IS BIAFRA ON THE MARKS OF DEMOCRACY?

Its been about 50 years since millions of nationals were destroyed, killed and maimed by bullets from civil war soldiers, the likes of Chief Obasanjo, Gowon, etc.

The post-civil war era launched a new season of deliberate deception and oppression of Nigerians by fellow countrymen.

The post-war era launched a period of benign neglect, ostracism, conspiracy, white murder and all sorts of terror being unleashed on Nigerians who committed no offense known to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, order than calling for good governance, and an egalitarian society.

The new wave of Biafra agitation coupled with months-long protests, cries and killings have, instead of been doused by the flames from barrels, rather gained greater momentum on the lever of youths who have sworn to the mother earth with the maxim; “Biafra of Death”.

This new wave of resurgence over Biafra agitation has once again come to prove a point; that power belongs to the people. That democratic power is not a subject of elite-determinism but a plight which can be principally and practically pursued by the people, the masses.

The general hatred, resentment and conspiracy of silence over Biafra agitation is not new to Nigeria.

Benign neglect is an attribute of Nigerian political culture. The powers that be, the power brokers, the elites, the government and its officials have had that culture of ignoring whatever agenda that has a popular support. They always seek for popular support when election calls. Soon as election results are signed and announced, they fold back to do the biddings of a secluded and caucused group setting aside the majority who voted them into power.

It is common in Nigeria for people to always have their way when they team up in a mop action; but sorry, the political elites don’t fancy that. They would look for a way to lobby out some very few members of the masses, probably the arrow-heads. When that fails, they look for a way to annihilate the entire masses. When that fails, the masses will eventually have their way.

Democracy shall always be achieved by popular voices and popular votes. Not only should the principle and practice of democracy be limited to ballots and polling units. It should be used to achieve dire demands of the people about pressing issues in the society, and in the state.

With a coherent democratic action, the benign neglect and conspiracy of silence over Biafra agitation is beginning to be noised off.

The youths who have sworn to mother earth, ‘Biafra or death’, have taken up no other obligation than to flow with the new spirit and ideology wherein the new motivation lies.

The grandpas and gerunds in whose hands the Ojukwu’s type of nationalism was defeated are calling for peace; as if there is a war.

They spell and define our times as if it were in the 80s.

The value systems, the ideologies, the political and social structures of the 80s significantly vary from nowadays.

Where do we start from? There are richer boys now on the streets. There are more education boys and girls now on the street. We have got a handful of technocrats and well-informed folks than in the 80s.

This generation has been made elegant by the vast knowledge of science and technology. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was calling for peace, entreating the statesmen to plead with Biafra agitators. He understood by facts of history that there is difference between their days and nowadays. He knows that the spirit and motivation which drives this current agitation, the wide broadcast of conviction and willingness in this generation was never there in the days of Ojukwu and Gowon.

In the 80s, there was no Tweeter, no Facebook; there was no MP4 or MP3; there was no Wifi, no hotspots; there was no life-streaming mechanism and a plethora of digital structures which has ostensibly miniaturized the human society, making life as flexible as the clicking of the finger on the screens of smartphones.

This generation no more believes in white lies. We source for information; we dig and research about stuffs ourselves. Our leaders tell a lot of lies. They deceived our fathers. Our fathers played slow games, during the 80s such that they lost out on the tables and on the fields.

Behold, Biafra is no more a fairy tale. It is no more an issue to be swept under the bed and snubbed off.

If you pretend not to see, you would be told. If you pretend not to hear, you will be shown. If you snub it all off, it comes right under your nose like a stubborn fly.

Biafra is a democratic action. It is an action championed by the majority, by the masses and by the strength and will of the conscience. What else does democracy have without the people? Nothing.

If anyone doubts the democratic coloration of the Biafran struggle, let them conduct a referendum, as that is the only tool that can be used to query the subject of true democracy.

Emmanuel Shebbs