THE BIAFRA QUESTION: IS SECESSION THE ANSWER? (2)

Over four decades after the devastating secession bid by the Igbos through the Nigerian civil war, many Igbos are still vigorously pursuing the actualization of the Biafran dream. So much so that a radio station called “Radio Biafra” broadcasts hate messages against the Nigerian government. Efforts to close down the broadcasts have proved unsuccessful. It turns out that quite a number of Igbos tune-in to the station and agree with the message.

The Nigerian Constitution in Section 39 (1): ‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference. There is nothing wrong with wanting to secede. This piece is just to examine the feasibility of the whole idea.

One thing I would like to point out is that secession is hardly done peacefully. No nation will let go of a territory perceived to be theirs without a fight, especially with the fact that crude oil, the bulk of the nation’s foreign exchange earner comes from there. The least of wars is extremely devastating. The horrors of war are far better imagined than experienced. The bloodshed, widespread devastation, destruction, displacement and resultant famine are not worth it. There is no justification for inciting the public, or attempting to instigate violence. War is never pretty. It is only glamorous in movies, not in real life.

Let us assume that the Biafra advocates intend to do it peacefully, by means of a referendum. What exactly is their game plan? What really do they want?

Let’s get real. MASSOB is agitating for a sovereign state. If Biafra is allowed to exist, what then happens to Igbos scattered across the country? What would become of their various businesses? Many Igbos will automatically become foreigners in Nigeria, requiring visas and passports to travel and requiring permits to continue to operate their businesses. Many of them would be at the mercy of immigration officers who would order their deportation at will. How feasible is that?

How many Igbos would surrender their property acquired in Lagos and Abuja to the government of Nigeria? How would Biafra compensate them in return? Let us not forget that majority of people in the “clearing and forwarding, importer and exporter business” are the Igbos.

So all these successful people will leave the big cities- Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna etc. to live in that small niche of land? Remember that it was land constraints that forced them out in the first place.

Another bone of contention is the extent of Biafra land. We all know for sure that it comprises the Igbo-speaking states. One does not know what would become of the South-South states, or Delta state which has a small Igbo population.

Instead of clamouring for a Biafran state, it would be wise for Biafran agitators to focus on fighting for a level playing field in Nigeria. For instance, it’s only the South East region that has 5 states, all other regions have 6 states, and one region has 7.  This has immense implications because the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) is shared by many criteria including number of Local Governments in a state. More revenue would translate to more funds at their disposal. This should be a focal point for those fighting for the Biafran cause.

Let the Biafra agitators fight for capital projects that would benefit their people. The South East has no Federal steel rolling mill, a region which has Aba, Nnewi and Onitsha, three manufacturing and industrial hubs. Even more astonishing is the fact that there was no sea port or international airport in decades.  Those clamouring for Biafra will do well to make demands on the executive and the legislative arms of government. These are legitimate demands.

Why can’t the agitators hold each State Governor in the South East accountable for the infrastructure in those states? For instance, most South Eastern roads are in a terrible state. It isn’t too much for them to build standard multiple-lane expressways with rail services that would link all South Eastern states.

How about education? How about healthcare? How about welfare? How about employment? How about crime? How about human rights? How about erosion control? What have the Biafran agitators done to improve the lot of their people in these key areas?

It is very foolhardy to believe that all these issues will miraculously be solved when Biafra comes to existence. Biafran agitators make Biafra seem like Paradise, a place where things could never go wrong. Whether you like it or not, if you don’t tackle your problems now, your problems would multiply when you have your separate country. It is your governors that you fail to task on good governance that would still rule you in Biafra. You will have it rougher because Nigeria would be as hostile as your other neighbor, Cameroon.

I believe those that want Biafra should work towards improving the lot of their people… simple. Biafra should be a fight for good governance and improved lifestyle.