The agitation for Biafra tends to be on heating up, following the recent hearings of the case against leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and 3 others. File photo:
The protests embarked upon by pro-Biafra protesters in Onitsha, Anambra state, brought confusion, destruction and even death on December 2. Kanu's court case has lingered for too long, but is fast entering a critical stage where witness are stepping for to speak against the radio Bifara director. There are injunctions kicking against protests by the Biafran agitators, the police and other security agencies have warned against Zionist protests in various cities across the nation, especially those marred by violence. However, the pro-Biafrans have continued to stage protests in support of their embattled leader. Beyond the ban on protest marches across the nation, one gets a feeling that Biafra as a dream might as well be put to rest, and this is due to the various facts that stare us in face. Recent developments in the country and certain historical facts, tend like the handwriting on the wall to hint of possibilities that Biafra will not be achieved and Nigeria will remain ever united. Here are five facts that considerably stir doubts with regards to the possibility of attaining a sovereign Biafra republic. 1. Too many hands spoil the soup Initially, all that was known of the quest for Biafra was a push by the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). There were several face-offs between the pro-Biafra group and the authorities. On one major occasion, 16 members of the group were killed, following a combined raid involving the army, police and the SSS. In that particular raid at MASSOB offices in the commercial city of Onitsha, 83 members of the group were said to have sustained bullet wounds, while over 500 others were arrested. In a similar development, six members of MASSOB were sentenced to jail in Asaba for wearing regalia of the defunct Biafra and proclaiming to be members of the group. The Biafra push was very powerful then, but one would argue that the emergence of pirate Radio Biafra broadcasts, the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), and now the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM), amongst others, has made the Zionists more formidable. However, like the saying goes, too many hands, make a mess of the entire course. Some will ask how? This is already obvious, the plethora of pro-Biafra groups tend to be fighting for the same thing, but a closer look shows that they vary so much in ideology and it is only with time that the varied interests will act as a hindrance to actualising a Republic of Biafra. 2. Uwazuruike vs Kanu It is no more news that there is a rift between the various leaders of the diverse pro-Biafra groups. On Monday, November 30, MASSOB expelled its national leader Chief Ralph Uwazuruike. At a ceremony attended by national officers, including the zonal and regional administrators of the group, they inaugurated a new leadership for the Biafra movement. Chief Uwazuruike went on to create another faction known as the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM). After Uwazuruike created BIM, he went on to berate Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra and the leader of the IPOB. The former MASSOB leader hinted on how he recruited Kanu in 1989 to head Radio Biafra. He also pointed out that there was a displaced liability in civil law. “I recruited Nnamdi Kanu in 1989, when I established Radio Biafra and appointed him the director of the establishment. He started preaching hatred and brainwashing the youths. MASSOB sacked him,” Uwazuruike said. The battle between Biafra leaders is no new development, few years ago, there was a similar feud between the MASSOB and the Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM). The two pressure groups championing the realization of the 'Biafra Republic' as of the time, traded words over which is truly fighting the course. Some will argue saying "the more the merrier", however, in the case of Biafra, the more groups that spring up by the day, the more chances that Biafra might never be actualized. Only recently, Uwazuruike lashed out at Nnamdi Kanu and the IPOB for alleging that he was one of the masked witnesses that will testify against the pro-Biafra leader. The MASSOB founder said he would not need to wear a mask if he wanted to testify against Kanu. He described Kanu and IPOB members as fraudsters who are out to milk gullible people. IPOB on Thursday, January 12, fired back, asking Uwazuruike to substantiate his allegation of fraud against their leader Nnamdi Kanu, or get ready to be exposed. 3. Igbos have no king There is a controversial adage which states "Igbo enwe eze", meaning that the Igbos have no king. The controversy thereof, stems from two major schools of thought. While the first draws an inference that the adage represents the core life-style of the Igbo as a people without central leadership, the other debate that the adage defies logic, in the sense that a people cannot exist without a leader. Some will debate that the Biafrans have a leader in Nnamdi Kanu who is currently being detain by the Department of State Services. However, with the internal tussle for power experienced within the Biafra camp, one cannot shy away from the thought that perhaps having a central government might never be feasible for the Biafrans. Hence, it is not out of place to say that if the people of Biafra cannot organize themselves as to be ruled by just one person, then there will be so much obstacles in the attainment of a sovereign state. Perhaps, it is worthy to state that the spirit of individualistic independence, and self-reliance, which is a dominant characteristic of the Igbo people, might stop the revival of Biafra. There is also the case of saboteurs and sell-outs, not forgetting that certain Igbos are against the movement, while others are just sitting on the fence. It will be recalled that on Sunday, April 26, Radio Biafra in a Facebook post, released a statement titled "Prominent Biafran Sabotuers Who Escaped Justice". In that statement, the pro-Biafra activists, affirmed and highlighted the activities of certain Igbos deemed to be infidels. Even the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, was not spared, as the MASSOB termed him a saboteur, a title which they also labelled the apex Igbo group, Ohaneze Ndigbo. 4. Nigeria Playing Matured The federal government has ensured that security operatives act within the tenets of the law. The FG has only issued stern warnings to persons or groups who are planning to stage protests in the country to do so peacefully. But for a few protests which have gone sour, there have been little or no hostilities on the part of the government regarding marches by pro-Biafra groups. President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned recent attacks by the Biafran separatists, noting that Nigerians have remained united since independence. He stressed that the people’s resolve to remain united is ever strong. Despite a thick presence of the army in the southeast, the Federal Government has tried to be very careful in regards to its dealings with pro-Biafra agitators. It would be noted that little or nothing has been reported as regards a clash within the region, even as strict measures have been taken by the army toi ensure that the rights of the people are not infridged. 5. Much Haste Less Speed Some experts believe that the agitation for Biafra is ill-timed, especially not in this times when the nation has just had a very peaceful transition of the government in May 2015, which has become a highpoint of dialogue in the international circle. Far too much also plagues the nation, hence the administration's attention is way divided and the agitation becomes yet another aside. Certain moves made by the separatists have been deem desperate and highly detrimental. Moves such as that by IPOB's leader, Nnamdi Kanu, seeking to acquire weapons to fight Nigeria. It makes the Biafra course look no different from the insurgent Boko Haram sect, hence, giving Biafrans a tag as "terrorists". No sane thinking person wants to be identified with terror. The incivility that has characterized some protests by the Biafra agitators also does not go a long way in helping the course, as many of the Igbo elites have detached themselves from the agitations and the hostilities thereof. It is pertinent to stress that if the Igbo elites do not deem it fit to join the course, then the task to find Biafra will be too herculean. Some have argued that it was the lack of interest of Igbo elites was a key factor which caused Igbos the Biafra war in 1967. The world has gone past the era when bloodshed characterizes the drama of attaining a new country. The blood of the millions slain in the war between 1967 and 1970 is enough to redeem any course, hence Biafra must take a cue from countries like Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. According to the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS), a snap referendum is necessary for Biafra Republic. The OEAS has proffered a snap referendum, with OEAS, UNPO, and UN, EU and AU nonaligned observers supervising the balloting process. Ninety days have been stipulated for Nigeria to meet the demands of a snap referendum, one can only sit and watch how the drama plays out. Shall Nigeria split, or remain one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity? The IPOB leader have asked the court to squash all the six count charges levelled against him by the Federal Government. Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention for over a year now says all the accusations levelled against him are baseless. Keeping Kanu behind bars has no doubt agitated the IPOB group who are querulously demanding for the release of their leader. While Kanu's case might have been dragged for long, there are pointers showing why he may never be released despite the numerous trials he has faced. Nnamdi keeps complaining about the treatment he is being subjected to as he is held in detention; he said people who have made attempt to visit him in detention end up being harassed and arrested. Despite his bitterness about being held in detention and treated meanly, there are some indications that prove that he may never be released.
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