Ijaw Youths Replies Buhari: If Nigeria Cannot Tolerate Biafra, Let Her Go.
By C. K. Ekeke
If Nigeria cannot tolerate Biafra, She should let her go by C. K. Ekeke As a student of leadership and leaders, I can conclude without bias, even though President Buhari is only 10 months in office, that he has failed woefully as a leader and may go down in history as the worst Nigerian President and probably ranking second to brutal dictator Idi Amin of Uganda because of his flagrant abuse of rule of law, massive killings, clamp down of his opposition and imprisonment of innocent Nigerians across the land.
I have taken time to analyze his media speech of last December, how and what he said about Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader – Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, Ndgibo and now on pro Biafra youths this week during his interview on Al Jazeera while in Qatar, all sum up to the kind of nonsensical tribal leaders that Nigerians elect and the shameless mistake that the Nigeria State has become.
President Buhari’s utterances regarding the issue of Ndigbo, IPOB and its leader, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu are bereft of any wisdom as a 72 year old man. It also shows his hatred for Ndigbo and SE region. I’m careful to say that Nigeria has made a grave mistake to elect Buhari as their President. He is a dictator and a tribal leader. That’s not what Nigeria needs in the 21stcentury. At a time when nations are tapping into the limitless opportunities of technology, innovation and collaboration, we do not need a tribalist and dictator to divide and move us back to dark ages but rather to advance the nation through its diversity, strength and abundant resources. Nigeria needed a visionary and unifier.
And by the way, the President is on the wrong side of history. Perhaps, he has not studied history to know that dreams, freedom, liberty, justice, etc. cannot be quashed like that. Since independence, Nigeria has floundered without vision and purpose. Nigeria is a failed State and there’s no hope for her if she continues on its current path and policies.
A restructured nation, or in the case of Ndigbo – Biafra is an alternative hope for millions of unemployed youths who live in distressed region without infrastructure, jobs, and future. The Nigerian State has not offered them any hope but instead massacre. Biafra youths want to live in a nation where they can pursue their God-given dream and purpose; where they can fulfil their God-given potential. They want to live in freedom where they can release their God-given potential. Today, that aspiration, their lives and destinies are denied, or under siege and caged.
Speaking of freedom, Samuel Bowles, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, USA wrote, “The cause of freedom is the cause of God.”
The Apostle Paul writes, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery” – Galatians 5:1. Second Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” The late leadership guru and writer, Dr. Myles Munroe, in his bestseller, “The Burden of Freedom,” writes, “The pursuit of freedom is the greatest pursuit of the human heart.
Everyone cries for freedom and desires to be free.” Human freedom is the supreme goal and value of true democracies around the world. Despite this yearning to be free; billions of people especially in Africa and other third-world countries are denied of it. Why is it different in Nigeria/Africa?
The U.S. President John F. Kennedy, once said, “The cost of freedom is always high but Americans have always paid for it. And one path we shall never choose and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”
I want to inform President Buhari that time is up for Africans to be free. He should lead that cause in Africa starting with his won country Nigeria – instead of putting people in chains using his crude and uncivilized military force while hundreds are being killed and thousands injured.
Since he became President of Nigeria 10 months ago, thousands of innocent Nigeria’s have been massacred and millions fled their homes leaving behind their jobs and businesses. Across the landscape, all we see and read is violence, killings, massacre and death. What a nation!
As a leader, Buhari has not shown any judgement, temperament and wisdom to address the social and political unrest brewing up in the country. I hope he’s prepared to wage the insurgency, violence and perhaps ultimately war because he cannot deny people freedom for so long and expect them to live in bondage, captivity, and slavery for eternity.
That has never been the condition of human beings or groups of people and nations. If he continues leading this way he is going about the challenges and crises facing the nation and his government, he may lead Nigeria to disintegration and abyss. I hope he has built plenty prisons and enough army to fight millions of Biafrans around the globe, who are just fed up with systemic marginalization and satanic conspiracy against their region.
While former heads of State like Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Gowon, and thoughtful Nigerians like Wole Soyinka as well as others have called for peace, unity and for the President to trade softly and address the issue of Biafra and other concerns, he chose rather to ignore the wise call, dismiss it by calling it a joke, instead sends his Boko haram soldiers to kill innocent Biafra youths in SE/SS regions and thinks he can get away with such impunity and incivility.
Nigeria has never been a nation. Every truthful Nigerian knows that the nation is fundamentally flawed. That’s why President Goodluck Jonathan organized a national conference to address the imbalances and injustices of the federal government against her variant groups of people.
Here are some of the immortal words of Nigeria’s nationalist and founding fathers: “Since 1914 the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country, but the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any signs of willingness to unite … Nigerian unity is only a British invention” – Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, 1948.
“Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French,’ The word ‘Nigeria’ is a mere distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not” – Chief Obafemi Awolowo, 1947.
“It is better for us and many admirers abroad that we should disintegrate in peace and not in pieces. Should the politicians fail to heed the warning, then I will venture the prediction that the experience of the Democratic Republic of Congo will be a child’s play if it ever comes to our turn to play such a tragic role” – Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, 1964.
I totally agree with the forefathers in what they said about Nigeria. Nigeria is not a nation. The amalgamation was an experiment that expired in January 2014. Nigeria needs to be re-negotiated. It’s an evil enterprise created by the British for their selfish and political hegemony in Africa.
Moreover, Nigeria is also ruled by selfish, hypocritical and profusely corrupt individuals. They are haters of human development and progress. They are the real problem – not really the poor and struggling masses – and that’s why it’ll continue to flounder. Nigeria is under siege and needs to be saved.
Nigeria will never work as constituted. I’m for one true united and peace-loving nation but not as constituted currently. We have to be sincere, say the truth and speak out courageously about these things and stay engaged because of our young ones and future generation. And the fear is that Nigeria will never change or deal with their challenges in a civilized manner, but will rather resort to path of violence and war.
1. Former Soviet Union: between 1989 and 1990s divided into 15 republic—Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine, Belorussia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kirgizia.
2. Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ended in 1991 and 6 countries—Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia (including the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Slovenia. Today, those six nations are prospering in peace.
3. Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1991 and Eritrea were granted rights to its own government. In fact, today Ethiopia and Eritrea are living in peace, harmony, and prospering.
4. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum that passed with 98.83% of the vote by the people and facilitated by the United Nations and African Union.
5. Quebec is currently asking from independence from Canada.
6. Scotland is asking for independence from Britain.
So why is Biafra’s case different – a region that covers a total area of almost 30,000 square miles, thus almost as big as Gambia and Sierra Leone put together, bigger than Togo, Rwanda and Burundi combined, and is four times the size of the Republic of Israel – the top #3 technological and innovative nation on the planet.
And finally, we know about India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet – all these nations used to part of the Indian empire in the past.
Why is Biafra’s case any different? Why does Nigeria want Biafra to remain in perpetual slavery in Nigeria by force, while continue to treat her like trash and nobodies and deny her people their God-given potential, productivity, progress and purpose? Do you force someone to remain in adulterous marriage? Even God in His infinite grace permitted divorce between married couples and nations.
Moreover, Biafra region and its people fulfills the requirements of the United Nations Charter for self-determination. I just don’t understand why we can’t do things as civilized people in Nigeria/Africa. It’s baffling and shameful.
C. K. Ekeke, PhD, is a theologian, author, activist, and leadership lecturer. He is the president of leadership wisdom Institute.
