Features
Nigeria And The Biafra’s Agitation
The boundaries of many
African and Asian States were drawn and inherited from the old colonial era. A great deal of these boundaries were superimposed on the land, with little regard for the culturally coherent groups of people living there. Once they regained their independence, those people inherited these peculiar boundaries.
Nigeria is a typical illustration of the loose correspondence between nation and sate that exists in much of Africa today. In the Middle East, Turkey, Iraq and Iran are home to parts of the Kurdish people, who are a minority in each of these countries and have made attempts to break away and form their own unified states. India includes fifteen official linguistic groups, among other former colonies that exhibited similar mismatches of state and nation.
With the growth of nationalism, it is now thought a right of people, if they feel that they have a common nationality, to have a state to match that nationality, especially when the minority in the country feels marginalised. The ‘right’ has become a constant source of political tension and conflict for two reasons. First, many state boundaries do not coincide with the geographic distribution of nation while the second is that the sense of nationhood is a subjective thing.
A ‘feeling’ on the part of a group of people may be stimulated or laid to rest by persuasive leaders and is therefore liable to change. Even if state boundaries could ever at any time be brought into a perfect fit with the distribution of nations, this benign or gentle situation could not last, because new nations would gradually emerge and some old ones would fade and be forgotten.
Another example is the small black nationalist movement in the United States of America, which attempted to arouse a ‘nation’ (the nation of blacks) among a people who had not generally thought of themselves as a separate nation. One good example is Belgium, where the French and Dutch-speaking regions of the state co-existed without much notice for a long time but then became agitated about their separate nationalities in the 1970s. Today, they operate with such autonomy that they have almost become separate states within the state of Belgium.
At any given time then, the system of states will not coincide with the system of nations. Points at which state and nation fail to coincide are likely to be hot spots politically. Indeed, many of the most intense political struggles in the present era have resulted from such situations. The movement to separate Quebec from the rest of Canada; the war between East and West Pakistan, which resulted in the formation of a new state, Bangladesh; the Basque nationalist movement in Spain; the conflict between French and Dutch – speaking Belgians, the activities of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which embodies the desire of Palestinians for a state of their own, the chronic unrest among Kurds in Iraq, Iran and Turkey; the attempt by Chechnya region to secede from Russia; above all, the bloody ethnic wars of the 1990s in Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, and the civil war in Nigeria in 1967 – these are only a few examples of hot political conflicts occasioned by a display between state boundaries and people’s sense of nationhood.
One striking, and sometimes disturbing reality about the modern state is the way it has been able to enlist its people in its cause. Citizens of a state generally identify themselves strongly with it and will defend it with passion. This passionate identification with a nation or with a state riding on the coattails of nation is called nationalism, and like any other passion, it can make people either noble or base. Some have performed it by great acts of courage and self-sacrifice under the influence of this sentiment, and others have carried out cowardly assassinations and brutal massacres under the same influence. Whether it makes people noble or ignoble, nationalism is undeniably convenient for governments. This is because it predisposes a large and varied population to obey the single government of the state or nation.
And if the nation is attacked, nationalist passion makes the defending soldiers a more formidable force than they would otherwise be. Therefore, all governments try to encourage nationalism – not necessarily a hate of others, but at least a national pride by holding parades, using national symbols such as the flag, presenting the state’s history to school children and so on.
The agitation of a Biafran nation out of Nigeria is not a peculiar move and it has been a long-standing one, which triggered a bloody civil war between 1967 and 1970. Nigeria is a populous country or state on the West Coast of Africa, with a population of about 170 million, One out of five Africans lives in Nigeria, including people from the Western world, and its gross national product is second on the continent only to that of South Africa. The country is rich in oil and gas, but it has so many people to feed that the average Nigerian is not especially well off.
Until 1960, Nigeria was a British colony and like most colonies, it was not constructed for internal coherence but rather for the administrative convenience of the British. Over 250 different languages and dialects are spoken within its boarders and there is also an important religious, split, as the north is primarily Muslim and the south primarily christain. After the World War II, Britain experimented with various ways of handling this diversity, and the plan adopted was a decentralized system under which Nigeria was divided into three regions, vis, the Northern region based on the Hausa – Fulani, the Western region, made up of the Yorubas and the Eastern region, based on the Ibos. These regions were administratively distinct, each having its own budget.
This arrangement continued in the initial democratic structure set up in 1960. The federal government at that time left many functions under the control of the regional governments in what is called a federal system. This situation was unstable, however, because tensions soon developed among the regions. The democratic procedures that were written into Nigeria’s constitution favoured the north, because it was the most populous region and the north quickly established political control under the first prime minister, a northern Muslim, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
Tribal sniping is common in Nigeria, which is why Nigerian comedians play endlessly on ethnic stereotypes: that Yorubas are noisy, Ibos are miserly, Hausas are dim, and so on, just as Nigeria’s many newspapers are full of columnists who complain that their own tribe has contributed more to the country than any other but never gets its fair portion of pepper soup or national cake. Ordinary Nigerians spend hours mouthing similar complaints. The only time this nation cheers with one voice is when its football team scores.
Ethnic solidarity is used to justify Nigeria’s great vice, corruption. Nigerians almost all say they disapprove of corruption, but they tend to forgive or even applaud the perpetrator if he is one of their own tribe.
For most of the time since independence, Nigeria has been ruled by northern Muslim military strongmen. They and their hangers on grow fabulously wealthy, so with Nigerian politicians of other tribes. Inevitably, one can trace Nigeria’s tribal troubles back to colonial era when the country’s borders were drawn by the British, who, in 1914, lumped the whole mélange or people of different cultures, religions and tribes into a single unit. Nigerians refer to this as “the mistake of 1914,” at which the British were not blind to the rifts within their new colony.
In order to avert religious strife, the British discouraged Christian missionaries from preaching in the Muslim north, but while that seemed wise at that time, it built up problems for the future, as the missionaries were effectively barred from northern Nigeria. The intricacies in the administrative and economic policies of the country after independence, and the influence of the better-educated southerners on literate northerners then stimulated the Hausas and Fulanis of the north to begin a programme of “northernisation” within their own region. The northern regional government allegedly tried to bar southerners from winning public works contracts, running shops, or owning land in the north, a bias that swiftly spread to the federal government, especially the parts controlled by northerners.
A resentment of being discriminated against was one reason a group of mainly Ibo offices in the army tried to mount a coup in 1966. The coup leaders promised, among other things, to establish national norms that all applicants for civil service jobs would have to meet. To the northerners, this sounded like a promise that all the best jobs would go to southerners, for which a group of mainly Hausa-Fulani officers hurriedly led a counter-coup and seized control of the state. The coup by Ibo officers toppled the democratic government and put an Ibo general, Aguiyi Ironsi, at the head of the state, but six months later, Muslim soldiers struck back and a new government under Yakubu Gowon, a northerner but a Christian, was installed.
At this point, the eastern region seceded from Nigeria and proclaimed itself the state of Biafra, but the federal government refused to accept Biafra’s right to secede. This followed a bloody civil war which lasted two and a half years in which over a million people died. The northern-dominated army ferociously put down the rebellion as the Ibos were starved out and had to give up on secession.
Gowon wisely followed a generous, conciliatory policy toward the defeated province and its leaders, one calculated to make it easy for them to rejoin or reunite the rest of the country.
The first presidential election after Gowon and Obasanjo’s military rules was held in 1979 and a northerner, Shehu Shagari was elected. He ruled for four years and was reelected in 1983, but his administration was marked by corruption and economic decay just like his military and civilian successors. Most Nigerians are dismayed by the greed of the political class and their inability to overcome the regional, tribal and religious divisions of the country as well as improve the economy.
Today, the Nigerian economy is in deep distress, oil revenues have declined and the government has failed to invest in developing other sectors of the economy to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths, while some geo-political zones such as the South-South and South-East are being marginalized. The country is owing vast debts to foreign leaders even as election is not peaceful, free and fair, coupled with inequitable distribution of resources and federal appointments.
Democratic government of this country is hampered by the religious, ethnic and regional divisions between the north and the south. Southerners believe that the Muslim north never allow them to gain power. Babangida, Abacha, Murtala Muhammed and Buhari are northerners; Chief Moshood K. O. Abiola, the winner of the annulled 1993 election who died in jail during the military regime, was from the south. Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, is from the south but attacked as a turncoat supporter of the north during the election and got few votes in the south. Northerners fear that since the south has the oil and gas and most of the economic activities of the country, they will be left with nothing if they give up political power to the south, or allow them to secede.
By all this reasoning, the Ibos of the south feel that the most effective way to parlay tribal support into political office is to carve out a new state or nation in which one’s own tribe is a majority, hence the agitation or struggle for a state of Biafra. From three regions at independence, Nigeria has fragmented or splintered into thirty-six states today, causing endless complexity. In a situation such as this, it behoves the Federal Government and the agitating groups – the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as well as Igbo leaders and South-East governors to strike a compromise via dialogue as regards the release of the detained Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu who had been preaching non-violent action and peace in his broadcasts and programmes. Both government and the groups should tread with caution.
Shedie Okpara
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku
