MADAME KEMI OLUNLOYO SAYS: "BIAFRA WILL EMERGE ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY". MY RESPONSE: "MY SISTER, WHETHER IT BE BIAFRA, ODUDUWA OR ANYTHING ELSE ONE THING IS CLEAR: IT IS THE PEOPLE OF THAT ZONE AND THEM ALONE THAT HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND DETERMINATION BY CONDUCTING A LAWFUL AND ALL-EMBRACING REFERENDUM AND NO-ONE ELSE.
OUTSIDERS HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO. IF THEY SAY THEY WANT TO LEAVE NIGERIA IN THAT REFERENDUM THEN NO-ONE HAS THE MORAL RIGHT OR ADEQUATE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO STOP THEM.
IF THEY SAY THEY WISH TO STAY THEN NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PUSH THEM OUT. THAT IS DEMOCRACY AND THAT IS FREEDOM.
AS YOU KNOW FOR MANY YEARS I WAS A BELIEVER IN RESTRUCTIRING BUT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS I HAVE BELIEVED STRONGLY THAT THE FREE EXCERCISE OF THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE VARIOUS ETHNIC NATIONALITIES IN NIGERIA IS THE WAY FORWARD AND I HAVE SAID SO OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THIS IS BECAUSE NO-ONE TAKES RESTRUCTURING SERIOUSLY ANYMORE AND IT WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN BY THOSE THAT BELIEVE THAT THEY OWN NIGERIA.
WHATEVER YOU AND I BELIEVE THOUGH ONE THING IS CLEAR: THE NIGERIA OF 2020 IS VERY DIFFERENT TO THE NIGERIA OF 1967.
ANY ATTEMPT TO HOLD ANYONE OR ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE IN BY THE FORCE OF ARMS OR TO PERPETUATE GENOCIDE AGAINST THEM IF THEY CHOOSE TO LEAVE WILL BE MET WITH EQUAL RESISTANCE AND FORCE AND WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL.
THIS IS BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS NOT ONLY BADLY FRACTURED AND DEEPLY DIVIDED BUT BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO SITTING ON A KEG OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS GUNPOWDER WHICH WE MUST NEVER ALLOW TO IGNITE.
I PERSONALLY DEPLORE VIOLENCE AND WAR AND I HAVE NEVER CALLED FOR IT, CRAVED FOR IT, YEARNED FOR IT OR BELIEVED IN IT BECAUSE IT IS PURE AND UNADULTERATED EVIL.
YET THE TRUTH IS THAT THERE IS NO UNITY IN NIGERIA TODAY AND THE PEACE THAT WE BELIEVE WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY THE PEACE OF THE GRAVEYARD. IT IS AN ILLUSION.
IT IS ONLY A VERY THIN AND INCREASINGLY OVERSTRETCHED THREAD THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER AND WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO MAKE PROVOCATIVE OR INCENDIARY STATEMENTS THAT COULD IGNITE A CONFLICT SUCH AS THE ONE YOU HAVE MADE.
MADAME KEMI OLUNLOYO (@kemiolunloyo) SAYS: "BIAFRA WILL EMERGE ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY". MY RESPONSE: "MY SISTER, WHETHER IT BE BIAFRA, ODUDUWA OR ANYTHING ELSE ONE THING IS CLEAR: IT IS THE PEOPLE OF THAT ZONE AND THEM ALONE THAT HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND DETERMINATION BY CONDUCTING A LAWFUL AND ALL-EMBRACING REFERENDUM AND NO-ONE ELSE.
OUTSIDERS HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO. IF THEY SAY THEY WANT TO LEAVE NIGERIA IN THAT REFERENDUM THEN NO-ONE HAS THE MORAL RIGHT OR ADEQUATE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO STOP THEM.
IF THEY SAY THEY WISH TO STAY THEN NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PUSH THEM OUT. THAT IS DEMOCRACY AND THAT IS FREEDOM.
AS YOU KNOW FOR MANY YEARS I WAS A BELIEVER IN RESTRUCTIRING BUT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS I HAVE BELIEVED STRONGLY THAT THE FREE EXCERCISE OF THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE VARIOUS ETHNIC NATIONALITIES IN NIGERIA IS THE WAY FORWARD AND I HAVE SAID SO OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THIS IS BECAUSE NO-ONE TAKES RESTRUCTURING SERIOUSLY ANYMORE AND IT WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN BY THOSE THAT BELIEVE THAT THEY OWN NIGERIA.
WHATEVER YOU AND I BELIEVE THOUGH ONE THING IS CLEAR: THE NIGERIA OF 2020 IS VERY DIFFERENT TO THE NIGERIA OF 1967.
ANY ATTEMPT TO HOLD ANYONE OR ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE IN BY THE FORCE OF ARMS OR TO PERPETUATE GENOCIDE AGAINST THEM IF THEY CHOOSE TO LEAVE WILL BE MET WITH EQUAL RESISTANCE AND FORCE AND WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL.
THIS IS BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS NOT ONLY BADLY FRACTURED AND DEEPLY DIVIDED BUT BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO SITTING ON A KEG OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS GUNPOWDER WHICH WE MUST NEVER ALLOW TO IGNITE.
I PERSONALLY DEPLORE VIOLENCE AND WAR AND I HAVE NEVER CALLED FOR IT, CRAVED FOR IT, YEARNED FOR IT OR BELIEVED IN IT BECAUSE IT IS PURE AND UNADULTERATED EVIL.
YET THE TRUTH IS THAT THERE IS NO UNITY IN NIGERIA TODAY AND THE PEACE THAT WE BELIEVE WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY THE PEACE OF THE GRAVEYARD. IT IS AN ILLUSION.
IT IS ONLY A VERY THIN AND INCREASINGLY OVERSTRETCHED THREAD THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER AND WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO MAKE PROVOCATIVE OR INCENDIARY STATEMENTS THAT COULD IGNITE A CONFLICT SUCH AS THE ONE YOU HAVE MADE.
Written,Composed and Copied by Femi Fani-Kayode
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