The fight for outright independence, self-determination, referendum and restructure by different groups and parts of Nigeria is coming right, left and centre hence the realisation for any of the above will take longer to materialise. At the moment we have IPOB, MASSOB, PANDEF, OPC, NIGER DELTA, Middlebelt, etc with different agenda. Now, entered into the ring is Tony Nnadi with his Lower Niger Congress. The groups are getting larger and louder day by day, yet the common uniting cry is “freedom” from the hands of repressive Nigerian government. What do we all want? Everyone is doing something to add value to the demand for restructure or is it referendum? IPOB is the only one calling for the independent sovereignty for the Republic of Biafra. I therefore ask the rest of the relevant groups of agitators, what do you really want? Who are you asking to give us what we want? If all these groups, extending from mid north to the end of south are the majority, who are we asking to give us referendum or restructure of Nigeria? I thought they say that majority carries the vote. I need to draw it into your ears that ordinary Nigerians are getting impatient and are confused of these noises.If I were the presidency, all I hear is noise, nothing concrete. Freedom the say is taken and not given; who do you want to give you this freedom which you have craved for?
However, based on the above, we are all saying that the far north is the problem, is it true? Believe me there are a lot of people in the north who do not like what is happening to Nigeria at the moment. My question now is, the Ijaws, the Benins and the Yorubas what do you really want? Do Tony Nnadi and his Lower Niger Congress want restructure or referendum for self determination? Do you really think that it is possible to take Lower Niger Congress out of Nigeria? The south cannot talk for Middlebelt; let them come out to speak for themselves. How do we treat the surpressed people of southern Kaduna? By the look of it, it means every Nigerian tribe wants self determination. If that is the case, why do we not start from referendum, then to restructure? In that case we capture everyone’s opinion and interests hence I say too many cooks spoilt the dish. Have the Yorubas outlined clearly that they want to leave Nigeria? The Middlebelters and the Benins, what do you really want? People should stop using the term Delta as the Igbos maybe the largest of all the individual tribes within it. One cannot write a report without identifying the aim and its objectives first. What do Nigerians want today from the federal government? I know where IPOB stand but what I do not know is where others stand hence too much cooks spolit the dish.
The issue of referendum and restructure are now being muddled up. No one actually know what they want except IPOB who clearly want Biafra. Any referendum at any time will prove that more than 95% of Igbos want Biafra. More than 75% of the Old easterners, Delta included want Biafra. I can hear someone asking “where did he get his data from?” Well, by opinion poll, Britain predict their election results. Well, I have been in this struggle since the 1990s through ENUA.I know what many of the old eastern leaders said to us before they die. I have praised Ohaneze, Afenifere, PANDEF and others for what they have been doing but my question remains, what do they really want? Are you all now telling us that if four out of the six geo-political zones want restructure that the remaining two zones will make it impossible for them? IPOB has tendered their plans, including map of Biafra to the international community. Can other groups stop fighting IPOB and present their own plans to the international community? Stop fighting IPOB, do what you can to help liberate your people; we all want to achieve the same thing, freedom. I say things as I see it. If you have issues with it, please let me know. He who has ears let him hear!
By: Oguchi Martins Egbujor