Without mincing words, Nigeria is still suffering from the policies that predated independence and which were further enforced by the bitterness and hatred that led to the war. Gowon and the soldiers that took over mantle of leadership after him including PMB carried on animosity against Biafraland especially the Igbo nation, so much that it is the concept of self-actualization that has sustained the Igbo nation, having been given nothing but 20 pounds regardless of how much each person had in the bank before the war. So, there was no vanquished, yet all you got for one million pounds was twenty pounds?
Although he declared the infamous and ill-fated no victor no vanquished which was the biggest lie ever told deliberately, nothing shows that in his bid to go on with one Nigeria, he had intended for the Igbo man to ever compete with the other Nigerians in economic terms. Today, just fifty years after, we have seen that the Igbo man competes more favorably with every and any other tribe in all sectors of human endeavor. Igbo people build more houses and own more businesses than indigenous people in any part of Nigeria and beyond. How did they do it?
The Igbo man is a born industrious fellow. In the postwar rebuilding of the Igbo nation, how many houses in Igbo land were built by non-Igbo people? When Gowon declared his notorious No Victor No Vanquished, what else did he do and what did subsequent regimes do to make the Igbo man feel like he has a stake in Nigeria? As an Igbo man, what has Nigeria done for you? We build our own houses, our own roads, our own schools….and the roads referred to as “federal” are only death traps. Why do I need to stake my life for this entity that wishes the richest Igbo man 20 pounds and treats him like a servant, nay a slave? Which mathematical formula did they apply to come by that 20 pounds? Wasn’t that an idea from the pit of hell?
All manners of strategies have been adopted to make other parts of the country feel as though they have a part and a stake. But Nigeria is fueling the agitation for Biafra and the same government will suffer more when this agitation turns into mass action and a total disregard for the Nigerian project. It is a great disservice to herself for Nigeria to think she will make any progress towards nationhood without the Igbo nation. If you doubt me, tell me what Nigeria has been able to achieve without an Igbo man behind it? Even in civil service, there is no parastatal that is not being sustained by an Igbo brain even though you do not hear their names mentioned or given credits for what they do, daily. In academia, in industry, in military the same scenario is seen. I make this claim boldly and unapologetically.
A valid way to tell Gowon his plan and wishes for Igbo people speaks about who he is and not who we are is for our people to Go On Without One Nigeria. The proposed GOWON project does not mean declaring war against Nigeria, but it means focusing all manner of investment and development efforts in Biafra land regardless of Nigeria. We need to reform our education system to suit our people and solve our peculiar problems; and we need to hold accountable people who follow amoral paths towards success. We need to start being the change we want to see in our geographical space. We need to secure our socioeconomic space and develop our technological skills until we get to the point where we can function in all aspects of life as if Nigeria does not exist. We need to reject and jettison the Nigerian way of doing things in its entirety. If we cannot be the change we want to see, we have not learnt anything from the experiences of the past. If we cannot hold our politicians accountable and kick out corrupt individuals from the corridors of power, we have failed ourselves as Biafrans.
Singapore is not bigger than Igbo land…neither is Rwanda. Do you see how Dubai has become the hub for vacations for all people? When Abuja was named capital of Nigeria, she had nothing to boast about. Today Abuja is the place to be. If we make our government provide basic amenities, the people of Igbo extraction could develop Igbo land until we make the rest of Nigeria jealous. There are lots of Igbo people who have money to invest, and who are thinking home but don’t know where to build and where to put their money and be guaranteed security and decent returns. What if government guarantees some investment in Igbo land in some way, maybe that is going to make a change for us. Umu Igbo, murunu anya…. the urgency of now is here with us and we cannot afford to talk the talk and not walk the walk. Our small businesses need better government policies so we can set precedence in Nigeria ahead of whatever else we are agitating for. Enugu, Onitsha, Nnewi, Umuahia, Aba, Owerri to name but a few potential hubs for anything you could get anywhere…we can make it happen.
In Anambra State as is the case in all of Igbo land, we have to show what we want to see in Nigeria with our votes come 2021. Enough of clueless under-performers in all sectors of governance. Enough of abuse of office regardless of job titles. Maybe time will come when an ex-commissioner or ex-governor goes through an audit, and maybe ends up in jail for his activities while in office. How about that? Then the next governor of any state in Biafra land goes through a rigorous process of showing us what he plans to do with the office…not the senseless approach in Nigeria where someone wins an election without a manifesto, how ridiculous! Today I wonder why we wonder that we are in a big mess, with all the drama going on right in Aso Rock Villa. No Victor no vanquished my foot!
Mezie Okolo is a leadership Analyst and a voice from diaspora