Biafra Makes The Development Of The Old Eastern State Possible, Restructuring Can't

| Saturday, July 22, 2017 | 10:03 AM AM CET

Biafra Makes The Development Of The Old Eastern State Possible, Restructuring Can't 

The Biafra National Flag

Since the end of the Biafran war(also known as the Nigerian civil war), the people of Biafra have been trying to cope with the Nigerian state.

The war caused the destruction of human resources, talents and beings in the Old Eastern Region. 

Apart from humans who may be deemed to have a shorter lifespan on the earth, structures, infrastructural facilities in the Eastern part of the country were destroyed.

The government of Yakubu Gowon, which declared "No Victor, No Vanquished" and promised the 3Rs: "Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation" of the region appeared to have played the Nigerian style of politics on the intelligence of Biafrans. 

Just as the government of Gowon reneged on the Aburi Accord, and every other previous or subsequent attempts made towards sustainable peaceful coexistence, none of the 3Rs has been touched - neither by Gowon nor his successors - and as such the war ravaged land of Biafra has remained a source of painful retrospection. 

The destruction, without apologies, of Biafra's would-be great talents, during the genocidal war, in what the Nigerian government called "an attempt to retain or restore the (forced) unity of the country", really planted an indelible animosity in the subconsciousness of Biafrans against the Hausa-Fulani and their Yoruba collaborators, nevertheless, the implementation of the reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation promise of Gowon would have gone a long way in covering or at least superimposing  the ugly memories of the genocidal war. 

I am saying that today's Biafrans would have taken solace in justice, equity and fairness had the Nigerian government offered such to them. They would have long obliterated the memories of the genocidal war against their parents, or at least hidden their resentment for Hausa-Fulani, if good governance were possibly obtainable for Biafrans in Nigeria. Because the memory of the Nigerian government bombing civilian(unarmed) children and mothers in the market places and hospitals, is not what should be easily forgotten or forgiven. The thought of the Nigerian government blocking food passage into Biafra, hence causing children and their mothers who escaped markets and hospital bombing, who were not directly involved in the war, to die, should not make any reasonable fellow happy to cohabit with the perpetrators of such evil. Not to talk of when the same government has abandoned its promises, leaving no federal government presence in the region. 

The Nigerian government has not implemented and will never implement its promises, because it's in its nature to renege on terms and conditions. But instead of leaving it at that, and allow Biafran states develop, the government has worked against the developments of the region. Directly or indirectly, it has closed down major companies and factories either owned by Biafrans, situated in Biafra land or both. All in the attempt to suppress Biafrans, stop the development of their regions or dissuade them from residing in their own lands.

The Nigerian government has billed policies to the adverse effect of Biafrans, hence Biafrans can't help but go to industry-viable places like Lagos, and funnily, Biafrans are mostly the owners of such big development-creating structures and revenue-creating investments. 

But why must Biafrans invest in other people's lands and leave theirs?  They have left their lands in search of livelihood in the lands of their haters and killers simply because policies are working against them - international seaport and airports are located outside their lands.

For example, many industries are in Lagos because international is sited there and Biafrans are the ones importing most goods into the country and it will not be economically reasonable for them to site their factories or companies far away from Lagos where the raw materials land and later distribute the finished goods to other parts of the country. That is the reason why many Biafrans are in Lagos, hence international seaport and airports situated outside Biafra is an indirect way of telling Biafrans, since they are mostly entrepreneurs, "if you want to survive, go out of your land and develop other lands". To such extent that any Biafran that finishes secondary or tertiary education would be expected to leave his home and travel to either Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, etc; which was equally the reason why one of my friends asked me to leave my state and come over to Lagos if I must survive. It is such a norm and such a pity. 

I am simply saying: had there been even policies for Biafran territories, there would not be need for them to leave their lands in search of greener pastures. Had there been international seaports and airports in Biafra land, Biafrans would not cry much; had the government allowed the region develop, Biafrans would have held their peace.

Those are few of the reasons why Biafra must be restored. Because in a restored Biafra, all regions will be allowed and helped to develop at their own pace. No one will be targetedly suppressed by any federal policy, neither shall people's talents be suppressed. We would not have to travel abroad to develop our potentials rather opportunities will be there in the country to facilitate such developments. Every underdevelopment Nigeria has caused us in the past 50 years shall be a thing of the past. We will construct our roads, build standard hospitals, schools and residential structures. Our buildings will be planned and we will build skyscrapers to close the landlocked questions raised. 

We shall refine our crude oil ourselves because our fathers did it during the war, and we will harness other natural resources. 

We will go into agriculture, build companies, factories and industries where we will produce most things that are now being imported into Nigeria. We will do all these and much more because God is with us and because we have got talents.

But in a restructured Nigeria, the same is not obtainable because the same crop of Hausa-Fulani loyalists who have manned the affairs of the government both at the state and federal levels, but have done nothing to alleviate the poverty and ugly state of affairs in their lands, will still continue their stomach and pocket infrastructural development because they will always allow the choices of Hausa-Fulani prevail over the will of their people, hence, in order to come to power or remain in power, they must obey them, thereby allowing Hausa-Fulani meddle in our affairs. 

The same promise and fail that the Nigerian governments are known for will continue. Like Gowon, they will promise heaven and earth but fulfill hell and fire. 

Corruption that has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigeria will definitely continue in a restructured Nigeria because it is still the same corrupt politicians that rig themselves into offices that will still continue their looting. The same crooks that under-pay civil servants and force them to sign that they received their salaries in full will still steal their States coffers dry. They will steal and steal to their satisfaction and install loyalists that will not probe them when they are out. The cycle will continue endlessly. 

People say "government is a continuum" but that is just a phrase in Nigeria. The crooks called Nigerian politicians will start their own projects and abandon previous governments' projects in order to siphon funds through their own projects. And that is the reason why there are many uncompleted projects in the country. It is a strategy they employ. They start the projects and delay their completion so that they would use them for campaigns to deceive gullible people into voting them in. If Biafrans allow restructuring (of course they will not), they will be taken from frying pan in fire.

Besides, restructuring will not guarantee seaports and airports in Biafra land because Hausa-Fulani will not allow that and even if they do, Biafrans will still be under the apron strings of Nigeria and Britain. Biafrans will not be able to fully maximize their talents. 

I am simply of the opinion that the same rotten rats smelling in Nigeria now will only worsen in a restructured Nigeria. Some people are of the opinion that the problem of Nigeria is just systemic - that if the system is changed, the country will be habitable but I must say that both the system and the persons in the system are rotten and should be disposed completely because if you change the crates that break the eggs but retain the broken rotten eggs, you will achieve nothing but rotten smell.

The only fastest and reliable way to develop the old Eastern Region is Biafra because this generation of Biafrans who are tired of the system in Nigeria are ready to show Africa what leadership is all about and how a country ambitious of development is run. People who have seen how developed countries are run and are ready to replicate them and even do much better are here, honestly prepared to make Biafra the envy of nations.

(Written by O. E Williams, Edited & Published by IPOB writers)