Biafra: The revolution must start from within.

By Kelechi Deca replied Ike Ekweremadu, the best reply to his article so far.

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Our elders say that “if not that we also have the privilege of going to the farm, some people would have regaled us with fabricated stories of what Cassava and Yam did and did not do in the farm”.

Some of us are not kids. You can tell us stories about what happened during Aba Women’s War, World War II, and to some extent Biafran War, but do not come amd muddle up facts of things that took place in this 21st Century because you want to appeal to sentiments.

I was already grown up man covering Foreign Desk during Eritrea’s quest for independence. Infact I was to be in Ethiopia in 2000 to cover the African Development Bank annual meetings when it was cancelled because of the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

I visited Ethiopia 2001, a year after the war as a Journalist already covering international affairs. So I know what happened there 16 years ago.

Eritrea did not follow any recognized or diplomatic channel or process in declaring independence from Ethiopia. It was plain agitations. That was why it led to a war.

They fought a war after which a ceasefire was initiated by both the OAU and U.N. and it was that process that eventually led to a cold peace between the two countries and Eritrea’s independence.

Left for Ethiopia, Eritrea would go no where. Most Ethiopians still hunger for a reunification with Eritrea till date.

Left for Sudan, South Sudan would never be independent. Wars were equally fought until external intervention to the chagrin of Sudan led to the independence of South Sudan.

Left for Indonesia, East Timor would never have been independent.

It took the external intervention of the U.N. and other world bodies to pressure Indonesia into leaving East Timor.

Quebec, Scotland, Catalonia etc are turning out as they are because the systems and laws are not hostile to self determination.

All the other examples Senator Ekweremadu gave were simply internal insurrections instigated by neighbouring countries for their own interests. While others are proxy wars couched as self determinations and that is why recognitions have not happened coupled with the fact that within those enclaves there are yet to be consensus for independence.

People like Senator Ike Ekweremadu should also remember that FRELIMO of Mozambique under Samora Machel was tagged a terrorist organization by some “respectable” members of the international community.

SWAPO under Sam Nujoma was equally described before they got independence for Namibia.

The ANC and Nelson Mandela were officially designated a terrorist organization by Britain,US and other influential members of the international community.

Of recent, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was had a persona non grata status in the United States. Today the story is different.
Global geopolitics is fluid and is determined by the dynamics of interest aggregations.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu as I said is simply appealing to sentiments with wrong examples. He is interested in protecting his pecuniary interests .

Senator Ike Ekweremadu should be told that Nnamdi Kanu simply filled the vacuum created by the political irresponsibility of his ilk. Nature abhors vacuum. If Senator Ike Ekweremadu used his positions to provide leadership in Igboland there wont be IPOB.

I’ll do him a comprehensive reply because he is a very prominent part of, and major contributor to the underdevelopment in Igboland that has manifested into the hydra headed challenges we have today.

What can he point out as his contributions towards the growth and development of Igboland?

What promises is he making. Can he galvanise the SE Caucus in the NASS to exploit the momentum to bring the need for Nigeria to sit down and talk to the front burner?

If they weren’t more interested in contracts most of which were poorly executed or not executed at all instad of providing leadership and direction our situation would have been different.

People like him should be our focus going forward. From governors to senators to members of the House of Reps and States house of assembly. We should call all of them to present their scorecard from 1999 to date.

Every political actor who has contributed to the underdevelopment of Igboland should be denied the podium to lecture us on what to do and what not to do unless they present their scorecard on what they used their privileged positions to atttact to Igboland.

The revolution must start from within.