₦airaland Forum

If Mazi Nnamdi Kanu had actually passed through all these, then he has really tried.

Nigeria, still a hinterland, that sits beside the Atlantic and below the sub-Sahara in the atlas, is still struggling with her unity as an entity. The GCFR, Muhammadu Buhari had recently on his arrival from over a three months medical vacation in the UK, told his rules that our unity is non-negotiable. FULL STOP! Whether Buhari is a dictator or not is not the purpose of this publication, rather to make known the need for Nigeria to be restructured to avoid more Biafran and economic upheaval.




Three days ago, a neighbour of mine arrived from his journey to the southeastern part of Nigeria. He is a man obsessed with the Biafran movement, that he could even make you feel bad about his opinion. There is no doubt that we are Nigerians. But he insisted to be a Biafran, a people whom he called 'The Rising Sun'.





It's nauseating when you hear most enlightened Nigerians relating the call for a Biafran State as a call for another 'civil war'. Why? Because, Nigeria in her history is yet to learn true democracy. Take a look at the Catalonia (an entity that is made up of the popular Barcelona) had been moving to break out of Spain only by consensus. Scotland is trying too to leave the UK, only by a popular referendum. No war, no insult, no riot. Yet they are free to leave anytime they want to.





Nigeria, a country chunkified with different ethnic groups, given birth by the adding of different geographic entity. A clear proof of that is seen in the Nigerian map. The Nigerian map presents a country divided by two rivers: River Niger and River Benue. In the upper part of our geographical map, stands the northern part (which is made up of the Northeast, Northwest, and north central). While the lower part of the map (south) is being split by the merger of River Niger and Benue, running upwards towards the east and west.






About two months or thereabout, Monsur Abdulakeem Abdul and I were in the office a certain administrator, a well read man with many academic qualifications in and outside Nigeria.
On seeing us, he called and insisted that I should voice out my opinion on Biafra. I declined. Declined because, opinions are mostly selfish et personal. After a little persuasion, we discussed NigeriaBiafran issue an issue difficult to publicly discuss.





Naturally speaking, by our geographical map, Nigeria is already divided. Socially speaking, Nigeria is already divided, by our languages, except in the British man's language (English) in which we find our solace, or sometimes in football. Emotionally speaking, disunity is visibly seen in our national thoughts on how and who to rule the country.

Emotionally, It's a social fact that other Nigerians over many years have stereotypically described the Yoruba people to be fearful hypocritical, and betrayers. This social stereotyping is backed by the statement of Reno Omokri (an ex-President's aide), a real son of Shongu and Oduduwa descent, who in a facebook statement opined that 'for long, many Igbo have looked at the Yorubas as cowards every ethnicity has cowards and brave men(sic)Naij.com







Materially, the Igbo people of Nigeria are stereotypically seen by others to be opportunistic, materialistic and egoistic. In his autobiography titled #Because I Was Involved#, Ojokwu the hero of the Igbo race, defended that the materialistic nature of the Igbo race emanated due to the servitude of the civil war.






Politically, most Nigerians stereotypically see the Hausas to be power drunk even to the detriment of socio-economic and political development. Was it not one of the first generation northern politicians, Maitama Sule who said in the early 90s that '...the Yorubas are for education, the Igbos are for business, while the northerners are for politics...'?(sic)





It is from the above lights that one can understand Nigeria, a divided state of opinionated ethnic groups. In fact, you yourself know that almost every language in Nigeria has a particular derogatory name they call other ethnic groups. The Igbos called the Yorubas Ofe mmanu. The Yorubas also have a name they call the Igbos and the Hausa; likewise do the Hausas have name the call the Yoruba and Igbos. My parent are Urhobo by descent. The Urhobos have a name they call the Ijaws because of the years of ethnic conflict. This is Nigeria. Youre a Nigeria; so am I. So, WHAT IS BIAFRA and WHY BIAFRA?







The word BIAFRA finds its origin from the Portuguese. The Portuguese arrived in Calabar the south hinterland (Nigeria) in late 15th and early 19th century respectively for trade. And over the years, their language had influenced the Ibibio speaking people; and the Ibibios a people who live close to the Igbos got the Ibo dialect influenced. Such is a characteristic of language. The whole region of the Southeast and and south-western Cameroon, was referred to as the Bight of Biafra. Why the name Biafra? Little or no reason was given, except that there is a city or municipal called Mafra in the coastal part of Portugal. However, the Nigerian civil war had prompted the Igbos told call the short-lived State Biafra. The Igbos have over the years popularly claimed that the word BIA is COME while FRA or FARA means together, as used in their language.




Should we go by the literal meaning Come Together, it means that even we have to come together as a country to renegotiate the principles through which this country is run! We must all BIAFRA to restructure because our stereotyping and hate is almost full. Sometimes we like playing safe like someone who is neither here or there, looking to a safer landing; we must RESTRUCTURE the Nigerian project. We pretend that Nigeria is better in diversity. Today we say Biafra when the country does not favour us, tomorrow we say Nigeria. We must all biafra to RESTRUCTURE this country. Jonathan was in power, you said that youre a Nigerian. Now Buhari is in power, you now remember that youre a Biafran. We must all Biafra to restructure. Jonathan wins election, killings in Kano and Kaduna. Buhari wins election, oh! The election was free and fair!


Hence, we must hit the nail firm into the wood, by Restructuring, to help our regions politically flexible. So that few people need not dictate to others or threaten them, politically and socially. Without political restructure, in years to come, this country might turn out to be what Thomas Hobbes called the state of anarchy where life would be SHORT, NASTY, and BRUTAL.


© Ideh Tega Oghenetega

You're right brother.