₦airaland Forum

2elliot:
Check the positions of the two states in the map if they are not more south eastern than the Igbo dominated south east. How can states in the far right end of the map is not south east but only Igbo states that are in the middle. Check the position of Bayelsa state and the Cross rivers. If we are to go by position in the map, then only Bayelsa and Rivers states are south south states. The rest don't look south southern. Delta and Edo are South western. Guy, it was all politics done in order to limit the south east igbo dominated areas.

jude79:
Accepted, all Niger deltan including Igboes that believes that Igboes marginalized their people should by any means necessary endeavor to exclude themselves from biafra, no one, I repeat no one, should reap from where they did not sow. We in biafra should not yoke ourselves with people that will later Stab us in the back. Those people should remain in Nigeria or fight for their own Independence if they want.

jude79:
If they like, let them be more eastern than easterners, we don't care anymore, only those who accept biafra will make biafra. The rest should stay in Nigeria or do whatever they like with themselves.

jonero4:
If you no gree
We go gree for u

Biafrans are here to stay
Forward ever
Backward never
��

OnyeOlokoro:
We want our igbo speaking brothers who are willing to join us from Niger Delta.
Make una carry una oyel go we don't want u guys .
Y una dey drag this issue

2elliot:
Seriously! All in niger deltans have I seen a people so foolish that their stupidity is beyond wonders. Guy, I be Ijaw. But I want to be in Biafra. I love Biafra and am ready to fight for it.

EmekaA125:
Igboland extends to Niger Delta.

The region is ours by domination or conquest!!!

Ekpeitit:
Ewu,try us and you see pepper.
Niger Delta will deal ruthlessly with any Biafra idiot.
Stupid uneghe people.
Stop disturbing us,we're not interested in your rubbish.

Sunmolar:
By anonymous

I begin this write-up by saying that I mean no ill-thought towards the Biafran struggle or Igbos in general. What I’ve written here are mainly my personal reflections concerning the Niger Delta, especially with regards to non-Igbo groups and their stake in the Biafran movement which has been rebirthed for some time now. I am not a mouthpiece for the Niger Delta but I believe I’ve been in the Niger Delta long enough to know our problems and our stand. I’ve also interacted with many Niger Deltans to know their stand in the Biafran struggle.

When I use the term Niger Delta, I am referring to the region covering Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. However, I understand that the region also covers Ondo, Imo, and Abia states. I’m not concerned with the latter because they are either Igbos or Yorubas and have their own struggles. The ethnic groups within my coverage include Urhobo-Isoko, Bini, Esan, Itsekiri, Ijaw-Epie-Ogbia, Ogoni, Afemai, Efik-Annang-Eket-Oron-Ibibio, Ogoja, Ejagham, and other groups in Cross River North. Ikwerre, Ukwuani, Ika, Aniocha, Ogba, and other Igboid groups, are not included. Historically, Biafra covered all the Niger Delta states EXCEPT Delta and Ondo states. This fact must be emphasised.

Pro-Biafrans are welcome to debate and address my issues in a civil manner. I understand that most pro-Biafrans resort to insults when salient issues are addressed.

Please let’s set a good precedence from hereon.

1. Biafra may not be better for Niger Deltans because Niger Deltans may end up living one form of subjugation for another. The argument Igbos have made for their freedom is the desire to be free from Hausa-Yoruba domination. That argument also applies to the average Niger Deltan. Igbo, no doubt, will be the major ethnic group if Biafra is actualised. Ijaws may have a stake due to their numbers. What about the Ogonis, Urhobo-Isokos, Itsekiris, Efiks, etc? Where will they fit in at the national level? The sad reality is that another Nigeria will just be made manifest and resentments will build up. What will really be the fate of minorities? Will they fare better in Biafra or alone? In Nigeria, big groups such as Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo checkmate each other’s excesses very well. Who will checkmate that of Igbos in the new nation?

2. Where will the capital be located? If we are to follow the notion of central location, the capital of Biafra won’t be Enugu but around Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene axis. Will Igbos allow their capital to be sited in a non-Igbo location? This is a very salient issue because you don’t expect the riverine Niger Deltan in Twon-Brass, for instance, to journey all the way to Enugu to see their President. It has to be a location where ALL BIAFRANS can access easily. Enugu won’t go.

3. The issue of annexation comes to play. For so long, e-Biafrans have annexed Niger Delta as part of the proposed nation. The map below shows us what Biafrans have drawn to constitute the new nation:

If we judge from this map, it means all groups in the Niger Delta have been annexed. My question is whether the leaders of these groups have been consulted before the annexation was done. I, for one, know that Urhobo-Isoko and Efik-Ibibio leaders have not approved of Biafra neither have anybody in these regions declared Biafra. So how and why were they included in the proposed map? Little things like this bring distrust and I understand that many of these non-Igbo regions have disowned the map and pledged allegiance to Nigeria. The declaration by the Delta State government is a case in point. I see this as forceful annexation. The so-called e-Biafrans have also not done much in calming the nerves of the people of the annexed regions. I’ve seen comments such as “if you don’t like it, go and stay in Sokoto”, “all land in the South is Biafraland”, etc. Is it not ironic that a group of people who want freedom want to annexe others?

4. What languages will be made the official languages of the new nation? I have seen several posts by e-Biafrans where Igbo was proposed as the official language of the new republic. What then will happen to other languages such as Urhobo, Isoko, Okpe, Efik, Ibibio, Oron, Ogoni, Eleme, Okrika, Kalabari, Bini, Esan, etc? Will they die off because of Igbo? Certainly NOT! If English is made the official language, the Igbo majority factor will kick in. If your name isn’t Chukwuemeka or Oliseh, Amarachi or Nneka, etc, you won’t get any appointment nor shall you be recognised. These are things we can’t deny. We are very ethnocentric in Africa.

5. What and what have Igbo nation done for Niger Deltans to gain their trust? Every day I see Igbo youths making enemies where there were none. They constantly use the agency of the internet to sprout controversy, hurl insults at dissenters and make unfounded claims. There is this general air of mistrust for Igbos by some Niger Deltans, particularly by Urhobo-Isoko and Bini people. What have Igbos done to checkmate this? Has any Igbo leader or group extended the hand of friendship to the Niger Deltans. Mistrust cannot be wished away. Most Niger Deltans would rather follow Hausas as slaves than follow Igbos as kings. This is the real reality and truthfully, Igbos caused this.

6. Who will lead the new nation? Obviously, Nnamdi Kanu, their hero, has fought tooth and nails for Biafra and he is currently cooling off in jail. If Biafra comes today, who will be the interim leader and what modalities are in place for subsequent leaders to be elected? Igbos have been the only ones fighting for Biafra since time immemorial with a handful of other groups here and there. Will Igbos allow other groups to rule over them? Will they allow an Urhobo man to be President, for instance? This is not a case of mere wishing. We have to understand that Niger Delta groups MAY NEVER BE ALLOWED TO RULE BIAFRA IF IT IS ACTUALISED.

7. Still on the issue of leaders, are the new leaders going to fall from the skies or they are simply going to change addresses from Abuja to Enugu. If so, what will change in the new nation? It is not arguable that Igbo national leaders are the most corrupt persons in Nigeria. If these same people are the ones to rule the new nation then there is no hope because corruption will be so rife that the economy of the new nation will shut down like a knocked engine. If we argue that new and younger leaders will arise, we still have the issue of who fought for Biafra to contend with. Most pro-Biafrans will not allow someone who sat at the periphery of the struggle to just come and waltz power away from the “heroes” of Biafra. If this is true then we will not have a proper democracy in Biafra.

8. Will Biafra be a utopia? The impression that e-Biafrans give is that Biafra will be perfect and we all know for a fact that this is not true. Apart from the issue of corruption and sentimentalism that have been addressed, we still have the issue of development. Where will money be generated from to develop the nation? In the whole of the proposed Biafra, only Port Harcourt and Onitsha are economically viable cities. Where will the investors come from? Why should they invest in a volatile country? Only in Warri, we have Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo at loggerheads, imagine what would happen to the whole nation. Secondly, I am sure that no Niger Deltan will allow his “oil” to be used to develop Enugu like what happened with Abuja, and is still happening today. Niger Deltans are getting wiser and by the time the new nation is formed, matters that border on oil, wealth distribution and infrastructural development will be raised.

9. The current structure of the proposed nation, as shown in the map earlier embedded, favour Igbos with more states. Urhobo has one, Efik-Ibibio has two, Itsekiri has none, etc. How will this be addressed? Certainly, every ethnic nationality will want adequate representation and so the structure on that map will never work.

10. Last, but not the least, is the issue of referendum. Some Biafrans are already calling for a referendum which will involve all parts of the proposed nation. I am pretty sure how this referendum will turn out. However, for the sake of being hypothetical, let us imagine that some ethnic groups/states vote against Biafra by the majority, what will be their fate at the end of the day? Secondly, will the result of such a referendum be true and honest? I understand that electoral malpractice forms a part of our identity. How are we going to get a true reflection of people’s thoughts? Thirdly, if states and ethnic groups do decide to vote for Biafra, what mechanisms are in place to contain Igbophobia, Igbomania, Igbocentrism, Igbo hegemony, Landgrabbing, and all issues that minorities have raised?

Above are the reasons why I feel that Niger Deltans will NOT subscribe to the Biafran movement. I have been very practical, philosophical and hypothetical in my approach. I do not speak for any group or persons but I present these issues for the pro-Biafrans to address. Niger Deltans can raise more issues that I have not raised. Finally, it should be noted that I expect insults directed at my person by e-warriors and keyboard mercenaries, as usual, but I won’t pleasure such persons with answers or altercations. If you raise good points, we can discuss like intellectuals.


Copied & reference removed

Ekpeitit:
Bro there is no Igbo in the Niger Delta.
I presume you're talking about the Ikweres and Aniomas.
You Igbo people are so needy,you're like women,that's why everyone is rejecting you.
Just because Ikweres speak a language similar to Igbos doesn't mean they're Igbos.
Wike and all Ikwere people have rejected you but you're still desperate.
Na by force?

Afriifa:
Lie lie. I be Ijaw I want to fight for Biafra! Tah! Identify with your real roots.

Ekpeitit:
We are waiting for you to come and conquer.
Ewu.
Thunder fire you and your Biafra.
The Niger Delta has more weapons and manpower to destroy Igbo land.

2elliot:
Abi, enei nomu aki anga mùmo. Carry you madness Comot here.

Afriifa:
Don't mind them. The Dean of Agbor has vehemently denied that Anioma people are not Igbos. That's coming from the most paramount ruler of Anioma oooh. Yet these leaches will never understand and accept these as facts.

ariesbull:
so as an Asaba man...you tell me that I am not igbo ...that I should leave my ibo cousins and follow one clown that bears Tunde or Osas

Ekpeitit:
We are waiting for you to come and conquer.
Ewu.
Thunder fire you and your Biafra.
The Niger Delta has more weapons and manpower to destroy Igbo land.

Afriifa:
Are you not a migrant? Lol. The Niger Bridge is there. Anyone that wants to be Igbo knows where Anambra land ends.

Ekpeitit:
There is no need to keep arguing with Igbo people because there will never be Biafra. There will never be Biafra because the whole concept of Biafra is constructed around using the oil and sea of the Niger Delta people and that will never happen.
Biafra will never happen because even if Nigeria breaks up,the Niger Delta people will go to war with the Igbos to actualise the Niger Delta Republic and secondly Nigeria will not give up the resources of the Niger Delta to the Igbos in the first place.
The Niger Delta people would rather be in Nigeria than be with the Igbos.
The Igbos are very greedy and dangerous people and it would the biggest stupidity for the Niger Delta to join Biafra.
In fact,it's easier for the Igbos to actualise Biafra with the 5 Igbo states because every other tribe in Nigeria will be very happy to see them go,Igbos are very quarrelsome and always fighting and complaining.
The manner in which they have included the Niger Delta in Biafra without consulting the Niger Delta people is a big sign of the type of people they are and we the Niger Delta people are ready for them. We know in the end they will be war between the Niger Delta and the Igbos and we must be prepared to deal ruthlessly with them.
The Igbos are desperately after our resources and sea way and we must defend ourselves.

Afriifa:
When you want to come and material your Biafra, come and claim them with these romantic history to claim them. I go dey Warri the watch you. Na for Kwale, and Asaba them go chase you back to your landlocked region. You claim these people are Igbos but they're not member of Onhaneze socio-cultural group. Lol. Who is a fool?

ariesbull:
come and chase us away ...the millions of igbo will descend on your tiny minority tribes


The anioma as a people we can take on you guy....I don't want to even involve the cousins across the Niger....I am anioma and an igbo man...I can't leave majority and join some confused minoritty tribes that are still confused and fighting hang over and guarding pipeline...I am anioma I am igbo the capital of Delta in my land ....I am igbo

Authority1o1:
Okay...


The concerns raised are valid. However, Niger Delta should understand and leverage on the egalitarian nature of Igbo politics. It is better they annex and align with the Igbos, where equality is affordable for them, than to be in a country where their nature's gift is exploited and used to polish another region.

As for the location of capital, there will be a well-schemed conclusion.

They should make the best decision for themselves. Thank God Biafra isn't begging any region for annexation.

Afriifa:
lol borrow borrow! I can even speak eloquent Igbo than the nonsense Ijaw you desperately spoke here.

Afriifa:
The fact that you infiltrated Asaba to escape being killed doesn't mean you own Asaba. No true Asaba son will claim Igbo. The Dein of Agbor has made it clear that Anioma is not Igbo. So if you want to be Igbo, find your way back to where you migrated from. The whole of Anambra and Imo combine not still the size of Bayelsa and you're calling us tiny? Lol. I laugh you.

2elliot:
OK. You dey bayelsa?