USA Africa Dialogue Series - On the Matter of Biafra Customary (Njekebe) Law {Re: Biafra Government Under Customary Law

My People:

Under Nigeria's present Constitution (as amended), the FORMAL entities recognized are:

   - individuals

   - wards

   - legislative constituencies (state and federal)

   - LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

   - STATES

Under that same Constitution, the QUASI-FORMAL (or informal) entities recognized are:

   - households

   - ethnic groups

   - GEO-POLITICAL ZONES

In our Constitution, all the present local governments have names, but there is room for plebiscites/referendums for those willing to do so to combine them, and ask that the combined names be called whatever, eg. Biafra, and that wish might be accepted, whereupon the people may impose on themselves customary laws - or Njekebe customary laws, if that is what they so wish.  All we need to do is get all the Wawa, Njekebe, Arochukwu and Nri-Ndigbo - and motley others, including possibly Anioma - to agree.

In our Constitution, all the present states have names - so ditto as it is, with the LGs above. Combine some, rename accordingly, impose customary (eg Njekebe) laws, and let us move on.

Lastly, in our Constitution, all the geo-political zones have INFORMAL names (like SE, SS, SW, etc.), so at some point when the geo-zones become formalized - as they are likely to be in any REVISED Constitution that is likely to happen in the life of the PMB administration - any group of persons may, for example, choose to call the SE Geo-political zone "Biafra" - and ask that Njekebe customary laws be also imposed.

The above are viable paths of progress, which the once-near-Chief-Justice-of-the-Federation-turned-IPOB-activist Justice Ozobu understands too well. He is certainly  more mature than the volatile (and co-guerrilla-radio-commentator) Nnamdi Kanu, who defines Biafrans as everyone and his mother who wears two wrappers one on top of the other, and calls all non-Biafrans zoo-animals, zoo-logists and zoo-keepers, and who threatens to kill all (worse than Somalia) if we do not accede to his request.  It might be hot air - but yet again, the Yoruba say "Ibi ogun ni a ti kiye si ara" and "Igi ganganran ma gun mi l'oju, ati okere ni a ti nwo o"....variously translated as "a stitch in time saves nine").

But let me remind about what is too obvious to be missed, the elephant in the room :  the name and letters "BIAFRA" are bad news in Nigeria for many generations to come, because it brings up all kinds of bad memories of pogrom, secession, war, death.  It is NOT even an Igbo word, not to talk of a Nigerian word, so why INSIST on it?  What is so Igbo about "Biafra?' Absolutely NOTHING, biko nu.......

So let us get along, biko nu......we are all on this rickety bridge to Nigeria's glorious future, if we all work together to make the nation a better place.....and we have a golden opportunity....

And there you have it....have a wonderful Holiday season, and remember that for us Christians, Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.

Bolaji Aluko

On Thu, Dec 24, 2015 at 10:18 AM, Afis Deinde <odidere2001@yahoo.com> wrote:

"Yea, this is a more intelligent way to go about it! 

All Nigeria laws remain in force and Nigeria is not being threatened with any bloody protest or war.

This strategy of floating a Biafra Customary Law (BCL) system within Nigerian is what I call a constitutional war of attrition.

Though it is 15 years late and may not work out in the end, it is the kind of strategies that could wear down the Nigeria Republic and force it to a national conference quicker. 

Other complementary IPOD strategies supporting the BCL is the membership of Biafra in some UN and AU committees – hence their property of attrition to Nigeria."..... QS

Afis comment: Nothing like Biafra in Niaja constitution. Customary laws have nothing to do with declaration of a new country within an existing Nigeria.

Afis

"Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame." — Dhamapada, verse 81.

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 22, 2015, at 8:48 PM, QS <kanzi@netzero.com> wrote:

Yea, this is a more intelligent way to go about it!

All Nigeria laws remain in force and Nigeria is not being threatened with any bloody protest or war.

This strategy of floating a Biafra Customary Law (BCL) system within Nigerian is what I call a constitutional war of attrition.

Though it is 15 years late and may not work out in the end, it is the kind of strategies that could wear down the Nigeria Republic and force it to a national conference quicker.

Other complementary IPOD strategies supporting the BCL is the membership of Biafra in some UN and AU committees – hence their property of attrition to Nigeria.

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