THE BIAFRAN QUESTION.

First published on Facebook 9th November 2015

It is imperative that I begin by making my personal position clear on the issue of Biafra and the creation of a sovereign state for the Igbos. I must say that I am one of those who strongly believe that the long term strategic interest and wellbeing of Igbos will be better served within a united, equitable and just Nigerian state. Accordingly, efforts should be put in place by all well-meaning Igbos aimed at enthroning these necessary unifying virtues in Nigeria. I must also not fail to add that I cannot speak for millions of Igbos who hold contrary opinions and hold true to their beliefs that their interest will be better served within an independent Biafran state, carved out of the present Nigerian state structure. With these two positions in mind, the main purpose of this piece is primarily to look at the Biafran question from these stand points, while allowing the voice of reason and rationality to speak to ,and unite Igbos of the two divides and the Nigerian state into making the best decisions aimed at resolving the Biafran question.

I am also, by this piece breaking my silence because, I deliberately chose not to speak or comment on the Biafran discourse after my last piece, titled, “Understanding Igbos in Nigeria: especially for those who claim that they know us more than we know ourselves” which scantly touched on the subject. When I raised in that piece the point that those I identified as the “Nigerian Igbos in Nigeria” will one day fight their own “war” of emancipation, little did I know that the core of the children of those I identified as “the Biafran Igbos in Nigeria” were priming themselves for the resurgence of Biafra in Nigeria. The reason for my decision to remain silent for a while, was to listen and try to understand other opinions on the Biafran issue and at the same time monitor the trend of events.

One fact that remains valid, no matter our denials, is that the Biafran question or discourse is everyday gaining momentum. It is in fact reaching a crescendo or a tipping point that if nothing drastic is not done to listen to and address the grievances of the agitators, the ensuing consequences of our collective inactions or wrong actions could be catastrophic. Denials or even suppression through state sponsored intimidations will not help matter but will only succeed in fast- tracking an engagement that is in the making. The nature of that engagement I cannot predict but as a people, we can initiate a process that will genuinely and constructively manage the situation, so that the eventual outcome will not be ruinous but will make for the betterment of the interests of parties involved.

BIAFRA: AN AGE-LONG AND PRE- COLONIAL IGBO IDEOLOGY

To think that Biafra was dead and buried as result of the defeat suffered by the Igbos during the civil war will be very delusionary, if not myopic. To all those who also think that it is a mortal sin or a treasonable action to resurrect Biafra or its ghost, I must add that their line of thinking is equally nothing other than trying to deny a people their inalienable rights entrenched in democracy and internationally acceptable Charter of self-determination, especially against the backdrop of the fact that they genuinely feel that they are not getting what they perceive as their due entitlements in a forced union called and known as Nigeria.

It must also be understood that Biafra is not just a state nor just a sloganeering but an ideology deeply rooted, long established and embraced by a people with a rich history, anchored in their quest for the enthronement of free spirit and free enterprise in their society. It is an ideology that unites a people with a very strong heritage. It is also an ideology that binds a people who were never conquered but were evolving at their pace, by developing the virtues they are known for but who chose to embrace westernization which has been erroneously labelled and equated to mean modernization. They willingly chose to embrace it through the exigencies of the then evolving new world order championed by British and Western imperialism. They chose to integrate themselves through alliances to be part of the Colony of Britain which eventually metamorphosed into the Nigerian state. They embraced the opportunities created by the emerging Nigerian state to advance their cause and excelled even beyond those who embraced westernization long before them.

Biafra is an ideology of a people who had rejected tyranny, feudalism and had embraced republicanism and egalitarianism, by creating a society where everyone had a voice. It is an ideology and a rallying point for a people who had developed and built their societies, firmly rooted on justice, equity, freedom, and undeniable and well established structures for the advancement of the free human spirit. It is also an ideology of a people that upheld the tenets of democracy long before Western countries embraced democracy. A people who understood the universally established natural principle and divinely ordained law that everyone should have a voice. A people that had long embraced republicanism while the main proponents and present champions of democracy were still grappling with the horrors of feudalism. It is an ideology that believes, subscribes and is deeply rooted in the advancement of free human spirit and free human enterprise.

It is an ideology that everyone should be free to attain his full potentials in life without being limited by obnoxious societal structures and institutions, except by self-imposed limitations and actions. The Aba women’s riot and the Ibo landing “tragedy” in Dunbar Creek off the coast Georgia where a group of Igbo slaves chose to drown themselves instead of living a life of servitude, were such pointers to the fact that this ideology was deeply entrenched within the Igbo mind set. It an ideology that goes beyond capitalism and the ethos of free enterprise because it is anchored on the firm belief that everyone has a right to actualize their God-given potentials in a fair, free, egalitarian and just society.

WHAT BIAFRA IS NOT

Having taken out time to identify what Biafra stands for, I believe that it will be a lot easier to proffer solutions on how the question can be resolved. However, it is also very important that we also highlight what Biafra is not, no matter peoples’ prejudiced or preconceived notions. Biafra is not a country per se. Rather, it is the rallying cry of a people who believe that their core existential values are being denied and trampled upon in a union they entered into, believing that it will further their collective interest, anchored on unhindered frameworks for the unleashing of the great potentials of their free human spirit and free enterprise for the benefit of all and sundry. Their agitations are the faces, the frameworks and vehicles for the actualization of their perceived ideal societal structure under an umbrella being projected as the Biafran state, where they believe their core-human values and dignities will be restored, respected and guaranteed.

Biafra is an ideology and the ray of hope for a people who are being oppressed, who genuinely desire a platform to free their spirit and unleash their potential, either within their existing union or under a united umbrella or association that guarantees these freedom. As an ideology, killing, incarcerating and intimidating the agitators will never kill their spirit because an ideology whose time is getting ripe is like a potential hurricane, nothing can stop it. The only way to stop such hurricane from sweeping through is through constructive engagements and development of superior arguments and reasons aimed de-radicalising the agitators. Another way is to dismantle those obstacles or structures that necessitated their struggle at the first instance by constantly reassuring them through visible, positive and tangible actions that their interest will be better served in the larger and united Nigerian state in which everyone is fairly treated.

WHY BIAFRA?

At this junction, it might suffice us to ask, Why Biafra? Why have Igbos always united around Biafra as the cry and the rallying point for the betterment of their interest and their preservation as people in the Nigerian enterprise? I must not fail to point out that there is this erroneous belief and misconception that Biafra as a rallying point of the Igbos was first adopted, mooted and manifested during the civil war. That position is far from the truth. The truth is that Biafra as an ideology and the rallying point of the Igbos was probably first manifested when Igbos as a people dethroned their kings and abolished tyranny while enthroning and embracing republicanism.

The civil war was nothing other than the first case of the resurrection of the Biafran spirit in modern times; as a true identity of a people who will not keep silent in the midst of oppression and suppression. Biafra as the rallying point of Igbos was resurrected because the events preceding, the pogrom, annihilation and holocaust against the Igbos, known for their love for freedom and fighting spirit. With such threat starring them in their faces, they had no other option than to resurrect the Biafran spirit as their surest means of self-preservation, especially against the backdrop that the very state institutions that were supposed to offer them protection in Nigeria, looked the other way, while they were being massacred, which more than anything else, confirmed their fears that they were no longer welcomed in the Nigerian enterprise. That was what led to the civil war, if we want to be truthful to ourselves. The story of what transpired during the war is for another occasion.

The point to be noted is that Biafra had always been the rallying cry of the Igbos when their collective interests are being threaten by power establishments. This rallying point is anchored on the aphorism which the Igbos have accepted as a major driver of their lives and societies. It declares and holds true for every true Igboman that, Igbo ama eze. Driven by that belief, they had dethroned feudalism and tyranny, and instituted an egalitarian society built on fairness to all, not based on privileges to a very few, who hitherto saw themselves as overlords while others were mere serfs.

BIAFRA AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR

The events preceding the civil war, similar in nature to what Igbos had experienced earlier in the course of their history provided them the platform to rally around and resurrect an age long heritage. The warrior-spirit which challenges and inspires a people to fight if necessary to preserve their freedom and dignity as a free people, was unleashed, thus culminating to the direct confrontation with the Nigerian state. Sadly, those conditions are again rearing their heads. This time around the descendants of Igbo warriors and freedom fighters, whose, DNAs are deeply crafted and rooted in the Biafra ideology are being pushed to the wall and left with no other option than to fight for their freedom. It must be rightly observed that for such people no amount of intimidation can stop the warrior spirit inborn in them from manifesting except if their fears can urgently be assuaged and their right to freedom and free enterprise guaranteed within the Nigerian state.

With a benefit of hindsight, we can clearly appreciate why Biafra was the rallying point of the Igbos during the events preceding the civil war and thereafter. We can also appreciate why it was easy to mobilize millions and virtually all Igbos to support the Biafran cause when their collective interest, and existence as a people were threatened within the Nigerian state.

For those who know and are willing to say the truth, certain undeniable facts became obvious from the outcome of the civil war. The first of these, is that, it was not the Nigerian state that won that war, notwithstanding they became a major beneficiary of the spoils of the victory. The cessation of hostilities and the surrender of Biafra was simply a case of retreating to fight another day. The spirit of Biafra was only put in a state of suspended animation, to be resurrected when and as the conditions become ripe for its resurgence. The Igbos lost a war but the Nigerian State did not kill or annihilate Biafra to the point of being irrelevant or confining it to a perpetual state of nothingness.

The war for those who care to know was won by the Western Imperialists and their victory was for a season. The Western Imperialists reasoned that if Biafra was allowed to succeed , it would have led to the emergence and resurgence of other “Biafras” within Africa through the domino effect, thus destroying their gains and benefits from colonization and balkanization of Africa. So it was expedient that the resurgence of Biafra must be crushed and “interred”.

THE NIGERIAN POWER ESTABLISHMENT AND BIAFRA

Yes, Biafrans of that era were defeated in the war but Biafra was not annihilated or crushed in their hearts or DNA. Biafra, forever, remains what defines who they are. It is their identity. In essence the agitation reminded within and was waiting for the umpteenth time to re surface. That time is gradually unfolding in our very eyes, fifty years after the events preceding the war. If we pretend that it is of no consequence, we should also understand that the times have also changed. The thinking of the real people who fought against Biafra has also changed. Their strategic and foreign interests and directions have been refined and redefined in the light of the realities of the emerging new world order. Within the Nigerian state also, who was the major beneficiary of the spoils from the Biafran conflict, the societal dynamics have also changed.

Unfortunately, it must also be noted that the attitude of the power establishment within the Nigerian state has not changed and remains the major cause of the recent resurgence of the Biafran agitation. It must be noted that since the end of the war, not minding the much mouthed “no victor, no vanquished” sloganeering of the power establishment, there has been deliberate state sponsored policies aimed at perpetually keeping the Biafra spirit down ,and at all cost prevent its resurgence. In implementing their wrong Biafra-decimating policy thrust, they believed that the best thing to do that was to exclude the Igbos from the power structure of the Nigerian state and at the same time deprive them of key infrastructural and developmental investments that will better their lots. All in a bid to ensure that the Igbos will not arise from the ashes of defeat, become strong and possible threat.

Against all the odds and grand conspiracy of the Nigerian power establishment, Igbos have been trying to reintegrate themselves back into the Nigerian state despite being faced with establishment-created brick walls and limitations. All they have seen and continuously experienced in their well-intentioned and good desire to be part of the Nigerian enterprise are: rejections, inequalities, injustices, profiling and stereotyping, and untold discriminations or better still lips service acclamation of oneness carefully designed to perpetually put them down and turn them to beggars and second-rate citizens in a country that is supposedly their own.

Given their real and undignifying circumstances in Nigeria, millions of Igbos did not have any other options: having being pushed to the wall by state sponsored and supported discriminating policies, and having been disparagingly pushed, than to once again resurrect their perceived route to self- determination and actualization which in time past had worked for them through their age long philosophy of Igbo ama eze.

Another policy of the Nigerian power establishment that has encouraged the resurgence of the agitation for the Biafran state is the empowerment of charlatans to become leaders in a territory they believe that had conquered. It is akin to appointing vassals to rule over their conquered domains. It must be said that to a greater extent they achieved their purpose of putting Igbos down in the power structure of the Nigerian state. That, however, came with a heavy price. It stalled developments and the creation of opportunities that would have made it possible for the people to channel their energies into productive ventures that would have resulted in the advancement of their society through their spirit of free enterprise. The charlatans of the Nigerian power establishment who masquerade themselves as leaders of the Igbos only succeeded in fueling the resurgence of the agitation for the emergence, through severance of the Biafran state from the Nigeria State.

Let the power establishment in Nigeria and their collaborators down east not delude themselves into thinking that what is presently happening is a ruse. Their dismissal or denial of the resurgence of the struggle, especially by their minions in the south east amounts to self-delusion and postponement of the evil day. The struggle as it presently stands has millions of followers. Many are still joining by the day, and in their droves. They are not only scattered across the lengths and breadths of the South Eastern states, but also within other Nigerian states and far beyond the shores of this nation.
Biafra,

if we as a nation want to be true to ourselves is an ideology that the time is ripening. It is ripening because of the massive imbalance and deprivation in the Nigerian state. It is getting a louder voice by the day because majority of Igbos are living in country that has deliberately fixed a bar on their level of attainment as a people while insisting that they must be part of the union as a deprived people. The voice of Biafra is re-echoing because the younger generation do not see a future in a country that wants them to be part of their fraudulent and deliberately skewed state repressive policies towards them. There is always a breaking point on human tolerance index in the midst of oppression and deprivation, especially for a people who are known to fight back in defense of their dignity and humanity. If nothing is done to assuage them and reassure them, they will definitely fight back no minding the cost. At least it will be on record that they fought and died in order to preserve their dignity. Why live as second class citizens in your country when you can fight and restore your honour. It is said that fortune or good tidings smile at the bold. That only cowards die many times before their death. Igbos are known warriors not cowards. They will fight even to the last man.

REDEEMING THE SITUATION

All hope is not, however, lost. If the Nigerian state loves the company of those who see themselves as Biafrans so much and desires them to continue to be part of the Nigerian enterprise, now is the time to act. Acting is not just through intimidation and harassment or even outright dismissal and denial of their agitation as inconsequential. The immediate action required, is to initiate policies aimed at eliminating those things that have led to the resurgence or/ are stoking the fire of Biafra. An immediate step is to create a robust platform for listening to their grievances. Let them, especially their leaders be invited so that they can officially voice out their grievances against the State.

Other initiatives needed to assuage the fears of the agitators of Biafra are not for the government alone to evolve. Those of us who see things differently from the way millions of agitators do, this is time to step up our efforts by raising our voices and reaching out to them to see reasons why Igbos long term strategic interests as people will be better served under a united and equitable Nigerian state. Our efforts should be channeled toward ensuring that the Nigerian state is sensitized and constructively engaged to the point of seeing the need for restructuring: aimed at entrenching equity and justice within the polity by embracing true federalism. We need to let the agitators know that going our separate way will not solve our problems as Igbos but rather will create new challenges that we might not effectively grapple with because of our high expectations and the erroneous belief that once we have Biafra all our developmental challenges will be over in a jiffy.
If the agitators for Biafra can listen to voices of reason, the following are likely challenges that will confront the Biafran state, in the event it succeeds in pulling out of the Nigerian state:

• Resurrection of long buried, age-long, blood line and communal feuds and identities, which the Nigerian state to greater extent smoothened out, which made it possible for use to collectively see ourselves as Igbos, and not wawas, agbaenus, aros , just to mention but a few.
• The potential loss of power, opportunities and synergies from larger number and space that the Nigerian state provides. Opportunities are bound in the Nigerian state which will help us tremendously in building and actualizing ourselves our potentials far more than we will achieve in a Biafran state. This can be confirmed by the fact that most of our developmental strides have been accomplished outside the confines of the East.
• We must also realize and come to terms that over 90% of our investments are domiciled outside the South East. What becomes the fate of these investments and capitals which to greater extent are location fixed? We must not lose sight of the likelihood of their imminent nationalization by their host States, in the event of the balkanization of Nigeria.
• How would we handle the migration back to the east of over 40million Igbos? This should be viewed against the backdrop that South East does have the requisite infrastructure to cater for them. Let us not deceive ourselves, the challenges will be quite humongous, especially in the midst dwindling world resources and low pricing raw materials. In as much as it can be argued that it is better to suffer for a while for the sake of a better tomorrow. Will we not end up murmuring like the Israelites, who told Moses that it would have been better for them to have been left in Egypt to feed on onions, cucumber and garlic? No one can predict the outcome of such murmurings. For sure it might lead to societal conflicts that might too much for a young and emerging state to handle.
• How will Igbos integrated by marriage and other filial relationships fare? How would Biafra handle them and their offspring?
• Let Igbos objectively, ask themselves what their resource bases are? Are they really large enough to sustain Biafra as an independent? The agitators for Biafra should not delude ourselves that those they will be leaving behind in the new Nigerian state or those who will equally choose to form their nations will freely open their doors and allow us unfettered access to use and benefit their resources, economies and markets. Coming against the backdrop of strained relationships, they will be more suspicious, antagonistic and end up imposing limitations and restrictions that will make it impossible to do business with them.

These are some of possible challenges, though not in any way exhaustive. Not to talk of what type leadership structure Biafra would entrench given the egalitarian disposition of Igbos. The above list of challenges is not exhaustive but it is designed primarily to draw the attention of the present agitators of Biafra on some issues they may end up grappling with in the event of breaking away from Nigeria.

THE EPICENTRE OF THE BIAFRAN AGITATION

It is imperative that we situate where the agitation for Biafra is loudest, this understanding will likely help in unearthing some crucial things that can be addressed in order to assuage the critical mass of the agitators. A closer look at the spread of the agitation for the Biafran State would reveal that it is loudest in the South Eastern states. This simply suggests that they have been the ones mostly affected by the deliberate state policies which have not given them space and opportunities to actualize their full potentials. It is factual that the agitation for Biafra is rarely seen or heard in other states of Nigeria that provide opportunities for Igbos to be integrated in the Nigerian establishment. Good examples are states like Lagos and the National capital, Abuja. To greater extent, Igbos have been able to find space to better their lots in these places, even in the midst of oppression and unfavourable state policies. This picture in comparison with what obtains in the South Eastern states, simply reveals that the effect of the earlier identified Nigerian power establishment’s policies and bad governance are the prime causes of the resurgence. They are sounding loudest in the East because of the limited opportunities and the sustained structures of deprivations inherent in these places. Suggesting that if policies and actions can be initiated in these epicentres of agitation for Biafra to ameliorate their sufferings and dismantle those structures that, their agitation will likely die a natural death. Along those lines, it is imperative that:

• That governments at the Federal and State levels must immediately initiate massive investment schemes to develop and create opportunities for these people who have borne the brunt of long neglect by these governments in the areas of sustainable developmental initiatives. Let us sincerely ask ourselves what has been the level and type of Federal Government’s presence and developmental efforts in the South East, following the much mouthed Three Rs (Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reintegration) policy of Nigerian government after the devastating civil war?
• There is the need for urgent policy review by the Power establishment in Nigeria aimed at immediate removal and dismantling of barriers and limitations imposed on the Igbos.
• The creation of a level playing ground in politics, business and every aspect of our National life.
• Doing away with the notion that Nigeria belongs to certain people who must be accorded privileges that are denied to other people especially the Igbos.
• Attitudinal change towards the Igbos aimed at eliminating the wrong notion that they are a conquered people who should treated as second class citizens in Nigeria.
• Initiation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a vehicle or platform for those aggrieved within the Nigerian state, especially the Igbos to voice out their grievances with a view to achieving necessary national healing, forgiveness and advancement.

These are some recommendations that can be initiated that have the potential of assuaging the agitators of Biafra. One thing also, remains imperative, there must be a paradigm shift on how other Nigerian see or view the Igbos as a conquered people, deserving utmost, maltreatment, suspicion and disdain. It must be understood in the loudest terms by the rest of Nigerians that Igbos have never been conquered by any people. What they lost was a civil war when they tried to secede from Nigeria. A civil war is not a war designed to conquer a people. It is an armed conflict between constituent part(s) of a state engaged or initiated to address certain perceived grievances. A civil war is usually a seceding part against the remnants of the whole. On the other hand, a conquest is the defeat of an independent state by another. Igbos were seen as a necessary constituent and vital part of a whole, known as Nigeria which informed the reason why the rest of the whole to had fight with them with a view to ensuring that they remained part of the whole. What was defeated in the course of the Nigerian civil war was their Biafran ideology, whose defeat was momentary and not the Igbos as a people. The war that was lost and won by Nigeria was aimed at re-integration and keeping Nigeria as a unit, not defeat and conquest of a people. Without the Igbos you cannot have a Nigerian state. Nigeria will not be complete without the Igbos. When a whole loses a part it is no longer the same no matter how we want to deny or diminish that loss.

All said and done, we all, collectively, and we in the sense of all well-meaning Nigerians who believe in the great future and potential of the Nigerian state have urgent and important roles to play by ensuring that we all remain together as a united and equitable country. In this regard, it is, however, imperative that the present government should lead the charge by implementing my earlier suggestions. Denials and intimidation cannot not stop an idea whose time ripening. If we are serious about stopping millions of Igbos from taking their agitations to a tipping point, now is the time to act. If something is not urgently done, the ghost of Biafra is about to be fully resurrected. This time around it will be more ferocious. Can Nigeria afford the insurgency in the North East aimed at enthroning an Islamic Caliphate, alongside a war with Biafra at this time, knowing fully well that the fire of the Niger Delta self- determination movement is still fresh and smouldering? Not to talk about those from the South West who in recent times have seen the need for either regionalism or Oduduwa Republic. This time around a poorly managed confrontation with Biafra has the potential dismembering the fragile Nigerian state because other interest groups that are not particularly happy with the goings on in Nigeria will certainly latch onto the favourable times and opportunity to drum support for their self-determination.

For those who are well acquainted with the Igbo nation, the demographics and character of Igbos, the present agitation for Biafra has the potential of snowballing into a hurricane that can dismember the Nigerian state. If those I had earlier identified as Nigerian Igbos realise and come to terms that their well-intended efforts at being Nigerians are nothing other illusions in the present Nigerian structure, they will be left with no other choice than to join forces with their deprived brethren- the Biafra Igbos mostly domiciled in the East to unleash and give life to a movement and hurricane that possesses the capacity of consuming and dismembering the Nigerian State. Let us recall that the US had predicted the likelihood of Nigeria becoming a failed state. What else can tip Nigeria to that status and eventual disintegration, if not a movement like the agitation for a Biafran state out of Nigeria that is not well managed by the present government? The truth remains that the Nigerian Igbos in Nigeria have a “war” to fight. That the deprived Biafran Igbos’ present agitation can lever or serve as the necessary catalyst that will fast track that “war”. The Time for well-meaning Nigerians to act is now to avoid a looming catastrophe that has the potential of dismembering Nigeria.

As a note of caution the present Nigerian government should not discountenance the Biafran agitation as we did with Boko haram- whose threat and murderous carnage we are still battling to curtail and eliminate till date. Not to talk about the poor handling of Niger Delta Militancy despite its early warning signals, for which we later had to resort to very expensive Amnesty Program before we could broker a temporary relief and peace.

Taa ka bu ututu

Obi Mkparu

http://www.oblongmedia.net