[OPINION] Be Calm Oh Biafra Nation, By TochiPaul DanSalama Ebubedike

It's quite glaring that with the recent happenings and incidents, many Biafrans within and diaspora have drawn conclusion, either that we are being marginalized or that the Biafrans are treading wrongly while score others laying the blames on Amalgamation 1914 demanding for referendum. I belong to either of them although trying to strike a balance. Obvious it is also that all these episodes never began today, it has an origin. Some will prefer to trace it down to amalgamation with the opinion that the process was faulty whereas some will take it to the first and second military coup d’état down through the Military rule. My attention will rather be geared toward civilian rule where the civilians have a say (Democracy in its real form not the Nigerian Democracy); reason: Military rule and succession is done forcefully through bloody or bloodless coup d’état. So, let’s take a brief ride into the recent past government.


The clamour from the Southeast and South-south was so high that no Civilian president has emerged from their region. President Olesegun Obasanjo D Great (of course he is great in Political game of chase and draft) being a wise man per se moved to Bayalsa and took GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) who is believed to be part of Biafra as running mate of Yar’adua (we know the rest of his political career to the Presidency- God rest the dead).  During the tenor of Goodluck Jonathan, the Biafrans were at the helm of affairs ranging from Ministers to SAs in Nigeria; that some thought he would declare independence for Biafrans. That notwithstanding he aimed at pleasing the northerners to be favoured with Second tenor. And what happened? GEJ conceded defeat following the 2015 election and has several awards on that regards across the globe. He deserves thumbs-up right? I don’t think so.

With his defeat comes the tenor of PMB (President Mohamadu Buhari). What do you expect? I guess you shouldn't expect less than what is already on. During election he won in no State among all the Biafran States, who won’t be biased. Even among our governors in Southeast, in whatever local government his party lost, nothing for them, ask people from Nnewi North and South they will tell you about Peter Obi. With APC as ruling party, it's quite simple and obvious that the election result will influence their rule. But this time around, it is quite beyond acceptance.


Ipso facto, I guess you wish to hear this; yes, the current Government has never favoured the Biafrans/Southeasters ranging from Basic infrastructures to Business (Importation) empires. All have been in huge mess. Patrick Obihiagbon will explain better.

The Biafran agitation and protest is nice per se, but there is need to revisit the blueprint. We are still Biafrans as much as we are Nigerians (be free to argue but don’t hull stones at me). Be calm oh people of Biafra, we will virtually get to our destination with time. A lot has happened, lives have been wasted (God rest the dead). Our dreams shall never die, it will come to be when the time is right. Catalonia is at the verge of her independence from Spain, she has been part of Spain since its genesis in the 15th century. The first pro-independence political party in Catalonia was Estat Català (Catalan State) like IPOB, founded in 1922 by Francesc Macià. ... Catalonia was granted a statute of autonomy in 1932, which lasted until the Spanish Civil War in 1938, General Franco abolished the Statute of Autonomy. But after much more, their dream is here in actuality. It has happened across the globe in time past; remember the great Socialist Country Yugoslavia that split into six countries, Serbia and Montenegro, South Korea and North Korea, South Sudan and North Sudan (ours won’t come like theirs; Amen) to mention but a few. One would quickly say, ‘ours is different’, different also is the case of those whose dream of secession came to pass.  Be mindful that they succeeded because their ruling body were part of the struggle. Likely was their fate when they began until their ruling body joined the bandwagon.
Where are our ruling body?


Let’s all put on the cap of patience and be calm until the time is right. There is surely light at the end of the tunnel. Even if our generation didn’t make it to the Biafran Independence, the generations after us should enjoy the dividends of our genuine struggle; for the lives gone are not in vain.

I believe this and sure you do too. And what do I believe, ‘Biafra will come when the time is right’.

God bless us all
God bless Nigeria
God bless the South-easterners
God bless Biafra
Long may she live