Since the end of the Nigeria civil war in 1970, the federal Republic of Nigeria has operated a policy of systematic marginalisation and discrimination against Igbos.
First Igbos with money in the bank before the war were given only twenty pound £20.00, irrespective of the amount they have in the bank. Second, properties belonging to Igbos in many parts of Nigeria were declared abandoned properties and confiscated. Third, the federal government instead of pursuing a policy of reintegration and redevelopment, instituted a policy of discrimination and marginalisation.
This agenda by the Nigerian establishment to impoverish marginalise and keep Igbos down is at the heart of inability of Nigeria to achieve its potential and the agitation for independent state of Biafra.
From university admission to employment in federal and state ministries, Igbos have subjected to discriminations.
When I sat for the JAMB, in early 1980s, Igbos had a very high cut off Mark, which ensured that very intelligent Igbo candidates who did much better than many students from the north who got admitted, did not. Today, northerners who are Muslims have taken over the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board JAMB.
Throughout my life, I have watched a concerted effort by successive Nigerian governments to under develop Igbo land by depriving the region of the infrastructure needed for development.
Roads in east Nigeria are left in state of disrepair. The federal government excluded the region in distribution of investment. Enugu and port Harcourt airports and port Harcourt and Calabar sea ports have been deliberately underdeveloped.
In the last few years, Boko haram and Fulani herdsmen have been used to drive Igbos away from the North, intimidate minorities and ethnically cleanse some parts of Nigeria.
The result of this is the election of Buhari and continued Islamisation of Nigeria and marginalisation of Igbos. The real cost of the victory of Buhari may turn out to be making the break up of Nigeria inevitable.
Igbos in the North and some part of the way are disenfranchised because they return to the East for fear of post election violence.
Sadly, Igbos have not had people in government, who have the courage to speak up for them. What Igbos have had are people who are in government for their own selfish reason and as a result of the favour of those whose aim is to marginalise and discriminate against Igbos.
If not, how can we explain the deafening silence of most Igbo politicians in the face of the injustice Igbos are being subjected.
It would seem that no one in government sees that building a second Niger bridge will benefit the whole of the Nigerian economy.
Instead, the second Niger bridge is marketed as a favour to Igbos, which they must be made to pay for, when many similar projects all over Nigeria were not built the same way.
This is another evidence that entrenched discrimination, marginalisation and injustice against Igbos is a policy of the federal government of Nigeria.
In a recent judgement, justice Yinusa a northerner and Muslim ordered the forfeiture of Nnamani’s stolen properties to the federal Government.
How can this be right? Did Nnamani steal from the federal government? Did he not steal from his state?
Why should what belongs to Enugu state be returned to federal republic of Nigeria in the name of justice?
Why should Nigeria, remain one country, if some people would be condemned to injustice, discrimination and inequality because of their ethnic group and religion ?
Why should Nigeria remain one country, if the North is allowed to register under age voters and legitimate voters from other ethnic group disenfranchised?
Why should Nigeria be one country, when northers like Buhari would qualified to president and more qualified Igbos cannot?
I would not wish to belong to a Nigeria, where Igbos continue to be treated like Jews in Nazi Germany, Christians in Saudi Arabia or the Kurds in Turkey.
No nation has survived, when a section feels aggrieved and treated unjustly. No people can build a viable country on injustice, discrimination and inequality. The demand for Biafra is cry against institutionalised injustice by the federal government of Nigeria against Igbos.
Without taking justice and equality seriously and treating every region and people fairly, Nigeria as it exists today has no future.
Nationalist will become more vocal and many people would begin to see their future in their ethnic enclaves and the struggle for autonomy will intensify.
It is time to redefine the encompassing Nigerian identity with some values, rights and obligations to make it worth something.
It cannot be business as usual. A new Nigeria, needs new values and renewed commitment to unity, founded on equality, justice as fairness and the rule of law. There is no other way. Nigeria is s ticking time bomb.
OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE 
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