Agitators for Biafara are holding the wrong end of the stick - F. J. F.

Forwarded

 AGITATORS FOR BIAFRA ARE HOLDING THE WRONG END OF THE STICK

Agitators for Biafara are not well schooled in the art of struggle for freedom. How can you inflict economic pains to those you intend to liberate. You tried violence in the past and it failed. Go learn about non violent method from Mahatma Ghadi, Martin Luther ( JR) which worked very well for them. Mahatma Ghadi secured independence for India, while that of Martin Luther, it relatively ended racial discrimination.

 Nelson Mandela tried guerrilla war, it didn’t work. In the end he was imprisoned. Back from prison, he deplored new strategies. One he engaged the apartheid regime in dialogue which won blacks some rights. Secondly he put sustained pressure on international community to persuade their ally-  the apartheid regime to end the obnoxious system. Thirdly he worked on himself to be moderate, a none communist and somebody who will not send the whites parking like Zimbabwe by promising not to dispossessed whites of the land. He made a lot of concessions to enable him gained majority rule.

 Folks take a look at the method of the agitators for Biafra , you will know that they are infantile, lacking in wisdom and practicability. The movement has been hijacked by inexperienced, uneducated youth. Compared that to  the first Biafra agitation. Col Odumegu Ojukwu was an Oxford graduate and a sandhurst trained soldier. The creme de la creme of Igbos were involved. This enabled the movement to win them sympathy and support from several European and African countries.

 Now if look at it what is the grouse of these agitators. It’s simply because of exclusive in governance because when they were carried along in governance during the days of GEJ they never agitated for Biafra. This exclusiveness is giving oxygen to this agitations and a lot of people including myself agree with this. In fact is not only Igbos, the entire Southern Nigeria are excluded. Even the former Head of state Gen Abubakar Abdulsalami said that there is perceived marginalisation and posited once this lack of equity, injustice are addressed, the agitations will die down. 

 This government is not likely to address these agitations because instead of reducing it,  its on the increase as the more political appointments are made, the more the Northern part of the country are patronised. Ditto for projects and programmes.

 I believe that they can carry out their agitations without inflicting pains on the state and their citizens.  Closing markets, schools and other areas of economic activities will further ground economic activities in the Igbos state with the attendant stagnation in socio- economic growth. 

 I plead on the Igbos to rise in unison to stop this drift by engaging the IPOB leadership in dialogue to change their violent and destructive tactics. The Igbo elites on the other hand, especially those in APC like the former senate president Ken Nnamani, the present Governor of Ebonyi, Dave Umahi should engage the government in power to make the government more inclusive giving other parts of Nigeria a sense of belonging.

 Igbos are not good students of history with the way they are going about the agitations. Government on the other hand is not helping matters with their exclusive policies and programmes.