By Ama Chukwugoziem (Abia writers)
Edited by Solomon Elughaiwe
What we need is a peaceful atmosphere coupled with freedom of existence and rights as enshrined in the United Nations declaration on human rights, African charter on human and peoples' right and the Nigeria constitution. It is essential to make it clear that in the life of any human being or nation, there is a turning point. Biafrans have reached the turning point on their relationship with their political representatives. We have turned a corner from just watching those who impoverish us by stealing funds meant for development go abroad to show off.
The Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes did say there is time for everything, and I believe in that saying. It is time for Biafrans to take their destiny into their hands by holding their political representatives accountable. Time has come to stop the stupidity of these thieving politicians going abroad to celebrate new yam festivals while Biafran farmers who grow the yam can longer go to their farms because of the Fulani herdsmen.
Nigeria is made up of a conglomeration of ethnic groups or nations. Each of these ethnic nations is, in turn, distinct and unmistakable in respect of its peculiar languages, or dialects, cultures, religions and traditional political system. Biafra is one of those nations, the Igbo race is a tribe in Biafraland, and they have a cultural festival known as, the new yam festival (Iri ji ohuru). During this festival, the elders of each clan gather together to thank God (Chukwu okike Abiama) for making their land fertile and for the harvest.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a supposedly elder from Enugu state went to Germany to celebrate the new yam festival which, according to tradition, should be celebrated among the Ibo clans in Biafra land. Oh, what a desecration of the reverend Igbo culture! As an elder, Senator Ike Ekweremadu should appease the gods of harvest for the desecration of the festival outside our land. As if that is not enough, he ignored the traditional dress known as Isi-agu for the traditional celebration, but instead wore his slave master’s coat of arms as the traditional wear and made his way into Germany for the festival. What an embarrassment to Ndigbo?
Everyone knows that Nigeria is a pluralistic society. The pre-independence pluralistic features of Nigeria have not been diminished by the recent modernization processes. They are reinforced and consolidated in certain respects, especially in the economic, educational, and infrastructure spheres etc.
In the economic sphere, for instance, there has been noticeable differentiation of haves and have-nots in various incomes grades and levels. Similarly, the trend towards an educational heterogeneous Nigeria has suffered many setbacks in recent times, especially, the Biafran. As a result of misplaced priorities, educational programmes from the primary to the tertiary have starved of the critical financial support which they deserve for their sustenance.
What of infrastructure? All in a dilapidated state. Ike Ekweremadu allegedly embezzled the money meant for the re-construction of Enugwu-Igweocha (Portharcourt) highway. All the politicians in the South East behave in the like manner of senator Ike Ekweremadu. EFCC arrested Senator Hope Uzodimma for diverting the fund meant for the rehabilitation of the Calabar Sea Port. There is political darkness everywhere working in concert with the remote morbid assembly of dishonourable honourables. These infamous politicians have bound the conscience of the people in matters of governance, not subject to discussion and probing of the mature minds as if ordained by God (Chukwu okike Abiama).
What happened in Germany between the Biafrans domicile there and Senator Ike Ekweremadu was to tell the world how the political class have subjected our people to untold hardship amid plenty. It was meant to nudge our people who were asleep to wakefulness and remind the politicians that our eyes are on them.
No man of wisdom can change the Nigerian politicians’ habits of falsehood, insincerity, deceit and disregard for equity which are the offspring’s of political lunacy. It is time to dismember Nigeria from the comity of nation.
The restoration of Biafra is our last hope.
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