ODUDUWA/BIAFRA and their IZONIC Obsession; a pipe dream.

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Following the Amalgamation of the Northern and southern protectorate of what is today Nigeria, a nation in it's infantile stage was handed into the hands of the Northern favorites to call the shots because the British saw - enroute their touring up the Niger that the people saw the rulers as their overlords- a replica of the british rulership.
With them they establish the direct rule which would be implemented on the new country.
But why the North and not the south? Why not the people who first saw and experienced civilization and international relations?
Why not the people that traded and familiarized themselves with international trade- transforming ancient kingdoms into sophisticated, modernized and independent city-states?
Why were these influetial chains of city-states reduced to nothing and its power neutralized and balkanized?
Perhaps we will know why on this article.

Begining on the Genesis of the chocolate cake sharing, I mean the Berlin conference(a birthday party) which shared africa like a piece of cake, and the British crown were allocated probably the most gifted or richest part of the cake; which was to become Nigeria ---------We are definetly over that, but the Berlin conference has been summoned on this article to be a reference to a subsequent conference that would hurt the "KOH-i-NOOR of the crown of motherland"

Following the independence of Nigeria granted by the British, everyone thought that the Brits eyed unsatisfactory for it never wanted to leave what was it's most prized piece of its empire but did they leave completely or they watched from afar and played the puppet master while still having a share in the resources?

THE COASTAL CITY-STATES AND ITS FALL FROM GRACE 1700s - 1800s

The coast was the gateway through which the principal tribe in the south-south; The Oru/Izon/Ijaw welcomed the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British and traded with them; experiencing and ushering civilization to what is today Nigeria. Treaties were signed, friendship were established but what led to what one could conclude was the fall from Grace??
Could it be a wisdom and cleverness they never could guess- existed in the minds of the Ijaws 200 and beyond years ago?
Could it be because perhaps they learned so much during their dealings and trading with the Europeans?

The subsequent years that followed witnessed fall outs between the rulers of some Ijo city-states and the Brits following what the people perceived as a cunning like attempt to control and call the shots in their kingdoms and resources.
The Izon kingdoms watched as events unfolded, following several crafty treaties which led to a series of fallouts between the Kings and the British kingdom - most notably the Opobo- british saga of the 1880s to the Nembe-british war of 1895 and the Abua/Odual war of 1897.
Could this be the reason the British kingdom didn't see it beneficial to entrust the leadership of Nigeria given the vast experience, exposure, civilization and ability to organize and run a country capable of thriving internationally without any atom of inferiority complex or jittery?

Where the Ijaws a difficult metal to bend at will?
Will they pay for severally defying the crown in the new nation?


NIGERIA; The New Nation and its foundation1900s

The amalgamation of southern and northern nigeria was not really the spoke in the wheel for the Ijaw's as they continued to thrive, and it's ports being major commercial centers with it's Kings and chiefs wielding great influence in commerce - continued to enjoy it's Apex rank; as the abode of opportunities and green pastures, as an abode of civilization and industrialization, as an opportunity to be the wealth-haven and lead region of the new nation, but wouldn't that unbalance the larger north? Wouldn't it continue to draw the hustle-savy igbos who constantly seek greener pastures? Wouldn't it make it lure the inquisitive yorubas and other tribe down south to jointly contribute whatever quota they can to further make the Izon kingdoms cum city-states into mega wealthy cities?
Was this the reason to break the spine of the Ijaw people by establishing the regional Government of the late 1930s and the couple of decades to come?
Bernard Bourdillon (the governor general) in the year 1939 initiated the idea and laid the foundation for Nigeria to be carved into three regions; Northern Nigeria-annexing the middle belt, Western Nigeria and Eastern Nigeria.
This would born WAZOBIA which was beneficial to the Hausa-fulanies, the Yorubas and the igbos who got to share the glory, wealth and influence of the then Apex region belongings to the Ijaws, while North hold the reins. With this, the Igbos wouldn't really feel that they were living home because the place they left too was within the East(old eastern region) The yorubas wouldn't also be drawn out due to curiosity and their need to satisfy it by knowledge. This would be made easy by the Itshekiri influence planted and watered by the then Western premier Obafemi Awolowo, because the itshekiri people were also partly ambassadors of the Yoruba culture and influence to the coast.
This greatly weakened the Ijaw people and their great influence.
This also divided them-the Western-Izon being lost in the growing fog and aura of the yorubas and the Eastern-Izon being absorbed into the Ibibio/Igbo/efik fog, and we all know how difficult it takes to see and act through a fog. It hides you, dwindles your light and hide you behind the scene. Only the center which is now known as the core and unadulterated Izons were left to stand alone as a minority.
Isaac Adaka Boro itched to rescue this by demanding a separate River State and even later- the niger-delta republic which could have rekindled the Izon fire but many were already unaware, like loosed canoes they had floated far away and his republic dream was only a mirage, beautiful from afar, unreal up close because unity was lacking. There was no strength in disunity.

IZON MEANS TRUTH; the truth can never be buried.

Boro's miscalculations were costly but was a needed sacrifice to reawaken the Coastal Izon oneness. His Messiah-like death brought about a reconnection between the IZONIC city-states who for a long-time suffered some sort of identity crisis- not seeming to fit into Yoruba or Ibibio or Efik or Igbo, Hence they were termed "Minority tribes of the lower Niger"
Several English publications propagated by the British, and indigenous publications were supported and encouraged by the regional Government dominated by the Yoruba or Igbo to further water the seed of divide and rule all for national, tribal and economic interest at the detriment of the Izons. You will blame them not, no one relinquishes good things, and will do whatever it takes to hold on to influence and power.

POST CIVIL-WAR, BALKANIZATION AND THE DEMAND FOR MORE STATES

Boro's sacrifice after his release from condemnation and his involvement in the civil war proved fatal to the then Eastern government, thwarting eastern izon annexation into a Republic named BIAFRA.
Many Igbos who witnessed the Igbo rule of the old Eastern region and the youths who heard about it yearn for the Glory days; "their Glory days" but swim in great ignorance or selfishness because the supposed old eastern region or BIAFRA will only favor them but what about the Izons from the central delta and across the Niger to the west? Will they just disown their kit and kin and go build a house with you?

Perhaps it was a difficult chess move to take by the Britain-aided North who were faced with a migraine-bugging dilemma to either curtail the thriving Igbos or unshackle the Beast of the Niger delta- the Ijaws. You guessed right, the Beast was unshackled and it was detrimental to the Igbo strength and influence- ultimately ending the war.

THE UNCAGED BEAST OF THE DELTA AND ITS BALKANIZATION

The Government of Nigeria further created more states but it had its eyes on the beast awoken.
Give it the strength and influence it once had prior amalgamation and regional Government and the Apex; "unified tribe" and it's once glorious city-states would grace the skies as eagles again- becoming more powerful, wealthy, full of the experience that came with fighting and recovering from economic wars fuelled by national interests. They couldn't let that happen, but they couldn't afford to cage the beast either as it could release a scarred demon who still suffer trauma from the civil war, and so balkanization was the next game plan.

Why the North and the British monarchy are enjoying decades of bromance- with the later being the brain and puppet-master while wearing the northern mask will be a discussion for another day, but the Igbo and Oduduwa dream of having a nation and influence reminscient of the old Eastern and Western regional Government at the detriment of the Izons are a pipe dream fuelled by selfish interests which are blind to reality before amalgamation and regional Government. It is similar to a stranger dreaming of walking into your home and demanding your fingers like a right of his.

Cool

Mirabella00 are you an Izon person?

Great

Oduduwa is a terrorist group that must be suppressed by all means till eternity

Dubaku543:
Oduduwa is a terrorist group that must be suppressed by all means till eternity

ODUDUWA a terrorist group?
I don't see it that way, perhaps there's something you see that I don't see.

They are somewhat calm and not lang grabbers as the Igbos, though I might be wrong.

GreatBoss:
Great

�❤️�

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