BIAFRA: WHEN IS SELF DETERMINATION A CALL FOR WAR?

Author:    NWAIWU CHIUKWUEBUKA
Editor:      LUCKY CHIBUNDU 

Self-determination is the right of people, a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a jus cogens rule), binding as such, on the United Nations as an authoritative interpretation of the Charter’s norms. It states that people, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference. 

While in man made a country like Nigerian it means a call for war, self-determination is one of the norms of every civilized country, there is nowhere on this earth where self-determination is connoted as a treasonable felony or attributed as any known offense in this dispensation of the 21st century, except in a contraption like  Nigeria.

From 1966 till date Nigeria has never exchanged her perspective about Biafra agitation which is right to self-determination rather, they attributed it as a call for war which is uncalled for, that's the reason anytime Biafrans agitates for their right, Nigeria government will use all her murderous security agencies to kill and maim them (Biafrans).

Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB has been rated the most lawful and peaceful organization, agitating for her sovereign nation in around  the whole world today yet, Nigeria government continues  killing, maiming, and detaining Peaceful Biafran agitators, while Boko Haram terrorist  members  were set free on daily basis by Nigerian Government and the international bodies kept blind eyes to Biafrans plights.

1914 a colonial master, Frederick Lugard  committed the  worst atrocity on earth by amalgamating northerners  and southerners in a hell like country called Nigeria, with the real motive of creation and unification for economic and political interest, because Northern Nigeria Protectorate had a budget deficit ; and the colonial administrators  sought to use the budget surpluses in Southern Nigeria to offset this deficit, hence he ( Frederick Lugard) further  described The northern protectorate and southern protectorate as oil and water which can never be mix together, and  right from that moment  till date things fall apart in the contraption called Nigeria .

The 1966 Anti-Igbo  pogrom was a series of massacres committed against Igbo speaking Biafrans and other people of old eastern region living in northern Nigeria starting from May 1966 reaching a peak after 29 September 1966, which resulted to 50,000 Igbo speaking Biafrans losing their lives and properties, these wanton killings of Biafrans made General Odumegwu Ojukwu led to the secession of the Biafran region and the declaration of the Republic of Biafra, which ultimately led to the Nigerian Biafra war.

An average Hausa or Yoruba person understands the word "Biafra" as a call for war which is misconception in the highest order, because the right to self-determination is undeniable to every citizen in any civilised country of the world in this 21st century,  it is inappropriate for any country to denies her citizen it right.

The earlier  Nigeria subscribes the fact that Biafra means self-determination the earlier the better, currently, Biafra agitation led by Nnamdi Kanu's IPOB will never stop until Biafra is fully restored.

Until the world imputes the facts that Biafrans are fighting for their own right which is self-determination and respond to our plight to avoid an impending doom which is inevitable in Nigeria and the world at Large.