I feel a deep sense of grief and bewilderment when I read a lot of
misguided comments from my Igbo brothers with some calling for a violent
secession from Nigeria. Most of the generation of people making these
statement never witnessed the civil war. They did not see first hand the
horrors of war. They did not experience the terrific impact of bombs or
the loud ear splitting sounds of heavy artillery shells as the explode.
Should I talk about the economic impact? How our people were reduced to
paupers and had to start from the scratch. How beautiful daughters were
forcefully torn from the warm embrace of their families and married off
to leprous men in the North just to spite our people. Only a mentally
deranged and prone to self destruction individual will ever in his life
support a violent secession from Nigeria.
Our problem is not
secession. Our problem is learning how to live with other tribes in
harmony while doing our businesses. Our focus should be on how to build
consensus across the nation for vital political interests.
I
laugh heartliy when I see some misguided Niger Delta youths like
barcanista and co trying to be clever by half by playing to our sense of
entitlement. Speaking from both sides of the mouth about how our people
are being pushed aside and marginalized.
Yet these are the same
people that effectively sabotaged the Biafran struggle under Ojukwu.
These are the same people that lead the enemy in through our backyards
and betrayed their so called brothers. Now they have started a new song
because their brother Jonathan who performed woefully was booted out by
majority of Nigerians.
I want us to know sometime that is
historical. The moment an attempt is made to secede, the I jaws will
immediately turn their backs and negotiate us away to advance their
interests. So we will end up alone fighting the whole of Nigeria and
loosing again.
When the chips are down, we are always alone.
Another
point to consider is that Nigeria has become too intergrated to break
up. Almost every family has in laws across their tribe. How will that be
handled?
Igbo are the most integrated people in Nigeria with
business interests across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Most of
our people will become jobless or stay and be killed the moment a
secession is declared.
Those who knew the truth will tell you
that even inside Biafra there were still serious cases of tribalism and
nepotism, even under the revered Ojukwu. That was why ahiara declaration
became necessary to tackle these issues.
Finally, we are not ready militarily and would only be engaging in another massive waste of life if we insist on our ways.
So
my people do not be deceived! Our best and only bet is to remain as law
abiding citizens of Nigeria while doing our best to continue to be
relevant in the scheme of things.
Ka Chineke mezie okwu.
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