Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." (James Madison, 4th President of USA, father of US Constitution because he authored the draft and Sponsored of the monumental US Bill of Rights).
I insist that in Nigeria ignorance rules. Agitation for Biafra is not so much for physical Biafra but against the denial of the inherent right of the 350 ethnic nationalities that make up Nigeria, to Self Determination by the monstrous and unitary Cattle Republic of Nigeria. The right to self determination in all federations engenders and guarantees EQUALITY and MUTUAL RESPECT between the federating units in all enduring federations. Nigeria ratified all articles and protocols of the United Nations and African Union on the right to Self Determination of all peoples but as is typical of the lie that is Nigeria, none of the articles and protocols of the AU Charter and UN Covenant and Conventions are being observed or complied with in Nigeria's Cattle Unitary Republic.
Timorous and Gullible Nigerians do not understand that the Country is a P. O. W. Camp where none of the Geneva Conventions is observed. Otherwise, can someone explain to me why in the past four years over 5,000 Nigerians have been wantonly killed by Cattle Fulani herdsmen in Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt, side by side with raping of women and sacking of whole communities. Tens of thousands are Internally Displaced Persons in Refugee Camps from communities sacked by Cattle Fulani herdsmen. Yet No Cattle Fulani has been arrested. A Senator and leader of Plateau State Assembly was killed by herdsmen in 2013 and till date no arrest. The Governor of Benue was shot at by herdsmen in his own State and no arrests were made. His ancestral community and 29 others within 25 kilometers radius were sacked by the herdsmen. The Police Inspector General pleaded helpless and the State Governor was compelled to eat humble pie. A nebulous peace was contrived enabling the herdsmen to graze their cattle anywhere in Benue State.
Seventy-seven year-old Chief Olu Falaye is a recent example. His farm was raided by these herdsmen. He was kidnapped and brutalized by these herdsmen for four long days and nights. For how long will Nigeria live with the menace of cattle Fulani herdsmen?
The demonstration or agitation by MASSOB can therefore be rightly construed as a demand for a real federation in place of present Cattle Unitary Republic of Nigeria OR like Dr. Azikiwe called for during the hectic days of the 1964 general elections, "if we cannot have a federation, let us call a meeting and separate in peace" INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT CATTLE UNITARY REPUBLIC!
Emeka Onyesoh.
Change is an endemic characteristic of political environment. Within the realm of national security concerns, the most important problems center on changing nature of threats and appropriate response to those threats. There is no doubt that Nigeria is arguably at a crossroads about national security. Just remember that the gap between the threats and the resources to nullify those threats is risk, and it can be depicted in the suggestive formula. .. risk equals threat minus capability. We just need to look at things from its universal abstract formation and differentiate between a painted portrait and true picture photographs. I hope this will remain in the dictionary of your heart until it's cold and silent. God bless Nigeria!Chikelue Ikejiani
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