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| Biafrans are in constant danger in Nigeria - Dr Oguche |
A Biafran activist Dr Oguchi Nkwocha has given the rationale behind the call for the self determination of Biafrans.
Nkwocha while responding to the comments of Joe Igbo, a renowned Biafran sellout who opines that Radio Biafra is endangering Igbo-speaking Biafrans in Nigeria, retorted that Biafrans have always been in constant danger in Nigeria even before the war.
The interview conducted by SaharaTV featured the Jibrin Ibrahim of the Premium Times, Joe Igbokwe and Nkwocha.
Igbo had in an earlier article outlined his perceived reasons why Biafrans should remain in Nigeria.
Igbokwe 's 'compelling reasons' include the following:
The Igbo fought a civil war of self-determination between 1967 and 1970 and lost about one million people. This should be taken as a huge price for the unity of this country. Having made this monumental supreme price, I think the Igbo should work for the unity of this country based on social justice, equity and fair play.
Nigeria has three major ethnic groups: Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo. The Hausa/Fulani Empire has Hausa people stretching all through the Sahel to the Sudan. They are mostly Muslims and they have contact with the Arab world. The Yoruba nation has Togo, Benin Republic, Sierra Leone and even up to Brazil and Cuba to run to where their kinsmen are. The Igbo nation has no outlet anywhere in the world where the language is spoken. Therefore, they must see Nigeria as where they belong and work for its survival.
Nigeria provided a big space for the Igbo to spread their tentacles, explore, excel and blossom. The South-East is too small for this highly mobile and dynamic people to thrive.
The world pays attention to Nigeria today because of our size and population. If Nigeria splits into smaller countries, the world will pack their bag and baggage and leave. Population and size make a nation a destination.
Ndigbo control between 60 and 70 per cent of all the imports in Nigeria and other Nigerians, Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani, Ijaw, Efik, Birom, Tiv, Idoma etc provide a huge market for Igbo mobile and big-time traders.
Monumental inter-marriages between the Igbo and Yoruba and other ethnic groups have thrived for close to 70 years now that we cannot just dismiss all these with a wave of the hand.
Ndigbo own huge and massive investments in property in Lagos and Abuja, and other state capitals in Nigeria. Now, are you going to wish all this away?
Other Nigerian cities have provided safe havens for the Igbo as places to run to cool off whenever self-inflicted crises arise or other problems. When kidnapping became a way of life in the South-East, our people moved to other parts of Nigeria to settle. Now, where will the Igbo go when confronted with these problems in Biafra?
However, critics have pointed out that similar and more compelling reasons where given to jews in the early stages of Hitler's Germany, on while they should remain in Europe.
Few years after over 6 million Jews were massacred across Europe and all their material welath and properties confiscated or lost.
Nigeria is not and will never be safe for Biafrans. The earlier #Biafreedom comes the better.
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