AMALGAMATION OF NORTH/SOUTH: A HISTORIC MISADVENTURE

THE BIAFRA MYTH: THE IGBO, IJAW, EFIK, OGOJA, AND OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS RELATIONS. "O man, of whatever country you are, and whatever your opinions may be, behold your History, such as I have thought to read it, not in books written by your fellow creatures, who are liars, but in nature, which never lies. All that comes from her will be true..." JJ Rousseau. INTRODUCTION! Excerpts from A Paper Presented At The “National Conference On The 1999 Constitution” , At The Arewa House, Kaduna From 11th –12th September, 1999. The Yoruba elite were the first, in 1962, to attempt a violent overthrow of an elected government in this country. In 1966, it was the violence in the West which provided an avenue for the putsch of 15th January. Our present political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu. There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and may be find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity. The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have exacted their pound of flesh from the Igbos. For one Sardauna, one Tafawa Balewa, one Akintola and one Okotie-Eboh, hundreds of thousands have died and suffered. If this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria´s problems. HISTORY The Bight of Bonny (better known as the Bight of Biafra) is a bight off the West African coast, in the easternmost part (beyond the Bight of Benin to the West) of the Gulf of Guinea . It extends from the River Delta of the Niger in the north until it reaches Cape Lopez in Gabon. Countries located at the Bight of Bonny are Nigeria (eastern coast), Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko Island and Rio Muni ), and Gabon (northern coast). On 30 June 1849, Britain established a colonial protectorate over the Bight of Biafra.From 16 July 1884 this merged into the British protectorate over Brass, Bonny , Opobo , Aboh and Old Calabar (excluding Lagos Colony ), which was confirmed on 5 June 1885, and named Oil Rivers Protectorate , where in August 1891 effective consular administration was established, headed by a consul general (5 June 1885 the aforementoned former consul Edward Hyde Hewett became the first). This area would in different steps merge further via the 12 May 1893 Niger Coast Protectorate , 1 January 1900 renamed Southern Nigeria Protectorate (into which on 16 February 1906 Lagos was incorporated), on 28 February 1906 made into the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, since 1 January 1914 part of Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. The bight was renamed within independent Nigeria in 1972, when after the Biafran War , the Nigerian government wanted to remove the name of the secessionist Biafra . Remember also how most of our grand mothers were IGBO women married into our clime aside same IGBO then been industrious slaves our fathers had to help their trade. Our intercourse with the IGBO predates civil war predilections. Over my years of research I realized even our old parents were mislead and misguided about the Biafra question. But good thing knowledge illuminates and permeate even the darkest of lies. 1• Yes! Inclusion of any boundary into Biafra should best be negotiated. While I uphold that truism. Before outbreak of the war, the minorities found themselves on a crossroads. On a meeting BTW the two southern provinces of Yenagoa, Degema et al and COL. Ojukwu. He told them the nature of the terrain they occupy was unsuitable for defence, that he could not offer great hopes of the biafran Army against attacks. He offered the chiefs if they would opt for Nigeria, and save themselves from reprisals, he would draw up his defensive line north of the two provinces and cede the remainder to Nigeria. Which he told them to go back home and talk it overover in council. They replied days later they'd opt to stay with Biafra. 2• Events birthing the Willinks Minority Report was as to fears of minorities not comfortable been juggled up with bigger ethnic groups. A sharp reminder on the part of the minorities in the East the maneuvering in the NCNC between Zik and Eyo Ita. Long story short, minorities were given window to decide their fate for or against... Plus, I could infer that Port Harcourt and her supposed Igbo descent were the key interest of the Biafra side, where Others to defend their front themselves. Aspects of indiscriminate killings of minority by Biafra I could infer as well was borne of excitement to maintain loyalty to the cause. Ojukwu had no ulterior motif as to overrun or juggle other ethnic groups into his wagon. In my findings I also discovered at the time of ceding from Nigeria, Ojukwu had no name in mind what to call the new nation. He was pressured by his team to christen it BIAFRA following federal government's creation of states from the former Easter Region. So much is kept untold much the history been circumvented. Further corroboration is found IN BIAFRA AFRICA DIED: the diplomatic plot by EMEFIENE EZEANI. Crown it all; A PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE IGBO AMONGST THEM WILL MAKE A STRONG NATION. BLIND LEADING THE BLIND! THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH US IS THAT WE DON'T READ, WE DON'T PROBE, WE DABBLE WITH THE ANSWER WHEN IT IS PRESENTED TO US... ”We must know this, to continue the interrupted match to the Atlantic of our Grand father Dan fodio. The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grand father, Othman Danfodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We must use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the South as conquered territories and never allow them to rule over us or have control over their future. ” (Sir Ahmadu Bello October 12, 1960) I don't know when Nigerians will read meaning into the above statement and realize that we are all enslaved and stop bashing Igbos/Biafrans for demanding to be freed. One Nigeria is a farce! There are sound minds here. And I want us to have a look back, critically, it is obvious even our parents were ignorant of the cause of the civil war and the myth behind the IGBO prejudice. Our parents don't know the truth, we know better now, only that can set us free. Know that this fabrication called Nigeria is a calibration module as united - divided system. It's a gang of rouges who have grappled power just for themselves... it's a colonial stratagem passed on to the northern elite how they can perpetuate their hold on to power. Your governors do not give a ounce what her people think nor the squalor they suffer. Nigeria is also like a bully boy in a school who would not want to go forward, and likewise wouldn't allow others pass him. More so, this same country is like the dog that wouldn't eat the fodder and yet would not allow the cat to eat likewise. What am I saying? This system, parties, military elites and their hirelings are counterparts in this project. HOW OLD IS NIGERIA? AND HOW HAS THAT TRANSLATED IN YOUR LIFE AND THE FUTURE OF YOUR KITH AND KIN? DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOVT DOES NOT KNOW THE EXACT BARREL OF OIL DRILLED PER DAY? THEY ACCEPT WHATEVER FILLERS SHELL, AGIP AND CHEVRON PRESENT THEM. Patrick Inengite CT Twitter: @patnengi