Former
President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebere Jonathan yesterday delivered a lecture at
Texas US on why remaining indivisible with Nigeria than joining forces with
Biafrans in splitting the country will pay niger deltans more.
I begin this
write-up by saying that I mean no ill-thought towards the Biafran struggle or
Igbos in general. What I’ve written here are mainly my personal reflections
concerning the Niger Delta, especially with regards to non-Igbo groups and
their stake in the Biafran movement which has been rebirthed for some time now.
I am not a mouthpiece for the Niger Delta but I believe I’ve been in the Niger
Delta long enough to know our problems and our stand. I’ve also interacted with
many Niger Deltans to know their stand in the Biafran struggle.
When I use
the term Niger Delta, I am referring to the region covering Delta, Edo,
Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. However, I understand that
the region also covers Ondo, Imo, and Abia states. I’m not concerned with the
latter because they are either Igbos or Yorubas and have their own struggles.
The ethnic groups within my coverage include Urhobo-Isoko, Bini, Esan,
Itsekiri, Ijaw-Epie-Ogbia, Ogoni, Afemai, Efik-Annang-Eket-Oron-Ibibio, Ogoja,
Ejagham, and other groups in Cross River North. Ikwerre, Ukwuani, Ika, Aniocha,
Ogba, and other Igboid groups, are not included. Historically, Biafra covered
all the Niger Delta states EXCEPT Delta and Ondo states. This fact must be
emphasised.
Pro-Biafrans
are welcome to debate and address my issues in a civil manner. I understand
that most pro-Biafrans resort to insults when salient issues are addressed.
Please let’s
set a good precedence from hereon.
1. Biafra
may not be better for Niger Deltans because Niger Deltans may end up living one
form of subjugation for another. The argument Igbos have made for their freedom
is the desire to be free from Hausa-Yoruba domination. That argument also
applies to the average Niger Deltan. Igbo, no doubt, will be the major ethnic
group if Biafra is actualised. Ijaws may have a stake due to their numbers.
What about the Ogonis, Urhobo-Isokos, Itsekiris, Efiks, etc? Where will they
fit in at the national level? The sad reality is that another Nigeria will just
be made manifest and resentments will build up. What will really be the fate of
minorities? Will they fare better in Biafra or alone? In Nigeria, big groups
such as Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo checkmate each other’s excesses very well. Who
will checkmate that of Igbos in the new nation?
2. Where
will the capital be located? If we are to follow the notion of central
location, the capital of Biafra won’t be Enugu but around Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene
axis. Will Igbos allow their capital to be sited in a non-Igbo location? This
is a very salient issue because you don’t expect the riverine Niger Deltan in
Twon-Brass, for instance, to journey all the way to Enugu to see their
President. It has to be a location where ALL BIAFRANS can access easily. Enugu
won’t go.
3. The issue
of annexation comes to play. For so long, e-Biafrans have annexed Niger Delta
as part of the proposed nation. The map below shows us what Biafrans have drawn
to constitute the new nation:
If we judge
from this map, it means all groups in the Niger Delta have been annexed. My
question is whether the leaders of these groups have been consulted before the
annexation was done. I, for one, know that Urhobo-Isoko and Efik-Ibibio leaders
have not approved of Biafra neither have anybody in these regions declared
Biafra. So how and why were they included in the proposed map? Little things
like this bring distrust and I understand that many of these non-Igbo regions
have disowned the map and pledged allegiance to Nigeria. The declaration by the
Delta State government is a case in point. I see this as forceful annexation.
The so-called e-Biafrans have also not done much in calming the nerves of the
people of the annexed regions. I’ve seen comments such as “if you don’t like
it, go and stay in Sokoto”, “all land in the South is Biafraland”, etc. Is it
not ironic that a group of people who want freedom want to annexe others?
4. What
languages will be made the official languages of the new nation? I have seen
several posts by e-Biafrans where Igbo was proposed as the official language of
the new republic. What then will happen to other languages such as Urhobo,
Isoko, Okpe, Efik, Ibibio, Oron, Ogoni, Eleme, Okrika, Kalabari, Bini, Esan,
etc? Will they die off because of Igbo? Certainly NOT! If English is made the
official language, the Igbo majority factor will kick in. If your name isn’t
Chukwuemeka or Oliseh, Amarachi or Nneka, etc, you won’t get any appointment
nor shall you be recognised. These are things we can’t deny. We are very
ethnocentric in Africa.
5. What and
what have Igbo nation done for Niger Deltans to gain their trust? Every day I
see Igbo youths making enemies where there were none. They constantly use the
agency of the internet to sprout controversy, hurl insults at dissenters and
make unfounded claims. There is this general air of mistrust for Igbos by some
Niger Deltans, particularly by Urhobo-Isoko and Bini people. What have Igbos
done to checkmate this? Has any Igbo leader or group extended the hand of
friendship to the Niger Deltans. Mistrust cannot be wished away. Most Niger
Deltans would rather follow Hausas as slaves than follow Igbos as kings. This
is the real reality and truthfully, Igbos caused this.
6. Who will
lead the new nation? Obviously, Nnamdi Kanu, their hero, has fought tooth and
nails for Biafra and he is currently cooling off in jail. If Biafra comes
today, who will be the interim leader and what modalities are in place for
subsequent leaders to be elected? Igbos have been the only ones fighting for
Biafra since time immemorial with a handful of other groups here and there.
Will Igbos allow other groups to rule over them? Will they allow an Urhobo man
to be President, for instance? This is not a case of mere wishing. We have to
understand that Niger Delta groups MAY NEVER BE ALLOWED TO RULE BIAFRA IF IT IS
ACTUALISED.
7. Still on
the issue of leaders, are the new leaders going to fall from the skies or they
are simply going to change addresses from Abuja to Enugu. If so, what will
change in the new nation? It is not arguable that Igbo national leaders are the
most corrupt persons in Nigeria. If these same people are the ones to rule the
new nation then there is no hope because corruption will be so rife that the
economy of the new nation will shut down like a knocked engine. If we argue
that new and younger leaders will arise, we still have the issue of who fought
for Biafra to contend with. Most pro-Biafrans will not allow someone who sat at
the periphery of the struggle to just come and waltz power away from the
“heroes” of Biafra. If this is true then we will not have a proper democracy in
Biafra.
8. Will
Biafra be a utopia? The impression that e-Biafrans give is that Biafra will be
perfect and we all know for a fact that this is not true. Apart from the issue
of corruption and sentimentalism that have been addressed, we still have the
issue of development. Where will money be generated from to develop the nation?
In the whole of the proposed Biafra, only Port Harcourt and Onitsha are
economically viable cities. Where will the investors come from? Why should they
invest in a volatile country? Only in Warri, we have Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo
at loggerheads, imagine what would happen to the whole nation. Secondly, I am
sure that no Niger Deltan will allow his “oil” to be used to develop Enugu like
what happened with Abuja, and is still happening today. Niger Deltans are
getting wiser and by the time the new nation is formed, matters that border on
oil, wealth distribution and infrastructural development will be raised.
9. The
current structure of the proposed nation, as shown in the map earlier embedded,
favour Igbos with more states. Urhobo has one, Efik-Ibibio has two, Itsekiri
has none, etc. How will this be addressed? Certainly, every ethnic nationality
will want adequate representation and so the structure on that map will never
work.
10. Last,
but not the least, is the issue of referendum. Some Biafrans are already
calling for a referendum which will involve all parts of the proposed nation. I
am pretty sure how this referendum will turn out. However, for the sake of
being hypothetical, let us imagine that some ethnic groups/states vote against
Biafra by the majority, what will be their fate at the end of the day?
Secondly, will the result of such a referendum be true and honest? I understand
that electoral malpractice forms a part of our identity. How are we going to
get a true reflection of people’s thoughts? Thirdly, if states and ethnic
groups do decide to vote for Biafra, what mechanisms are in place to contain
Igbophobia, Igbomania, Igbocentrism, Igbo hegemony, Landgrabbing, and all issues
that minorities have raised?
Above are the reasons why I feel that Niger Deltans will
NOT subscribe to the Biafran movement. I have been very practical,
philosophical and hypothetical in my approach. I do not speak for any group or
persons but I present these issues for the pro-Biafrans to address. Niger
Deltans can raise more issues that I have not raised. Finally, it should be
noted that I expect insults directed at my person by e-warriors and keyboard
mercenaries, as usual, but I won’t pleasure such persons with answers or
altercations. If you raise good points, we can discuss like intellectuals.
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