By Chiedu Uche Okoye
A people with discontent over their condition in a multi-ethnic country reserve the right to clamour for self-determination. Dating back to many centuries ago, the boundaries of some countries had been re-drawn and adjusted owing to the disintegration of nation-states, globally. Now, new countries are emerging with South-Sudan as the newest country in the world.
Before then, Eritrea had pulled out of Ethiopia, and Somali-land had emerged from Somali. Many countries emerged from the defunct USSR following the collapse of the policy of Glasnost and Perestroika. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia had broken up into many countries. And not a few people had forgotten that Pakistan and India used to be one country.
Now, the Saharawi people want to opt out of Morocco, the Basque people in Spain want a county of their own, and a referendum was conducted in Great Britain to determine the continued stay of Scotland in Britain. Back home in Nigeria, there is a resurgence of the agitation for the creation of the state of Biafra with Nnamdi Kanu as the arrowhead and leader of the movement for the creation of the sovereign state of Biafra.
Nnamdi Kanu came into national prominence following his arrest and detention in prison upon his return to Nigeria for allegedly committing treasonable offences. Kanu, who is the IPOB leader and the director of Radio Biafra, does make speeches on Radio Biafra, which resonate with some Igbo masses. He panders to the whims and caprices and separatist sentiments of a majority of his ethnic compatriots with his platitudinous remarks about the marginalization of the Igbo people in Nigeria’s scheme of things. Like the Niger-Delta people, the Igbo people have not been treated fairly and justly in this country. There is discernible lack of Federal presence in the South-east, appointments of people into federal organisations are skewed to favour a section of the country, and the Igbo people are treated and viewed with hatred and suspicion by other people in the country.
But at this juncture in Nigeria’s political history, clamouring for the disintegration of Nigeria is not the best option for the country given the fact that the greatness of Nigeria lies in its diversity, large landmass, and humongous population. We can harness our natural resources, which are scattered across the country, for national development. Being a populous country with a large landmass, Nigeria cannot be overrun by neighbouring countries. So, aren’t we better-off as one country?
Balkanizing the country is not the best option for us now. It cannot make our problems disappear overnight. It is the ruling political class, which is composed of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, that is hindering the development of Nigeria. Our leaders at different levels have caused the ruination of Nigeria by their involvement in corruption. And Nigeria hasn’t been led by detribalized national leaders who possess a Pa-Nigerian vision. Consequently, Nigeria is an undeveloped country without national cohesion and unity. Over the years, our leaders, both military and civilian, had failed abysmally to lift Nigeria out from the abyss of economic strangulation and technological backwardness.
Now, there is systemic failure of institutions of state in the country. To say that Nigeria has become a dystopian nation-state is to say the least and state an obvious truth. The country is without leaders who can articulate and envision its greatness. So Nigeria is beset with economic recession, which has caused rumblings in the polity by the suffering masses. This trying period as well as the dire economic situation in the country has offered people like Nnamdi Kanu the opportunity to whip up base ethnic sentiments to achieve their narrow and primordial goals.
This brings us to IPOB’s ceaseless agitation for statehood, which climaxed with Nnamdi Kanu’s call for the stoppage of the conduct of Anambra’s next governorship election. As he is deified and lionized by artisans and commercial motorcycle riders, he considers himself a king whose word is law. But, it’s President Buhari’s political misstep of arresting him upon his visit to Nigeria that catapulted him to the limelight; otherwise, the man would be wallowing in obscurity.
Is he aware that the circumstances that warranted and precipitated the declaration of the state of Biafra by Col. Emeka Ojukwu in the mid 1960s do not exist today? Is he aware that a large swathe of the north is not developed, although people from that area had ruled Nigeria for the greater part of her independence years? Is he aware that the north is educationally disadvantaged, and that it is battling with the issue of almajiris.
Incredibly, Nnamdi Kanu considers himself to be the successor of the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu, the former Biafran warlord. But he is without a sense of history; otherwise, he would know that the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu became a federalist when he returned to Nigeria from exile after the Nigeria-Biafra civil war had ended many years before. He contested election in the second republic on the platform of NPN, a political party with national outlook and spread. And, the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu wanted to become the President of Nigeria on the platform of APGA.
Again, Nnamdi Kanu has not delineated the boundaries of the proposed sovereign state of Biafra. And his supposition that the Niger-Delta people are enthusiastic to join the state of Biafra smacks of ignorance, arrogance, and political shortsightedness. Now, his only effective tool for agitating for the creation of the sovereign state of Biafra is the sit-at-home-order. The success of the last sit-at-home-order has emboldened him to call for the stoppage of the Anambra governorship election in November.
The Anambra governorship election is a different kettle of fish, however. Even if all his followers in Anambra State boycott the election, those who believe in the sanctity of election as a tool for changing leadership in a democratic setting will cast their votes during the Anambra governorship election. And INEC will collate results from different voting centres and announce the winner of the election. And if he mobilizes his followers to use violence to disrupt the conduct of the election, it will amount to his repudiation of his creed as well as policy of utilizing non-violence in crusading for the creation of the state of Biafra.
Anambra state is part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And it is governed in accordance with the constitution of Nigeria. Kanu should think out other effective ways to actualize his aim without throwing the country into an avoidable war. More so, he should not try to rubbish the good works of Governor Obiano in Anambra State by creating an anarchic situation in the state.
I urge Anambra people to cast their votes for Governor Willie Obiano who has offered the people purposeful leadership, which has improved their living conditions.
Okoye writes from Anambra State Ministry of Information and Communication Strategy, Awka.