Why I disagree with Biafra cyber
activists
By Herbert E. Nwankwo, PhD
Exclusive commentary for USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com
First of all, let me state that the word 'Biafra' is not a theme song
or a chorus. Why do I make this preliminary point? We have many
flag-huggers shouting Biafra in cyber-space, but doing nothing in
actuality to bring it to realization.
Second, the
Biafra declared as a republic//state of the 1967-type is gone and has
since become history. That was the Biafra of physical separation.
Today, separation is not the answer and separation will be as foolish
as it sounds. The Biafra of today is a state of mind being driven by
special kind of accomplishments that can preserve Ndigbo as an entity
within and beyond the boundaries of Nigeria. I made this point in a
2000 keynote article for USAfricaonline.com. I also respect the fact
there are Ndigbo who are no longer subscribed to the concept of
Nigeria - as it is being run against their interests.
If the sound of the name 'Biafra' makes you feel manly and happy, then you may create a huge entrance gate to your village home and name it the Kingdom of Biafra, as that will be the closest you get to it. Unless we must begin to think in concrete terms of building a nation - brick by brick, no such thing will be.
However, there is a Biafra as a psychological state that can be planted, grown, nurtured and harvested on a global scale.
In the next twenty years, there will be middle
and older folks of Igbo descent that will know very little about
Biafra. There will be many more who may never step their foot in
Nigeria.
To keep them part of Nigeria and not lose them to other nations, we
must create a means to make them party to the Biafra of the mind.
Shouting 'Biafra' from the view point of oppressed people will be a
weak strategy for success. People of the modern reality identify with
and are motivated by strength and accomplishments not weaknesses.
Saying you are marginalized and weak drives people away rather than
motivate them for success. This is particularly true for those Igbo
that know nothing of what they talk about. Recall that the cries of
Igbo marginalization by older Ohaneze politicians did not resolve the
issue of marginalization and did not empower Ndigbo to go out and
conquer the trouble. Saying you are weak does not inspire the young
who would rather identify with strength and power. A reason Dim
Ojukwu is the spiritual rock of power that he symbolized for the
young, even to this day since 1966!
The question then is who is a true Biafran? Those who want to make
Ndigbo powerful through building a strong Igbo global community or
those who just want to shout Biafra? Or is it those who died
fighting, those who hug and exploit the rising sun? or those who just
talk about it but do nothing realistic to actualize it according to
today's realities? My answer is obvious. Biafra is a state of mind
that we all can quickly identify with and speak commonly of - the
same way Americans speak of an Apollo mission to the moon, the
Brooklyn bridge, the empire state building, or the U.S military
might.
What the new WIC is about is to create a
superficial state of being that will give us what we look for in
Biafra but within the framework of a global nation, aimed to
accomodate diaspora ndigbo and their intention to see a proud and
happy people Igbo land.
One difference is that the Americans speak of things they can see and
touch but the Biafran flag-huggers speak of a superficial being that
came to be by accident of chance. Biafra was never a planned
accomplishment. I believ that Biafra was rather a reaction by those
who happen to be there, to a state of the nation they have no control
of but to which they reacted appropriately. What we can cherish about
it is that we admired the courage and inspirations of those who
reacted and how they did so with strength and courage. Though very
superficial, that strength and courage has become a source of fresh
air and energy to the young post war Igbo youth who in many ways knew
very little about the war. While this energy lasts for them, the
question one must ask is: what else? We need to build something that
we can all talk about and touch. Something that is a true world
nation.
It is good to recognize accomplishments whether incidental or
planned, but what is more important is what one did with any
inspirations derived there from. I have heard shouts of freedom from
the many flag-hugging cyberspace Biafrans, but have seen nothing of
substance in the form of activities and planning or preparation that
can hand them their Biafra of the furture. The truth is this: should
the West and The North of Nigeria decide to take off as they always
say, the first place there would be a civil war or anarchy is Igbo
land. The reason is we have no leadership structure and the only
structure we have in place is that approved by Nigeria's president
Olusegun Obasanjo, his PDP party chairman Audu Ogbeh, and his
right-hand man Tony Anenih.
Every state in Igbo land today has a local
warlord in the form of political godfather. The latter stakes out for
control with the other key god fathers at the federal level who also
fund some of the activities. If this scenario plays out, you can see
that anarchy will be everywhere in Igbo land. Obviously, it is clear
that Obasanjo cannot persuade Orji Kalu. Chris Uba could not be
persuaded either by the committee of his makers in the PDP. Emeka
Offor fought to the last day of Mbadinuju's reign. Suddenly, when
there is nothing more to fight about, they became friends again. Who
says miracle does not happen!
With all these money bags and their trains of security outfits
running around with no business skills nor managerial prowess to
count on, and no education to lead us, the question then is how can
this Biafra come to be. When Ojukwu took lead in 1967, he had a form
of structure and authority in place that smoothened the process.
There was only minor adjustments needed for folks like the late Dr.
Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. Kingsley Mbadiwe and the rest of the national
caliber politicians who had to be subordinated to a much younger
officer, personified by then Col. Ojukwu - as head of Biafra. It was
clear who was leading or going to lead in 1967.
The question today is who is going to lead this Biafra should another
accident happen and we find us scrambling for a nation. Obviously,
Ohaneze is not posotioned to do any thing in that regard, It will be
overrun in just hours as the group has no substancice or authority or
governance structure in plan to overpower the godfathers. Ohaneze is
a mere congregation of people who don't have any loyalty to each
other will be more confused than was the case just last year as they
tried to selected a concensus igbo political leader. They are men
whose common interest is being noticed for possible national
appointments or contracts, and that a new faculty has been put in
place based on their old structure, changed little. All we have are
new faces doing the same thing the old ones did.
A world cader leadership must understand more than selfserving ends.
The leadership with forward looking interest requires more than a few
people reacting to or uspporting national level oppressive behaviors
or moves. To create and grow the kind of leadership that would move
into any sudden vacuum requires more than the annual convention
planners the Igbos in the diaspora has assigned to the World Igbo
Congress (WIC). Building a new Igbo nation hinged on economic and
political strength would require more than conventions in which the
success is only that people gathered to spend money for hotel rooms
and transport fares. Those who agitate for Biafra must have a
leadership that would move and provide services to need
Igbos/Biafrans as done by any government today, in preparation for
the call. This structuring and positioning must have been in place
and functioning as was the case when Ojukwu filled the vacuum when
the need for Biafra arose in 1967. A new thinking that will grow and
sustain this new kind of Biafra must be nurtured, harvested, and
utilized.
Dr.
Nwankwo, an engineering design
scholar and frequent attendee of the World Igbo Congress (WIC)
conventions is advocating the creation of what he calls the World
Igbo Community (new WIC). He is affiliated with the North Carolina
A&T State University and contributed editorial viewpoints to
USAfricaonline.com. Contrary
views on the issues raised here
are welcome and may be published.
ODUMEGWU
EMEKA OJUKWU:
"It was simply a choice between Biafra and enslavement!
And,
here's why we chose Biafra"
Biafra-Nigeria
war and
history to get fresh, critical look from a
survivor
'Biafra:
History has no Mercy' - a preliminary note
by Chido Nwangwu
INSIGHT: Why Bush should
focus on dangers
facing Nigeria's
return to democracy
and Obasanjo's slippery slide. By Chido Nwangwu
Why Chinua
Achebe, the Eagle on
the Iroko, is Africa's writer of the century.
By Chido Nwangwu These views were
stated during an interview CNN's anchor Bernard Shaw and
senior analyst Jeff Greenfield had with Mr. Nwangwu on
Saturday November 18, 2000 during a special edition of
'Inside Politics 2000.'
Osama
bin-Laden's goons threaten Nigeria and Africa's
stability. By Chido Nwangwu, USAfricaonline.com Publisher.
NEWS
INVESTIGATION:
The
Marc
Rich Oil Deals in
Nigeria
OIL
in NIGERIA: Liquid
Gold or Petro-Dollars Curse?
Should Africa debates begin and end
at
The
New York Times and
The
Washington Post?
No
Why Bush should focus on dangers
facing Nigeria's return
to democracy
and Obasanjo's slipperyslide.
How Obasanjo's
self-succession
charade
at his Ota Farm has
turned Nigeria to an 'Animal
Farm.' By
USAfricaonline.com contributor Prof. Mobolaji
Aluko
Obasanjo's late wake to the Sharia crises,
Court's
decision and Nigeria's democracy. By Ken Okorie
Obasanjo's
own challenge is to imbibe "democratic spirit and
practice," By Prof. Ibiyinka Solarin
Johnnie Cochran
will soon learn that defending Abacha's
loot is not as simple as his O.J Simpson's
case.
By Chido Nwangwu
Is Obasanjo
really up to
Nigeria's
challenge and crises?
By USAfrica
The Newspaper editorial board member, attorney Ken
Okorie.
Obasanjo's late wake to the Sharia crises,
Court's
decision and Nigeria's democracy. By Ken Okorie
Sharia-related
killings and carnage in Kaduna reenact deadly prologue to
Nigeria-Biafra
war
of 1967. By
Chido Nwangwu.
Jonas Savimbi, UNITA are
"terrorists"
in Africans' eyes
despite Washington's "freedom fighter" toga for him. By
SHANA WILLS
Nelson
Mandela, Tribute to the
world's political superstar and Lion of
Africa
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's
burden
mounts with murder charges, trials
DIPLOMACY
Walter
Carrington:
African-American diplomat who put principles above self for
Nigeria 
(USAfrica's
founder Chido Nwangwu with Ambassador Carrington at the U.S.
embassy, Nigeria)
DEMOCRACY'S
WARRIOR
Out of
Africa.
…The
cock that crows in the morning belongs to one household but
his voice is the property of the neighborhood. -- Chinua
Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah. An editor carries on
his crusade against public corruption and press
censorship
in his native Nigeria and other African countries. By
John Suval.
ARINZE: Will he be
the FIRST
BLACK AFRICAN
POPE?
By Chido
Nwangwu
HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
How far, how deep will Nigeria's human rights
commission go?
Rtd. Gen. Babangida trip as
emissary for Nigeria's Obasanjo to Sudan raises curiosity,
questions about what next in power
play?
110 minutes
with Hakeem Olajuwon
Nigerian
stabbed
to death
in his bathroom in Houston.
Cheryl
Mills' first class defense of Clinton and her detractors'
game
It's wrong
to stereotype Nigerians as Drug
Dealers
Private initiative,
free
market forces, and more
democratization
are Keys to prosperity in Africa
Steve Jobs extends
digital
magic
Apple announces Titanium,
"killer
apps" and other
ground-breaking products
USAfrica The
Newspaper voted the "Best Community
Newspaper"
in the 4th largest city in the U.S., Houston. It is in
the Best of Houston 2001 special as chosen by the editors
and readers of the Houston
Press,
reflecting their poll and annual rankings.
CLASS
is the leading social events and style magazine for Africans
in north America.
APPRECIATION
A young
father writes his One
year old son:
"If only
my heart had a voice...."
TRIBUTE
A KING FOR
ALL TIMES:
Why Martin Luther King's
legacy
and vision are relevant into 21st century.
Since 1958, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" set a standard
of artistic excellence,
and more. By Douglas Killam
DEMOCRACY
DEBATE
CNN
International debate on Nigeria's democracy livecast on CNN.
It involved Nigeria's Information Minister Prof. Jerry
Gana, Prof. Salih Booker and USAfricaonline.com Publisher
Chido Nwangwu. Transcripts
are available on
the CNN International site.
USAfrica The
Newspaper voted the "Best Community
Newspaper"
in the 4th largest city in the U.S., Houston. It is in
the Best of Houston 2001 special as chosen by the editors
and readers of the Houston
Press,
reflecting their poll and annual rankings.
Tragedy of Ige's murder
is its déjà vu for the Yoruba
southwest and rest of
Nigeria. By Ken Okorie
What has Africa
to do with September 11 terror? By Chido Nwangwu
Should Africa debates begin and
end at
The
New York Times and
The
Washington Post?
No
NEWS INSIGHT
CNN,
Obasanjo and Nigeria's struggles with democracy.
Why Obasanjo's government should respect
CNN
and Freedom of the press
in Nigeria.
Jonas Savimbi, UNITA are
"terrorists"
in Africans' eyes
despite Washington's "freedom fighter" toga for him. By
SHANA WILLS
Lifestyle
Sex,
Women and (Hu)Woman
Rights. By Chika Unigwe
Africa
suffers the scourge of the virus.
This life and pain of Kgomotso Mahlangu, a
five-month-old AIDS patient (above) in a hospital in the
Kalafong township near Pretoria, South Africa, on October
26, 1999, brings a certain, frightening reality to the
sweeping and devastating destruction of human beings who
form the core of any definition of a country's future, its
national security, actual and potential economic development
and internal markets.
22 million Africans HIV-infected, ill
with AIDS
while African leaders
ignore disaster-in-waiting
What
has Africa
to do with September 11 terror? By Chido
Nwangwu
Africans
reported
dead
in terrorist
attack at
WTC
September
11
terror and
the ghost of things to
come....
Will
religious conflicts be the time-bomb
for Nigeria's latest transition to civilian rule?
Bola
Ige's murder another danger signal for
Nigeria's nascent democracy.
In a special report a few hours after the
history-making nomination, USAfricaonline.com
Founder and Publisher Chido Nwangwu places Powell within the
trajectory of history and into his unfolding clout and
relevance in an essay titled 'Why Colin
Powell
brings gravitas, credibility and star power to Bush
presidency.'
AFRICA
AND THE U.S. ELECTIONS
Beyond U.S.
electoral shenanigans, rewards and dynamics of a democratic
republic hold
lessons
for
African politics.
CONTINENTAL
AGENDA
Bush's position on
Africa
is "ill-advised."
The position
stated by Republican presidential aspirant and Governor of
Texas, George Bush where he said that "Africa will not be an
area of priority" in his presidency has been
questioned by USAfricaonline.com Publisher
Chido Nwangwu. He
added that Bush's "pre-election position was neither
validated by the economic exchanges nor geo-strategic
interests of our two continents."
Nwangwu,
adviser to the Mayor of Houston (the 4th largest city in the
U.S., and immigrant home to thousands of Africans) argued
further that "the issues of the heritage interests of 35
million African-Americans in Africa, the volume and value of
oil business between between the U.S and Nigeria and the
horrendous AIDS crisis in Africa do not lend any basis for
Governor Bush's ill-advised
position which
removes Africa from fair consideration" were he to be
elected president.
By Al Johnson