A 45 years old lies, "Matters Arising"

"People were told that it was an Igbo coup but that is not correct. It is a very interesting part of the Nigerian story. In the first place, there have been many serious lies that have been told by our leaders in the last 45 years of Nigeria's history. Our leaders have not been bold enough to tell us the truth...the plan of the coup makers was to release Awolowo from jail and make him their own leader."

----- Odia Ofeimun, former Secretary to Obafemi Awolowo in Guardian Newspapers Sunday May 6, 2007.

"Thousands of Yorubas in Lagos and throughout the West celebrated into the early hours today over the release of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the hero of the Action Group who was jailed for subversion in 1962. The decision to free Awolowo and his associates had already been made a week ago, July 27, by General Ironsi and they were to have been released tomorrow, Thursday, August 4. But the public did not know this.."

------ New York Times August 3, 1966.

"Do you also know that I released Chief Awolowo from prison?"

--- General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Vanguard Newspapers Monday November 17, 2003.

"The leader of Nigeria's Western Region Chief Obafemi Awolowo declared today that if the East seceded, the West and the Federal Territory of Lagos would also break away from the federation. Before a cheering throng of Western leaders in Lagos today, Chief Awolowo threw his prestige and the weight of the Western Region behind the East in its confrontation with the Northern-led federal military government."

--- New York Times Monday May 1, 1967.

"...a war against the East could only be a war favoured by the north alone. Second, if the true purpose of such a war is to preserve the unity and integrity of the Federation, these ends can be achieved by the very simple devices of implementing the recommendation of the Committee which met on August 9, 1966, as re-affirmed by the decision of the military leaders at Aburi on January 5, 1967."

--- Excerpt from Obafemi Awolowo's speech to Western Leaders of Thought at Ibadan May 1, 1967

"Three weeks ago, Chief Awolowo publicly endorsed the East's demand for a loose confederation of Nigeria's four existing regions: East, West, Mid-West and North. Chief Awolowo also went on record as saying that if the East seceded, the West will automatically follow, setting in motion the possible brake-up of the federation. The fact that he has now consented to join Gen. Gowon's advisory group indicates at least his temporary acceptance of the General's policies."

---- New York Times. June 3, 1967.

"The record of Awolowo, the only major political leader left in Nigeria, made it highly likely that his stand would be strongly influenced by his antipathy toward the Ibos and that he would opt for unity if offered a leading role in the FMG."
--- United States Diplomatic Archives: Nigeria (1964 - 1968). Foreign Relations of the United States 1964 - 1968, Volume XXIV Africa. Department of State, Washington D.C.

"Awolowo saw the dominant Igbos at the time as the obstacles to that goal (leading political power), and when the opportunity arose - the Nigeria-Biafra war - his ambition drove him into a frenzy to go to every length to achieve his dreams. In the Biafra case it meant hatching up a diabolical policy to reduce the numbers of his enemies significantly through starvation - eliminating over two million people mainly members of future generations."

--- Chinua Achebe Africa's greatest writer and world's most widely read author of the 20th century in his book: "There was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra" page 233, published November 2012 by The Penguin Press, New York USA.
"All is fair in war, and starvation is one of the weapons of war. I don't see why we should feed our enemies fat in order for them to fight harder."
--- Chief Obafemi Awolowo (minister of Finance, 1967 - 1970) New York Review. 21 December, 1967.

"But there were hard-liners in Gowon's cabinet who wanted their pound of flesh, the most powerful among them being Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Federal Commissioner For Finance. Under his guidance a banking policy was evolved which nullified any banking account which had been operated during the Civil War. This had the immediate result of pauperizing the Igbo middle class and earning a profit of 4 million pounds for the Federal Government Treasury.

The Indigenization Decree which followed soon afterwards completed the routing of the Igbo from the commanding heights of the Nigerian economy to everyone's apparent satisfaction."
---- Chinua Achebe in "The Trouble With Nigeria" pages 45 and 46, published in 1983 by Cox and Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire, Britain.

"Awolowo had been a steadfast Yoruba Nationalist from the 1940s to date. He had no record of betrayal, double-talk or even indecision in the pursuit of his goals. But above all he had in recent years as the leading civilian member of the Gowon administration presided over a monumental transfer and consolidation (through anti-Igbo policies) of economic, bureaucratic and professional power to his home base. This singular achievement secured for Awolowo for the first time in his political career something approaching 100 percent support among the Yoruba."
---- Chinua Achebe in "The Trouble With Nigeria" page 55, published 1983 by Cox and Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire, Britain.

"Awolowo dismantled Fiscal Federalism in 1968 (usurping oil ownership and control from South-East and Mid-West Regions to the center controlled Hausa-fulani-Yoruba) and as the author of Gowon's economic policy from 1967 - 1970, he stripped the Southern Minorities of their resource rights and control through the Chief G.I. Dina Commission."
--- Obi Nwakanma Vanguard Newspapers Sunday July 31, 2005.

"Since 1969 (under Yakubu Gowon/Obafemi Awolowo war regime), Nigeria's military governments centralized control of Oil Industry under the presidency. Obasanjo is, however, the first head of state to also serve as Oil Minister, further limiting public scrutiny of the country's oil sector."

--- David Philips, executive director of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. Guardian Newspapers Monday January 1, 2007.
"Awolowo was a devil and his policies led to the present problems that the people of Niger Delta are fighting."
--- Asari Dokubo Champion Newspapers Tuesday march 22, 2005.

"The same UNICEF representative (Deputy Director E.J.R. Dickheyward) went on to convey something of what lay behind this intransigence" "Among the large majority hailing from the tribe (Yorubas) who are most vocal in inciting the complete extermination of the Ibos, I often heard remarks that all Nigeria's ills will be cured once the Ibos have been removed."
Dan Jocobs Senior United Nations Information Officer for UNICEF in his book "Brutality of Nations" page 42, published by random House Inc. New York 1987.

A Critical Analysis of a quest for Domination and Exploitative move by the Notherners.

I hope Ohanaze Ndigbo are reading these. 

"This nation called Nigeria shall be an estate to us from our great - grand father, Uthman Dan Fodio. We shall vigorously resist a change of power. We shall manipulate the minorities of the north, and we shall regard the South as a conquered territory."
--- Ahmadu Bello, Sultan of Sokoto,
Parrot Magazine Wednesday October 12, 1960.

"The conquest to the sea is now in sight. When our godsent Ahmadu Bello said some years ago that our conquest will reach the sea shores of Nigeria, some idiots in the South were doubting its possibilities. Today have we not reached the sea? Lagos is reached. It remains Port Harcourt. It must be conquered and taken after December 30,1964."
---- Mallam Bala Garuba West African Pilot December 30, 1964.

"In fact Gowon had already arrived at breakfast time at Ikeja barracks that morning of July 29th and was closeted with the leaders of the coup. By sundown it was plain that seizure and killing of Eastern Officers and soldiers was going on in Army barracks all over the West and the north. This pattern went on for three days; the coup leaders locked up in Ikeja barracks, with only Gowon shuttling between Ikeja and Lagos city; the flag of secession fluttering over the barracks while the awful killing of Eastern soldiers and civilians went on inside; and more killings going on elsewhere as the Army, last bastion of national unity, tore itself apart."
----- Frederick Forsyth, former BBC Correspondent and best selling author of "Emeka", a biography of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Biafra's heroic leader, page 70, published July 1982.

"A formal declaration of the Northern Region's secession was narrowly averted Monday August 1, (1966) when Col. Gowon was elevated to power in Lagos. Lt. Col. Gowon had prepared a radio address proclaiming the North's intention to break away from Nigeria but was dissuaded by the Yorubas in the army. Appeals to Gowon for restraint from northern secession were also made by several ambassadors from Western nations, especially Britain. Although Gowon was dissuaded from the secession, he did declare that it seemed to him to be "no basis for Nigerian unity, which has been so badly rocked, not only once but several times."
---- New York Times August 3, 1966.

"The creation of the 12-states structure by Col. Gowon on May 27, 1967 was an act of expediency aimed primarily at completing their siege of Ndi-Igbo and frustrating their survival and struggle for Self-determination. It dismembered the Igbos as they were split into fragments and put into different non-Igbo states. Thus, there were
Ndi-Igbo of Portharcourt, Ahoada, Ikwerre/Etche divisions placed into Rivers State, Ndi-Igbo of Asaba, Aboh and Ika placed in the Mid-West, some other Ndi-Igbo from Azumini and Opobo put in Cross-river state. The rest of Ndi-Igbo were isolated and land-locked into East Central State. This act was calculated to paralyze Ndi-Igbo and incite our neighbors against us."
---- Ohaneze at Oputa Panel October 1999.

"The rigged elections of 1959, Federal elections of 1964 and regional elections of 1965; rigged and annulled census figures of 1962, 1963 and workers strike of 1964. The Western Regional crisis in which unpopular Premier Samuel Ladoke Akintola was undemocratically foisted on the Western Region, mainly Yorubas, by NPC-led Federal government with Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister and Northern Premier Ahmadu Bello as sectional Party head behind this abuse of political power. Awolowo's incarceration in 1962 on treasonable charges and arbitrary use of the army against its constitutional role to slaughter over 3,000 Tiv ethnic minority in a civil agitation for regional autonomy from the Islamic north which was poised to maintain that hegemony; brazen corruption, nepotism and mismanagement etc led to the January 15, 1966 Coup-de-tat.

Yakubu Gowon, in conspiracy with other northern officers, murdered Major-General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, his supreme military commander and Nigeria's head of state and government, former Commander of the United Nations Peace-Keeping Mission in Congo and first African to lead such mission, doing so creditably and excellently. Ironsi, a distinguished career military officer appointed Gowon as army chief. He attained his position by merit untainted by what later became Nigeria's endemic ethnic favouritism that spawned mediocrity and gross incompetence in governance. Yakubu Gowon was a conspiratorial partner to the mass killings of Easterners, particularly Igbos and Eastern Officers and military personnel throughout Nigeria,except the Eastern region, prior to and after the ethno-regional counter coup of July 29, 1966.

This genocide led by Gowon and cohorts totally employed the military might of the nation in personnel and equipment, in violation of the protective constitutional role of Nigerian citizens, in the gruesome slaughter of about 100,000 Nigerians of Eastern region extraction. Gowon usurped the powers and position of Commander in Chief of the armed forces and head of state devoid of consensus of regional military leaders, respectively that of Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of the Eastern Region. He appointed himself over and above his superiors in utter disregard of military command structure and hierarchical order.

He dismantled the regional governments for a unitary structure for Ironsi's unitary system which unified only the civil service for efficient military command structure and effective administration. Yet Gowon and his group falsely claimed the reason for ousting Ironsi was because he promulgated decree 34 which unified the Nigerian government. In fact he went further to name the structure as federal even as the supposedly federating units were created by Gowon and his military cabal and the old regional units which retained some autonomy, lost them totally.

This false accusation against Ironsi was in line with what became all too familiar Nigeria's sinister and false accusations against the Igbo and pronouncing them guilty at all cost to engender mass hatred and hostility toward this group; a pattern that yielded the genocidal epic between 1966 - 1970. Gowon as the military intelligence agent of the British Government aborted the constitutional conference resolutions of September 12, 1966 geared to calm the troubled polity and halt the mass killings of Easterners in Nigeria. He went on to renege on another critical resolution on January 4th and 5th at Aburi, Ghana, after being a signatory to its sensible and collective recommendations meant to usher in peace and reconciliation.

Gowon and partner in what later transformed into Africa's worst 20th century war crime of genocide, Obafemi Awolowo, finance and prime minister of war cabinet, usurped ownership and control of Oil resources of South-East and Mid-West Regions to prosecute the genocidal war that cost untold African lives by enforcing blockade against humanitarian aid, a violation of the Geneva Convention, and its consequent starvation of mainly women and children. Churches, schools, refugee centers, hospitals quartering internally displaced persons with aid agencies that risked flights into Biafra were indiscriminately strafed and bombed.

Gowon's slogan was: "To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done" but Gowon in the course of what became a war of attrition, had given away a part of the South-East region, Bakassi, to neighboring Cameroun to hedge the Biafrans who only defended themselves from a cruel and wicked aggression fueled by sheer ethnic and unjustified hatred.
"the International Committee on the investigation of Crimes of genocide whose investigation included interview of 1,082 people representing the two sides of the conflict concluded thus through its investigator (Dr. Mensah of Ghana); "Finally, I am of the opinion that in many of the cases cited to me, hatred of the Biafrans and a wish to exterminate them was a foremost motivational factor."
---- Ohaneze's deposition at Oputa Panel --- Guardian Newspapers Thursday July 26, 2006.

",,,More than 150 Eastern Ibos slain in rioting in the Northern Region this week. More than 70 Ibos lost their lives in the tin-mining town of Jos when a mob of soldiers and civilians marched from one end of the town to the other looting burning and killing. Twenty five Ibos were killed in Bauchi, 30 in Kaduna and 500 were wounded this week alone. Work has halted at the giant Kainji dam site on the Niger river, where Italian construction workers report 13 Ibos slain and more than 40 hospitalized. There were no parades or public speeches today. Lt. Col. Gowon has proclaimed today a "day of national prayer." ..."Lieut. Col Ojukwu, the East's military governor, proclaimed that no political settlement "will be acceptable to the east without stoppage of these atrocious inhuman acts followed by reparations and compensation to those who have lost their families."
------- New York Times October 1, 1966.

"The Killings of civilians have not been confined to Iboland; the Efiks, Calabars, Ibibios and Ogonis have suffered heavily as the reports of their emissaries to Colonel Ojukwu describe. Nor was the killing process a flash in the pan, the first reaction of an army in grip of the heady elation of victory or vengeful bloom off defeat. The practice has been too standardized, too methodical for that."
--- Frederick Forsyth, Former BBC Correspondent and Best-Seller in his book "The Biafra Story" pages 259 - 260. Published June 26, 1969.
"At this time Biafra was already sheltering some four million refugees from other occupied areas, about one and a half million Ibos and two and a half million minorities."

---- Frederick Forsyth in "The Biafra Story" page 131 published June 26, 1969. " Hundreds of angry military pensioners in the country Monday besieged the Oyo State Secretariat saying they regretted fighting against Biafran soldiers to ensure the unity of the country. They said if they had known that the country would repay them in this wicked manner, they would have fought for the survival and sovereignty of Biafra. The retired soldiers who spoke through their chairman, Mr. Gabriel Oiakhena said, "we have been pushed to the wall. The families of over 500,000 soldiers who lost their lives in Biafra are suffering".









Written by
P. Oscar Iwuama,
Studied international Relations and diplomacy
At Anglo-American University Prague Czech Republic.
C. E. O, B & Arsco Ltd.
Websit: www.b-arsco.com
Twitter; @kas_cafe

The Contradiction of a Prophet/Prophetess, " Matters Arising"

The bible says " do not judge someone for u shall not be judged". But the bible did not say " thou shall not condemn evil". I condemn evil because I stand by the truth, and the truth shall set me free. I tried to keep the Ten Commandments though it is difficult to keep all without the help of the Holy Ghost. Even if I fail to keep all of them, I will never forget to keep "thou shall not lie".

Some prophets/prophetess contradicted sometimes because of the earthly reward they are pursuing, but fail to understand that the consequences that follows is the departure of the Holy Spirit from him or her. No one knows that the Reverend fathers do wear trouser if not with the help of the wind.

I think the wind is blowing on the side of many prophets/prophetess. It has became clear that Rev father Mbaka is romancing with the APC, I hope he is not trying to present a candidate for 2019 presidential election if we are still in Nigeria by then. I have never been to adoration ministry before but I have heard all the good things he Rev father Mbaka has been doing and I commend him. But I'm condemning his last attack on the indigenous people of Biafra.

I think Rev father Mbaka should watch his tongue on the Biafra issues before the anger of God will fall on him. I will advice Rev father Mbaka to face his calling and stop combining Evangelism with politic. I remember vividly, I even watched it on the social media where he Rev father Mbaka was angry about the decay of the country and was calling for the division of the country if things did not change.

So what happened now? Have you stop fighting for the oppress again? Fighting some Enugu governors and former president Jonathan because of the harsh treatment you thought that they were doing. Or are you good in fighting your own people? What is wrong with Rev father Mbaka that often criticize evil? One thing I know about the living God is that, when he want to disgrace people, he often do it in a mysterious ways.

I could remember when I went to a particular church for a prayer, I met a prophetess who started prophesying to me. At a point it became very clear to me that the prophetess was prophesying based on a psychological prophesy. Then when she finished, she ask me if everything she said was clear to me and I replied to her with the word "it was nice meeting u".

I said that to her because I didn't want to join issues with her. But later a message came to a sister in the ministry through a dream, where she saw the same sister in her dream where the Holy Spirit has departed from the prophetess. She summoned the head pastor and the prophetess was placed on a suspension. Many pastors in Nigeria today are not worshiping God but they are pursuing material things and exploiting people in the name of God. Imagine a particular church very big church in Ikeja area where they charge 6,000 naira for a deliverance for local people and 10,000 naira for people that lives in abroad. And on their alter, there is a snake nailed on a cross saying the snake was used to clear Ebola in Nigeria.

What I'm trying to emphasize here is that, sometimes powerful men of God do contradict because of money or earthly things. For example in the book of " 2 Samuel ; 11 verse 1-27" David slept with Bathsheba and she got pregnant but when he tried to cover his sin which he found it hard to do, he tried to convince Uriah even drunk him so that he will go home to make sure that he Uriah will sleep with his wife and the baby becomes his but David's plans did not work.

The only option left for him was to kill Uriah, Bathsheba 's husband by sending him in the hot zone of the war front so that when he Uriah was killed, he will marry his wife which he did. Don't forget that the bible says that " Not all that call my name are the children of God" some pastor do call themselves when God refused to call them. But how do we know who God has called and who called him or her-selves.

Rev father Mbaka use to be a great man of God but since he started romancing with the APC, one need to ask him, what have you done in secret. Because when all the important post like the president, Senate president, chief justice, speaker and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) went to the North. He Rev father Mbaka did not condemn the lopsided post even when others did.

He was praising Buhari for including the south east and south south on his last appointment without knowing that, the constitution made it clear that every state must have a minister. if not, southern region would have been left out completely. The people you Rev father Mbaka calls " evil" some of them made u what u are today because you collected offering and tithes from them. This is why I don't pay tithes any more because pastors use all the tithes to enrich themselves and purchase private jets and houses. Non of the apostles in the bible owns anything, and they do their evangelism on foot.

I want Rev father Mbaka to know that, when there is a problem in this country, Hausa / Fulani will not spear you because to them, you are an "infidel" . Again, Boko Haram criminals were packed in Anambra State until recently when People protested before Buhari relocated them, you did not say anything. Are you scare to condemn the federal government actions under Buhari or are you scared to condemn Boko Haram in order to protect your ministry from bombing? Boko Haram are not illiterate as people thought because they know their boundaries.

Again "the President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki, has said that no amount of intimidation will stop the assembly from investigating the alleged N25 billion Treasury Single Account (TSA) fraud. Saraki was reacting to a motion moved by Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) on Tuesday over a newspaper article allegedly blackmailing the Senate for pointing out the alleged fraud" under The innocent Buhari and you Rev father Mbaka did not say anything. I will not be mentioning other things that you refused to condemn due to time and I don't want this article to be too long, if not I would have mention more with facts. My advice to Rev father Mbaka and other men of God, please kindly pursue your calling and stop combining politic with evangelism.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, An Abuja errand men? Or Igbo mouthpiece/ Igbo council of elders/youths?

As the main youths are agitating for an independent state of Biafra and also protesting for the unlawful detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Which has grown even beyond Nigeria’s border, because they want a country where their views, life's, futures and the rights of their wellbeing will be protected. Not the country where the errand Abuja paper youth council under their national president, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, are counting and protecting their personal interest. The OYC leader claimed to be a representative of the youths of Ndigbo. Hahahahaha did I hear the representative of the youths of Ndigbo. Which youths? The one on the streets protesting or the one in Abuja doing an errand boy-boy?


What I read on the news papers was that "The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has urged the proponents of the secessionist movements to have a rethink because of the possible huge losses that Ndigbo would incur if Nigeria disintegrates". And these are the reason why Nigeria government has continued to marginalized and intimidate them. But Ohanaeze Ndigbo youth council did not calculate how much losses Igbo has been systematically loosing in a daily basis since the end of the civil war?

Sometimes I think people talk because they want to talk or maybe because they are protecting their personal interest, that is why they choose to talk the way they talked. It is painful to see some Igbo speaking elders playing an errand men when they are supposed to protect the interest of the Igbo/Biafra nation like the Ariwa and Afenifere are doing.

In the eyes of the Nigeria government, when you mentioned Igbo. To them, they are the lovers of money and with money, one can buy their heart because our elders have sold our future to their Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani pay master. But I have good news for them which is. When the trouble will start, those Ohanaze in Abuja will not be speared nor will they stand the heat because those million youths protesting on the street do not have properties in Lagos and Abuja or do they care about your losses because you did not protect their interest nor provide jobs for them when you were their.

Rather you mortgaged and negotiated with their future for the interest of your own families and private pocket.

What have the so called Ohanaze Ndigbo done since the DSS arrested Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), which have attracted civil disturbance by the group? Or when Igbo nation were threatened by other region in the north or west? Nothing rather than distance themselves or they often talk when people have started condemning the hash treatment meted by other region? The entire south east and south south have been grounded by protest to show you that Ohanaze and co are irrelevant in the society.

But the good thing about these protest is that, it has opened the eyes of the Biafra people, mainly the south south and the international communities. The Nigeria government and their errand men the " Ohanaze Ndigbo " are seeing it as a child play. They thought arresting and detaining or deploying military men to the Biafra land will stop the agitation, but what they don't know is that nothing of such will stop or intimidate the IPOB. They are determined people and Nigeria might head to another civil war if things are not corrected or their demand was not met.

The reason why we have not gotten Biafra is because the so called elders have mortgaged our future and sold it to the Hausa/Fulani, and their Yoruba pay master. Look at how the so called ohanaze Ndigbo, the umbrella or the mouth piece of the Igbo people has became a laughing matter in the eyes of the international community simple because of their selfish and corrupt mind. They are confused set of people that are suffering from the civil war defeat syndrome.

I think it is time to disband this so called ohanaze Ndigbo because they are not useful to the Igbo nation. They are simple Abuja errand men. How can a group that claimed to be the mouth piece of the Igbo people are so cowardice that they cannot fight for the injustice meted on the people they represent or fight for the interest of the Igbo people. All they do is to look for a contract in Abuja and receive a peanut.

I want the so called Abuja errand men of the cowardice Ohanaeze Ndigbo to answer these question. Why must somebody in the Biafra land clears his or her good in Lagos port, risking his or her goods on the bad road on the daily basis? why can't the federal government make PH and calabar deep seaport for shipment for the people of these region? As the same federal government are building a dry port in the North to ease the people of the North from coming to Lagos to clear their goods. Whereby systematically blocking the economy of the whole region. You see this is why the youths are protesting for the injustice meted on them by the federal government .

Why must somebody from the Biafra land travel all the way from Biafra to Lagos in order to fly out of Nigeria when there suppose to be a functioning international airport to ease the people from risking a long journey to Lagos from Biafra land? Why our federal roads are in a terrible condition while the other region is in a good condition? If you know how many Igbos that have lost their lives since the end of the civil war, I'm not talking about those that died during the civil war. I'm talking about those that were killed in the north for no reason other than they are igbos and Christians. You will have a rethink on your stupid talk and support. But Ohanaeze and co should know that, their talks and support has no effect on the IPOB people.

In 1967, the Northern military under the leadership of General Gowan declared a war on the Biafra and they succeeded in defeating and killing igbos with the help of some international communities. In 2015, the Northern Military Officers Declares War On Pro-Biafran Peaceful protesters by releasing a "Press Release signed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and the Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, under the watch of General Buhari, threatening to unleash the military on persons engaged in peaceful demonstrations over agitations for self-actualization in the South-East and South-South is uncouth, unprofessional, quasi-criminal and most unbecoming of trained soldiers whose pay and upkeep depends on public funds".

Well I have good news and advice for the gallant Nigeria army "He who want to light a fire, should get ready to curtail with the flames" and " Black mambo is a great predictor, but every predictor is someone else prey" I think they should stop threatening the IPOB people and find a way to settle the issues that is causing the agitation and conduct a referendum on the Biafra people and if we voted to opt out of Nigeria, they should let us go in peace and continue their union with the Yoruba. But if they choose otherwise believing that what happened during 1960s will repeat itself in this 21 century, I think they are living in the fools paradise.

They know the truth, but decided to act otherwise. Nigeria let my people go.

I came across with this article on the website of africanbusinessworld.com, and I hope that people like Joe Igbokwe and other anti-Biafra people did came across with these interviews. This is the first time I have seen a Nigeria saying the truth without fear of intimidation. l don't know if Joe lgbokwe is a real Igbo man or was he fathered by a Yoruba or Hausa/Fulani person? Why is he anti-Igbo? Is it his way of seeking a cheap popularity or he is playing the Nigeria script? please try to read these interview from top to down.

" Alhaji Shettima Yerima, an activist and president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) in this interview, blows hot about the way the people of the South-eastern part of Nigeria have been treated by the government, and why he thinks the agitation for Biafra is justified even though it is not the best option.

The fiery leader of the AYCF also suggests solutions to the crisis

Alhaji Shettima Yerima, a activist and president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum

How did this agitation come this far?

Well, it’s been a very long journey and for people like us, it is not surprising. The agitation for Biafra is not news to us because it has been there over time especially since 1966 with what gave birth to the overthrow of the Aguiyi Ironsi government after the killing of some top leaders. The agitation has been there and that was what led to civil war in 1967 when Odimegwu Ojukwu came on board against the state and the reconciliation in the 1970s. Ever since, there had always been one agitation of the other. But the truth of the matter is that nobody is happy about the situation and all of us felt that it would not augur and it is not even in the best interest of this country for any part to secede now. This is a critical and very challenging time. And it is high time we began looking at the issue critically. We are only pretending that Nigeria is a nation, it has never been a nation. We just pray that it would become a nation. There are very fundamental issues that need to be addressed by any government in place and, to do that we must apply the principles of equity, justice and fairness to all. The moment we begin to say this group of people must be dealt with decisively because of their mindset or thinking that they are being marginalised, then there is a problem.

The government must be seen to be doing justice and discussing issues the way they are. If we continue to pretend that things are normal and people are saying they are not normal and are agitating, one day it might not be funny. In as much as we pretend that things are well, you can see this call for Biafra is getting more popular internationally. I pray and I pray the leaders begin to see reasons to look at the issues critically. If they feel they are being marginalised and you underestimate and threaten them by arresting them and incarcerating them, just know that the more you do that, the more they get international and local sympathy. At the end of the day, you would be marvelled at what that amounts to. It could metamorphose into something beyond your expectation. Detention and arrests are not the answers to the issue. Issues must be brought forward for discussion. We must disagree to agree so that we can form a nation. We are not yet a nation. Under international laws which Nigeria is signatory to, the right to see for nationhood is guaranteed. Thus, if people decide that they don’t want to be part of your project, there is nothing you can do about it. Whatever you do is just to buy time. So why don’t you look at the issues the way they are and address them once and for all? This is what I think and it is absolutely my opinion.

Those sympathetic to President Muhammadu Buhari believe that the agitation became intense because the average Igbo man does not like a Hausa man being the President. Do you subscribe to this?

I do not subscribe to that because before Buhari, there were leaders who came from the Nort. Umar Yar’Adua was from the North and we could see the support from the East until lately when there was this problem of misgivings just before the recent elections. The perception of those in the camp of President Buhari is that the South-east was against him and that he did not get enough votes from the area and so what they bargained for is what they would get. Again, I do not share that perception. This is because this is a democracy where everyone has the right to decide where he wants to stay and if a government is finally formed at the end of the day, that government must be seen to be all-inclusive and carry everybody along irrespective of whether you got votes or not. You must be seen to be more civilised and behave in very civil ways so that we will all feel we are part of this democracy. But where things went wrong and you want to pay back, I do not think that is nationalistic.

And when the issue of appointments came up and some positions that should be shared nationally went in one direction as far as we were concerned, some of us raised alarm we did not raise alarm because we don’t enjoy Buhari, but because we know he is human and those who work with him are also human. So where something is going wrong, there is no problem in calling the person to correct it. I do not think it is in the best interest of Nigerians to play politics with things like this because the only reason Buhari is elected is because people gave him mandate to be President of Nigeria and so issues of a section of the country not giving him their votes should not arise. The perception became more glaring and visible because certain things happened in recent times, especially just before the election, after the election and in appointments. It is not because they hate Buhari but certain things have gone wrong and it is better to address them. As long as they remain part of the country, what belongs to them must be given. But where we believe that some parts of the country should be treated as second-class citizens, then we are not doing justice to the nation or that we want the country to survive. This is just the truth of it.

There is also this argument that the South-east is not ripe enough to call for secession because there is not particular leader to take them out of the woods. An analyst recently cited the case of South Sudan. What do you think?

That they are not mature enough, how is that our problem, the problem of anybody or a section of the country? By law, how is that a problem? It is either you decide to carry them along or if you feel they are a burden to you, then allow them to go. When a child decides that it is time to come out of her mummy’s womb, you can’t stop the child. Oftentimes, we make the mistake of comparing Nigeria with other countries forgetting that we do not share the same culture. We are people from different backgrounds, religions and environments. So I do not share that sentiment. There are also countries that broke and the seceding countries are living on their own. Have you ever seen where a country breaks up and the parts come back together because it was a mistake? It has never happened. So who is afraid in the case of Nigeria? If we cannot do justice to all, then let everyone go peacefully.

For me, I do not think the entire North should be held responsible for not allowing the East to go. For me, if they choose to go, so be it. The day we fee tired of this project called Nigeria, we too in the North would say we are going. Let nobody hold anybody to ransom. I only just think going our separate ways is not the best answer, but let’s also begin to decide for them as if we should tell what they  want or not. If we cannot bring equity and justice to this table and discuss it, then what is the essence of this pretence? We don’t have to pretend; the country is sick and we need a man who truly believes in the nation to govern it rather than heating it up. And this is where I differ because with the problem at hand like insurgency in the northern part of the country, there should not be any reason to create another monster in another part of the country. Leaders must be seen to be low-headed at this time. Let us not be fooled, this is the best time for leaders to put their heads together and see how things would be solved and appreciate the fact that we come from different backgrounds. Let us not abuse this opportunity. If found wanting, let us address the problem and stop behaving like there is no problem. The moment you begin to say some people should be sidelined, then you are not bargaining for peace.

In resolving this problem now, do you suggest that the report of the last National Conference should be looked into?
The report of the National Conference cannot be a reason to start looking at a new Nigeria because even some of us have issues with the Confab and its composition and how it went. This government must be open because if we cannot sit down and discuss it, then there is a problem. This government must be create an atmosphere and engage everyone. I believe a Sovereign National Conference is the answer to this whole thing and there must be no no-go area. People must be allowed to discuss issues. Often, when the issues of national discourse emerge, these mischief makers, these crooks who are 80 percent criminally-minded people at the National Assembly would tell you that they are the ones to discuss them. You cannot be the manager of Nigeria because they voted for you. You cannot just wake up one morning and declare that the sovereignty of the people is now your own. Allow the rightful owners decide how they want to live together and move forward.

The constitution we have today is fraud. We challenge the legality of the preamble of the constitution. You cannot be move a country forward where there is problem. The country is sick! We can only buy time, but the day it would escalate, everyone would start running helter-skelter. And I am afraid that the prediction of America that Nigeria would break would not come to pass. Unfortunately, the government of the day believes so much in America. In fact, they even consult America before introducing some local policies to us. You can see how bad it is that after 55 years, Nigeria has not grown enough to decide how we want to govern ourselves. Must we consult America? Why can’t we do our thing our own way? Who even tells you America is in support of Nigerians uniting together? History has shown that so many wars and insurgency around the world have the imprint of America. Can’t we learn from history? Do we want to go into another civil war? I can tell you that if Nigeria goes into another civil war now, we will not survive it".

If you agree with Alhaji shettima, please bury whatever interest you have against the Biafra people and speak the truth so that the Biafra will be free.