First used in 1847, the word Referendum is from Latin Referendus, and it means: “An event in which people of a country, state, etc, vote for or against a law that deals with a specific issue: a public vote on a particular issue.
Surfing through the history of South East, especially that genocidic war against them of 90s, I have no personal objections to succession they are agitating for. At least I wouldn’t be sitting here laughing say it’s my tribe that was killed in that genocide and or being killed now.
However, there are few but crucial things missing in this struggle. First, there’s absence of one voice. To any other people outside the tribe’s view, it is the Igbo agitating for succession, but some people of that region are still saying they aren’t Biafrans; even a governor recently said that the state he is governing is no part of Biafra. That leaves us with the questions who the Biafrans are, because the world maybe shouting about Mr. K and Abia state, but we all know that a man and a state of a country – no matter how big – can never be declared a country.
Another thing about one voice is noted by a pen-brother (Mr. Oladele Mayowa); Mr. K just has too many- if not too much- minority people behind him. If he has some Nigeria key politicians and influential people known nationally and internationally, Biafra as a child will be born.
Being allowed to succede goes beyond being hold as a new messiah of people. Or few international recognition. It also require giddy people who will agree to sit around a table and reason together.
Secondly, Biafra lacks leaders. When I say leaders I mean leaders, not someone who will agree to some conditions as stated in the papers in order to gain freedom only to come out and be posing Jesus. If he is a freedom fighter, fighting for his people and what he believes is the best for them, he wouldn’t agree to those conditions only to gain freedom and be violating them. I guess there’s no one who wants to be the Sacrificial Lamb for his people.
After inciting and reawaken a sense of Freedom in them and make them to believe you, you leave them – like the other man did almost a generation ago. Real heroes I know live and die for their people. Just like the bearded military man, I heard none of his personal family is here, so when the military squad burst in, he only escaped (probably to join them – just like that L. Colonel!
Thirdly, I think Biafra lacks planning. No sane group of people will just think that once they agitate for few months, they would be let go and they would become a country. Plans of succession require intellectual people thinking towards a common cause, influences, some paperworks, mass support, etc.
If there’s a good planning, there would be another way of having militia wing, there wouldn’t be self inflicted-suffering in the name of tax (budgets would of course be included in the Plans), they wouldn’t move from being a movement to a terrorist group.
Even if Referendum is hold, what can its guarantee? Who is sure it wouldn’t be rigged? Who says whatever its results is, they would be implemented?
Except intelligentsia decide to sit around a table and think towards Biafran cause, its Yellow Sun may set before it’s ever rising.
These are my opinions.
Jimoh Taofik Adekunle,
Jimson Jaat Taofik,
08144510532
