OPINION: I've come to understand that Biafra is more of an identity issue than political: What I'll do if I become the president of Nigeria – Tony Osborg

If I were to become President of Nigeria, this is what I will do to resolve the Biafra question.  I will carry out three actions.

First, I, on behalf of the Republic of Nigeria and the representative of the federal government, will tender an international apology to the Biafrans over the civil war atrocities committed by the federal government against the Biafrans. This will be the first symbolic approach towards solving the puzzle.

This national apology will not just be an executive proclamation but will also be a proclamation by an act of Parliament.

The federal government of Nigeria between 1967-1970 committed series of crimes against Biafrans during the war. The Biafrans were in the defensive, yet the federal government invaded their territory and murdered millions of their men, women and children.

That very act by the federal government is what my federal government will be apologizing for.

Before the Biafran war, Igbos were killed in several parts of Nigeria simply because few members of their ethnic stock participated in the first Nigerian revolutionary. They ran home and declared their homeland a republic, the federal government chased them to their homeland and massacred them for declaring self determination. You can imagine that?

It is that action by the federal government that my own federal government will be apologizing for.

This national apology will be given a global attention since it is a more of a symbolic gesture.

My second action will be to erect a statue on the Niger River, just in front of Onitsha main market and bridge in between Anambra and Delta States. A one billion dollar statue to mark the end of hostility and regret between the federal government and its former Eastern region will not be too much a prize for the millions of Biafrans killed during the war. The statue can be that of Ojukwu or any thing symbolizing remorse and peace. Upon completion, this statue will become the African version of the 'status of liberty or remorse'.

Both the federal apology and statue will all be a product of an act of Parliament and not a mere executive proclamation.

My final action will be to organize a constitutional conference in which the Biafrans will be given an opportunity to decide how they which to relate with other groups in the Nigerian union.

During the constitutional conference, I will propose a regional system in which the Biafrans can bear their identity 'Biafra Region of Nigeria' while other regions propose their own regional names.

If after all my efforts, the Biafrans insist on leaving the Nigerian union, then I will give them the  needed support and get parliament to organize their referendum.

I have come to understand that Biafra is more of an identity issue than a political issue. Making an Igbo man the President of Nigeria in 2019 will only slow the struggle but will not end it.

Until Biafrans gets their desired identify, nothing will pacify them, not even the Presidency.

And yes, they have a right to have their identity and country. Its an inalienable right.

We do not need to kill anybody when a round table discussion can resolve these issues.

Why is the federal government always afraid to enter a round table discussion with its 'federating' units?

Anyway, I will likely never become the President of this contraption.

If you become, how will you handle Biafra?