Attempt
at polarizing the Igbo society based on one’s stance
on Biafra actualization is improper, unnecessarily divisive
and ultimately harmful to the Igbo cause. Ndiigbo don’t
all have to totally agree on any given stance on Biafra
actualization before seeking practical means of collaborating
on implementing key programs that can alleviate the dire
condition under which our people eke out what they need
to survive from day to day. For now, at least, the geopolitical
entity called Nigeria is still the current address for the
generality of Ndiigbo, irrespective of one’s inclinations
about Biafra actualization. What Osondu Foundation and other
likeminded groups stand for do not, in any way, contradict
the possibility of emergence of a future sovereign Biafran
nation. Rather, efforts made to find practical solutions
to current problems by these groups shall enhance the chances
of a viable and vibrant sovereign Igbo nation whenever its
emergence becomes inevitable. ......
Dr. Nwosu
The
article titled “Osondu,
Others Must Support Biafra Actualization” (http://www.osondu.com/editorial/supportbiafra.htm)
by Dr. Oguchi Nkwocha draws a clear line of demarcation
that partitions Igbo survival struggle into two camps; one
opting for “one-Nigeria” and the other for “Biafra-actualization”.
For the purposes of the author’s argument, Biafra
and Igbo nationalism or self-determination are meant as
one and the same thing. He was quite assertive in his opinion
that nothing short of a sovereign state of Biafra is capable
of providing acceptable solution to Igbo dilemma in today’s
world. He showed utter contempt for “the learned Igbo
economic wizards” for prescribing “a one-Nigeria
agenda as solution for the Igbo problem in Nigeria”.
Apparently, the “one-Nigerianist” economic experts
have failed to factor into their recommendation the fact
that the oil which “comes from our own land”
provides the major economic sustenance for Nigeria. In the
author’s judgment, Ndiigbo shall exercise a free hand
at utilizing the huge oil resources from a sovereign Biafran
territory to solve most of its economic problems. The issue,
therefore, must be Biafra actualization without which anything
else done by Ndiigbo for their salvation is sheer waste
of time and effort.
No one can argue against the desirability of fostering Igbo
nationalism and self-determination within or without the
context of present Nigerian state. Ndiigbo and Igbo value
system have existed for millennia before the creation of
Nigeria and shall endure long after the geopolitical entity
currently labeled Nigeria has been radically transformed.
It is thus easy to appreciate the position that Dr. Nkwocha
and his group take as protagonists of unbridled Igbo nationalism
and self-determination. The problem lies with the practicality
of attaining any wish, no matter how desirable it appears
to be. From present scheme of things, the desirable goal
of Biafra actualization or Igbo self--determination may
take years, decades or even centuries to attain. What should
Ndiigbo do, in the interim, to address their survival needs
in 2003 and beyond? I consider it important that individuals
and groups that are genuinely committed to the Igbo cause
should never gloss over or trivialize the existential imperatives
of Ndiigbo, at any point in time, just for the purposes
of winning a shallow short-term ideological or political
argument.
Founders of Osondu Foundation are primarily focused on orchestrating
an Igbo renaissance that shall culminate in restoration
of status of parity with our peers and respect which Ndiigbo
had in the pre-civil war era in Nigeria. This foundation
recognizes the central import of Biafra in modern Igbo political
history and has embarked on the execution of Biafra Memorial
Project (BMP) as a veritable tool for harnessing the experiences
of the Civil War for the benefit of Ndiigbo who bore the
brunt of one of the worst African tragedies in modern times.
Ndiigbo have shed blood for a cause that we all believed
in so passionately during the Civil War but we fell short
of the set objective before being militarily overwhelmed
more than 30 years ago. Components of BMP include practical
programs to help relieve hardship of handicapped and neglected
Biafran veterans, establishment of National Memorial Day
as a national holiday to remember sacrifices of the Civil
War, preservation of major war theaters as historical sites
and construction of monuments and museums. The goal here
is to ensure that coming generations of Ndiigbo and other
compatriots shall never forget the epoch that constituted
a major watershed in our collective history. Contrary to
misconception held by some, the BMP is designed to keep
the flame of Biafra burning in tangible ways rather than
bury it as alleged.
Beyond the BMP, Osondu Foundation is pursuing economic,
sociocultural, political and environmental agenda that frontally
address strategic interests of Ndiigbo in today’s
world. Regional economic integration, as a central theme
for opening the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor, has
been seen by the Osondu group as the most credible platform
for addressing economic needs of the former East which has
been the domain of influence for Ndiigbo historically. Revival
and preservation of essential aspects of our rich cultural
heritage while eliminating the practice of obsolete ones,
like osu system, have been the mantra of this group. Igbo
political interests shall best be served by reestablishing
regional solidarity, which was torn apart with advent of
the Civil War. Most knowledgeable pundits agree that this
initial but important step is the surest way of reasserting
credible presence of Ndiigbo at the center of national governance.
As we speak, the Osondu Foundation has collaborated in drafting
a bill for erosion control and road maintenance which is
now pending debate and ratification in state houses of legislature
of the Southeast and elsewhere. Erosion coupled with absence
of a coherent maintenance culture has been identified as
the most important factor that devastate Alaigbo and its
transportation infrastructure. Addressing these issues shall
augur well for a more prosperous and confident Alaigbo.
Simplifying my support for Osondu Foundation as having been
inspired only by its “one-Nigeria” stance is
trivializing the seriousness with which this group perceives
the real causes and thus the practical solutions to myriad
problems that confront the average contemporary Igbo. Attempt
at polarizing the Igbo society based on one’s stance
on Biafra actualization is improper, unnecessarily divisive
and ultimately harmful to the Igbo cause. Ndiigbo don’t
all have to totally agree on any given stance on Biafra
actualization before seeking practical means of collaborating
on implementing key programs that can alleviate the dire
condition under which our people eke out what they need
to survive from day to day. For now, at least, the geopolitical
entity called Nigeria is still the current address for the
generality of Ndiigbo, irrespective of one’s inclinations
about Biafra actualization. What Osondu Foundation and other
likeminded groups stand for do not, in any way, contradict
the possibility of emergence of a future sovereign Biafran
nation. Rather, efforts made to find practical solutions
to current problems by these groups shall enhance the chances
of a viable and vibrant sovereign Igbo nation when its emergence
becomes inevitable.
