GOVERNMENT IN EXILE

By Arinze Chukwu (Abia Writers)
Edited by Livingrich Ezeikpe
The Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), according to history existed for more than five thousand years before the creation of Nigeria by Fredrick Lugard. The ancient Portuguese recognized Biafra, so also did early researchers that gave the name “Bight of Biafra”. Biafrans are republicans and practice true democracy.

The creation of Nigeria by the British government was for British commercial interest and for administrative purposes because they could not make enough revenue from the northern protectorate to administer the area. They handed Nigeria over to the Hausa Fulani to punish Biafrans for the disagreement between the Biafran people and the British government to sign a deal of oil business, for the trouble Biafrans gave them when they first came and because they know Biafrans are intelligent and educated as such will not allow them to continue stealing their resources.

All the problems, conflicts and wars in Nigeria today are as a result of what the British government created just to satisfy their selfish interest. Joining together people with different value systems, cultures and different religions is an invitation to calamity. The independence of Nigeria from the British government was a hand over of colonization project to a particular set of people in Nigeria to continue the enslavement, marginalization and subjugation against the Igbo people in particular and Biafrans as a whole.

Some gullible Igbo leaders ask: "why has the Igbo not produced a Nigeria president", the answer is simple; Ndigbo were never recognized as Nigerians politically but have always been known as economic magnet. This was exactly what prompted the former Biafran leader General Chukwu Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to seek for Biafra survival as a State even in the Aburi Accord in Ghana but because of the world Silence on the issue, it was not realized as at then but instead war was unleashed on the General and his people which of course resulted in the world successfully committing genocide against the people of Biafra and up till today no one has been tried in any criminal Court for that bloodshed against the people of Biafra. All the actors behind this crime are moving about freely and going about their normal businesses without any form of arrest.

The music of war is playing in Africa again-The Indigenous people of Biafra are being maltreated, molested and their Human Rights violated by the Nigerian government yet the world is looking the other way. Self-determination is the only hope left for the Indigenous people of Biafra led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The people were supposed to have been going about this quest through violence but because of the orientation of the people, their peaceful demeanour and their maxim that says "whiter than White and whiter than Snow," they have remained peaceful and legitimate in the struggle without the use of violence.

The call for a referendum has been announced by the indigenous people of Biafra, in order to be free from the hands of Nigeria, yet Nigerian government refused to give a date for that referendum. Where Nigerian government refuses to give a date for the referendum, chances are that IPOB may be compelled to organise the referendum and set up a government in exile if the people vote in favour of a Sovereign State of Biafra.