Biafraud‬ Vs ‪Biafra‬-a lunch with the "Friend-enemy"

  I Ran into a Biafraud activist, sorry a sympathiser to Biafran activists last week at London Waterloo station & we agreed to meet Easter Saturday, he gave me his home address and invited me, I am almost sure he did take it I wont honour the invitation but today I went into the home of a fellow human, I did not meet a #Biafraud activist. I met a man who felt a people deserve more than what they are getting in the Nigerian deal today, everyone feels they deserve more but no one appear to want to admit everyone contributed to our inability to give unto ALL a true share of what they deserve, so my host and I disagreed a lot on quite a number of issues but agreed on some fundamental issues.
His main grouse with me was the continued use of the word #Biafraud. He felt it was insulting to the memory of the several thousands, *Some say almost 2 Million* who died on the Biafran side. I respectfully clarified the difference between #Biafraud and #Biafra
Well I had requested for Ofe Onugbu (Bitter leaf soup) a delicacy I loved so much during my NYSC days in Enugu. I devoured the meal with no fear whatsoever that I will come under any harm.
Anyway at the end of our conversation we could not agree on me dropping the use of #Biafraud but I had the opportunity to explain to his wonderful wife that my opposition to #Biafraud is not the same as my stand on Biafra.
To me Biafra represents the genuine concerns of an oppressed people, well are we not all oppressed? Did it not take my people in Ayobo-Alimosho forever to get 3 Yoruba Governors Tinubu, Fahola and finally Ambode to fix the Ayobo-Ipaja road? Those who stole and appropriate the commonwealth of Oduduwa investments in Yoruba land are Yoruba, some of them with tribal marks, including my Fathers class mate who is recognised a a first class Yoruba entrepreneur on Wikipidia but was more or less a beneficiary of the largesse and the freebie when the Yoruba ruling elite decided to share the assets of Oduduwa investments amongst themselves and their family.
Was it not a Yoruba man that more or less allocated a Senatorial seat to his wife, Iya-Oloja to his daughter, House of Reps ticket to his son inlaw and even a seat in Lagos House of Assembly to his half brother. So appropriation and oppression cuts across Nigeria.
The so called OPPRESSOR NORTHERN NIGERIA are the worst of it, you only need to visit the core North to see who the ruling elite oppress ordinary Northerners be it Muslim or Christian more than they oppress the South. In fact they have more in common with the Ruling elite in the South than they have with the oppressed poor in the North.
How about the East and the South South? When last did you hear from loud Niger Delta activists and militants of the region about the destruction of the environment by the oil companies in collaboration with the Nigerian government? Did they not all CHOP BELE FULL under Yar'Adua a Northerner and GEJ a Southerner? They chopped from a Muslim and a Christian and today it is FEM or Panumo or Ki Ishuru from Tony Uranta and all those 'brilliant' experts on Niger Delta.
#Biafraud represents the use of the genuine grievance of an oppressed people to instigate hate against others, to raise an army of a vulnerable oppressed many, oppressed both by their own kith and kin and by others but to make them feel their enemy is the average poor none -Igbo or none Biafran. That is what I stand against the Bifraud Supremacists and not the proud Biafran. I recognise every right to self determination but not the right to promote and encourage hate against others in others, no cause earned trough a campaign of hate and bigotry is worth a serious consideration. My opposition is so if people chose to fall for the #Biafraud campaign, they should know it will not be a smooth journey.
My host made one VALID observation and I raise up my hand admitting guilt, he noted I was quiet regarding the human right violation against IPOB members. I admit my guilt, the unjust and unwarranted assassination of peaceful protesters was unacceptable and I should have spoken more against that than silent embarrassment expressed to people in government trough the backdoor. I must say if the meeting achieved anything, it highlighted my wrong within the context of the unjust attack. We also both agreed blocking roads and stopping people from going about their normal daily bread is against the law. On Nnamdi Kanu we disagreed and I am not sure we can agree on that.
My host would want his identity and that of his family protected but I would want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart and that contrary to his joke, the Ofe Onugbu is yet to 'run my belle' I am still savouring the taste of the Okporoko and I thank him in advance for accepting to come to mine for a taste of my 'Ila alasepo'.
I know he his reading my note and I am hoping he would approve me publishing his name and the photograph soon.
We will never agree on a lot of issues but our humanity is much more stronger than our differences. Happy Easter all

Written by Olukayode Olumide