IGBOZURUOKE MEDIA

Biafra became a phenomenon when the people of the South-East region of Nigeria towards the late 60s adopted it as a new entity by which they should be known. This was as a result of the ugly incidents that erupted following the January 15, 1966 coup d’état. The coup which failed, later pitched the South-East, dominated by the Igbo against Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba in particular. These two and other minority groups in Nigeria enjoying the support of the British who instigated and emboldened them against the Igbo whom they never liked raged against the Igbo from 1966 to 1972.

Before the civil war broke out in 1967, the Biafra idea had become mainly an Igbo venture since most of the minorities in the South-East region then had separated and merged into two different entities: Cross River State and Rivers State. In part, this followed the machinations of Gown, who separated the two entities from the South-East enclave dominated by the Igbo in order to weaken the latter.

Consequently, the Igbo, who used the Name –Biafra— as a new country and entered the war against Nigeria, came to see Biafra differently from a mere name. Under Biafra, the Igbo excelled and glowed beyond every imagination.  In the battles and in other endeavours, the Igbo metamorphosed into a people that have courage, perseverance, ingenuity and a nation that embraced justice, empathy and egalitarian principles. These qualities did not only ensure the Igbo survived the war with their stature still intact but evoked a creative quality has dumbfounded the world till date.

 In response to this, Gen. Gowon and his Man Friday, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, decided it was time to finish the Igbo financially and economically once and for all, by initiating such draconian laws and schemes meant to bury the Igbo permanently. The policy of releasing twenty Pounds to an Igbo, in spite of whatever he had in Nigerian banks before the war was hatched. The indigenization and nationalization policies where shares of Nigerian blue-chip companies were nationalized and banks mandated to loan the necessary cash to Nigerians except the Igbo for the purchase of those shares were implemented.

Unbelievably, and to the astonishment of all, the Igbo were able to overcome all these machinations that within 10 years, a prominent Igbo club, the Peoples’ Club of Nigeria was able to celebrate an anniversary with pomp that further riled the Yoruba/Fulani and their co-travelers.

That the Nigerians, especially, the Yoruba/Fulani, would resume their conspiracies and began to implement further atrocious schemes to run the Igbo down and if possible, to dehumanize them beyond redemption requires a countermeasure, especially, by well-meaning Igbo and those who believe in equity and justice to frustrate this inhumanity.

Therefore, that Ndi Igbo, who are in dare straits like this would indulge in chasing rats while their house is on fire beats every imagination; because, in Biafra, the Igbo and the like, would find peace, equity, justice and  an  atmosphere conducive to actualize their potential. So, the question is, since the Igbo have long realized that Biafra, a territory  that needs be carved out from Nigeria to serve as an enclave for them to aspire, develop and actualize their God-given potential has become a necessity, so, why are they sabotaging it, being misguided or being guided  about it.?

Initially, it was the shenanigans of Ralph Uwazuruike. This charlatan who took the stage by storm, attracted many converts, captured many hearts of Ndi Igbo and their like and caused the deaths and suffering of thousands of Igbo youths who believed in him and therefore put their lives and means in the line to embrace the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) which he created to actualize Biafra.

From 1999 when MASSOB was formed to the time when its leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, left the organization, a lot of schemes like the introduction of I.D. cards to the phoney creation of the Biafra International Passport, were hatched to defraud ignorant and unsuspecting members of unimaginable amount of cash and resources. By the time Ndi Igbo and other members of the organization began to realize that (what the bitter-cola sounded as it is being chewed is no longer how it is tasting) as the saying goes in Igbo land and when Uwazuruike and his clique have left, an irreparable damage has being done to the struggle in terms of the venture and fraudulent activities that characterized their tenure. Today, Uwazuruike, who is stupendously rich, luxuriates, after leaving MASSOB in tatters.

On the other hand, the Igbo—and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who are now in the forefront of the agitation, have been pursuing the cause in ways that are counterproductive and have a slim chance of succeeding. All these are increasingly presenting the struggle as a childish, fraudulent and struggle that lacks proper conceptualization—or better still—a struggle that is deviating or has been hijacked by charlatans.

Furthermore, the shenanigans of Simon Ikpa, a self-styled prime- minister of Biafra, who resides in Finland and his followers, have in addition, implicated some agitators as either publicity chasers, naïve or fraudulent. Because, when Nnamdi Kalu, the present leader of the agitations and founder of IPOB, who is in incarceration debunk assertions and directives made on his behalf, Simon Ikpa, who purported to be deputizing for the former, urged supporters on, and encouraged atrocious engagements that have become inimical to Ndi Igbo whom he claims to be saving. All these have demonstrated his actions as a callous interest of becoming an emperor of pursuing a detached course.

In the same vein, how many prominent Igbo politicians or elites are identifying with the struggles to actualize Biafra?  The fact that this segment of Igbo society have not find it enthusiastic to bolster this movement or even working against it  leaves mush to imagination.

The endeavour to actualizing Biafra should be seen as a serious business that requires solemn engagements and not a merry-go-round that is being dished out by most of the agitators. The cacophony of voices and activities that have characterized the quest are becoming irritating and counterproductive.  Ndi Igbo must brace up and do the needful if they desire Biafra. Like the saying goes “you don’t use a disfigured  matchet to kill a python. “

 In the second part, the reasons why Biafra is a must for the Igbo and how the struggle are being sabotaged or discredited will be discussed.

Boniface Alanwoko