As an Igbo man i have always been divided on the Biafra issue. The reason is simple, i had always found it a waste of time and simply thought it was the product of jobless miscreants but soon i started to ask myself do we really act like a united country.

Nigeria over the years has never really been a peaceful country there has always been riots over many issues we've had the Niger delta struggle, the Biafran struggle and even the Yorubas were agitated during the abiola crisis and of course the many pointless pogroms. Does this look like a united country to you. Look at newspapers everyday and check if you wont see nasty tribalistic comments from the likes of ffk okupe igbokwe junaid mohammmed, i mean people were scared Nigeria would burn or never be one again because of something as simple as an election. You even leave your state and you don't feel safe anywhere else. You hear politicians saying things like an Igbo man would never rule Nigeria.

The Nigeria we are even agitating for is a failed state despite all the money it controls. The funny thing is the only place really apart from the capital is Lagos(not even a world standard city) yes the state where everything in Nigeria happens from imports to even presidential primaries but guess what half of it is in shambles and despite that it doesn't even make up to1% of Nigerias landmass, we don't know our population. Our revenue is hidden so corrupt leaders can loot politicians from the 60s some of whom who committed genocide are still leading us ethnoreligious protests and deaths happen on a daily basis, the economy is currently gasping for breadth and the government is not even batting an eyelid, no standard universities built the ones we are managing were built by the British or azikiwe and co.

If you think that's bad i want you to see it from an Igbo point of view no federal presence since in 1967, no real say in thee production of the president of your country because of over bloated voters register having to travel to hostile states just or a thing as simple education just because the government refuses to do anything for you, unaccepted and collectively hated in Nigerian politics(lets face it majority of the hate for Jonathan really came form the support we had for him).You are always the predominant victims in pogroms that happen in other parts of the country and the government doesn't even care(THIS CAUSED A CIVIL WAR PEOPLE)
and the most annoying thing is no matter how many times you complain about it everyone tells you to shut up because everyone else is suffering and smiling. Many of your people have to go to crime to cater for themselves and everyone in your country sees you as untrustworthy and fraudulent. You have to beg, cajole, promise to support,praise, remind the government for probably the MOST IMPORTANT BRIDGE IN NIGERIA.

And then there is the promise of a Biafran a place where you can create your own country with a constitution that caters to the need of of your people rather than some selfish elements. A place where your votes are more likely to count than it ever did in the "ONE NIGERIA". A place where you do not have to reject your ethnicity to be noticed by the government. It might sound like a grand illusion to most people but an illusion is always better than having to face a horrible reality.

Then there is the Nigerian reaction to the Biafran struggle most serious governments in the world world would take the agitation seriously i mean bigger countries like the soviet union had been dissolve for far less reasons but what do we hear ABSOLUTE SILENCE. Rather we hear statements from politicians and citizens alike such as they are miscreants, they are irrelevant,Igbo land is landlocked, they want Biafra, they want to die like their parents , they are delusional. These comments like it or not will not stop the agitation like it or not they would only serve as to further drive a wedge between us all.

I believe in a Nigeria in which we will be internationally recognised as a first world country where we can be proud to carry our passport anywhere in the world where our children can compete with the best there is in the world. Believe me this is the desire of every true Nigerian patriot everywhere but guess what : we are not anew and young nation we are over fifty years in age do you think it is possible when we let tribalism determine our leaders for us. Every election i have seen potential wonderful leaders thrown away because they are not rich enough or they don't belong to the biggest party, we are currently recycling one of our former leaders, i ask then, when shall we the youth get the real chance to rule our nation when shall we allow fresh leaders with bright ideas the chance to govern our nation. Just imagine a situation that Osinbajo was currently our president, the opposition would not even find a chance to complain. Every serious prospering nation had to make sacrifices to progress look at South Africa Germany Rwanda Brazil these are countries that had to undergo a drastic revolution to finally progress.
Why not Nigeria? The answer is because we don't think with a united mind we have a situation where some of our leaders would prefer to marginalise a section than the upliftment of thiers and in that lies the real problem.

Mandela was once called a terrorist, Switzerland and Luxembourg are landlocked nations and a seaport can even be created in the imo or azumini river with a serious leader however all these things are just distractions for now. It is not by killing or threatening to kill people if they disagree that you will get their love. I was always skeptical about the Biafran agitation but seeing recent events has made me more and more in love of the idea. I have a lot to lose personally because all my property and life is in Lagos but that is not a good enough reason why i should discourage my people from airing their grievances if Nigeria really does love Igbos i should not be scared in the first place. With vision we can create a new city even greater than Lagos.

I use to be a proponent of one Nigeria but things have changed.
Biafra is not just an agitation it is an idea that has lived through generations. The mighty soviet union dissolved so also the Roman and ottoman empires. No nation on the surface of the earth is permanent. Igbo people want a country where they can leave in peace. We are not poor : Imo and abia state produce up to $4billion dollars a year in oil sales alone that is more than even some African countries. However it is time for Nigeria to start treating us and all other citizens rightly, because like it or not these are just signs of a new greater revolution on the rise and when it comes we will not be able to ignore it.
So i saw give us good governance or give us Biafra.

well written

i laugh at fools like eurobomber who keeps fooling themselves avoiding the reality on ground in order to save face

Seriously, I share your sentiments and I believe the agitation has gone beyond mere noise making and turning into an ideology. People and friends i know that I thought would never canvass for the division of the country are embracing it whole heartedly as if their lives depends on it.

I believe this country can still be salvaged that's why am still a proponent of one Nigeria. Seeing the many intellectual human resource with vast diversity, the abundant resources and incredible landmark achievements waiting to be accomplished still makes me dream, because i have plans for our great nation which wouldn't be achieved if eventually the country is divided!

People hate the truth! They would rather tell u that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable. I ask, was it negotiated in the first place?

Why have we been unable to actually make a people oriented constitution with clear terms of engagement as agreed upon by component units? Why are we yoked under a military constitution that recognises islam and accords it special status without regard to others? Yet it is supposed to be a secular country? Why are there disparities in grades to be achieved before admittance into secondary schools? Disparities that deliberately limit some to favour others so that children begin to feel d heat from their tender ages?

Even documents have shown that the British skewed population n election figures in favour of the North. Will a true united Nigeria not commit itself to and actually conduct real census to determine d real number n spread of its people?

There is no unity! People have only been deceived! On this site alone people come to check names to determine which ethnic group has done good or bad! Where is d unity in that? It is better to acknowledge the truth and advocate it at all times! Nigeria as currently constituted and run is a fraud!

It is a fact that it is definitely more effective to govern smaller units either as confederating units of a whole or as independent nations. Biafra is the absolute embodiment of truth! We rather have a smaller and effective nation that pulls it's weight than remain part of d drag and deadweight that Nigeria is.