BIAFRA: MARGINALIZATION OF BIAFRANS EXPLAINS THE REASONS FOR AGITATION

By Princewill Akubumma | For Biafra Writers

September 13, 2017

The term "Marginalization", is the treatment of a person or group of people as insignificant, or the total exclusion of people from the scheme of things.

The definition above explains the ordeals of the Biafran people in Nigeria. Therefore, bringing it homewards, marginalization is the situation where all the security agencies in Nigeria is headed by Northerners and no single Southeasterner (Biafran), is employed in the agency.

Marginalization is the situation where the Northeast Development Commission bill was adopted on the floor of the Federal House of Representatives by its members, within a space of minutes the motion was passed, while its equivalent, the Southeast Development Commission bill was vehemently opposed and rejected on the same floor of the House of Representatives which has a northern majority.

Marginalization is the situation whereby the monthly allocations is shared based on the lopsided number of local government areas and States where the north has 19 States and 419 local government councils, tactically created by the northern military fiat for this purpose, irrespective of North's zero contribution to the national GDP.

Marginalization is the situation where the railway project bill as approved, was only commissioned in the Northern states while Southeastern states were tactically excluded.

Read more: BIAFRA: PRESS RELEASE; INVADING KANU'S HOME AND SHOOTING IPOB VIOLATES OUR HUMAN RIGHT

The recent appointments into offices of the nation's oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) witnessed a massive recruitment of people from the northern region while no one from the Southeastern Nigeria was considered worthy to head any of the corporations. That was marginalization at its peak.

Again, a situation whereby the 99% of the nation's GDP comes from the Eastern region while the headquarters of those oil companies are all located in the North and West, in a conspiracy known as North-West economic alliance with the sole intent to economically strangulate the Eastern region where the oil is being drilled is called marginalization.

A situation where some group of Cabals will travel from 85 kilometers North to Southeast to own all the oil wells and blocs located in the Eastern region leaving the real owners to continue wallowing in abject poverty, and their farmlands polluted by oil spillage while both their surface and underground water all polluted by high substance of hydrocarbon and benzene, leaving them desolate without even a single medical facility, is a good sign of marginalization.

When all the Seaports and inland ports in the entire Eastern region is tactically shut down with harsh government policies in order to discourage economic and industrial activities in those areas while the Apapa Wharf and Tin can ports in the West are allowed to continue functioning is a clear sign of marginalization by the government.

Marginalization also includes a situation where any prospective student from the Southeast is discouraged from gaining admission into colleges and universities with high entrance cut-off mark of 280 points while the prospective students from the northern region are granted admission into colleges and universities in the same country with a minimum of 16 points.

Watch video: BIAFRA: NNAMDI KANU ADDRESSING PRESS ON HOW NIGERIAN ARMY INVADED HIS HOME - SEE VIDEO

We also perceive marginalization where the nation's education board, the Universal Basic Education schemes (UBE) functions effectively in the North with high quality school infrastructures and studying materials enabling the northern pupils to study in a conducive environment where they are even served lunch and given stipends for transportation after school while the pupils from the Southeastern States struggles to study in a dilapidated school infrastructure without roof over their heads and without food to eat after school.

Marginalization is the situation where the northerners are appointed into government offices based on a quota system and not based on merit while the south easterners who merited the appointment are constantly ignored and rejected.

A situation where Police officers are removed from the streets and roads in the northern states but are heavily deployed to almost all the streets in the south eastern states to keep extorting, intimidating and disgracing the people of the southeast on daily basis is a clear sign of marginalization and double standard.

Marginalization also informs the situation whereby officers in charge of checking vehicle and motorcycle plate numbers and particulars does not function in the northern states, where it is not even considered as an offence for motorcycle operators to move around without number plates and papers but down East, it will be considered a breach of law and a heavy crime.

Marginalization is the situation where the government is ready to engage in dialogue with notorious northern terrorists and criminals who have been waging war against the State, killing people with explosive devices and guns but usually rolls out military tanks and all kinds of ammunition to engage peaceful agitators from Southern Nigeria who were only asking for a chance to vote and determine where they belong to.

All these and more are what the Biafran people have been suffering from in Nigeria which is the reason behind the demand for a United Nations monitored plebiscite or referendum to determine their political and economic future because Biafrans has totally lost faith in the forced union with the Nigerian State.

Read also: BIAFRA: WHO CALLS THE SHOT, BUHARI OR AREWA?

Historically, we should recall that this union which was initiated by Frederick Lugard, a British-Scotish soldier and was co-signed by the Biafra and Itsekiri Chiefs in 1914, was meant to last for a hundred years after which, it will be renegotiated by the people whether or not to remain in the union, and that one hundred years has expired since 2014 and the people are demanding for such union to be renegotiated through a plebiscite.

We are calling on the United Nations and the world leaders to heed to the calls of the masses in Eastern Nigeria to be given a date to vote in a referendum in order to put an end to all the cries of marginalization and agitations. Taking this step will help to stop the impending humanitarian crisis that might be imminent in Nigeria if nothing is done now and fast.

We are Biafrans, we demand that the right to self-determination which is sanctioned by the laws in Geneva convention be made available for us to determine our future.

#FreeBiafra

#GiveUsFreedom

Edited By Chukwuemeka Chimerue

Publisher: Charles Opanwa
The Biafra Times