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Yenefer:
Do Not Be Deceived: Igboland Is Landlocked And Will Face Economic Hardship By Churchill Okonkwo
It is also important to warn that landlocked Igboland should not be deceived by the success of the few rich landlocked countries like Switzerland that specializes in finance, which does not travel by boat, and its high-end manufacturing is integrated with Europe's single market.

BY CHURCHILL OKONKWOMAY 19, 2020

Chinua Achebe, in Things Fall Apart, tells a story of Okonkwo, the main character, who was banished from his village of Umuofia for accidentally shooting a young man. When it was time for Okonkwo to return, after seven years in exile, he instructs his wives and children to prepare a huge feast for his mother's kinsmen in a gesture to show his gratitude for their support. When asked why he was “overloading the table with food,” he said, “I cannot live on the bank of the river and wash my hands with spittle.”


Suffices to say that like Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, Igbos who are known to be outgoing are not washing their hands with spittle, because across the Nigerian landscape, they are living right at the banks of the Benue River, Kano River, Kaduna River, Ogun River, Sokoto River, Cross Rivers, etc. They also thrive at the banks of these rivers and “overload” their abode with human and infrastructural development.

Unfortunately, every now and then, one of the most absurd analyses by the proponents of an independent state of Biafra which is that the five Igbo states in imaginary Biafra is not landlocked makes it to the mainstream media. Last week, in a piece “It is a lie: Igboland is not Landlocked” published in Sahara Reporters, Aloy Ejimakor presented what looks like overwhelming evidence on how easy it is to transfer Apapa Port to the banks of the “Atlantic” Oguta Lake in Igboland for the business of shipping.

As expected, those without a good understanding of the Nigerian physical and human geography; no good grasp of the maritime industry, and no clue on the economies of shipping and logistics are attempting to push water uphill. The campaign to entice Igbos to withdraw from the waters off the coast of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri, etc. is an attempt to force the waters to flow uphill.

Forget about the “dredging” of the Oseakwa River in Ihiala, the Azumiri River, or the “Atlantic Ocean” at the mouth of OgutaLake, the truth is that Igboland is landlocked and will suffer, economically. Do not let anyone deceive you about that. All you need to confirm that is to consult a good physical geography teacher. If you do not have one, simply go to Google Maps on your phone and look for blue markings indicating water bodies and decide for yourself how close the Atlantic Ocean is to Igboland. It should be that simple, if only you approach this quick visual research with an open mind.

Here are some facts per World Bank economists working on trade logistics issues, being landlocked is a major reason why 16 of the world’s 31 landlocked developing countries are among the poorest in the world. According to the Economist, of the 15 lowest-ranking countries in the Human Development Index, eight have no coastline. All of these are in Africa.

Without seaports, these landlocked countries pay more and wait longer for imported food, and other goods. Also, they have an equally hard time exporting, with the result that they trade less and grow more slowly than their coastal neighbors. A quick look at the map of Africa and the location of Central African Republic, Burundi, Niger, Chad, South Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso, will give you an idea of what it means to be landlocked. So, it is clear, the most obvious handicap of Igbo people who are known for international trade will be moving goods to and from ports.

It has been augured that the actualization of the state of Biafra does not mean that Igbos will be forced to come back to the land-locked states. We are told that we will still have access to the ports in the neighboring countries around landlocked Igboland and as such can easily import and export goods and services. A counterargument is that if Igbos are forced to pass through dozens of police checkpoints between Lagos and the Niger Bridge, Onitsha, under one country Nigeria, how many roadblocks will be put in place if Biafra is an independent country?

Just imagine that for a moment.

Now, imagine also what will happen if the same blockade is put in place from the northern, southern, and eastern boundaries all around Igbo land. How on earth will such an independent state be independent economically? If the movement of imported heavy goods must be re-transported inland to landlocked Igboland, how on earth will the economy be viable?

I am a teacher who makes use of graphics to help my students understand some concepts that would otherwise be difficult to grasp. So, for clarity and easier comprehension, I ask that you pause here and take another look at the Nigerian map. Pay particular attention to the location of Apapa, Port Harcourt, and the new Lekki Deep Sea Port under construction. Then, slowly move your eyeballs inland towards Igbo states for a good understanding of why seaports are sited on the coast of major water bodies. So, forget about emotions and sentiments, a sea is a sea and a river is a river.

So, do not let anyone deceive you, international treaties can promise access to the oceans, but the responsibility for implementing them lies with the governments of the "transit states". Now, imagine how happy and eager the minorities in the Niger Delta region will be to help build infrastructure that would mainly help their landlocked Igbo neighbors. They have little incentive to.

Also, just like Nigeria has closed its borders for months now, transit states to landlocked Igboland can interrupt commerce making the economic viability of landlocked Igboland difficult. For Nigeria with known civil strife between ethnic nationalities, landlocked Igboland will have to reroute trade at exorbitant cost, reducing their competitiveness. You cannot argue with facts.

It is also important to warn that landlocked Igboland should not be deceived by the success of the few rich landlocked countries like Switzerland that specializes in finance, which does not travel by boat, and its high-end manufacturing is integrated with Europe's single market. Also, Botswana, a middle-income landlocked country, exports diamonds, which are shipped by air. Pointing at such countries offers little hope to a landlocked Igboland without similar natural resources and with people that are heavily involved in the importation of heavy goods in containers.

From the analysis, above, you will see that it is not necessary to tell a wise person to get out of the sun. We are Igbos and we are wise. There should, thus, be no need for anyone to tell us that land-locked Igboland is an economic disaster waiting to happen.

On a final note, when you show the moon to a child, it sees only your finger. Sadly, no matter the size or how full and bright the moon is, people who want to see the Atlantic Ocean at the banks of Oguta Lake or Otamiri in Imo state will see one. But, do not be deceived, landlocked Igboland will be an economic disaster. As my father used to say, I am a teacher and my responsibility is to keep teaching irrespective of whether the students are listening or not.

The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open. Igbos should not lock themselves up. Rather, we should leave the right doors open as we work for an equitable and better Nigeria, for all.

Together, we can.

Churchill Okonkwo, Ph.D.

On Twitter @Churchillnnobi


http://saharareporters.com/2020/05/19/do-not-be-deceived-igboland-landlocked-and-will-face-economic-hardship-churchill-okonkwo

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Asuito7:
If it is landlocked what then will you say about the North abi is it both sealocked and landlocked

Burkina Faso is shipping through Ghana, Botswana is shipping through Namibia and South Africa, Ethiopia the same thing through Eritrea and a couple of other European countries. Just go and find out.

If these countries are doing this, what do you think of Biafra. They will ship through their southernmost neighbors if eventually their southernmost neighbors doesn't join them in their independent country. And as such their economic activity continues.

I always laugh at you guys ignorance when it comes to this Biafra landlocked of a thing.

You should even worry about the North because they are not closer to the south and the Atlantic Ocean unlike Igboland.

check your Africa map and Nigeria map. Olodo student

gidgiddy:


Not possible. Article 127 of UNCLOS says:

Article 127
Customs duties, taxes and other charges
1. Traffic in transit shall not be subject to any customs duties, taxes or
other charges except charges levied for specific services rendered in
connection with such traffic.
2. Means of transport in transit and other facilities provided for and
used by land-locked States shall not be subject to taxes or charges higher than
those levied for the use of means of transport of the transit State

Not only can Nigeria not stop the SE from having access to the Sea, they cannot tax them either.

I like the way you are silencing these hate-filled desperados with hard facts.

Lol, I find it amusing how the afonjas and their northern masters are now desperately working overtime in spewing lies upon lies just to demarket Biafra actualization. Their desperation shows they have seen that Igbos are unstoppable and are seriously working on leaving Nigeria. That is why you see them begging, threatening, advising, blackmailing and doing all sorts of things including propaganda and blatant lies just to keep Igbos in Nigeria.

I really find their desperation to keep their cashcow in tact but unfortunately for them, even far more powerful countries couldn't stop their balkanization when it became inevitable just as it has become in Nigeria of today. USSR, Yugoslavia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Czech republic etc all broke up ultimately and same fate will certainly befall this useless country that has become an embarrassment and a rotten field infested with poverty, killings, frustration, and hopelessness.

The same afonjas that want Nigeria to continue existing by all means regardless of how worthless it has become are doing so out of selfishness.

Since the end of the civil war, these guys took over all the jobs in the oil industry, sold the foriegn owned companies to their people in the name of indigenization, cornered every infrastructure to their zone such as seaports, airports etc, and as if that is not enough, they hounded and attacked GEJ, the only person to emerge from the Niger Delta as president until he was frustrated out of Aso rock, now these same selfish people wants to contest for the presidency again when common sense should have told them that it would be unfair to do so when the SE and the SS are yet to take their turns.

These guys are so desperate for Nigeria to remain as one entity out of selfishness because they know that they are milking others dry and once the country breaks up, they will lose such opportunity yet they can't even be altruistic knowing that only fairness and justice is what could make the Igbos to consider staying in Nigeria and not all these infantile propaganda about being landlocked.

Biafra will be actualized in no distant time if the status quo in Nigeria continues and that's the truth.

proeast:
The same afonjas that want Nigeria to continue existing by all means regardless of how worthless it has become are doing so out of selfishness.

Since the end of the civil war, these guys took over all the jobs in the oil industry, sold the foriegn owned companies to their people in the name of indigenization, cornered every infrastructure to their zone such as seaports, airports etc, and as if that is not enough, they hounded and attacked GEJ, the only person to emerge from the Niger Delta as president until he was frustrated out of Aso rock, now these same selfish people wants to contest for the presidency again when common sense should have told them that it would be unfair to do so when the SE and the SS are yet to take their turns.

These guys are so desperate for Nigeria to remain as one entity out of selfishness because they know that they are milking others dry and once the country breaks up, they will lose such opportunity yet they can't even be altruistic knowing that only fairness and justice is what could make the Igbos to consider staying in Nigeria and not all these infantile propaganda about being landlocked.

Biafra will be actualized in no distant time if the status quo in Nigeria continues and that's the truth.

Nigerians should also know that yorubas are the reason Nigeria is not industrialized because after they stole foreign owned corporations in the guise of indigenization,for several years there were no FDI(foreign direct investment)as many big and world class corporation stayed away from Nigeria.
even the oil companies that stayed could not make a single investment in Nigeria in terms building of refineries or petrochemical companies.
even the problems in the Niger delta could be alluded to that as the oil companies became only interested in extracting the oil and not caring for anything else.

I honestly don't even know how people are still this much ignorant despite having access to the internet.

Firstly, even if they were to build a seaport which large or even average sized ships can berth at in the SE, they would need massive dredging of lands in SS territories. Which country would allow you do that to their land?

Lol

Area4Area:
I've educated that person you quoted about the nautical miles which is exclusively owned by any country with a seacoast but he has refused to learn. Biafra don't have a seacoast so how are the ships going into Biafra or coming out going to navigate that area without any agreement with Nigeria?

This is even if Nigeria allows Biafran ships through her land territories with no agreement

Oga, what you said makes absolutely no meaning. Go over what my comment and try to give a thoughtful response next time.

IGBOSON1:


Your argument is flawed!

You’re assuming this so called SS will either remain in Nigeria as is (still the same SS, and i’m assuming with Igbo territories like Egbema and Ndoni), or will leave as is (still with those Igbo territories), and form Niger-Delta Republic!

And another thing you’re assuming is; when Ndigbo leave alone, that the present anti-Igbo political-economy, in place since 1966, will still persist which will see the likes of Efik/Ibibio/Annang, Opobo, etc, team up with Igbo haters that have been running things since ‘66, to frustrate the newly emergent Igbo nation!

You see how flawed your argument and that of the house-nigger Churchill Okonkwo is!?

The worst thing anyone can do if they want to try and persuade/force a Igboman away from a cause of action is to say he can’t do it!

Did you even read or understand my post?

I said the SS ports will "slap them with huge taxes/levies" for using their seaports.

If you think any landlocked country has the exclusive right to use another country's pprts for free then you're as gullible as Islamic extremists who think 72 virgins await them in heaven.

Plus, the SS states can still refuse to let SE use their ports and heaven will not fall. The worst the UN will do is slam them with trade sanctions.

Keep destroying bridges other than building them and think the UN will come to your rescue.

gidgiddy:


Not true. The same law that gave Nigeria a certain number of nautical miles as Sea territory also denies Nigeria the right to use that sea territory to deny another sovereign country access to the Sea. Article 125 of UNCLOS(United Nations Convention On Laws Of The Sea) states:

Article 125: Right of access to and from the sea and freedom of transit
1. Land-locked States shall have the right of access to and from the sea
for the purpose of exercising the rights provided for in this Convention
including those relating to the freedom of the high seas and the common
heritage of mankind. To this end, land-locked States shall enjoy freedom of
transit through the territory of transit States by all means of transport.


Yes Nigeria has 200 nautical miles, it it has no right to use it to deny the SE access to the Sea.

gidgiddy:


I dont understand where this Okonkwo guy is coming from. Lets just assume that the South East becomes an independent country, will it have acess to the Sea? People keep talking about being "landlocked" as if that is what is important. What is important is if the SE has access to the Sea, not if it is landlocked. Many people have come to believe that being landlocked is the same as not having access to the Sea, it is not. The River Niger and its tributaries are international waterways which are owned by no nation. Nothing stops the SE from building River ports in Obuaku in Abia state and Oguta in Imo state and dredging the River to the Ocean.

Another thing people dont consider is badge technology. London is the capital of Britain and handles much of Britain's export/import yet London is landlocked. But fortunately for London, it has the River Thames that runs through London to the ocean. The only thing London did was to build some River Ports then use barges to move goods in out of London via the River Thames. These barges will sail to the River Ports, collect containers, sail to where the River empties into Ocean, wait for the Merchant Ships to arrive, discharge the export containers, collect the import containers and return to the River ports. They didn't even bother to dredge the River Thames because the huge merchant Ships dont have to use the River Thames

This can be replicated in Oguta, Obuaku and even Onitsha. I dont know what the argument is all about, the SE has full access to the Sea

Thank you for this post.