‘I Think We Have Lost It’
By Godswill Orobosheri (Ugheli Warri Delta State.)
Please what do we really want? By we, I mean the people of the South South. There is no doubt that the Nigerian state has conveniently cornered our nature’s given resources and in order to keep same permanently she has subjugated us and to ensure we don’t question this anomaly, merit was discarded as a way of accessing public offices .
For me, we have more to fight for than our closest neighbours, the Biafrans. But we seem to be content with just vandalizing a few unprotected pipelines, get a few stipend as amnesty and we are happy again. If by now, there is no underground plot between the South South and Biafra on how to move to the next stage, then it’s a shame. Nnamdi Kanu has obviously displayed courage. Asari Dokubo and Tompolo can be the militant arm of the struggle but we do need some intellectual face who would never run or go into hiding when the largely lopsided security agents are unleashed on them. Anniko Briggs has done marvelously but that can surely be bettered.
So, please for every South Southerner repudiating Biafra, please tell me, would you rather share your oil with 30 other states than with 5 other states? Mind you, these are five States that would also bring something to the table.
Reading through submissions by otherwise knowledgeable people from my region vehemently condemning Biafra for daring to want them in the same country my heart sank as cold chill ran down my spine. I initially concluded that they were paid or sponsored write-ups until I began to read people I personally knew expressing similar views. And I said to myself, what do we want? Is Nigeria working? No, are treated near fairly in Nigeria as presently constituted? No, is the North ready to restructure this doomed nation? No.
At this point, what I think we should do is make demands, and mine is as follows
* The headquarters of Biafra should be situated outside the present 5 IBO speaking States.
* 50% Derivation must be in the Constitution of the new republic
* Employment into public service must be based on merit.
*The first vice president must be a non- IBO speaker.
* The second president of Biafra must be a non- IBO speaker.
* The Constitution that will govern the republic must be discussed by a body of not more than 50% IBO speakers and not less than 50% non- IBO speakers.
Let us discuss and discuss but by no means should we prefer Nigeria as presently constituted to Biafra, it just defies logic.
Source: The writer of the above article was not verified by 9News team. Readers discretion is advised
