Biafra Independence.
Nobody really knows if there will be war or not, it depends on the events in the coming days and how the government and international community reacts. But the truth is that Nigeria will not remain the same again! It is either the country is restructured to make governance more efficient or a referendum for anyone who wants to exit the country is conducted or the country gets enveloped in another civil war.
The war when it happens this time, will not be fought predominantly in the east like in 1967. This time, every person living in today’s Nigeria, will feel the impact of the war!
A war will only happen if the international community decides not to be proactive like they do in matters concerning Africa. The looming crises can easily be averted by pressuring the Nigerian government to solve the agitations in the country and stop cases of human right abuses that are rampant in today’s Nigeria.
I believe that the Biafran agitators have carefully studied the Nigerian system and discovered that there is really no other way to go about it except protest and carry out civil disobedience.
The legislature is controlled by Northern Nigeria, and they have made it clear that Nigeria will remain one. The bill to devolve powers was killed in the National Assembly. No amount of lobbying by the southern lawmakers who lack the numerical strength to make anything happen in the National Assembly can make this happen.
The Executive has equally made it clear that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable.
So you have the National Assembly and Executive that do not want to listen to the agitation of millions of people protesting on daily basis for a date to be set for referendum.
As they protest, instead of engaging them and finding a solution, they are met with force! Nigeria security officers allegedly killed 150 pro-Biafra protesters
There is no prosecution of the oppressors, instead they are rewarded! The president refuses to acknowledge that it even happened, refuses to watch the video evidence!
UK that allowed her citizens vote in a referendum in Scotland and also to exit the EU, gives backing to the FG against a people that feel oppressed.
Right now, the government is seeking to arrest Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, a group that is at the forefront of agitating for the sovereign state of Biafra. Yet the government did not arrest the Northern youths that gave Igbos ultimatum to leave the north neither did they arrest the architects of two hate songs widely in circulation. A song calling for genocide against the Igbos. These types of injustices is the reason the Biafrans want out.
I fear that it is the re-arrest that will trigger violence possibly leading to another civil war. Right now, IPOB are unarmed and going about the protest and quest for Biafra in a non-violent manner.
Personally, I believe that the government can easily solve this by genuinely working to restructure Nigeria. Immediately setting up machinery to see that this is done will quell the agitations. We need to sit down to agree on a government structure that works best for us!
I believe that a united Nigeria where every ethnic nationality is treated fairly, where each region control their resources, will bring about healthy competition among the regions/states. We need to bring forth a political system that promotes inclusiveness and make positions of authority less attractive to PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS that have ruined the country thus far.