₦airaland Forum

namfav:
lol

ekt_bear:
The blood of Jesus washed away my sins!

Naw, the spambot banned me

ekt_bear:
Nigeria is not a united country, no matter how much we try to pretend it is

People shouldn't be afraid of losing their lives in the north. . . it is a bit disgusting.

PhysicsMHD:
I could actually have written more, but I think that's about all that needs to be said.

eku_bear:
PhysicsMHD's knowledge of Nigerian history is extremely impressive.

PhysicsMHD:
What I meant was that it seems to me that the racist colonial states that supported Biafra made no effort to pretend or act like they supported Biafra for any reason other than to stop black Africa from having a large powerful state. Basically, if they succeeded in throwing the supposed "giant of Africa" (that term had already been coined by the Western press by that time) into "disarray", then it was only a matter of time before the same could be repeated throughout the continent and then they could justify their rule and their states (Portuguese controlled Mozambique, minority white rule Rhodesia, apartheid South Africa) based on the failure of African-run states to survive. As an added bonus, or maybe even the main motivation, they would also have no large African states to stand up to them, but only a multitude of small, rival, antagonistic (towards each other) mini-states, some of which would have needed Rhodesia, South Africa, or Portuguese Mozambique to gain independence or to survive economically. This is the perspective that seems most logical to me for explaining their support and it is inherently contrary to the idea that random countries, such as Russia or Egypt were shaking in their boots at the thought of a "black power in the world."

We should even remember that this was the same time when those Russians were taking their leftist social philosophy to the fullest logical extremes possible regardless of race and were naming things after Patrice Lumumba and later supported Angela Davis, all in an effort to undermine the "racist capitalist" West. To then join up with Britain, one of the pillars of the "racist capitalist West" could only have been out of sheer opportunism to get a say in Nigeria's future (keep in mind that Russia has its own natural resources, and plenty of them, so this was not even economic opportunism, but pure political opportunism) and swing the largest potential power in Africa towards respect/sympathy towards the Soviet Union. It should be noted that during the Balewa government, Balewa told Nkrumah in no uncertain terms his preference for capitalism and the West over any kind of inkling of socialism and deliberately stalled the opening of a Soviet embassy in Nigeria among other anti-communist activity. (See Britain, Leftist Nationalists and the Transfer of Power in Nigeria, 1945-1965 by Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani for a very interesting insight into the political inclinations of pre-independence and post-independence Nigeria)

Russian opportunism may have worked. Gowon may have made no inroads towards leftism, probably because he knew his primary debt for support lay with Britain but Murtala Mohammed quickly moved away from the West and towards a more "neutral" stance, though that may have had as much to do with South Africa and other points of contention with the West.


This is not to say different countries were not inclined to support Biafra out of sheer sympathy and compassion or for benign or non-malicious reasons.

The Irish, the People's Republic of China (through propaganda, not arms), Israel, France, Tanzania, and Papa Doc Duvalier-controlled-Haiti supported Biafra, and clearly not for the reasons those three I mentioned earlier probably did. A few, such as China or France, supported Biafra for economic reasons (potential economic gain), and some countries, such as Israel or Haiti supported Biafra out of sympathy with Biafra's situation. Israel sympathized with the pogrom/persecution aspect of Biafra's situation and Haiti sympathized with them because there were Igbos in Biafra and Igbos constituted a major portion of Haiti's ancestry/descent.

eku_bear:
^-- From what I read, they were keen on seeing a major black-run African state fall apart. Guess I don't need to explain why Rhodesia and SA saw how this was advantageous for them.

wesley80:
^^^ Sorry but u're so dumb if thats what u think is the solution to any problem in your country - staying with themselves? like brothers dont fight and cheat themselves? U should be laughing at yourself - really!

wesley80:
@Obiagu,
The continuous Barstadization of states goes against the laws of economics, we risk continuously producing unviable states like u have in Abia and Ebonyi where u have close to 70% of revenue and allocations going into payment of salaries alone not to talk of some states in the North.Where then would d dev come from?These states wld collapse without federal allocations. And then u speak of an Iwuanyanwu and Nzeribe group? planning for states without resources nor industries? They know their best bet is an oil producing state like Anioma so dont kid yourself.
Nigerians have got to learn to live with themselves, creation of states along ethnic lines only highlights our differences we've got to look beyond such frivolities and start tackling d real issues.

Obiagu1:
The army cannot attack them openly in these days, not at all. The whole world knows they are already victims. Did you ask yourself why the Sudanese government was using militia to attack blacks?

Obiagu1:
@ amdman, you guys should start calling for secession from Nigeria if the killing continues. They will send jitters down the spine of the FG.

jason123:
@ Andre

What about the yorubas in Kwara and Kogi? or the Ijaws in Ondo? should they also get there own states?

eku_bear:
I wonder why the Biafrans here never bring that up. How noble a cause could it have been, that it was supported by three racist, white states? 

Nait:
This is true that "Kano has the highest population in Nigeria". Those that are trying to compare Lagos with great Kano state, actually they didn't know Kano and how it is. And I'm sure we were eliminated the kids between 1 to 30 days, that's why we gone up with just 0.37 people. if is to say we counted with those kids, I'm sure we will be 15-20% ahead of Lagos state.

Ileke-IdI:
Why stop there?

What happened to his grandmother, grandfather, his goats and chickens?

amdman:
What is Jonathan waiting for? If he thinks that standing by while people are being killed will get him the Presidency, if he thinks that taking action will rock the boat, if he thinks that standing on the side of justice is not expedient, then he is not worthy of being my President!

alj harem:
do not worry chyz lets not derail this trend

it a discussion for another time

alj harem:
hmmm chyz,, i think you do not get it

some of you ngwa and delta ibo claim to be igbos while others don't

i brought out trends to Ateketen to while if delta ibos are igbos ==== and he noticed they claim otherwise

ok i still have one about the ikwerri gotten from jason123

ChinenyeN:
Odo nunu!? Enough Already.

alj harem:
now you are talking, what defines igbo

i think we should go and ask our elders because ngwa, ika, ikwerri, delta ibo etc are saying they are not igbo

we need to ask our elders who igbos are

alj harem:
because they are not,, i think that is very simple your you and others to understand,.,,.,.,. just because my surname is Ciroma, are you going to call me hausa  NO

so they are not,, simple

alj harem:
no it is not an ijaw town

it is an ikwerri town, which i know they are not igbo,.,.,., or are they ?

alj harem:
can you see your life, ochiaga must be your village somewhere not the port harcount in nigeria that i know

how many time do i want to tell you portharcount is not an igbo town,.,.,. haba mumu

Obiagu1:
Sad, it's only the Igbos that are holed up in this pathetic country. I wish we have a clan in Cameroon, I'd probably move there permanently.