From the darkness
Minding not that some may wish to cavort under the shadow of darkness
In chains, yet emboldened by innocuous dark forces of night
Surely, the sun, like the spirit of freedom, rises
In the East, inexorably cometh the light . . .
- Ngwaukwu1, 2015


Can a region currently within the Nigerian state achieve complete independence from Nigeria?
This question is pertinent in view of the increasing frustration of the “indigenous peoples of Biafra” with project Nigeria. The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra as has been defined by IPOB can be found predominantly in today’s South East and South South geopolitical zones of Nigeria and also in some of the North Central states (Benue and Kogi). The alternative to a referendum for Biafra to become disentangled from Nigeria would be another Civil war, but this is an option that should not be pursued until all other options have been exhausted . . .

According to Wikipedia, a referendum (also known as a plebiscite in some countries), is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal. A referendum for independence is a process in which the citizens of a territory votes to decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. In an article published online and titled “the ‘Neverendum’? A History of Referendums and Independence, Matt Qvortrup says “to date there have been 49 independence referendums across the world. Some have been official, others unofficial. Some have been successful, and others have ended in failure. The first independence referendums were held in Texas, Tennessee and Virginia in 1861. All voted for secession, but their wishes were not granted and were resolved on the battlefield in the American Civil War. Forty-four years later, Norway voted for secession from Sweden”


The successful case of South Sudan (from the website of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan)
On 9 July 2011 South Sudan became the newest country in the world, following a UN backed referendum, which was initially called for by a 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan led by President Omar Hassan Al Bashir and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), which ended more than 20 years of war. While the Sudanese authorities were ultimately responsible for the referendum process the United Nations provided technical and logistical assistance to the CPA parties’ through “its peacekeeping missions on the ground in Sudan, as well as the good offices function provided by the Secretary-General’s panel aimed at ensuring the impartiality, independence and effectiveness of the process, and by the UN Integrated Referenda and Electoral Division (UNIRED)”.
The birth of the Republic of South Sudan is the culmination of a six-year peace process in a region that has seen little peace in the last 50 years.

Some unsuccessful cases (taken from “the ‘Neverendum’? A History of Referendums and Independence by Matt Qvortrup)
The break-up of Yugoslavia, which was preceded by popular votes, was rejected by Belgrade, while the Soviet Union did not accept the secession of the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia during the Soviet era. Matt Ovortrup argues that at the time neither Yugoslavia nor the Soviet Union were democratic states, and were not expected to be committed to the ‘self-determination of the peoples; however there have also been opposition to secession through referendums within democratic states. For instance, in 1946 the Danish government rejected the outcome of a referendum on independence for the Faroe Islands. Following negotiations they however agreed on a system called ‘devolution max’ where the Faroese were allowed to have their own MP’s with legislative power in all areas except foreign affairs and defence. Synonyms of Devolution max include full fiscal autonomy and fiscal federalism. It implies that while the people seeking secession are not granted their wish for a separate nation, they are given the privileges of being able to run their own sub region of a state.

The case of Catalonia
Since August 2006 the Spanish region of Catalonia, with capital in Barcelona and a population of 7.6 million, has been governed under the system of devolved parliamentary legislature. Wikipedia says that this system differs from fiscal federalism in that “the devolved powers of the sub national authority may be temporary and ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains, de jure unitary”. In other words, legally Catalonia is still part of Spain and the Spanish central government can withdraw the privileges of self-legislation or amend it at any time. In 2010 the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled that while a referendum for Independence or complete sovereignty of any of its regions is unconstitutional and its outcome not be binding on the Central government, these non-binding referendums can be held notwithstanding. In 2014 nationalists in Catalonia held a referendum but the outcome was opposed by the Central government and as a result has not been recognised by the international community as it was deemed unconstitutional. The situation in Spain/Catalonia is similar to that in Canada/Quebec where a referendum on the independence of Quebec would not be permitted due to the absence of a constitutional amendment. In this case the Royal Supreme Court of Canada ruled that ‘any attempt to effect the secession of a province from Canada must be undertaken pursuant to the Constitution of Canada, or else [would] violate the Canadian legal order’.

In an article titled “New development: The comparative study of secession-referendums” Matt Qvortrop (2014) says and I quote; “Referendums have historically been won by those who take bold decisions; by those who had the courage to stand up for what they believe in, and, above all, by those who could inspire hope and dreams”. He went on to say that independence referendums have been successful where “the political leaders fighting for independence succeed in appealing to the emotions and the heartstrings of a majority of the voters. To win a referendum, it is necessary to have good and convincing rhetoric and a charismatic leader”. Unfortunately having a charismatic leader is not always enough where the option of a referendum for constituent parts of a country is not enshrined within the constitution of that country.

Historically, most successful referendums on independence have taken place in countries with non-democratic tendencies such as South Sudan (2011), Eritrea (1993) and countries in what used to be the Soviet Union. In “democratic countries”, agitation for a referendum is not likely to result in the desired outcome unless such an option is enshrined within the constitution of that country. The only successful referendum on independence in a democratic country in the last 2 decades has been Montenegro in 2006. A referendum carried out in the small Caribbean federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in 1998 for the independence of Nevis did not have a favourable outcome even though the vote was 62% in favour due to a constitutional requirement for a 2/3 majority in favour of independence (Qvortrup, 2014, p. 131). In Scotland the outcome of the recent referendum was 55% against.

This raises a question of whether a region that believes itself to be marginalised by its central government can achieve independence via a referendum even if such an option is not included in the constitution of that country, as is the case of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, currently existing within the Nigerian state. To discuss this further we need to understand what is meant by “Indigenous Peoples” and what the legal options available to them are to be able to achieve “nationhood” from their parent country. I will be addressing this in my next post.

Indigenous Peoples and the right to self determination
There are approximately 370 million Indigenous peoples in the world, belonging to 5,000 different groups, in 90 countries worldwide. Indigenous people live in every region of the world, but about 70% of them live in Asia. The Canadian historian Ken Coates defines Indigenous people as “those groups who have been especially protected in international or national legislation as having a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory, and their cultural or historical distinctiveness from other populations” (Coates, 2014). .The rights of these groups are protected by legislation due to the fact of their being deemed to be vulnerable to exploitation, marginalization and oppression by nation states formed from colonising populations or by politically dominant, different ethnic groups (Wikipedia).

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (including the rights to self-determination and control of their natural resources):
At its 107th plenary meeting held on 13 September 2007 the General Assembly of the United Nations, declared the following, regarding the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - I have only listed the relevant articles of the declaration:

Article 3
Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

Article 4
Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to 4.Resolution 217 A (III). 5 their internal and local affairs, as well as ways and means for financing their autonomous functions.

This declaration has been premised on the following principles concerning Indigenous Peoples:
• They are equal to all other peoples, they have the right to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such,
• They should be free from discrimination of any kind in the exercise of their rights; however all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust.
• They have suffered from historic injustices as a result of, inter alia, their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources, thus preventing them from exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance with their own needs and interests.
• The UN recognises the urgent need to respect and promote the inherent rights of indigenous peoples which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources.
• The UN welcomes the fact that indigenous peoples are organizing themselves for political, economic, social and cultural enhancement and in order to bring to an end all forms of discrimination and oppression wherever they occur
• The UN is convinced that control by indigenous peoples over developments affecting them and their lands, territories and resources will enable them to maintain and strengthen their institutions, cultures and traditions, and to promote their development in accordance with their aspirations and needs,

While Nigeria along with 10 other countries including Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine. Colombia and Samoa initially abstained from voting to adopt this declaration, it has since endorsed the document.

Do Biafrans qualify to be considered as “Indigenous Peoples”?

This is where things get interesting.

According to the UN factsheet on Indigenous Peoples, no UN-system body has adopted an official definition of “indigenous” but instead highlight the fundamental criterion for being considered as “Indigenous” to be "self-identification as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member".

Other attributes that have been highlighted by the UN systems for a group to be considered as "Indigenous" include:
i) Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies
ii) Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources
iii) Distinct social, economic or political systems
iv) Distinct language, culture and beliefs
v) Form non-dominant groups of society
vi) Resolve to maintain and reproduce their ancestral environments and systems as distinctive peoples and communities.

“Biafra” currently includes several groups of peoples from the former Eastern region of Nigeria (the Igbo and Igboids, Ijaw and Ijoids, Efik, Ibibio, etc.) that are located in the SE and SS geopolitical regions of Nigeria (IPOB includes some groups from Benue and Kogi states), which individually have the attributes i) – vi) suggested by the different UN systems. The fundamental question is whether these individual groups self-identify with Biafra.

In my opinion, Biafra is not likely to have the backing of the United Nations for a referendum to decide the terms of their continued stake in the nation of Nigeria (maintaining the status quo vs. fiscal federalism) or complete secession to become a new sovereign state, unless we are able to demonstrate that the different groups of peoples that make up the proposed new nation all wish to be part of the nation of Biafra. It should not be the other way round. Unless this is done we cannot proceed to the next stage of convening a referendum that will be backed by the UN systems. So it becomes extremely important to decide whether we want "Biafra" or a separate Igbo nation made up of only the Igbo and Igboid groups.

Not surprisingly there is little or no information about the strategies any of the organisations currently agitating for the restoration of Biafra are adopting in order to achieve their set objectives.

MASSOB seems to believe that engaging in peaceful demonstrations, carrying banners etc will help actualise Biafra. The problem with this approach is that they have been using this strategy for over a decade now and the only outcomes seem to be that a lot of its members have ended up in prison or have been killed by the 'law enforcement agents' and yet the actualisation of Biafra is not any closer in sight. While they seem to have been the 'face' of the Biafran struggle over the last decade and have been able to establish some kind of relationship with some of the agitators for the liberation of the Niger Delta, such as the one led by Asari Dokubo, MASSOB's strategy is clearly not working.

BILIE is a group of lawyers who wants to achieve Biafra via a legal route that has included taking the Nigerian government to court. I am not quite sure what they are expecting to achieve by this. It does appear that initially they set out to represent 'the indigenous people of Biafra' but are currently distancing themselves from the Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB.

BZM which stands for the Biafran Zionist movement is another group out there. There is nothing online to provide any information about their objectives and strategies for achieving these.

IPOB led by Nnamdi Kanu is the most recent organisation agitating for Biafra. Online information seems to suggest that it was registered in the UK in 2014. In this time it has used the medium of Radio Biafra to increase awareness and reawakening the desire for a separate state for the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra. This group seems to be the only serious group at the moment evidenced by the fact that they seem to be causing the government of Nigeria a lot of concern and gaining support from an increasing number of Igbo speaking and non-Igbo speaking Biafrans. What seems to be lacking is information about how IPOB aims to progress beyond information dissemination to the actualisation of a separate nation for the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra.

One thing that is striking about the current organisations agitating for Biafra is that apart from what appears to be a lack of information about their strategies for actualising Biafra, they all seem to be at loggerheads with each other! This is not good at all.

Without a unity of purpose, where the different organisations will focus on their areas of strength without antagonising their co-agitators the actualisation of Biafra will happen much later than sooner. In other words there should be a coming together, with the leaders of each group swallowing their prides for the greater good such that massob focuses on its peaceful demonstrations, bilie continues with providing legal representation etc, ipob continues with information dissemination. They should also consider keying in to the proposed referendum time frame suggested by the Lowe Niger Congress, which provides a clear time frame.

Agitating without having clear strategies and time frames to work with seems to me like telling an emotional story lacking of reason, which (paraphrasing Shakespeare) is like a tale . . . full of a lot of sound and fury but signifies nothing!

We are a civilized and intelligent people who ultimately want a separate nation for ourselves. The desired route should be peaceful and this can be achieved via a referendum backed by the United Nations, using the legal framework of the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination. To achieve this, things have to be done correctly.

It is only when peaceful means have failed that war becomes an option . . .

you made so many mistakes.
i wont correct you though
biafra is at hand
eziokwu CHINEKE
the ZOO must fall
my goodness me

Txonyi:
you made so many mistakes.
i wont correct you though
biafra is at hand
eziokwu CHINEKE
the ZOO must fall
my goodness me

Please correct me wherever I have made mistakes. I am not too proud to learn.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Who's talking about referendum here?? Do u want to give some people heart attack

Referendum will do it! The will power and resolution among the Indigenous People Of Biafra is there and the spirit of Biafra is ever willing and ready.
IMO, Radio Biafra should popularize the ongoing petition on www.change.org for the people to sign and share OR set-up another one.
My family and I will sign it without any delay.

They say: Home is where the Heart is.❤️

@Op, I don't want to bother myself with biafra thread as i knew that every group in Nigeria is entitled to self determination even though i consider the online agitation as a fantasy in Disney world. What concerns me is the repeated falsehood I've observed that Igbos are in Benue state, if you can do me a favour by identifying those areas in Benue that you can find Igbos I'll as well appreciate. My inquiry sterm from the fact that i am a Benue indegiene who hails from the southern part sharing boarder with Igbo eze North, Udenu, Isu uzor LG in Enugu state and part of Ebonyi. Even though we've intermarried we were never part of Biafra. My ancestors make that clear during the Civil War so don't include us in your biafra as we don't trust them. Please those who have been peddling this falsehood should desist henceforth. Benue people believe in Project Nigeria and we will do everything to protect her indivisibility & sovereignty.

Aufbauh:
@Op, I don't want to bother myself with biafra thread as i knew that every group in Nigeria is entitled to self determination even though i consider the online agitation as a fantasy in Disney world. What concerns me is the repeated falsehood I've observed that Igbos are in Benue state, if you can do me a favour by identifying those areas in Benue that you can find Igbos I'll as well appreciate. My inquiry sterm from the fact that i am a Benue indegiene who hails from the southern part sharing boarder with Igbo eze North, Udenu, Isu uzor LG in Enugu state and part of Ebonyi. Even though we've intermarried we were never part of Biafra. My ancestors make that clear during the Civil War so don't include us in your biafra as we don't trust them. Please those who have been peddling this falsehood should desist henceforth. Benue people believe in Project Nigeria and we will do everything to protect her indivisibility & sovereignty.

Thanks for your post, my brother.

Personally I do not care if other ethnic nationalities join the Igbos in Biafra. If you read my post you will observe that I stated that it is IPOB that includes some groups from Benue and Kogi under the banner of Biafra. I believe strongly that any nation that is born out of the agitation for Biafra, whether is a nation consisting only of Igbo speaking peoples from the current South East and South South of Nigeria or one that includes other ethnic nationalities has to be based on the desire of each group to be part of Biafra. A UN backed referendum can only work that way.

I do not believe that people should be included in a nation they do not wish to be part of. I am for a peaceful resolution of the problem of Nigeria's forced "nationhood".

zendy:
With the "forced conscription" of over 300 ethic groups that make up Nigeria into one country by the British, the issue of sovereignty cannot be wished away. Referendum is a legitimate and legal means for any ethnic grouping to exercise their sovereign will to continue with a political association or to exit from it. It is foolhardy for anyone to think that Nigeria is sacrosanct when Nigeria its self is an act of coercion. It is the legitimate right of a people to decide their political destiny and a referendum must be granted the SS/SE or war is inevitable

My brother, a growing number of us that are proud of our heritage have started to ask questions.
We are freeborn yet are being forced to live as slaves. Mba nu!

FrankAba1:
Referendum will do it! The will power and resolution among the Indigenous People Of Biafra is there and the spirit of Biafra is ever willing and ready.
IMO, Radio Biafra should popularize the ongoing petition on www.change.org for the people to sign and share OR set-up another one.
My family and I will sign it without any delay.

They say: Home is where the Heart is.❤️

Thanks for your contribution Frank.
How does this change.org thing really work?
To be honest, while the role of using social media to effect change is indisputable, i struggle to see what exactly the change.org petition will do to bring about the desired referendum.

I think the most important thing at this point is to get people to start having honest discussions without bitterness about the compatibility of the different peoples that make up the entity called Nigeria and how to move forward. The elders mostly from the southern peoples of Nigeria have suggested that this discussion is within the framework of a Constitutional Conference, perhaps knowing that up until recently a legitimate referendum could not be held without the backing of the constitution of the country.

But things seem to have changed and there appears to now be an alternative to a Constitutional conference to be able to proceed with a referendum the outcome of which would be internationally recognised.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Hence Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB have stepped in at time like this. My hope is that he and Radio Biafra is able to lead beyond mere rhetoric to palpable action and not be cowed by any intimidation. The cause he stands for is just . . .

We ara Light. Freedom for sure

Aufbauh:
@Op, I don't want to bother myself with biafra thread as i knew that every group in Nigeria is entitled to self determination even though i consider the online agitation as a fantasy in Disney world. What concerns me is the repeated falsehood I've observed that Igbos are in Benue state, if you can do me a favour by identifying those areas in Benue that you can find Igbos I'll as well appreciate. My inquiry sterm from the fact that i am a Benue indegiene who hails from the southern part sharing boarder with Igbo eze North, Udenu, Isu uzor LG in Enugu state and part of Ebonyi. Even though we've intermarried we were never part of Biafra. My ancestors make that clear during the Civil War so don't include us in your biafra as we don't trust them. Please those who have been peddling this falsehood should desist henceforth. Benue people believe in Project Nigeria and we will do everything to protect her indivisibility & sovereignty.

[b]@Aufbauh, Read dis.
Forgotten Igbo communities in Benue

Forgotten Igbo communities in Benue 478 Views

September 22, 2015

Gone are the days when we don’t know where Igbo communities were hidden. They are in four local government areas of Benue State, namely, Ado, Oju, Okpoku and Obi. These are ethnic Igbo communities. These are known as the Umuezeokoha people. Those talking about Igbo trying to annex other people’s land should consider how a sizable number of Igbo were cut off, and place in the North as northern communities.

Presumably, some people hoped that the Umuezeokoha people will lose their identity as is happening with some Ikwerre people in Rivers State. Umuezeokoha community is in the present Benue State and comprises over 300 villages of Igbo speaking areas. Ado, Oju, Okpoku and Obi are local government areas that are part of the proposed Apa State, which the Idoma have been calling for.

Apa State should be created, and added to the South East in the interest of unifying the peoples with their kith and kin. Before the Nigerian civil war, they lived a happy and meaningful life, mingling freely with their kith and kin in the state. But today, things have fallen apart.

Instead of the joyful songs they were used to, they now sing dirges. The Umuezeokohas are not happy that they have been neglected for a long time by successive governments; Federal, state and local, and they are blaming their ethnic origin and wrong state.

Interestingly, the people share the same Benue South Senatorial Constituency with Senate President, David Mark. Though Igbo , the Umuezeokoha Community, due perhaps to accident of history, are found in Benue State instead of Ebonyi State , the closest Igbo state where their kinsmen, the Ezza Ezekuna kindred, are found.

According to the President, Benue Igbo Union, Mr. Nweke Cedrick Ifeanyi, his people are wallowing in poverty and neglect and are often denied democracy dividends, including obtaining local government identification letters for employment in and outside the state. Mr. Nweke said the Igbo in Benue State; particularly those in the aforementioned local government areas, were existing before the advent of Christianity in Nigeria. But since then, he lamented, they have not been recognised by successive governments both at the state and Federal levels in both Ebonyi and Benue states.

“Although before the independence and the Nigerian civil war, which lasted for about three years, we used to experience government attention to the extent that the missionaries established one local primary school at Umuezeokoha community comprising over 300 villages of Igbo speaking areas at that time. The school was generally accepted by our elders, and we had medical attention. But since the civil war ended, we in the entire 300 Igbo-speaking villages in Benue State have been dumped by the Nigerian government.”

It is worse for those in Benue South Senatorial District. We have not experienced any government presence, let alone a project from the local, state or Federal governments till date.”

The Igbo Union President also disclosed that a place with a population of over one million people has no designated political ward, no councillorship representative neither at the local level nor at the state level. He said even Senator David Mark and Governor Gabriel Suswan have been winning all their elections in the area.

Mr. Nweke also narrated how their children die in their numbers because of lack of immunisation, which he said they have never witnessed since the return of democracy. He also painted a gory picture of how they were swindled of N6, 000 each for insecticide treated mosquito nets, which were given free to neighbouring communities by the Federal Government.
- See more at: http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/forgotten-igbo-communities-in-benue/#sthash.tSsvn5Kc.dpuf[/b]

Aufbauh:
@Op, I don't want to bother myself with biafra thread as i knew that every group in Nigeria is entitled to self determination even though i consider the online agitation as a fantasy in Disney world. What concerns me is the repeated falsehood I've observed that Igbos are in Benue state, if you can do me a favour by identifying those areas in Benue that you can find Igbos I'll as well appreciate. My inquiry sterm from the fact that i am a Benue indegiene who hails from the southern part sharing boarder with Igbo eze North, Udenu, Isu uzor LG in Enugu state and part of Ebonyi. Even though we've intermarried we were never part of Biafra. My ancestors make that clear during the Civil War so don't include us in your biafra as we don't trust them. Please those who have been peddling this falsehood should desist henceforth. Benue people believe in Project Nigeria and we will do everything to protect her indivisibility & sovereignty.

I hope u are enjoying being a minority in ur opressed north, benue invasion by fulani herdsmen loading...

I hope u like what is happening in plateau state

Biafra is stretchin its hand of freedom to u,if the hand starts paining her, she will let go
And u will suffer

My Goodness Me!


For BIAFRA, I VOTE YES!

PrinceBundu:

I hope u are enjoying being a minority in ur opressed north, benue invasion by fulani herdsmen loading...

I hope u like what is happening in plateau state

Biafra is stretchin its hand of freedom to u,if the hand starts paining her, she will let go
And u will suffer

I love you! You just made my day!

PrinceBundu:

I hope u are enjoying being a minority in ur opressed north, benue invasion by fulani herdsmen loading...

I hope u like what is happening in plateau state

Biafra is stretchin its hand of freedom to u,if the hand starts paining her, she will let go
And u will suffer

Hello, please keep your biafra to yourselves as we benue people don't need cos we don't trust the people of Biafra.
It is also worthy of note that my minority status is well positioned in Nigeria than your conquered majority and don't take penadol for someone's headache as we are not complaining after all it is not up to your biafra people that were murdered in the core North and you did nothing about it.
Please don't bring me in or else I'll place you where your ilks belong.

Aufbauh:

Hello, please keep your biafra to yourselves as we benue people don't need cos we don't trust the people of Biafra.
It is also worthy of note that my minority status is well positioned in Nigeria than your conquered majority and don't take penadol for someone's headache as we are not complaining after all it is not up to your biafra people that were murdered in the core North and you did nothing about it.
Please don't bring me in or else I'll place you where your ilks belong.

I understand where you are coming from but if you are not ethnic Igbo then Biafra does not really concern you unless your ethnic group wishes to identify with us and we also accept to identify with you.

While Ndigbo have no expansionist ambitions, which is contrary to the propaganda against us, Ethnic Igbos wherever they are, will not be left behind when the time comes. So if there are ethnic Igbo groups in Benue state, they will be included in any referendum for self-determination and not be held against their will. This is the goal.

To be honest it amazes me that some consider a peoples legitimate aspiration for self-determination to be a thing to be condemned in this 21st century. Not all of us that want to live in a nation where we honestly feel a sense of belonging are agitating for war, so why would people feel threatened to the point of waiting with anticipation for the blood of another agitator for the nation of Biafra to be spilled on the potholed ravaged streets of Nigeria. Why?

The truly patriotic Nigerian needs to be atleast in support of a restructuring of the nation and should exert themselves in trying to make this happen, knowing that Nigeria in its present state is not viable. Lets be honest about this.

Truly patriotic Nigerians should be in support of a referendum where the over 300 indigenous peoples that currently populate the space called Nigeria vote to decide how they wish to relate with each other. If the indigenous Igbos decide that the best way forward for them is to live in their own separate nation, their wishes should be respected.

Pray, what is wrong in a people wanting to decide their own destiny via a referendum?

Ngwaukwu1:


Thanks for your contribution Frank.
How does this change.org thing really work?
To be honest, while the role of using social media to effect change is indisputable, i struggle to see what exactly the change.org petition will do to bring about the desired referendum.

I think the most important thing at this point is to get people to start having honest discussions without bitterness about the compatibility of the different peoples that make up the entity called Nigeria and how to move forward. The elders mostly from the southern peoples of Nigeria have suggested that this discussion is within the framework of a Constitutional Conference, perhaps knowing that up until recently a legitimate referendum could not be held without the backing of the constitution of the country.

But things seem to have changed and there appears to now be an alternative to a Constitutional conference to be able to proceed with a referendum the outcome of which would be internationally recognised.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Hence Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB have stepped in at time like this. My hope is that he and Radio Biafra is able to lead beyond mere rhetoric to palpable action and not be cowed by any intimidation. The cause he stands for is just . . .

Hello, apologise for my late response.
First and foremost, i would like to say to you; Yes, petition via the change.org does work in this modern world, especially when dealing with advance nations, organisations etc.
It's a shame our people are still very ignorant of this. Just recently it took an online petition for the UK government to reconsider their stance on not taking any more refugee migrants from Syria. Today it has agreed to take in twenty thousands(20,000) more, from zero(0) stance, that petition triggered a media frenzy and gave the government the assurance that the citizens and residents would not batter them if they do, even though the government are struggling to meet their election promise on reducing UK's net migration.
In the UK, by English law as also applicable to Wales and Northern Ireland, If a petition receives one hundred thousand(100,000) signatures, the UK government must respond to it!
Our people, if really willing to restore The Republic of Biafra soonest must avail themselves of this tool, as well as other social media networks., the politicians("leaders" are feeding fat on the current system and therefore wouldn't join in yet. The revolution belongs to the people..


Please read below the excerpt from change.org on how it works:
How an Online Petition Works

Make change with an online petition

A petition is a time-tested way to make change. At its simplest, it's a clear request to a decision maker, signed by many supporters. With Change.org's powerful online petition tool, you have the power to connect with more people -- and make more change -- than ever before. Here's how:

Why Online Petitions Work

Think of it this way: What if your company received thousands of emails from valued customers asking you to use a different supplier for your parts? What if you started to receive emails from each of your neighbours asking you to stop playing loud music at night? How quickly would you act?
That’s the unique thing about creating an online petition on Change.org: when you specify an email address for your target, each time a supporter signs your petition, an email is automatically sent directly to that person. Governments, companies and individuals value their reputations and feel accountable to their neighbours, constituents and customers. When hundreds or even thousands of emails arrive in their inboxes, the message is very hard to ignore.

Petitions created on Change.org have resulted in victories on many different issues, which can be viewed on their website, like i said earlier Radio Biafra should popularise the ongoing one or create another let our people start signing, it will definitely get the world's media attention and bring the discussion home. Another option is the Scotland-option; establish a pro nationalist party(IPOB), win local elections(Governors, Senators and House of Assembly members) and take your case to the national level(National assembly, Abuja).
I love what Radio Biafra is doing but it can do more.

@ Frank
Thanks for the info. I say, let people do whatever must be done.

FrankAba1:


Hello, apologise for my late response.
First and foremost, i would like to say to you; Yes, petition via the change.org does work in this modern world, especially when dealing with advance nations, organisations etc.
It's a shame our people are still very ignorant of this. Just recently it took an online petition for the UK government to reconsider their stance on not taking any more refugee migrants from Syria. Today it has agreed to take in twenty thousands(20,000) more, from zero(0) stance, that petition triggered a media frenzy and gave the government the assurance that the citizens and residents would not batter them if they do, even though the government are struggling to meet their election promise on reducing UK's net migration.
In the UK, by English law as also applicable to Wales and Northern Ireland, If a petition receives one hundred thousand(100,000) signatures, the UK government must respond to it!
Our people, if really willing to restore The Republic of Biafra soonest must avail themselves of this tool, as well as other social media networks., the politicians("leaders" are feeding fat on the current system and therefore wouldn't join in yet. The revolution belongs to the people..


Please read below the excerpt from change.org on how it works:
How an Online Petition Works

Make change with an online petition

A petition is a time-tested way to make change. At its simplest, it's a clear request to a decision maker, signed by many supporters. With Change.org's powerful online petition tool, you have the power to connect with more people -- and make more change -- than ever before. Here's how:

Why Online Petitions Work

Think of it this way: What if your company received thousands of emails from valued customers asking you to use a different supplier for your parts? What if you started to receive emails from each of your neighbours asking you to stop playing loud music at night? How quickly would you act?
That’s the unique thing about creating an online petition on Change.org: when you specify an email address for your target, each time a supporter signs your petition, an email is automatically sent directly to that person. Governments, companies and individuals value their reputations and feel accountable to their neighbours, constituents and customers. When hundreds or even thousands of emails arrive in their inboxes, the message is very hard to ignore.

Petitions created on Change.org have resulted in victories on many different issues, which can be viewed on their website, like i said earlier Radio Biafra should popularise the ongoing one or create another let our people start signing, it will definitely get the world's media attention and bring the discussion home. Another option is the Scotland-option; establish a pro nationalist party(IPOB), win local elections(Governors, Senators and House of Assembly members) and take your case to the national level(National assembly, Abuja).
I love what Radio Biafra is doing but it can do more.

And so it begins.

The petition. Though coming in trickles, the petition will gather momentum and more and more people will sign.

This is a human rights issue. It is a moral issue. It is a human issue. And because it is these issues, IPOB must proceed to enlist the support of high profile individuals, celebrities, human rights groups, churches in all the lands where it has branches, to support our cause. It has to appeal to the worlds humanity, to the worlds sense of right and wrong. And also to the worlds sense of guilt . . . .

Before Rwanda, there was Biafra. And the world looked the other way.

So we should let the world know that we do not want to go through Kigali, or plod through the blood soaked paths of Darfur to be able to live our lives on our own terms in a nation that we are proud to call our own. We, the descendants of those who fell as they looked the other way for almost 3 years, know too well the meaning of war. And while we are taught by the holy books to forgive, even if we wanted to we cannot forget. So we choose a different path.

We should let the world know that for the sake of the over 3 million of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles who were slaughtered as they looked the other way; for their sake, we have chosen the path of peace. For now.

But also for their sake, for the sake of the blood let as our mothers and sisters were raped, shed as the bullets tore through the guts of our unarmed brothers and fathers, soaking and defiling our ancestral lands; for the sake of that blood, which is still being shed even today and which, with pride, courses through the veins of every true Biafran, we must let the world know that if the path of peace fails, we shall fight again. For we have not forgotten. Even if we wanted to.

But we have chosen first the path of peace . . .

Aufbauh:

Hello, please keep your biafra to yourselves as we benue people don't need cos we don't trust the people of Biafra.
It is also worthy of note that my minority status is well positioned in Nigeria than your conquered majority and don't take penadol for someone's headache as we are not complaining after all it is not up to your biafra people that were murdered in the core North and you did nothing about it.
Please don't bring me in or else I'll place you where your ilks belong.

you are an hausa/fulani muslim and there is nothing you can do about it. When the Biafrans in benue vote 'YES' in the coming referendum, you can pack your bags and migrate to katsina permanently.