READ: WHY NIGERIA LEADERS DON'T WANT BIAFRA

READ: WHY NIGERIA LEADERS DON'T WANT BIAFRA

By Okonkwo Isaac Somto
For Family Writers

Many continue to wonder why the Nigeria government keep directing her energy, resources and power to keep fighting against "Biafra" when they could just give them what they want. Biafrans have the right to exercise their rights for self-determination, since the southern and northern amalgamation have long expired. Many have labelled Nnamdi Kanu a traitor and a trouble maker just for asking for what's right and just for his people. Many continue to call Biafrans harsh names just because they refuse to keep presenting themselves like lambs waiting to be butchered. I will never deny that life isn't fair. It seems as though when a woman leaves a man she is strong and independent, but when a man leaves a woman he is a pig and a jerk. Such is the case with Nigeria and Biafra. When other countries like Western Sahara or Palestinians ask for separation (self-determination), they are strong and independent but when Biafrans ask for the same thing, they are pigs and a jerk. Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need and what Biafrans need is Biafra!

To expect life to treat you good is foolish as hoping a bull won't hit you because you are a vegetarian but Biafrans have every right to expect good from life because they really have suffered and endured a lot since the creation of Nigeria. They have not only seen billions worth of properties taken away from them but have also witnessed their fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters been slaughtered, butchered, raped, tortured on a daily basis in Nigeria and yet the justice they seek keeps eluding them. Many Nigerians don't really know much about the Nigeria-Biafra war and I can't blame them for their lack of knowledge on this case because the Nigeria government made sure the history of the Nigeria-Biafra war, was never taught to them in schools. Most Nigerians don't really know much about that history and the little history they think they know was disclosed to them either by their folks or some individual, while some Nigerians got theirs through the lies spread to them by the Nigeria media house. I can tolerate their level of ignorance on the Biafra case but what I won't tolerate from them is speaking without proper knowledge or facts. Been sentimental and callous makes you ignore the truth even when its staring at you in the eyes. Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.

For more than fifty(50) years now Biafrans have been finding a way to cut out of the contraption called Nigeria and have their beloved Biafra but the Nigeria leaders have fought so hard to make sure they keep forcing biafrans into living and remaining in a country they no longer have love for. Over 3.5million Biafrans were massacred by Gowon in 1967 all in the name of keeping Nigeria as one and sadly enough the same scenario is still repeating its self. Even after the Nigeria-Biafra civil war ended, the killing of biafrans didn't stop. Biafrans are still hunted down, killed, raped and even tortured in Nigeria by the Hausa-Fulani's and also the Nigeria armed forces.

(Note: Biafra is not only south-east but south-south, Annang, Effik, Kalabari, Ibibio, Idoma, Igala, Ijaw, Itshekiri, Ogoni, Ikwere and Urhobo. These tribes exist in the South-East and South-South states as well as Benue and Kogi States also, forget all those lies been spread by the Nigeria government to divide us, while they keep benefiting from our misunderstanding)

But why is Nigeria leaders so scared of letting Biafrans go? I listed five (5) strong personal facts of my own.

1.  OIL

I know most of you already know this. The oil in Biafra land is the root of evil for Nigeria politicians. Nigeria politicians love Oil so much to the extend of sacrificing innocent lives just to benefit from the Oil wealth. Nigeria politicians have stolen over $500trillion from Oil alone since the Nigeria independence, its no wonder Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu a Nigeria politician had to declare that "The oil in Bayelsa belongs to Jigawa and he will go to war, to make sure the Oil never leaves the grips of the northerners". Oil was the main reason Nigeria had to go to war with Biafra in 1967 when they announced they no longer want to take part in the forceful contraption. Oil was the main reason 3.5million biafran lives was rendered useless by the British-Nigeria government. I call it the British-Nigeria government because, Britain were the ones that created Nigeria and also profited heavily from the Oil wealth in Biafra land. The tragic past of all this is that, while Nigeria politicians are busy stealing trillions of dollars from the Oil wealth they still fail to use that money for the betterment of Nigerians and their economy, instead they send that money abroad and keep boosting the economy of other foreign countries and enriching themselves, while their own country and people remain in ruins.
Look at the northern region of Nigeria, its one of the poorest place in the world and yet most of their northern brothers and sisters, are the so-called powerful politicians in Nigeria are who are benefiting heavily from both the Oil wealth in Biafra land and also occupy the strongest positions in government, yet their states, people and communities, remain the poorest in the country, how sad. Imagine if the Oil was in the north, I strongly believe that Nigeria would have broken up long ago.

2. BUSINESS

Business is hugely important in a country’s economy because it is the main economic engine for the country. And yet again Biafrans are the back-bone of business in Nigeria. Biafrans are not idle, they are always working very hard to make sure they become a success. Currently the Biafran region(South-East and parts of South-South) has the best human development indices figures in Nigeria, Educationally, Biafrans are also ahead. But the problem with this is that the business wealth of Biafrans are constantly been invaded, limited and hindered by the Nigeria government because of jealousy, envy and hatred. Take a lot look at Lagos state, the wealth of Biafrans in Lagos is worth billions of dollars, in fact Statistics proves the Igbos are becoming the fastest growing ethnic group in the world, making up 75-80% of Lagos, 40% of Northern cities such as Kano or Jos; and flocking into other African countries by their hundreds everyday. The ubiquitous Biafrans are migrating to America, UK, France, Italy and Canada by the millions. Why? First, Biafrans love to lead; they love education and they love progression, as opposed to regression (defined as weakening, failure, decay, deterioration, waning, drop, or degeneration).

Biafrans hate stagnation in all its ramifications. And with all this progress, the Nigeria government are benefiting heavily from the wealth of Biafrans and that is why they made sure they shut down every means of importation, industrialisation and development in Biafra lands. They made sure no sea-port is working, no good roads, no industries, no good hospitals, no good schools, no good international airport in Biafran land, Instead Nigeria government created all this social amenities outside the shores of Biafra land to keep Biafrans trapped in places like Lagos, Kaduna etc. Why do you think Biafrans are called developers by the Lagos state government? Because they know that Biafrans are very hard-working, that no matter where they are, they will always be a success. And the Nigeria economy strongly strives on the business wealth of Biafrans and that's one reason Nigeria leaders don't want Biafra. The Igbos are the only tribe to possess the semblance of modernisation and patriotism that translates to patriotism or desperately needed love of country. Can one say the same thing about the other tribes? How many yoruba's or arewa's have major investment in South-east and South-south? Biafran visitors in Northern
Nigeria are chased out after developing the land and same thing is happening in Lagos, with the level of economic power biafrans have, they can easily electrify Biafra states, build roads, and usher in massive industrial development to make unemployment a thing of the past. But the Nigeria government won't allow this to happen because of the hatred and jealousy they have for biafrans.

3. EDUCATION

Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of development. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Biafrans have been lovers of education long before Nigeria achieved independence as a sovereign nation, they had become successful community developers, city planters, and managers of schools. Biafrans went to school with intensity and acquired all types of skills that kept Nigerian in good stead as the country prepared for self government. There are Biafrans with expertise in all fields Nigeria needs to develop as a nation. It is unfortunate that tribalism, nepotism, and greed do not permit full exploitation of Igbo talents. During the Nigeria-Biafra civil war, Biafran scientist were able to create sophisticated equipment and weapons to work with, within a short period of time. They built weapons, cars, rockets, bombs, telecommunications gadgets and also devised an ingenious strategy to refine their own oil, all this was accomplished in less than two and a half years, something the Nigeria Government haven't done for more than fifty (50) years now and it drove fear into the heart of the nigeria government, even Britain knew that Biafrans were much more capable of becoming a strong and dependent nation. The Nigeria government are fully aware of the potentials that lies in Biafrans, that's why they will rather see them remain trapped in Nigeria than see them go free. 

4. FEAR OF DOOM

The Nigeria government thrive on the wealth, labour, intelligence and sweat of Biafrans and the thought of letting Biafrans go drives them mad because they can't bear the loss. Most Nigerians wonder what it will be like without Biafrans and some can't comprehend the loss it will result to. There is nothing like "One-Nigeria", its just a slogan for Nigeria politicians to keep enriching themselves. There is no love within the 3 ethnic groups, there is no peace and unity in Nigeria. Nigeria was built on hatred, jealousy, wickedness, envy and bloodshed. Biafrans no longer want to be a part of this pretence, and most Nigerians are so tired and fed up with the way their so-called Nigeria leaders are driving the country into chaos. Many will say that if Biafrans are capable of creating a great nation, why haven't they develop their lands and make it great? Well its simple, Nigeria government made it difficult for them to do so immediately after the Nigeria-Biafra civil-war, just like have earlier stated. If you want to know the true capability of Biafrans give them Biafra, let them go and you will see that they will achieve in five(5)years what Nigeria have failed to achieve in more than 60years.

5. ???
I left this option blank, so that those who have a reason of their own can fill in the gap. But please don't give me the one-Nigeria crap.

Finally, Am not a sociologist, a political scientist, a human right lawyer, or a government official, am just a writer and aim of writing this is not to provide all the answers but to raise questions, and perhaps to cause a few headaches in the process.