The Zoo called Nigeria
NaijaRock
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Posted by Felix Okoli on Monday August 31, 2015 at 11:19:35:
One of the most commonly used word by pro-Biafran organizations and people when referring to Nigeria is the word zoo. They have basically renamed Nigeria as a zoo. Is Nigeria really a zoo? Why do I listen to Radio Biafra?Actually, I've been hearing about Radio Biafra for a while and the last time I visited the South East i 2015, I saw people also listening to it attentively. The radio stations which the Federal government calls illegal is really popular in former Biafra land. I've not really tuned into it on my radio since it didn't have a reach in Lagos but mostly in the South East and South South. I did however download their Android app and also checked out their Facebook page after they were made more popular when they were mentioned on the pages of Nigerian newspaper. The government then had said they've successful shut down the radio station and arrested the engineer. Anyway, the app I downloaded was still working but I don't know about the radio station and they are still spreading their message all with the aim of resurrecting Biafra. So, I didn't really give a hoot about Radio Biafra when it first started but after they were made popular by the government and the media, I just decided to check them out from time to time and I have to say that they do make sense at times.While I don't really agree to the idea of resurrecting Biafra because the memories are still fresh and my father was one of the few people that survived it, I do agree that people are free to form a nation of their own if they feel they are no longer satisfied with their current nation but it ought to be done legally. It would be almost evil to try to re-enact what happened during Biafra given that millions of souls were lost both in Nigeria and in Biafra and no one wants to go back there.So, Radio Biafra and many other pro-Biafrans now refer to Nigeria as a zoo and when you think of it, they may not be far off from the truth. First of all, we should note that Radio Biafra is illegal but their message makes you think deeper. Is Nigeria really a zoo? I think that was a metaphor. Back in school, I remember we did a subject in English called Figure of Speech and when you identify a particular thing as being the same as another unrelated thing just for the rhetorical effect that it would bring, you are making a metaphorical statement. It's like someone saying that Peter is a rock or Obi is a lion. In real terms, Peter is clearly not a rock and Obi is clearly not a lion but they have some characteristics that resemble those things they were identified as. So, when Pro-Biafrans say Nigeria is a zoo, they were probably pointing out that like a zoo, where they are a lot of caged animals, Nigeria probably has a lot of people that are forced to remain Nigerians against their will. Like a zoo, many bad things can go wrong and weaker class animals would be eaten by stronger ones without a proper exercise of the rule of law.Inside a zoo, there is little or no law and order and there are practically no rights. Animals inside a zoo would want to get out and feed in the wild but they are caged and prevented from going out of the cage. Is it possible that there are Nigerians who would not wish to remain in Nigeria? Probably yes, given that a civil was was fought in the early 1960s just for that reason and till date, there are still many who are trying to achieve that goal.Perhaps, pro-Biafrans want a nation of their own just in the same manner Southern Sudan got theirs in 2011 without a bloodbath but a referendum. I guess if it's really a serious issue for the Nigerian government, a referendum should not be out of the question so that Nigerians can vote for once and for all if they want a Nigeria to break into 2 nations rather than the one it currently. While breaking into 2 nations may be a bit tempting and come with new prospects, I think it may cause instability in the West African region where Nigeria is the biggest player. If Nigerians however do vote in a referendum for 2 nations, probably one going to Biafra and the other remaining Nigeria or another name, Biafra would not just consist of states in the South East since they are landlocked but states in the South South like Calabar, Akwa-Ibom and Rivers/Bayelsa would be included. But it would be hard or almost impossible for all Nigerians to vote to support a new state that would have more oil reserves than the rest of Nigeria.
This now brings us to another question. What if there was no oil? Is the quest for Biafra land just for the oil money? If there was no oil, will there still be people working for the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra? I don't know but I think some people are just there for the oil money while some genuinely just want freedom to rule themselves.With the way Nigeria is going now, there could be more problems if the oil money stops coming because it seems that's what is making a lot of people cool down and we should just keep praying to God that the money keeps coming because if crude oil finishes or is no longer demanded for, it may be hard to keep loving together as a country.A majority of people who refer to Nigeria as a zoo are from the former Biafran region and they are people who believe they can survive without oil given that they are an enterprising people with skills in business, science and technology. It would be unwise if the Federal government focuses more on providing good infrastructure in that region so that they don't feel marginalized rather than focusing on shutting down pro-Biafran movements and organizations like Radio Biafra or MASSOB. Visible developments by the Federal government in that region will win more support for the government than for those groups.Is Nigeria a zoo? Well, in a way it looks like a zoo but this kind of zoo is better than what you'd get in countries like Syria or Iraq. Thank God for Nigeria.
One of the most commonly used word by pro-Biafran organizations and people when referring to Nigeria is the word zoo. They have basically renamed Nigeria as a zoo. Is Nigeria really a zoo? Why do I listen to Radio Biafra?Actually, I've been hearing about Radio Biafra for a while and the last time I visited the South East i 2015, I saw people also listening to it attentively. The radio stations which the Federal government calls illegal is really popular in former Biafra land. I've not really tuned into it on my radio since it didn't have a reach in Lagos but mostly in the South East and South South. I did however download their Android app and also checked out their Facebook page after they were made more popular when they were mentioned on the pages of Nigerian newspaper. The government then had said they've successful shut down the radio station and arrested the engineer. Anyway, the app I downloaded was still working but I don't know about the radio station and they are still spreading their message all with the aim of resurrecting Biafra. So, I didn't really give a hoot about Radio Biafra when it first started but after they were made popular by the government and the media, I just decided to check them out from time to time and I have to say that they do make sense at times.While I don't really agree to the idea of resurrecting Biafra because the memories are still fresh and my father was one of the few people that survived it, I do agree that people are free to form a nation of their own if they feel they are no longer satisfied with their current nation but it ought to be done legally. It would be almost evil to try to re-enact what happened during Biafra given that millions of souls were lost both in Nigeria and in Biafra and no one wants to go back there.So, Radio Biafra and many other pro-Biafrans now refer to Nigeria as a zoo and when you think of it, they may not be far off from the truth. First of all, we should note that Radio Biafra is illegal but their message makes you think deeper. Is Nigeria really a zoo? I think that was a metaphor. Back in school, I remember we did a subject in English called Figure of Speech and when you identify a particular thing as being the same as another unrelated thing just for the rhetorical effect that it would bring, you are making a metaphorical statement. It's like someone saying that Peter is a rock or Obi is a lion. In real terms, Peter is clearly not a rock and Obi is clearly not a lion but they have some characteristics that resemble those things they were identified as. So, when Pro-Biafrans say Nigeria is a zoo, they were probably pointing out that like a zoo, where they are a lot of caged animals, Nigeria probably has a lot of people that are forced to remain Nigerians against their will. Like a zoo, many bad things can go wrong and weaker class animals would be eaten by stronger ones without a proper exercise of the rule of law.Inside a zoo, there is little or no law and order and there are practically no rights. Animals inside a zoo would want to get out and feed in the wild but they are caged and prevented from going out of the cage. Is it possible that there are Nigerians who would not wish to remain in Nigeria? Probably yes, given that a civil was was fought in the early 1960s just for that reason and till date, there are still many who are trying to achieve that goal.Perhaps, pro-Biafrans want a nation of their own just in the same manner Southern Sudan got theirs in 2011 without a bloodbath but a referendum. I guess if it's really a serious issue for the Nigerian government, a referendum should not be out of the question so that Nigerians can vote for once and for all if they want a Nigeria to break into 2 nations rather than the one it currently. While breaking into 2 nations may be a bit tempting and come with new prospects, I think it may cause instability in the West African region where Nigeria is the biggest player. If Nigerians however do vote in a referendum for 2 nations, probably one going to Biafra and the other remaining Nigeria or another name, Biafra would not just consist of states in the South East since they are landlocked but states in the South South like Calabar, Akwa-Ibom and Rivers/Bayelsa would be included. But it would be hard or almost impossible for all Nigerians to vote to support a new state that would have more oil reserves than the rest of Nigeria.
This now brings us to another question. What if there was no oil? Is the quest for Biafra land just for the oil money? If there was no oil, will there still be people working for the actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra? I don't know but I think some people are just there for the oil money while some genuinely just want freedom to rule themselves.With the way Nigeria is going now, there could be more problems if the oil money stops coming because it seems that's what is making a lot of people cool down and we should just keep praying to God that the money keeps coming because if crude oil finishes or is no longer demanded for, it may be hard to keep loving together as a country.A majority of people who refer to Nigeria as a zoo are from the former Biafran region and they are people who believe they can survive without oil given that they are an enterprising people with skills in business, science and technology. It would be unwise if the Federal government focuses more on providing good infrastructure in that region so that they don't feel marginalized rather than focusing on shutting down pro-Biafran movements and organizations like Radio Biafra or MASSOB. Visible developments by the Federal government in that region will win more support for the government than for those groups.Is Nigeria a zoo? Well, in a way it looks like a zoo but this kind of zoo is better than what you'd get in countries like Syria or Iraq. Thank God for Nigeria.