‘Biafexit’ For Referendum On Biafra? Another Intellectual Nonsense! By Churchill Okonkwo

By voicing myself too often on matters relating to my people Ndigbo, I risk sounding like a car alarm, so exigent and yet so familiar that residents no longer hear it. But by not speaking up often enough, we all risk turning the awful into the commonplace. The latest disgraceful invention is the plagiarized acronym “Biafexit”, following “Brexit” by a group confused Biafran ‘intellectuals’. The first time I saw this latest mockery, it struck me that the intellectual wing of the pro-Biafran
movement is a confirmation of George Orwell words that, ‘some ideas are
so thoughtless that only intellectuals believe them.'

The coining of Biafexit is a clear indication that the “intellectuals"
behind the pro-Biafran movement may be lacking a modicum of common
sense. You don’t have to upturn rocks to know that that brouhaha is an
exercise in futility. Even then, the special danger in promoting such
nonsense is that it will embolden the frustrated unemployed youths, and
many followers of the seductive whisper of Biafran sovereignty to take
to the streets once more in the name of “peaceful protest” for a
referendum. We have all seen how such previous “peaceful protest” ended.

It is thus very unfortunate that in an attempt to remain relevant,
appear chic and cause another blood bath across Igbo land,
“intellectuals” that claim to be well informed and educated are
ridiculing themselves in social media over the recent referendum in the
UK on whether to stay or opt out of the EU.  Immediately when the yes
vote won, the pro-Biafran intellectuals came up with something very
stupid, hoping that it will get the uninformed in social media going,
and it did. Ever since, the multiple hands of the restless spirits of
confused ‘follow-follow’ Biafran-Internet-Soldiers have been prompting
Biafexit. Apparently, they are still itching for more blood on the
streets of Onitsha and Aba while hiding in their different safe havens.
Soon, the touts on the streets will begin to receive this latest
incoherent garbage that will climax in another round of mass suicide in
our streets. And the circle of violence will continue.

Unfortunately, the intellectuals and their zombie soldiers spewing
“Biafexit” on their keyboards do not understand the meaning, the
implication, or the contradictions in relation to “Brexit.” I will not
attempt to emphasize the difference between the exits of UK from EU and
exit of Biafra from Nigeria. If you are unable to sort out the
differences and similarities between UK vs EU and Nigeria vs Biafra, you
need to hold yourself and your social studies teacher accountable. Also,
if you have been so brainwashed to believe that the #“Biafexit” or the
phantom cases at UN or whichever international courts will lead to a
referendum without a grounded political game plan, see you pastor
immediately. I will rather focus on the apocalyptic realities of
Biafexit ignored by your intellectuals with the same level of reasoning
as Donald Trump.

Apparently, what drove the leave campaign voters in UK was a combination
of the anxiety about the local economy, anti-immigration sentiments and
overbearing bureaucrats in Brussels. It was, however, xenophobia and
politics of fear (in the last weeks before the vote) that the immigrants
are grabbing jobs from locals that finally tilted the balance. In
contrast it is you, the Biafrans, that are seen as economic migrants
that are dominating the economies and businesses of your host cities.
So, you will think that your Biafran intellectuals should have known
this and opted for a “Biafmain.” But no, like Donald Trump, their goal
is to brainwash you to believe that “Biafexit” will enable you take your
“country” back.

While young British expressed fear and despair over the vote to leave EU
and realized that the older generation have just ruined their future, it
is the youths of Biafra that are hell bent on ruining their own future.
Apparently, these Biafran youths are aware of what will happen to their
shops and jobs in Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Benin, Asaba, Abuja,
Warri, etc. after “Biafexit.”

Meanwhile, all these fake online news platforms are busy spreading
misinformation about Biafra to a generation that is incapable of
critical independent thought. After Biafexit, the reality of the fact
that you have to renegotiate the fate of more than 45% of Biafrans,
their jobs and business will hit you right in the face. You will also
realize that Biafrans are the number one nomads in the world in relation
to economic migrants. After Biafexit, you will realize that you are an
endangered species that should have been agitation for Biafmain. But
then, it will be too late and the cold winds of a serious economic
downturn will be long and harsh.

Here are some additional realities that will hit you a day after
Biafexit. First, you will have to import your heavy goods, first to the
zoo and then to the land of the rising sun. Custom posts will spring up
along Aba-Port Harcourt road, Niger Bridge, Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road,
Obolo-Afor Nsukka Road, etc. with real military and immigration control
check points. Reflect on what you are going through now, and then,
imagine, just imagine what will happen when you have to first import
goods as a foreigner to the zoo, before the treacherous inland journey
to your back of the beyond where your Biafran custom officials will also
show you pepper. That is one reality your intellectuals are not ready to
talk about. Imagine what will happen when you have to pay import duties
to bring in your tomatoes, yam and rice.

The zoo you exited from can make it mandatory for foreigners (yes,
that’s what you will automatically become) coming from the land of the
rising sun to have visas. Good luck with the fees and charges. You can
also begin to imagine what the leopards that are roaming free in the zoo
will do with the container or goods you are trying to bring in from
Apapa or PH port. If, as a citizen of the zoo, four miscreants (Alayes)
is all it takes to force you to pay the land fee at Ladipo Market,
imagine what they will do to you as a bloody migrant-economic parasite.

Faced with barrage of security operatives that are killing your youths
on the streets and your insistence that you must free your people from
slavery, you must make hard choices. Unfortunately, Biafexit is not one
of such choices. So, Ndigbo, be vigilant before the gang of injudicious
“Intellectuals” cause another blood bath and then, they will go and
hide, re-strategize and come back out with another nonsensical notion in
the name of struggle for sovereignty.

Here is what is troubling: I have seen some attorneys (some under the
auspices of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law)
issuing press statements for these amorphous pro-Biafran movements;
acting as the good governance arm; claiming to be meeting and
articulating an agenda. And the best they can offer is Biafexit? I am
now seriously wondering what you guys smoke before and during these
strategy meetings. For a movement that is boasting of branches all over
the world to be this visionless is troubling. Are you guys not worried
that our youths are being killed on the streets because of your lack of
political vision? What really is your political strategy? What is a
realistic political game plan to at least have a say in the corridors of
power?

You plagiarized Biafexit (fake artifact), but you ignorantly forgot to
copy the master plan which was the political pressure within the
Conservative Party and at the British Parliament that forced the British
Prime Minister to promise the referendum. This is the 21st century guys!
“Nzogbu Nzogbu, Enyimba Enyi, Nzogbu Enyimba Enyi” that worked in the
early 1900s is not working and will not work!

Power, power, political power; a voice at the State Assemblies, State
Houses; a voice at the House of Rep and Nigerian Senate; a scheme to
grab political power is what the political wing of democratic
non-violent independent movement needs as a starting point. Even Hamas
has a powerful political wing. So, until I see some movement in this
direction, I will continue to regard every promoter or sympathizer of
the Biafran movement as a joker.

By the way ‘Biafexit’ is synonymous to politics of slander, prejudice,
fear and hate. Is that what you guys are reducing my Biafra to?
30 June, 2016


Photo of Queen's Liverpool visit last year