreement to amalgamate the country in the
first place was not by mutual consent, but by the sole decision of the colonizer.
It is essential to revisit the beginning and straighten things out for a better
country and future for the people that make up the country.
