"Fifty years ago, the Igbos attempted to secede, abandoning the Nigerian union entirely and found their own nation called Biafra. Unwilling to let them go, the Nigerian government resisted. A ghastly civil war ensued.
After three years of fighting, the Igbos surrendered in 1970. Threatening to resurrect Biafra now seems to be the chosen way for the discontented Igbos to get the attention they desperately seek."- BBC. Photo: Facebook
The legacy of the federal system is a South-East Nigeria weakened by economic and political dependency. Ndigbo must take economic power and resources into their own hands if they are to give hope to its young people who are the victims of social exclusion and mass poverty by those 'sucking the lifeblood ' out of the rest of the country.
According to George Kerevan and Alan Cochrane, "People living in a dependency culture are not free in mind, spirit or life choice even if they enjoy formal political liberties. Individuals in such a society have decisioms taken for them defacto by the state or priviledged interest groups".
Independence aims to end that dependency culture making Biafrans stand on their own two feet instead of waiting for monthly allocation that often end up in the mouth of state governors, their families, friends and associates and the rich people that help them win election.
Local government workers are not paid, pensioners are not paid , no jobs for young people, universities not funded, no good hospital instead they promote medical tourism, no infrastructural investment, no international airports, no internet ,....m etc. One begins to imagine, how they want the youths to reach out to the outside world especially in the age of Facebook Youtube, twitter,etc. Independence is about creating the right circumstances to re-industrialise the Biafra economy by Biafrans themselves, not by outsiders.
George Kerevan and Alan Cochrane concluded that "the creation of a new state is surely the best opportunity that is ever likely to present itself for radical reforms which has the potential to unlock really significant economic benefits.
Till date Biafra civilians are treated with gross abuse, with road blocks virtually in every Biafra land including a recent invasion of Biafra communities by Fulani herdsmen destroying farmlands, raping women and the called federal Governors are powerless. That's the whole point. Ndigbo have contributed a lot to the development of Nigeria.
A recent barbaric quit notice only confirms the fear of many about the need for a united Nigeria.
Uche Okeke
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