₦airaland Forum

midol:
My muslim yoruba brothers believe that when you hold a peaceful rally you are 'facing' the nigerian army. When fulanis sneezes we yoruba muslims catch cold and we expect ibos to catch cold too, when Ibos refuse to bow to fulani, we yorubas get angry and lament about 'Ibo hate'.

zionmade:
Am no writing off biafra am only saying dat applying wisdom will profit us more. D real truth is dat biafra will suffer for years why? Do we have seaports?? If we channelled those agitation towards building seaports in east by now we shud have gotten at least one functional seaport. Do u know dat apart from goods imported by multi nationals dat up to 85% imports belong to ibos and yet these imports develop lagos and d yorubas in turn insult us anyhow because we troop into their land for greener pastures.
Biafra is not ripe yet. Have u seen ardent ipob and massob members, are they not mostly touts? We need ibo intellectuals and politicians to crave a way for biafra not touts. Until these set of people come together, biafra is still a reverie

lawani:
When the British created Nigeria, it was three regions or states and the Lagos colony which sends an elected Rep to the Western assembly at Ibadan upon the inauguration of that assembly. The Western state, the East and the North. The North had the biggest territory and the most people comprising of the Hausa, the Kanuri, the Yoruba, the Igala, Idoma and many ethnic nations that were independent in the 19th century. The Fulani empire covered most of Hausa land save a few areas where some Habe rulers relocated to start new dynasties but those were far in between. Many Hausa fell into the French held Niger republic, part of the Kanem Bornu also fell to French held Chad. So their people are in those places while they are struggling with strange bed fellows like Igbos, Tiv, Yoruba and etc in Nigeria. This is part of the grudge of Boko Haram. So the North contained Hausas and Nupe in and outside the Fulani empire, then Kanuri in the Kanem Bornu, Yoruba in Ilorin, Jebba, Offa, Okun and etc, then Igala, Ebira, Bariba, Tiv, Idoma, Jukun and etc in their nation states. All of whom were independent and militarized as at the late 19th century. The Fulani empire was the largest and most populous and it was restricted to the majority of Hausa and Nupe lands. Nupe to the South of the Niger maintained independence, all Bariba, North, South of the Niger as well as in Benin republic also maintained independence but the whole place was unified as Northern Nigeria by Britain with the Hausa Fulani as the main group. Since human resources is everything, the North as one, came out tops. The West contained several independent Yoruba nations, Fon, Benin, Ishan, Urhobo, Ijaw, Igala, Itsekiri, Isoko and Igbos on the West side of the River Niger. It was an improvement on the efforts of Ibadan to unify the Yoruba, however, a chunk of the Yoruba and Bariba went to the North while the realms of Delta and Edo were added to the majority Yoruba region. The Fon area of Badagry was in the West as it remained an Oyo outpost after the rest of the Fon declared independence from Oyo. Some Yoruba land like Ajase which is Porto Novo also fell to the Fon then the French in Benin republic. The Fon failed in capturing Abeokuta. The East was majority Igbo, they got Efik, Ijaw, Annang and etc as bonus human resources. The main thing was human resources and land and in those, the North led by the Hausa Fulani got the lion share but they did not get all their people in West Africa together. Only the Igbo nearly managed that. The Yoruba controlled West was the smallest of the regions but the Yoruba are the number one ethnic group in Africa by numbers. Nigeria gained independence in 1960 and the Yoruba went into opposition. The new system of government required having an opposition party. In the past, the only party in Yoruba was the Ogboni. The Yoruba controlled West was the smallest region, yet the Igbo controlled East and Hausa Fulani controlled North engineered the breakup of the West via a referendum in 1963 with their NPC/NCNC coalition government. Thus the Midwest was created with the Western state under Chief Akintola embittered. Afterall, no one wants the concern they are managing to reduce, only to increase. Later the North and the East fell out with each other, leading to a coup and a countercoup which saw the Gen Gowon Northern led government splitting all the regions again by decree, save the Midwest. The Eastern minorities jubilated but the Eastern government responded by declaring an independent Republic of Biafra which led to a civil war which they lost. It is my believe that the split of the regions was inevitable, if the West was split, others had to be split too whether by decree or democratically. We must uphold the independence of ethnic nations formed thousands of years ago but nowadays Igbos are still asking for Biafra. In the 16th century. Benin was a Yoruba empire that covered parts of Anambra, Delta, Rivers and if you are a titled person or an indigene in all those places today, then your ancestors were not Igbos as at five hundred years ago. They were Yoruba people whose capital was Benin but due to intermarriages, trade and interraction, you are now Igbos. This is why Igbos have no unified account of origin. Many recently became Igbos a few generations back. So let Igbos take the people they are lucky to have in the South East and South South and forget about Biafra, as Calabar, Efik, Annang, Ijaws and etc are clearly not Igbos. The Yoruba can not claim Igala today despite that they are a Yoruba people complete with an ancient Ife on Igala land but they are now a separate nation. We can only claim our people in Kwara, Kogi, Niger states, then Benin republic and Togo. Not Igalas. No matter how hard Igbos try, non Igbos who dont even speak Igbo can not be turned to Igbos by them easily. You can only ally with them just like you ally with others like Hausas and Yorubas unless they agree to come under the Igbo language sphere.

ariesbull:
Biafra, has turned out to be that proverbial bee that has perches at the Nigeria's scrotum. Allow the bee,it stings the hell out of the scrotum and kill the bee, it hurts the scrotum. This is the position of Biafra . Orchestrated by the "kid " in the block , Nnamdi Kanu. Biafra also has presented a case how the negroid or black man will govern himself without resorting to brute. Some analyst say that Biafra will display the level of logicality in the average Blackman's mind.

Nigeria noted to be the biggest black country globally, Biafra will present to the global community how the Blackman reasons either with his gun or with his brains. And the Blackman has sufficiently demonstrated to the world that he prefers reasoning with latter than the former. " We will kill everything that walks " quoted Benjamin Adekunle, during the first Biafra war about half a century ago. And he did exactly that, killed many and he was given badge if honours, decorated and a Street named after him in Lagos. Though he later died a sad and unfulfilled man. That's how the Blackman has come to reason.

Then came Nnamdi Kanu,ignored by former adminstration and made popular and a legend by present administration. An international report but it this way.

"Until recently, Kanu was politely ignored  by the outside world. To many Igbos, he was  at best an expat dreamer, at worst a rabble- rousing shock jock. Then, after years in which nobody took him seriously, the Nigerian  government did just that. During a visit to Nigeria 15 months ago, he was arrested by its feared Department of State Security at a hotel in Lagos," The Telegraph London

This new emergence of Biafra ( not as if the ideology died, it didn't die ) can be attributed to a culmination of isolationist acts Nigeria has dished (full course) to the Igbo which can be seen from political , infrastructural to and otherwise. Today's Biafrans must have studied the methodology that their fathers used and improved on it. And this methods seems to be working and the world have taken notice of it.

"Angered by the massacre of tens of thousands of Igbos in the Muslim-dominated north,  Biafra formed its own army, produced its own currency, and declared independence.  The Igbos, who often describe themselves as the ‘Jews of Africa’, wanted their own Israel. They got something closer to holocaust." The Telegraph London

In the words of international observer ,Colin Freeman he captured the essence of Biafra and Nnamdi Kanu road to legend and martyrdom. Presently even deified by the Nigeria government,he said

"It has been nearly 50 years since Biafra’s bitter independence struggle, the inspiration for  Frederick Forsyth’s bestselling The Dogs of War. Now a south London DJ  currently imprisoned in Nigeria has taken up the battle, and Biafrans are once again fighting  – and dying – for the dream of their own country"


The new found love for Biafra by the people of Igbo descent and their southern cousin in Nigeria Delta States have reached a crescendo that the Nigerians federal government can't afford to ignore and at the same time must find a lasting solution. The lasting solution has always been within their grips but they prefer looking for it on the mountain top. A clear case of not thinking outside the box. One of the characteristics of the African leadership. Just like the carpenter where every problem can be solved with a hammer the African government solves everything with brute and force. There can be a clear departure from this and the Biafra issue can be solved seamlessly and simply via economic means .

Well, rumours have been peddled that the Nigerian government is thinking of of allowing the five Igbo states go, though not ascertained . But, if the this is to be true! Then it will be a mistake. The Igbo are knowns to have this "igwe bu Ike mentality " a principle of carry your brother along. I don't think that the anioma man will be okay staying in his own or comfortable with another tribe rather than his own siblings the Igbo. The same goes with the Rivers state Igbo. So the solution isn't this. Nigeria as a country has solutions and there is no need to be petrified or develop phobia for Biafra .

Biafra is hinged on our ability as a race to solve our internal problem maturedly. Though, we must agreed that African countries with exception of Ethiopia are white man creations. We lacked the capacity then to either form our countries or govern ourselves . We were created and colonised by the whites but today Nigeria must use this biafr to demonstrate that African man has evolved. Nigeria must demonstrate that African man can solve some political issues without killing. Nigeria must demonstrate that Biafra agitation can be solved via dialogue and not on battle Field. The whole world is looking at Nigeria. The whole world is asking , why is the Blackman like this ? Nigeria shouldn't give the world the answers they want.

Economic model that can be used to settle these agitation is simple. It boils down to what has been said all these while. Regionalism! It's as simple as that. Let the Igbo and the whole Igbo speaking tribes come together and have their region where a greater degree if autonomy is given to them. Something akin to confederation or full federation. They will decide in their own type of democratic process, their own flag, anthem, even police . The education and judiciary system can be decided by the region. They will run their own internal affairs to a greater degree and pay a stipend to government at centre but will use Nigerian passport and be defended by the Nigerian army. Most of the united countries of the world like the UAE, USA, Canada and even Malaysia run this system. They allow the regions to take their decision and have their internal control mechanism intact. This same goes to every region . Regions should be created according to cultural and ideological beliefs. Then make the centre very weak. The presidency should be rotated and also made powerless . The role of the presidency should be ceremonial while power rest on the region. The presidency ,though ceremonial must be rotated amongst the few regions.

This would have been the best bet for the country ,but will the love of oil and the docility if the North allow the country to take this common sense approach? Time will tell.

Another harsh option is dissolution. It takes guts to do this but shows maturity. The country can have a bilateral trade agreement between the seceding state. The Biafra can be a client state of Nigeria the way Costa Rica is to USA and Hong Kong to China or Gilbertar to Britain. An arrangement if this kind can be put in place . Agreement will be in visa systems, work and business permits and others. When such agreement are made, there is no need to fret over the issue of Biafra. Because, t just simply means a change of name but not a change of brotherhood or friendship. The agitating and the administrating parties must also look at this options. Ireland isn't a part of the Britain doesn't make Irish enemies bro English. They still maintain that oneness and brotherliness. Nigeria must learn from their colonial masters .


The Biafra issue, to me isn't what should give Nigeria headache unless she sees it as so. There is always a way out of seemingly quagmire only if people can look within and factor a way out. The emergence of Biafra or not shouldn't be seen as a do or die venture. But should be see as an evolutionary trend in the way Blackman reasons. He(Biafran) wants to define his destiny and this must be encouraged. One of the argument that the Biafrans are putting is to redraw the map of Africa that was drawn for African without their consent. And a cursory look at this narrative, they shouldn't be faulted but negotiate



Hello Nigerian pls I'm begging you for Christ sake endeavor to read this article, I have being thinking of this for the past 6months now I see a person who think similarly... I love ibos I'm a Yoruba boy,I have them as friends even though they are always combactive, slightly stubborn they are Good people.. I always be Nigeria deamalgamate is the solution which is it or follow what he said that is our first step to change.. Thousands of unemployed graduate and you see an uneducated or educated but ignorant Hausa man having all the post,somebody tell me how can Nigeria be develop? to cut it short great kudos sir..
https://etimesafrica./2017/01/31/biafra-why-we-must-find-a-lasting-economic-solution-to-it/

johnstar:
Afonjas self

After u don disgrace urself for public, u come dey apologise?


Thunder fire u der

when a Yoruba man Bleep up u always like to generalize it,wat is meaning of afonja people.... Ur people living in my area are NT different from us we are friends in fact ur same look,so are u nw telling me dat u people are just faking.. I support 2baba


Wt of dat second lecturer?

Him self go apologise?