Wrong Concepts Nigerians have about Biafra: Professor Itse Sagay’s wrong Hypotheses

With the recent statement attributed to Professor Itse Sagay, a lawyer and the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, it is clear that most Nigerians do not really understand this Biafra ideology and struggle. Nigerians know of the civil war that threatened the unity of the nation, but they turn a blind eye to the causes, the brutality and the injustice that accompanied the war. In fact, some adult Nigerians do not know of the real happenings of the war.

The war has been over for a long time now, the former Biafra has been incorporated into Nigeria; however, something seems to be wrong somewhere that has awakened the struggle for Biafra since the early 2000s. The reawakened Biafra struggle did not start with IPOB as some Nigerians believe; it started with MASSOB during Obasanjo’s regime. And for those who said it is because of Buhari and the loss of Jonathan that some youths are protesting, MASSOB and IPOB were active during the last regimes albeit on a low-key. Buhari’s administration triggered it with the arrest of the radio director. Biafra is no longer a fantasy or a tool of coercion by the Igbo as people think, it is now an ideology, a strong political ideology. While most Nigerians were busy celebrating the return of democracy, some individuals have been fighting and dying for the cause they believe would actualize. Many people have been killed already for their belief in Biafra, so it did not start today.

The professor didn’t carry out his research well before he came to his conclusion, or he chose to turn a blind eye to the real facts because of sentiment. Nigeria is one and will better off as one, but people should stop peddling lies and falsehood in the name of keeping the unity of this country. Igbo didn’t make up 50% of Jonathan’s administration, Igbo didn’t rig and manipulate the election for Jonathan, Igbo are not intimidating Buhari with the protest. Where did this man get these hypotheses from?

What we have here is a man who wants to manipulate facts and events to suit him and endear him to the president, or perhaps, a man who because of sentiment wishes to lie to the public. The Biafra struggle has been there and thrives well among the people of the East, even some part of the Niger Delta. It did not emerge now. And who might be the one organizing these protests to intimidate Buhari when all the political leaders in Igbo land have denied their involvement in the protest, and they condemned it, too. Buhari’s administration triggered it, they would have just ignored the radio director, this wouldn’t have gotten this far.

Biafra is not a form of coercion, neither is it a recent orchestrated protest. It was not instituted as Buhari came into power, and nobody is using the protest to intimidate anybody. If a part of the country feels it has been maltreated and have not been granted equal rights in the country, then the country should allow that section to go. Besides, every tribe in Nigeria believes Igbo are the cause of Nigeria’s problem, but they become hesitant when the issue of secession rears its head. There is no unity among the tribes in Nigeria, a section of the country is always discriminated and labeled bad, and a section of the country is referred to as 5%, therefore, the section is denied appointments. Why wouldn’t there be call for secession?

Nigeria is one, though. We pray it remains one and comes out of these problems and setback unified than ever.

Chinwe O'Brien is a writer and a blogger. He is currently doing a degree program in English and Literature. He blogs at http://www.bettertim.blogspot.com He wishes to make the world a better place for all.