Sectional Crisis: As The Dust Settles On Biafra Agitation

As the dust appears to be gradually settling down after the recent sectional  unrest caused by series of protests by agitators of the Republic of Biafra,  EMMANUEL MGBEAHURIKE x-rays the present situation and the general mindset of the people.  

After acquiring its independence from her erstwhile colonial masters, the Great Britain on 1st October, 1960, Nigeria gradually rose to a position where it is globally acknowledged as the giant of Africa and the most populous black nation on earth. Like every other developing nation, the country has since its liberation from the suffocating claws of colonialism undergone its vicissitudes and upheavals arising from political skirmishes among the political class, mainly in the 1960s, which culminated in a three year civil war.

The war was the aftermath of an attempted bid by the former Eastern region led by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to secede from the rest of the country and to establish a district Republic christened Biafra. Indeed, since the cessation of hostilities in January, 1970 and inspite of the “No victor No vanquished” declaration by the then General Yakubu Gowon administration, coupled with the enunciation of the 3Rs, meaning, Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction”, the embittered former Eastern region has remained resolute, determined and committed in its mission to establish a separate empire.

The reason for this is predicated on alleged marginalization suppression, discrimination dichotomy, segregation and criminal conspiracy against the entire Igbo race by successive regime in the Nigerian polity. Thus, the sustained struggle for separate existence fired by the zeal and determination to take their destine in their own hand was to give birth to the daring and organization, known as Movement for the Actualization of the sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

Although largely disowned by the Apex Igbo socio cultural organization “the Ohaneze Ndigbo” on account of its perceived “insurrection” against the federal government, MASSOB led by radical, activist Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has remained unrelenting in its resolution to extricate Ndigbo from domination hegemony and regimental enclave of the chronic leadership of the nation.

Undeterred by incessant harassment, coercion, arrest and detention of her members, the freedom fighters appear not to be in a hurry to surrender.

Only recently, the movement (MASSOB) shook the entire South East and South South to its foundation with protest march in the major towns and cities of the zones. Armed with Biafran flags, and placards bearing various inscriptions, conveying the message of the quest to bring the Biafran dream to friction, the youthful protesters who defied the scotching heat of the sun incessantly chanted Biafra songs, barricaded all major roads in Port-Harcourt, Onitsha, Asaba, Benue, Aba, Owerri and Abakaliki thus impeding the free flow of traffic.

The presence of heavily armed stern-looking security men comprising the Army, the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as sundry local vigilance groups helped to ensure that the exercise did not degenerate to a mayhem. Although not a few Igbo believed that the South East had continued to suffer wanton marginalization and discrimination in the nations scheme of things, forty-five years after the end of the civil war, a greater percentage of the people appear indifferent and lackadaisical after the activities of the pressure group dubbed Biafra.

Since the consummation of the protest marches which paralysed commercial activities in the major urban centres of the zone, normalcy has since returned as the people now go about their usual daily business without fear of attack or molestation by anybody. Our correspondent who visited a number of places in Imo state authoritatively report that banks, filling stations, supermarkets, markets, schools, popular joints have since resumed normal business while Keke NAPEP operators, bus drivers, commercial operators, hawkers now go about their normal daily vocations unperturbed.

This is in spite of the acute fuel scarcity that has hit the state precipitating long queues in most of the falling stations. Expectedly, insinuations, rumours and propaganda have taken the centre stage in respect of the earth shaking protest of the MASSOB boys that swept the South East and South South like a hurricane.

While a school of thought insisted that the measure was in consonance with the charter of the United Nations, which posits that a nation plunged into a avid war is required to remedy all its that gave birth to the war, not less than forty years after failure of which the aggrieved section is free to go its separate way, the other believes that the action was to avert further criminal measure against the Igbo race.

Thus, the situation at the moment as most observed in public places is that a growing consciousness and awareness on the activities, visions, goals and aspirations of the MASSOB Vanguards had continued to acquire stronger impetus and relevance. This has prompted many people to assimilate the gospel of a feasible Biafra project in no distant time with a renewed vigour to lend support for the freedom agitators.

Invariably, fear and apprehension of the unknown has enveloped the socio psyche of the people. Believing in possible outbreak of another civil war in the country, some people have developed “look-worm attitude” posture and surveillance on their immediate surroundings. In all these, there appears to be a common verdict among the people that the Biafra agitation is a mere wishful thinking and a tall dream that cannot come to fruition.

Those who believe in this concept are of the view that since the former Biafra war Lord-Chief, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu widely dreaded and formidably indefatigable, could not realize the dream, it now amounts to an exercise in futility for the younger generators bereft of the circumstances that gave birth to the agitation to nurse the vision of bringing it to a logical end.

An atmosphere of thick anxiety and apprehension among a given populace that is still immersed and engrossed in reach of mordalitus for sustained growth and transformation. Owners and proprietors of business outfits that were terribly paralysed in the wake of the mersmerizing protest march are counting their losses and are really averse to the continual demand for Biafran state as according to them this might ignite the superior gun powder of the federal government to explode.

Those who witnessed the three year old civil war in the country between 1967 and 1970 have continued to caution the agitators to tread softly to avert repeat performance of the masscare that descended on Ndigbo. To these people, consultation, dialogue and compromise is the only way forward to resolve the issues at stake.

To be sure, incessant and occasional recrudescence of protests by MASSOB has more often than not enthroned confusion, distrust among the populace who accuse each other of trying to reap where they did not sow.

 SOURCE: LEADERSHIP