BEVERLY HILLS, October 07, (THEWILL) – Former President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife, has identified Biafra as the identity of the Igbo nation, stressing that no one should expect it to fizzle out.
Speaking in Nnewi on Friday, he noted that Biafra is very dear to the hearts of many people of the South-East to be forgotten, adding that people of the geopolitical zone had lived “in the South Eastern part of West Africa in an area now called Nigeria when the Portuguese explorers of the 15th century came calling during their exploration of West Africa”.
On the clamour for the restructuring of Nigeria, the Convener of South-East Elders Forum pointed out that anybody sitting comfortably would like the status quo to be maintained, while anybody not sitting comfortably would call for adjustment.
He said, “They call for restructuring. We have to define what we are restructuring, to what extent will it go. Will it be far enough to remove all these traces of discomfort in the system or will it just be a perfunctory alleviation of the discomfort? We must understand that.
“And until the inequality, marginalization, uneven distribution of patronages, infrastructural development, unemployment, economic empowerment, accommodation or systematic exclusion are addressed, then the agitation up and down in this country will certainly not abate”.
While insisting that Biafra has become an identity for a people and as such nobody can tell them to forget their identity, he stated that no real Biafran would accept to forget Biafra as no true son of Oduduwa or Arewa, would accept to forget their identities.
Ikedife pointed out that anybody who tells a group of people to forget their identity would be giving a wrong piece of advice “probably based on wrong perception or wrong understanding of what the agitation is all about.”
He however pointed out that he had always advocated that the issue of actualizing self-determination for the Igbo would be accomplished through dialogue, diplomacy, non-violence, legal means and operating within the law.
About the Author
