After having the most refreshing and revelation-laden discussion with Prince Nnamdi Kanu, the Director-General of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the urge to press on for the unity of South-East and South-South was reawakened. Prior to our discussion, I had clobbered some advocates of HOMOGENOUS Biafra Republic with my riposte, since I felt they were missing the point, to wit: Biafra was originally conceived as a heterogenous Republic. I knew I had to meet Mazi Kanu to remove whatever vagueness that surrounded the agitation, for it had dawned on me that many an agitator was misinformed about the nitty gritty of Biafra.
The jaunt became a journey, as it took the IPOB National Coordinator, who hails from Rivers State, and my group hours to arrive at the palace. We were ushered in and in no time I was led into the sanctum at the terminus of the superbly furnished lobby. Mazi Kanu must have expected an older, huge fellow, for he screamed when I introduced myself. He exclaimed, "Is this really you! Who brought him here? Wow! " It was then that I insisted that I reverence him by kneeling for 5 minutes. He tried to resist, but my persistence got the upper hand. What followed was his exegesis.
"Russell, tell our brothers and sisters over there that we are one people, since we are religiously and culturally related. Biafra is for every place in Nigeria where their women tie two pieces of wrapper; where their delicacies are not strange; and where they worship the Almighty God."
I had to prod further by asking this very educated Director what system of government and modus operandi Biafra would have. Hear him:
"The idea behind Biafran social pact is Confederalism in terms of Ethnicity, not States.
"In the proposed Biafra Republic, every confederating unit will retain its ethnic identity, meaning Ikwerre will be Ikwerre nation, Ibibio will be Ibibio Nation, Ijaw will be Ijaw Nation, Annang will be Annang Nation, Itsekiri will be Itsekiri nation etc all united as Biafra Republic."
I was dazzled by his immediate response when I tried to find out what the obligations of these units would be to the Republic.
"Russell, each nation that is part of Biafra Republic will exert total control on its resources. What each shall pay to the Republic as tax will be agreed upon when we sit to deliberate. Of course, we must sit down to discuss these things!"
On the need for our sister regions to unite, hear him:
"If we, the Igbo found in the political enclave called South-East, agree to leave without our brothers, Nigeria is ready to let us go. What is holding them is our recalcitrance vis-a-vis our brothers and sisters down South. We will not go without our brothers. Biafra is not for Igbo alone. The name itself came from Chief Frank Opigo down South.
"I will do justice to the need for our sister regions, regions that used to be together, to reunite. First, I believe we, the Igbo, have suffered enough for the inglorious roles some of our people played in the past. I am a honest person, hence my submission that the Igbo cannot remain sanctimonious concerning our travails. We apologise for whatever wrong some of our own people did many years ago, and I think we have suffered enough. The position of the Igbo is not a saintly one; however, we think our collective people - Igbo and contiguous non-Igbo - are victims of sustained oppression, prejudice, political and economic disintegration and subjugation, and regional neglect. We forgive our estranged sister region for whatever negative role against us. It is time to rebuild. The amalgamation was a marriage of convenience."
Concerning the story that is rife about the civil war, Mazi Kanu had this to say:
"The accounts about the Civil War are marred by interest. We cannot continue to bandy words over the past. Let us admit that our sister regions were both wrong and right. What we should focus on is how to surmount our teething shared problems. The Igbo and their brothers and sisters down South are both on the receiving end. Do you know that I am aware that some Nigeria soldiers, during the war, killed Biafra soldiers, wore their uniforms and carried out a lot of war crimes in their bid to make our sister regions see us as their enemies?
"We know all these things. This is not the time to trade blame. I am so happy that you have been toeing the same path in your essays, Russell. Tell our brothers and sisters over there that there won't be any form of imposition or identity loss. Biafra is a place where leaders will not be allowed to blare siren. Leaders shall be accountable to their region. Each ethnic group shall be autonomous. Let our people get ready for dialogue. We need to unite to prove our common enemies wrong. I know our enemies. I spent 30 years in UK. I took ample time to understand our problem. Like you have said in your works, politics will not solve our problem. Let us cast our fears aside and engage each other and get ready for referendum."
I had to thank him for his humility and dazzling intelligence. I promise to share more of his thoughts. Well, I had to seek his blessing. He prayed for me and the unity of our regions.
Russell Bluejack is a thinker, revolutionary writer, tutor, and socio-economic and political analyst that writes from Port Harcourt.