Wife of jailed MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, recently told the BBC that despite her husband's imprisonment, she is committed to gaining independence for Igbos and stated "the struggle continues."
Mrs. Uwazuruike is quoted as saying that, Igbos are "not wanted", thus the continued need for a separate existence. Her husband is on trial for treason due to his calls for secession. He was arrested in October 2005.
Now, the more I pay attention and talk to people, the more I believe that the majority of Igbo's DO NOT want to create their own separate state. If that is true, then Ndigbo (Igbo people) needs to organize themselves (something they are very good at doing) and put an end to the secessionist talk and the statements suggesting that they are less Nigerian than any other tribe. How can a proud people publicly declare through 'mouthpieces' that they don't feel wanted? It infers defeatism and weakness - attributes that are not customary to any group of Nigerians. Ndigbo, and all Nigerians, can not allow opportunists to claim that they represent the whole, particularly when their comments have little positive value but instead, can cause serious havoc and violence.
This is not a matter of not being "wanted" as Mrs. Uwazuruike and others suggest. Nigeria is your land, so, claim it. If you don't think Nigeria is your home, or just feel like making useless noise, then please stop making excuses for your insecurities and inferring that other Nigerians look down on you as a people. That is untrue. I have to say that although I respect her right, any other person's right, to speak their mind about what bothers them,
Mrs. Uwazuruike's comments and Ojukwu's , not too long ago, seem too opportunistic for me to warrant them significant merit. Some people like to hear themselves speak and constantly feel the need to be important. Such people are the worst kind because they will do and say whatever is necessary, damning the consequences, to satisfy their compulsions. Read the following sentence and let it simmer - Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians.
I understand that there will be discontent and serious misgivings about the civil war (Biafran war) amongst those who suffered the most. However, all Nigerians must remember that when the message being spouted at you is divisive and even violent, consider whether the messenger actually has your true interest at heart. I would argue that 9 out of 10 times, they do not. Nigerians must truly address Biafra and the issues it conveys. I am unsure as to what steps have been taken, but a national day of memorial for the Biafran dead and a continued discourse towards unity and equity continue to be necessary in Nigeria to address the bad feelings that some Ndigbo feel and the sour past all Nigerians must deal with as a part of our shared history.
I would like to see and hear more people fighting for Nigeria, and not just segments of the population or its resources. After all, if one of us is dissatisfied, we will all suffer. Thus, we must work in unison to improve our lot together. It is high time we no longer allow opportunists, from within and without, to take advantage of us by creating and stoking the flames of disharmony to our detriment. If not, at the end of the day, Nigerians will end up used and abused. That is a future that I cannot imagine for myself or my people.
(Read Biafra post for more thoughts and comments from readers).

15 Curiosities. Add Yours.:
Mark my words, if he is in good health, Ojukwu would contest yet another presidential election, then turn around to claim that we (ndi Igbo) are not wanted.
What a hypocrite!
Excellent point, Chxta. These people just want to fan the flames and cause more trouble than good....
The BBC is simply giving people like Ojukwu and Uwazuruike credibility that they probably don't deserve. I wonder what spurred the interviews? I am off to find out....
Really, if the Igbo pp can still claim today that they are "not wanted", then what should the rest of the Nigerian minority groups say?? Whenever pp talk about NIGERIA, which groups are mentioned...yoruba, hausa and igbo, so pls who would you expect to feel more nigerian...
I agree with you SS, that other Igbos who feel differently need to come out more strongly against this message for the sake of peace and unity. and that really, Nigeria will only belong to those who claim it. what other home do we have?
I'm generally not a fan of "Nigerian Curiosity", but this post in particular is a laugh.
I am an Igbo, and you're damned right I want BIAFRA. Nazi-geria, with its Nazi-esque SS officers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS)is a disaster.
Nigeria belongs to "all" Nigerians? You say it as though it was not the Igbo who were at the FOREFRONT of giving Nigeria back to its indigenous people. We are well aware of the "idea" , that Nigeria belongs to all "Nigerians", it is the stupid Muslim Hausa Fulani, and their Yoruba co-consipirators, who need to be told who Nigeria belongs too.
Since the inception of our terrorist state, the Igbo have been at the head of trying to give Nigerians some dignity. We are tired of it, and most of all, tired of the crap we get from dumb, uneducated, backward Nazi-gerians. Whether its being ridiculed for being the "Jews" of Nigeria, or having our population numbers lied about in the Census, Nazi-geria's clear objective is to isolate, and render meaningless its Igbo population. To not see this, you have to be ignorant, stupid, or, as is often the case, an oblivious Yoruba/Hausa Fulani.
Did you make "Nigeria"? No, a bunch of Europeans did, yet you and many others apparently lack the basic dignity to devise your own legitimate states. Did India remain a country as the British had made it? Or did it break apart into Pakistan, India and Bangladesh?
The Nigerian experiment failed years ago. And you can thank the Hausa Fulani and Yoruba for that.
Kwenu - GO GET A LIFE! STOP LIVING YOUR LIFE THROUGH MY BLOG POSTINGS.
If I'm an idiot then there is and will never be a category for your ignorance, naivety, and basic stupidity. I have a comments section for rationale responses not the drivel that you try to pass off as coherent comments. When you have something intelligent to share, I, and all of Blogland, will be waiting. Until then....
Chxta warned me about you and he was right. What he failed to point out is that you are an attention seeking ______. People like you troll the internet bothering people who are seeking to work with others to improve things. You waste everyone's time with silly little comments because you think that stirring up controversy will make you look special. Some might fall for this nonsense, but I don't. So, feel free to STOP visiting MY blog. And if you cannot resist the temptation, which is obviously the case, take the time to NOT share your ignorance. And if you insist on succumbing, ENSURE THAT YOUR REMARKS ARE A PERTINENT ADDITION TO THE DISCUSSION.
THOSE ARE MY RULES!
Argh why now...no more anonymous comments...I will find away to keep doing my evil deeds on peoples blogs. anonymous.
Just kidding o. lemme read the post before I let loose my comment.
@ Kwenu, NO I DIDN'T MAKE NIGERIA, none of us did, but what is crying (ma bad, WHINING) over spilled milk going to do about the situation of the common man? hint....NOTHING! WHether you and your comrades go ahead and form your biafra tomorrow, will not ensure the basic infrastructure and amenities your "Nazi-geria" needs? Dividing/conquering "your" part of Nigeria will ensure that what? that you'll finally be able to have accountable leadership without corruption? me thinks not? you'll still be left with a bunch of corrupt money-grubbing individuals, so i say we focus on what we have in common (the want of a good life, with good leaders and the hope of a better tomorrow, and anything else) and try to build our oh-so arbitrarily-created states into places that we would be proud to claim as "place of origin" rather than insist on name-calling and tribalistic movements.
And hopefully, you can figure out from the name that I am neither an "oblivious Yoruba/Hausa Fulani".
And FYI, I know for a fact that SolomonSydelle isn't here to seek agreement with her PoV but rather to create a forum for constructive discussions and brainstorming over ways to improve our (feel free to exclude yourself) country. So if you don't know, now you know!
First, Misan, they are not "tribes", that is a racist term applied almost exclusively to non-white people. They are nationalities / ethnicities that existed long before your fraud of a country.
Second, Nigeria is corrupt because of its structure. Smaller legitimate states would not have the same problems. Arguments such as yours are progressed by people who are a) usually racists (talking about "tribes", and corruption as though it is endemic to black africans), and b) uneducated.
Look at India, had that nation remained whole, like the stupid Nigerians did, it too would be a complete disaster.
And lastly, SolomonSydelle is only interested in the same old same old stupid opinions. "Lets stamp out corruption", no SHIT, people have been trying to do that for years. How about legitimate states? Or true federalism? You guys just enjoy your all too familar waste-of-time Naija discussion.
Kwenu said:
"You guys just enjoy your all too familar waste-of-time Naija discussion."
@ Kwenu: It seems you do too.
lol!
lol , well these comments really are funny, i think Kwenu said something like nigeria was made by europeans?.. this is true , but even european states have not always exisited.
instead of dwelling on how the country was made, lets try and make the country work . dont u know that divisve talk like this makes nigeria not move forward.
perhaps nigeria needs to seriously commemorate Biafra , but the problem is we are too proud a people to want to sit down and discuss some of the issues that Biafra , brought up. plus when people like Danjuma, and IBB are still around the biafra issue will not be dealt with properly.
we need to apologise the each other 9 i.e. all the 'tribes') and try and move forward as one nigeria.
and about igbo's feeling marginalised, fair enuff there hasnt been an igbo president a while , however people like soludo, Ndi , and okonjo-Iweala , have shown excellent leadership in their respectiive areas.
i pray for a naija that is less consumed with the politics of ethnicity , where people will vote for polticans PURELY on the basis of what that politican has to offer, not where he comes from .
we are not the only african nation with different tribes ok , so can we just unite as a people and devlop our country so that the man on the street, where he is yoruba, igbo, hausa, ijaw, kalabari , ikwere, will be able to eat well and send his children to school.
kwenu my brother, at the risk of 'finding your trouble', you really need to calm down. you seem to be educated so why resort to name calling? isnt there any hope for the expansion of your genophilia ? which one be nazi-ria again? really?
tomirob sounds like the perfect Nigerian or i find my self agreeing with his/her every word.
when it comes to marginalization, the igbos dont have it as bad as many other tribes who are not even referred to most of the time. i don't know how it feels but i guess not good.
i have been gladdened by recent and very successful attempts by the entertainment industry to heighten patriotic feelings in the country thru hip songs , garbs and slangs. if we've learnt anything from the Americans its that symbolism is a powerful tool.
hope you all have a nice weekend.
responded to this post on my blog....
http://pyoowata.blogspot.com/2007/12/onye-obula-kwenu.html
united we stand...divided we fall
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