Political Issues
Biafran State or Igbo Presidency: The Critical role of the year 2023 -By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh
All of a sudden and then it happened on 10th September as the EU parliament granted audience to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu – leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) – to shed light on the plight of the Igbo-speaking tribe of Nigeria. That was unbelievable. It was the most shocking news that ever sounded at the ears of the average Nigerian especially those who applauded the malicious proscription of the group a few years ago.
The suddenness of this incident reminds me of the biblical story of how Jephtha was restored to his proper place in his father’s house and among his brethren. Jephtha was a man who destiny had singled out to rule in his father’s house but who was maliciously driven away by his brethren upon the death of their father on the accusation that he was the son of a prostitute who was not properly married to their father.
Until the time appointed by heaven came for him to take his proper place of honor; Jephtha mingled with vain men and what could be called riff raffs. Though a warrior who was feared by many; he had no such honor among his brethren and in his father’s house. I have advocated for attitudinal change in most of my writings because for me; there is no other enemy that was poised to destroy Nigeria but the average Nigerian.
Those who have followed my articles in the past can be sure that I have told and retold the Jephtha story time and time again; that a constitutional crisis will arise that will force this federation to give the Igbo man his due as far as political gains was concerned. The same way I wrote about where Nigeria was missing it in this matter is the same way I wrote about the Igbo side and where they were missing it too.
Yet it grieves me to say that despite these personal efforts, Nigeria still determines to continue her injustice against the good people of the southeast. One wonders why the sudden show of interest by the EU; have they been aloft and nonchalant all these while? The answer I think is a NO; they have been aloft alright but watching the drama all the while. Believe it or not, Nigeria’s predicted break-up is jealously followed!
As a strategic partner even within the African continent, Nigeria will be living in delusion if she thinks her relevance is intact and not plummeting. Baby countries-turned-nations are now offering better options; if Nigeria cared to observe. Look at the recent xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa. If Nigeria’s pride of place was still tenable; our citizens wouldn’t have suffered such ill-fortunes.
And to cap it up; no apologies or explanations has been offered so far. Not even Ramaphosa’s comments upon our president’s visit to South Africa convinced any! In fact the SA president talked more of ways to include Nigeria in their economy but what that really meant was the south Africans would’ve first taken charge of their economy before foreigners could be given a place. That’s what the president of South Africa meant, really.
But Nigeria surely took the statement to mean that another xenophobic attack wouldn’t arise in the future. Nigerians in Ghana are facing their own hell over there and, same treatment goes for those in Libya who are even sold as slaves! Now, can these ills happen to an Israeli and the villain country will not have been facing serious fire by now?
Can these ills happen to an American and the villain country not be jittery by now? Anyway, let’s leave those for another day. The Igbo situation in Nigeria since the ill-fated Civil war should have been addressed long ago; if we had a forward-thinking mindset. As I perceive, the year 2023 is going to be a decider for the federation of Nigeria and for the Igbos for several reasons; some of which I shall highlight here.
Beyond the fact of being an election year; it pretty much is also going to be a make or break year as far as the struggle for the actualization of Biafra and the efforts to keep Nigeria the way it’s always been was concerned. In the 20 years since the 4th republic, the federation has produced a president from the southwest Nigeria – President Olusegun Obasanjo – who reigned for a 2-term that lasted for 8 years.
The south-south has also reigned for a 6-year period with President Goodluck jonathan in office. The northwest first produced President Umaru YarÁdua now late; who reigned for 2 years before his death in 2010. The northwest again has gained their share of the federation with President Muhammadu Buhari who has been in office since 2015. If nothing stops him, he’ll be leaving office by 2023; giving the northwest a 10-year span.
Now, there are 6 geopolitical zones in the country (although they are not constitutionally recognized) and if fairness and shared prosperity is a mindset, we should have given constitutional backing to the phrase ‘Rotational Presidency’. Without shame or even remorse for how they have held the reins of power since independence – a feat that has not translated to positive development in the north – the north has started another funny argument that they should retain power beyond 2023.
What happens to the other geopolitical zones some of which have never tasted power at all? The north has no answer to give. What happens to the disgruntled sections of the polity who has been crying foul play as per neglect? The north has nothing to say to that. What about the overbearing influence of the north in employment into federal jobs? The north keeps mum.
What about the demand to concede the powers to control resources to state or to out-rightly restructure? The north prefers to have a dysfunctional country without a national vision let alone common grounds that could promote unity. A significant percentage of Nigerians are very poor today; not because they are lazy but because they are trapped in a system that richly rewards criminality more than the sincere and honest effort.
And so, we now have more youths turning to crime because they believed it pays more. Now, rather than concentrate on the ‘Next Levelz’ agenda, the ruling APC thinks it was best to kick-start the confusion that’ll produce their preferred successor to President Muhammadu Buhari and while on that, the IPOB has started another phase in their peaceful agitation for the sovereign state of Biafra.
The stage is therefore set for what may well translate into a constitutional crisis and eventual break-up if nothing is done to assuage the angry feelings of many. Though, it appears, by the way, that not many in Nigeria or the ruling APC gave a thought to the overall impression of IPOB’s latest moves. This is not a surprise when we consider that most of the leaders in Nigeria – particularly the one in power now – lacked the cognitive ability to interpret simple diplomatic maneuvers.
That is why they – in their under-estimation of potential land mines – made a monster out of the Boko Haram group; made a hotspot of the goldmines of Zamfara state; and practically erected the armed herdsmen etc. to impoverish the entire country. The billions of naira that should go into alleviating poverty are now used to buy arms from factories that are located abroad in another man’s country and economic space.
Donald trump once said that if America were to be a corporation she would’ve filed for bankruptcy as she loses a whopping $200B USD annually on foreign policy defense spending. How does this statement relate to what I’m saying? Here is the connection: If Nigeria were to be a partnership business concern, there is no way the business would’ve survived for a long period of time if one partner operated as if he had sole ownership.
So if relationship mattered in business so also it does matter in politics and government and; particularly in peaceful co-existence. True federalism and rotational presidency are the things we see in countries with the world’s biggest and oldest democracies. They do these things – and we (Nigerians) think they are foolish – because they know the alternative which was either civil unrest or insurrections was most expensive.
Back in Nigeria, some think that by populating and controlling the air force and the army, it was easy to subjugate the other tribes. They forget that the cost of revamping an economy especially after a civil war was a herculean task. Up till date, the economy of only Borno state still limped despite the tons of monies that has gone into that economy so far. The government has not done anything meaningful beyond just pumping the oil wealth from the Niger Delta into that economy.
People that know have been asking: Does economic resuscitation begin and end with just injecting billions of naira into the system? How about working on the mindset of the people – resetting it to become ready to tap into the economic value of peaceful co-existence? Such is the leadership we have in Africa that know how to polarize the polity and cause a wildfire to spread but understands NOTHING about how to put out the fire!
The proposed re-introduction of toll gates – for me – is practically dead on arrival and let me show you why: 56 toll gates are proposed for the SOUTHEAST; 21 toll gates are proposed for the SOUTH-SOUTH; 22 toll gates are proposed for the SOUTHWEST; 14 toll gates are proposed for the NORTHCENTRAL; 12 toll gates are proposed for the NORTHWEST and 9 toll gates are proposed for the NORTHEAST.
In all, a total of 35 toll gates are designated for the 19 states of the north while 99 toll gates are designated for the states of the south. Yet political leadership is not good for the south particularly for the southeast? That’s a huge joke on display! Whoever proposed that list has only accomplished one thing; namely: They’ve provided another concrete evidence to prove the reality of Igbo marginalization in Nigeria.
Imagine what is building up against 2023? Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s latest moves to court the attention of the international communities is the best thing that happened in 2019 for the Igbos. Remember how the South Sudan exercised from the Sudan? Many scorned at the efforts of the freedom fighters up to the time the referendum took place. Gbam! And suddenly the South Sudan appears from out of nowhere.
Q: Where is the Sudan today?
A: In trouble.
Q: Where is Omar Al-Bashir the tyrant?
A: Out of power, miserable and to be pitied.
Q: Where has HUNGER made its headquarters today?
A: If you say it’s the Sudan, you may have educated me.
The Igbos are serious about changing their situation and if 2023 should for any reason slip out of their hands; it will be clear enough to all that they are not wanted as equal citizens but needed as slaves despite what they bring to the table economically. My advice is for the powers-that-be – the Omar Al-Bashirs’ of Nigeria – to consider the implication of Mazi Kanu’s recent audience at the EU and agencies of the UN and to do all it takes to allow power to come to the southeast in 2023. This is not a threat.
Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh is an advocate for attitudinal change. 08062577718.
