Nelson Mandela: Champion of Freedom. Nnamdi Kanu : Champion of Biafra

Nelson Mandela: Champion of Freedom. Nnamdi Kanu : Champion of Biafra

After 27 years in prison Nelson Mandela was freed in 1990 and negotiated the end of apartheid in South Africa bringing peace to a racially divided country and leading the fight for human rights around the world.

The incarceration of the South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. 

A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa, forming a multi-ethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. after retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation and around the world until his death in 2013 at the age of 95.

On September 11, 1963, Awo and his 28 colleagues were sent to different terms of imprisonments. Awo’s allocutus was a prediction of danger for the country which ultimately came to pass 

It is a reminder to the government of Buhari to heed lessons from the shameful trial of Awolowo by the powers that be, through the instrumentality of the judiciary, it is indeed regrettable that Judges are still allowing themselves to be used to suppress the opposition 53 years after Justice Sowemimo allegedly allowed himself to be used by the Northern peoples congress led government(NPC) led by Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to send Awolowo and co.to an unjust prison term.

“It is a clear suggestion that the days and years of Judges’ clandestine relationship with government in power have been long in Nigeria. It did not start today. Even when the matter went on appeal to the Supreme Court, presided over by Sir Adetokunbo Ademola in whom Awolowo expressed great lack of confidence and likelihood of bias, the ultimate final decision was the dismissal of Awo’s appeal,

It will be recalled that when Awolowo was put into prison along with his men, Akintola felt on top of the world, thinking he was in total political control of the Western Region. He condemned Awolowo and enjoyed all the peps of office but he remained unsecured as the peoples’ anger could be felt by him and his allies.They also went ahead to rig the 1964 election in favour of Akintola and the NPC. Crisis erupted in the region. Houses were burnt and many supporters of Akintola were killed. This was the situation until January 1966 when the army struck. The consequence was the assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Tafawa Balewa, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh and Chief S.L Akintola, all collaborators against Awolowo,

This account was evidently given by Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna , the planner of the 1966 coup in Nigeria as the main reason for the coup in his unpublished book ‘’Indictment’’ 

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced till date, he was arrested by the government of Gen.Sani Abacha and incarcerated for four years for insisting on his mandate and was subsequently poisoned and killed in prison at Abuja.

This resulted to major crisis popularly known as June 12th in all the major cities of Nigeria especially Lagos which paralyzed economic activities nationwide.

After the death of Abacha who was bent on assassination of Yoruba leaders including Kudirat, the wife of Abiola ,came another Northern Hitler who quickly siphoned the countries foreign reserve and ushered in Gen.Obasanjo, another prison hero.

My reasons for chronicling these prison heroes is to histrionically bring to Biafrans that Nnamdi Kanu’s incarceration is not only making him a hero ,but a very big plus that is fast tracking the struggle for the actualization of Biafra.

From the jurisprudence view point, a Biafran legal luminary ,Paul Achalla who has been monitoring this epoch but kangaroo case at Abuja has this observation to make, ‘’ Kanu remaining in custody is not all bad news for the struggle. Biafrans could strategically make good of Kanu's current detention to advance her struggle to a greater height. Mandela was in prison for 27 yrs. Kanu himself knew or ought to know that the struggle is not for boys Scout. Luckily for him, his wife safely delivered a baby boy recently,’’He went further to submit that ‘’ I will say that the Biafrans reserved the right to follow Buhari's approach to unfavourable decisions of the Court. We have to two parallel judgements in one case by the same court , one in favour and another against bail. So the Biafrans like Buhari have a choice. They are entitled to use those rulings in their favour against the dictator Buhari and the Nigerian govt. So is not all bad news.

In a criminal trial, the intergrity of the whole process leading to guilty or not guilty verdict is more important than the outcome.’’

Already ,it is evident that the Biafrans at home and abroad have taken advantage of this injustice to globally propagate the struggle which ,no doubt is yielding fruits today and in future from the diplomatic circle 

The Biafran messengers cannot and will never be more important and bigger than the MESSAGE regardless of who they are and the position they occupy. Our youths must understand this like bible and learn the principles of freedom fighting, not just on the face book but by reading widely on how countries like S.A dismantled injustice and oppression .Mandela was only a messenger, the freedom of South Africa was the message which his self sacrifice gave freely with no pompousity and acrimony.

If we fail to realize the need for unity in order to pursue our common goal now, our common enemy will instigate an internal war amongst us like the whites did in post-apartheid South Africa where there were violence between the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party that resulted in the loss of lives and properties.

The most salient political wisdom today by the former Eastern Nigeria, especially our South/South brothers is for our political class, organised labour ,students union ,market women, captains of industry, the intellectuals ,the clergy and the pro-Biafran groups/former militants to understand that positive progress as an indigenous peoples in the entity called Nigeria lies in closing ranks , uniting and showing loyalty to well organized non-violent Biafran struggle. There is a full package inside a united Biafran struggle that will pave way for a United States of Biafra where every state or indigenous peoples will control their own resources with a loose center ,a confederal political structure that will ensure technological, infrastructural and economic development of the Eastern region, Biafra, in and outside Nigeria and above all, the pride and love of a nation in unity as partners in progress

This clarion call for healing, peace and reconciliation amongst Ndigbo within themselves on one hand, and their neighbors who were divided through Northern dichotomy ,to fuse a common front as Biafrans is more germane today than ever before where our common enemy has vowed to continue her extermination policy and conquest to the sea because of the oil in our backyard.

Long Live United States of Biafra

-M.M.Mbanaja