THISDAYonline

Sometime in 1971 or thereabout, the Federal Government of Nigeria, headed by the Junta man, General Yakubu Gowon, blighted out the title 'Bight of Biafra' in an open reference to stamping out Biafra. At the southern end of Nigeria, were situated two Bights, one was Biafra and the other Benin. They both do not command any historical significance save for trading routes for sea farers.

Agwu Okpanku, a great journalist of repute, wrote a condemnatory article in the then Renaissance Newspapers of East Central State titled 'Killing Biafra'. His position then on the Federal Government's proscription of Bight of Biafra remain pertinent today as with all other issues relating to Biafra. He was subsequently suspended, re-deployed and retired. He died few years after.

Following the end of military hostilities between the Nigerian and Biafran Armed Forces in January, 1970 both parties entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which led to laying down of arms, unification of the people, reintegration of the Biafrans into Nigeria, free trade, free movement, economic and administrative co-operation. Biafra's negotiating team was led by General Philips Effiong while Nigeria was headed by General Olusegun Obasanjo, the present president of Nigeria. The then Head of State, Yakubu Gowon was to capture these in his famous 3R policy of reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation. The war ended on a Federal Government's endorsement theme of "no victor, no vanquished".

The MOU in addition to extracting a commitment of cessation of military action or any forms of inhuman conducts from either parties was to lay a background for level playing field. guaranteeing security, equal opportunities to education, commerce, employment, health, justice, equity, Federal structures like investments, derivations, funding, international projects.

In over thirty years since this MOU. was sealed, what historians are giving serious reflection is an examination of achievements on the above terms, and the sincerity of the declared interest.

Very sadly, the conclusion being reached on both terms of reference is that the spirit of the MOU lay instantly dead on the piece of paper it was written, signed and not delivered. However, not completely. What comes off as the benefit of the MOU was that there were no organised macabres of human massacres which are very common features with primitive African bush wars. Having spared humanity the orgy of human decimation, the Biafran people should have been exposed to the same level playing field like other Nigerians. It is the failure to do this, that is at the genesis of the resurged Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

The Federal Government proscription of Bight of Biafra with an obvious intent of obliterating everything Biafra, was certainly an exercise in futility. What they did simply amounted to killing the body. The soul was intact. The Biafran soul is indestructible, unproscribable and unrestrictive. It is akin to an open wound, only truth can heal it.

The Biafran soul will always thrive in an environment as in Nigeria. Half baked illiterates rise to become generalsimo in the Armed Forces for the simple reason of tribal origin at the expense of fine, cultured, educated and intelligent ones from the South East.

The present structure of Nigeria is suspect with a view to denying and or suppressing Biafra. The South East amongst the six zones has the least number of states with five. We are blessed with 99 local government areas whereas the North East has 133, North Central 119, North West 188, South West 128 and even South South 123. Looking at 1991 census figures, South East women are the least reproductive in the nation. Our share of landmass is the smallest as well as the contribution to oil revenue at about 4%.

When these are put together, all benefits from the federation including revenues are highly short-changed the against South East. Year 2001 appropriation bill concedes the least miserly N14 billion to the South East whereas, wait a minute, North Central got N43 billion. Prior to this, the Petroleum Trust Fund of Buhari decidedly forgot the Biafran enclave for obvious reasons in terms of roads, education grants, health facilities and others. How many South Easterners have served in the nation's security council between 1970 and 2000? What about other arms of the security organs and government?. The South East was until recently not considered fit to have a zonal Police Headquarters. It was best situated in Calabar, Port-Harcourt and Benin, even Markurdi.

There is no stopping the Federal Government at diminishing Biafra. From the 1967 twelve states creation as an instrument of war, the cohesion of the Eastern Nigeria has since been touched thus paving way for the veritable killing of Biafra by the Federal Government. But the spirit of Biafra cannot die. The Biafran soul is ablaze.

When few years back, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike came out with MASSOB, not a few people took him for nuts. In the typical Nigerian way, the tendency has been to over look the message and banter at the messenger. Nigeria can only neglect Chief Uwazuruike to her peril. It must be stated loud and clear that MASSOB is the message and an integrated part of every Biafran. It is a realisable dream.

At the heat of it all, is the failure of successive Nigerian governments, including Obasanjo's present democratic arrangement, to disregard the M.O.U. reached between the Nigeria and Biafran people in January, 1970. Let it also be stated that the instrument was never one of surrender, as it would appear to have beclouded the judgments of those who transverse leadership of this country. Therefore rather than being equitable, South Easterners have always been treated as a choiceless people.

It is against this background that the reaction of Nigerian Police to Chief Uwazuruike in Okigwe must be condemned by all right thinking minds and people of goodwill. Nigeria's sovereignty cannot be threatened by force but what are at stake are the rights and freedom of the people to have life, good health, education, prosperity, investments, associations, speech and prospects of growth.

That invasion at Okigwe was a flagrant disregard of those rights, and further reconfirm the burning desire for a rejuvenated Biafra. Worst atrocities have been perpetrated severally and jointly under the very nose of the same Police, without any reprisals or from the government. The story of Northern Nigeria, especially the Hausa-Fulani axis is a story of utter disregard to Southern lives, property and fundamental human rights without the Nigerian Police bathing an eyelid. To now descend on a defenceless man or group whose only crime is to have expressed an opinion on the central government misjudgment of the values of his or their persons is not only incongruous to normal Police actions but also inhuman, degrading and totally insecure.

It is because of this that the present Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Abubakar must leave the state. And let's face it, he is a representation of those same elements who have over the years systematically alienated the people of Biafra and voided without conscience the M.O.U. The man must go. He is reflective of the bully Federal Government rather than the protective and friendly.

The use of force to suppress dissent is itself primitive and unproductive. Violence begets violence. It would be unreasonable to think that MASSOB will forever continue to be a sitting duck, and defenceless while state terrorism is unleashed on her. Forced repression will trigger a mutation from non-violent protest to an armed resistance struggle. For government and her agencies to ignore this is to incur the wrath of the obvious.

In any case, the MASSOB phenomenon is ubiquitous in Nigeria, albeit in different acronyms. It is long known that the Yorubas or the South-West exist more as an Oduduwa Republic than an element of Nigeria. What the Egbesu gang is doing is a continuation of the movement began in 1965 by Isaac Adaka Boro towards actualising a measure of independence from the contraption called Nigeria. Prior to 1967 the North were certain that there was no basis for Nigerian unity which was a demonstration of lack of faith in the conclave called Nigeria. It is understandable that the same North sings the most song about a united Nigeria. But under what conditions?

When a nation unleashed state terrorism on her protesting subjects it is a pointer that all is not well. Nigeria is a sick nation and may be terminally ill.

As a little boy growing up in the seventies, l used to marvel at the propensity of our leaders to always emphasise on unity of the nation. Until Yakubu Gowon was ousted from power in 1976, he could be excused giving that the country had just came through war. The military because of their monopoly of instruments of violence clamped down 'unity' on everyone. Shehu Shagari in his 1979 - 83 misrule used the word 'unity' more than any other word so much that he forgot the essence of government and consequently lost control. Now an Obasanjo presidency is at it - chasing a unity that has no basis.

Having since come of age, it has since dawned on one that the whole sing song of a Nigerian unity is because Nigeria is a rogue country, a contrivance which facilitated power and wealth to a select few, dominated by a cabal to the overall neglect of the people and the polity. But this arrangement was not to last forever.

The politically sagacious South West realised this way back October 1, 1979 and backed out of Nigeria spiritually. June 12 was the final breaking point. Whenever the present Yoruba presidency expires, whether in 2003 or 2007, you can be sure there can never be a Nigeria as presently constituted. Had the South East, Riverine brothers been smarter, what Adaka Boro initiated several years ago would have been bearing nutritious fruits today. They probably would have supported Biafran cause rather than sabotaging her. Imagine, according to them it took the famous Abacha-for-life-Presidency rallies at Abuja for these set of people to wake up from their slumber and fight for their right in a skewed and manipulated Nigeria.

MASSOB is a spiritual resistance to the conditions of Nigerian nationhood. This resistance is non-violent but there are issues which cannot be swept away. The beginning of the way forward is for we the people to assemble, discuss, reach a consensus and give ourselves a constitution. A lopsided, falsely orchestrated and imposed constitution as is currently obtainable cannot be acceptable and therefore unworkable. The constitution will say what the people want, how they are to be governed and the interrelationships.
Nwachukwu writes from Lagos