[right][/right] "it's independence day!" the likes of Tafawa Balewa and Nnamdi Azikwe declared 56 years ago and people were happy swinging the flag of unity with their waist swinging simultaneously displaying their rich cultures,the Yoruba's where there, they Igbo's and so where the Hausa's celebrating the birth of its independence, there was unity in diversity,a great country to behold,the gaint of Africa even the Queen knew that.
"it's independence day!"I hear again but this time instead of been happy am a kind of scared and curious may be expectations are making me feel that way, instead of expecting people to swing the flag of unity displaying their cultures am scared the flag might be torn that day with they Igbo's carrying their own part of the flag to the place the call "Biafra",I feel very awful,sad and angry am not angry at the Igbo's but I must exclaime this I hate Biafra!so very much and would never forgive it if it take my friends,relations and neighbors away,I will hate if it leave tears and anguish in the heart of I and my friends I don't hate they Igbo's but I hate Biafra.
Each day that passes by news of agitation of Biafra is all over and this keeps me pondering asking myself whether they Igbo's really want Biafra?does my Aunty chidima who is happily married to my uncle really want Biafra,is she going to leave my uncle and her children for Biafra or does uche,Paul Eze or Chinagorom who have become a sister to me wants to leave me for Biafra?.Am not here to talk politics or to support anyone,the truth is even though the Igbo's are agitating for Biafra and they northerners and westerners are giving them the to hell with you response deep within us we are consumed with fear and doubt about what the fate of the country would be if their was to be a Biafra today.looking at the north where I stay we are surrounded by the Igbo's, the big stores,boutique,Supermarket are been owned by the" inyameris" we would always call them,even the open market close to my house where I buy ingredients to cook is almost occupied by the inyameris and we have become a family with them now as two of my uncles are married to beautiful inyameri wives who I love so very much.Aha!my neighbor "Ebere"who has had a retail shop close to my house since when I was a child is a very loving and caring person, there are times he would give us goods on credit when we didn't have the money to pay,now if he lives who would do that for us,most times neighbors would tease him calling Hausa Igbo's of course he was he could speak hausa,he eats our food, listen and sings our songs and even wears our cloth am sure by now he has our blood running through his vein.my friend Chinagorom we would always call her" China "she is a sister to me and now a part of my life she is a very nice person to behold, I love her so much and am not ready to loose her to Biafra because if she leaves who would call me elder sister.my colleques in school the likes of Mr Ben,Basil,Lilian and the rest of them,what will happen to them I mean are the going to forfeit their education and the three years the have spent pursuing a law degree, the likes of my lecturer Mr okoronkwo who are known for their kind nature,high level of intellectuals and great ability to transfer knowledge even to the most dumb head are they going to leave us for Biafra,would we ever have a replacement of their kind?.I don't want to loose my neighbors, my aunty,my freinds,my lectures now I still value them and am sure deep down in their hearts the value me as well.what about those shops that are going to be closed down around us and in our market places would we be able to replace them soon enoy, would the Hausa man trade as good as the Igbo's?.the thought of all this crumbles my emotion and makes me hate Biafra and i wish all this won't happen.
They notherners and westerners are giving the to hell with you attitude,who told them they can do without the igbos i mean where would they get their tokumbos,okerika and made from Aba products. The Igbo's on the other hand who are agitating for Biafra who told you,you don't still need the Hausa and omo yoruba customer, what about your investment?I think we all need each other to scale through, if we have lived for over 100 years then we can live together, those precious years are too valuable to be wasted just like that, I don't think we need Biafra I think we need tolerance and understanding to drive our country to the greatest height. If the Igbo's feel marginalize in governance there are better ways to handle that trust me "Biafra" is not an option am sure the blood of the thousands who died during the civil war will secund to this."Those who want Biafra were not Born during the Nigeria civil war "our elders would remark I agree with them at least they know better,life's where lost yet none of ojukwu's family members where killed because he flew them abroad same is going to happen now trust me those leaders fueling the agitation would disappear once anything funny start and they poor Masses would face the end results.the struggle for Biafra make' me scared because is either we still go back to the civil war and many life's would be lost or their is Biafra and we become enemies for life waging war against each other like the southern Sudan or the north and south Korean are doing and I wouldn't get to see my loved igbos ever again.that is not the story and country I want my children to live in that's if I even survive. Instead I want to live to tell them the story of a united Nigeria with its rich culture, a united country even in diversity.
let's not allow these leaders to manipulate our heads we have dwell together for so long to be manipulated, most of this leaders have nothing to loose but we do,we have investment, friends,colleque and families to loose.These people have always manipulated us to satisfy their selfish interest and we have been ignorant for so long ,the reason why they still do what the do is because the still have our voice i.e they matter because we matter I mean we put them in power,without us the cant be so why not use this power to say no to disunity, the Igbo man is my brother and would continue to be.I believe in unity in diversity and I believe we can harness our potentials and take this indivisible, indissoluble and great country to it's greatest height.if the Igbo's think the are politically marginalized who told them they have to be political ahead to impact or control the country, who told them the can't control the country economically with their great business ideas and investment, as my teacher would always say"he who controls the economy,controls the country"i mean every country is rated great or not great base on its economy so you see you can control the country from where you are.As youth and as Masses we must not allow people manipulate our head the are not our God we placed them in the various places they are i would reapeat this again "they matter because we matter", so let's say no to disunity #i believe in one Nigeria and say no to Biafra and yes to Igbo's.