| As Kosovo Wins Independence, The Way Forward For Biafra |
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| Written by Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 03 June 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Before I begin, may I pay tribute to the heroes of the Niger-Delta, locked in a justified struggle for freedom, the long suffering Nigerian masses and the Yoruba nation which have in recent times joined the struggle for emancipation from the shackles of Nigeria’s internal colonialism as represented by an utterly corrupt, brutal, insensitive, parasitic and unprogressive cabal. Kosovo’s recent independence signals a major, somewhat revolutionary rift in the international geo-politics of self determination and the right of independence for ethnic nations. It has made the grounds for self determination clearer, and set an unassailable precedent that many groups seeking self determination are bound to profit from in the near future. It has also crucially in very clear terms vindicated the Biafran struggle then and now for a separate existence from Nigeria. Kosovo was granted independence on the logic that hence the government and people of Serbia had carried out acts of ethnic cleansing against the Kosovo people; they automatically lost the right to co-exist in the same nation with the Kosovars. It is noteworthy that less than 10,000 people died in the actual act of ethnic cleansing, yet the international community deemed it sufficient to back Kosovo’s independence. In the case of Biafra over 30,000 ordinary civilians were massacred in cold blood by Northern leaders in 1966. Thousands continue to be killed to date in frequent premeditated acts of ethnic cleansing in Northern Nigeria. Thus, the logic for Kosovo’s independence also validates the logic for Biafra ’s independence. In the 60’s when Biafra made its first muscular dash for self determination in the aftermath of the pogroms, the geo-politics of the world was different, which more than anything else contributed in halting the Biafran dream. But change is permanent, and as the Kosovo saga indicates, the world has evolved significantly into a greater appreciation of genocide and acts of ethnic cleansing to the extent of granting self determination on that premise. Biafrans, the Niger-Delta, Oduduwa and other separatist groups must now take advantage of these changes to unshackle themselves from Nigeria. The logic for Nigeria ’s disintegration is indisputable. In the face of Nigeria ’s continuing progressive decline in all facets after 9 years of an unprecedented oil boom, it is ideally time every Nigerian realised that the contradictions of her very existence has made the nation unworkable. Where other less endowed nations have succeeded, the inherent contradictions have made it impossible for Nigeria to succeed. Thus in spite of overwhelming human and material resources Nigeria is trapped in monumental poverty and deprivation. The ethnic groups are themselves forever locked in acrimony, extreme hatred and suspicion. Nigerians have demonstrated more hatred amongst themselves than Europeans would against us. There is a mutual, unhidden phobia against the political, economic or regional development of contending ethnic groups to the extent that there is an intense struggle to marginalize or dislocate each other from any meaningful development. Therefore in putting together a nation more diverse in religion and ethnicity than the whole of the European Union, the British colonialists knew they had created an impossible nation. Their long history of strife with Irish and Scottish nationalists amongst others bears sufficient evidence to these realities. Not even Europeans, as advanced as they are can live together peacefully if the whole of the European union were to be one nation being administered as a unitary state from a very strong centre, in total disregard of the peculiar economic, security and cultural needs of the constituent ethnic units. The British ignored the danger signals and knowingly created an unworkable contraption whose contending forces and ensuing chaos was calculated to service her interests and grant her unfettered access to the mineral resources. Thus Nigeria has remained unworkable and doomed to failure. The price of sustaining such a fraudulent union has been millions of lives in a genocidal civil-war, and endless ethno-religious conflicts. The greatest secret off course is that even the leaders do not believe in Nigeria . They make hypocritical noises about “one Nigeria ” only as a means to continue to loot the commonwealth. They would thus prefer to go to hospital abroad rather than build good hospitals in Nigeria, they prefer to send their children to school abroad rather than build good schools in Nigeria, they prefer to drive jeeps and own houses abroad rather than build good roads in Nigeria, they prefer to loot government funds and stash it abroad rather than use the funds to develop Nigeria. There is no nation in the world where true leaders who believe in their nation behave like this. Whereas the Nigeria-Biafra war was falsely called a “war of unity,” every post-war policy has indicated otherwise. Nations that fought a civil-war with a genuine intention to remain as one nation introduced far reaching measures at the end of all such wars with an intent on reconciliation, total reintegration of erstwhile opponents and nation building. Mozambique, Vietnam, Angola, South Africa etc are good examples in this regard. But in Nigeria, the war only ended in the battlefields, it has continued by other means. The conduct of the war itself revealed genocidal intentions of a scale never before seen in Africa . Massacres of unarmed civilians in Benin city, Asaba, Onitsha Apostolic church, Owerri, mass starvation of women and children amongst others is indicative of the fact, that it was more of a war intent on the total annihilation of a people and not in the least for unity.
The Faces Of Nigeria’s Apartheid: As part of the long list of injustices that has become a fundamental aspect of Nigeria’s national life, the recent postings in the Nigerians customs service where the deputy comptroller-general and 2nd most senior customs officer Mr Bassey Ettah from the Niger-Delta was sidelined, and in his place another Northerner was appointed as the head of the customs service is another of Nigeria’s Apartheid face as sponsored by the North. The customs service is one of Nigeria’s cash cow and of course a major cess pit of corruption, but the North has made sure only Northerners ever get appointed to the Apex of the organisation. Abuja, another face of Nigeria’s Apartheid is a beehive of construction while the rest of the country is abandoned to decaying infrastructure. Ironically the North contributes absolutely nothing to the national coffers , yet they end up institutionalising Apartheid systems that benefits them to the detriment of other sections of the nation. It is thus the fundamental rights of the Igbo and other ethnic groups enslaved in the Nigerian plantation to use any means necessary to actualise their separation from a nation that has arrested their development.
Strategies For Actualising Biafra : In line with the precedent set most recently in Kosovo, the repeated acts of ethnic cleansing sponsored by political and religious leaders in Northern Nigeria has already made the case for Biafra. The most important task ahead for the Igbo nation, is how to sensitive and pressure the international community into negotiating a plebiscite or referendum for an independent Igbo nation. In the aftermath of the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States , the geo-politics of the world has changed so much as to make this easier. Kosovo has also set a critical precedent in the criteria that qualifies indigenous peoples to legitimately seek independence. The Igbo nation must begin to take advantage of this new world order and opportunities to effect a final separation from Nigeria . The strategic interests of the Western world would favour a Christian nation that guarantees security and a free unfettered flow of hydro carbon. The methods which need to be adopted have been on display in recent times in places like Tibet . The Igbo have been too passive in their struggle for emancipation from Nigeria . For a people who famously resisted the more formidable British colonialists, and began the daunting struggle for independence, signalled most notably by the famed Aba women’s riot of 1929, defeating the bunch of despots who parade as leaders of Nigeria’s Apartheid state in the final push for liberation from internal colonialism shouldn’t be a problem. What needs to be done as outlined below is easy and quite practicable. (1)The Israeli’s have achieved most of their strategic political ends through Jewish Diaspora lobby and advocacy groups like the world Jewish council and other affiliated Jewish groups. The presence of a large Igbo Diaspora constitutes a potential, strategic international political force and pressure group which the Igbo nation is yet to exploit. Just recently the Tibetans mobilized their Diaspora citizens in non-violent protests that put the Chinese government under massive international pressure and forced them into accepting negotiations for political autonomy with the Dalai Lama. Igbo organisations like the World Igbo congress and others should begin to forcefully assert themselves on the Issue of self determination. Advocacy groups from such organisations around the world should begin to make their case for self determination premised on the Apartheid system in Nigeria and the continuing incidents of pre-meditated ethnic cleansing in Northern Nigeria . Organisations like the European Union, the United Nations, the World Council of Churches, the Catholic Church, the American Congress, the Israeli government and parliament etc should be contacted with a detailed history of a long list of endless unpunished acts of ethnic cleansing in Nigeria . These efforts would sensitive the international community and strengthen the case for self determination. (2) Jewish groups have the most powerful lobby in the United States of America . Igbo organisations should exploit the ancestral links with the Jews to align with them in order to benefit from their well oiled lobby machine in the quest for self determination. (3) Civil-disobedience, mass rallies and protests should increasingly be employed in Nigeria to draw attention of the international community to the plight of the East. Considerations should be given to periodically organising a peaceful and symbolic two million man march in Enugu . Diaspora groups can also organise placard carrying sensitisation rallies in front of the American congress, the European Union assembly etc. Visiting Nigerian government officials, attending functions can also be targeted by rallies and protests. (4) The joint assemblies of the East can meet and surrender their Sovereignty to the British or Americans for 25 years at the minimum. This negotiated arrangement would be similar to the type the British had in Hong Kong were they administered the region for an agreed number of years. This option would grant us accelerated developments and a better standard of living. Some would call this a return to colonialism, but experience has shown that colonialism has proven to be much better than the penury and chaos in post-colonial Nigeria. Hong Kong is one of the best organized cities courtesy of a negotiated British administration. (5) Guerrilla conflict though undesirable could become a last resort in the struggle for self determination. Nigeria has long been approaching this “bloody road to Baghdad ” by the refusal of her leaders to allow self determination and or equitably restructure the nation to allow ethnic groups develop at their own pace. As the saying goes, “those who refuse peaceful change will inevitably invite violent change.” A little bit of this scenario is already playing out in the Niger-Delta. The very nature of guerrilla conflicts makes it un-winnable. The large and strategic Igbo Diaspora can significantly fund and sustain such a conflict through a “consolidated Igbo Diaspora fund” to be opened for that purpose. While we wish and hope to avoid conflict, it will certainly become an option for hardened extremist elements as the Apartheid Nigerian regime endures and as issues remain unresolved. In conclusion, we must remember that no price is too much to pay for freedom. Those who are martyred in their struggle for freedom would meet with God in paradise. There is no greater virtue of good and righteousness than to give your life so that others can be free. After the struggle for independence from the colonial masters, the most important struggle of our generation is the struggle for independence from internal colonialism. No man or group has the right to decide the destiny of another ethnic nation. The choice between freedom and slavery is a clear choice. A nation in which you can be killed in the North for a cartoon published in Denmark is definitely not your nation. A nation in which the rulers are purveyors of hatred and division is not your nation. A nation in which the rulers arrest your political and economic development is not your nation. We must reject such a nation and march on to freedom. Those who have ears let them hear. Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu Lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com
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Posted by Robot| 03.06.2008 07:34