Biafra National Youth League Inauguration
On the 3rd of August 2013, the South-east and South-south Youths under the aegis of Biafra National Youth League gathered in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital to inaugurate the group which happened to be the first Pro-Biafra youth Organisation since the struggle for Biafra Independence began in 1967. The inauguration witnessed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the five South-east states, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra, and the five South-south states, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa-Ibom. Both parties has agreed to work harmoniously for the overall interest of Biafra and her people,
The group however appeared to be different from other pro-biafra groups as ethnic groups of Biafra are widely represented and carried along.
According to the group's National Chairman who happened to be an ex-militant of Niger Delta, Egebesi Zuokumo Lukcy, he said the group will not tolerate any form of discrimination of race and gender because they are the things contributing to why Biafra independence is delaying, on his opening speech he said, "The BNYL will not allow the enemies to come again to deceive our people, we will not give chances this time around, Biafra is not restricted to Igbo Land alone, the Bight of Biafra lies here in Niger Delta Region with us,it is our birthright and we must fight for it, I am an ex-militant of Niger Delta, I don't mind leading this group to violent if the Muslim North continue to kill our people".
The Public Relation Officer, Iwisoro Julius who was among the Facilitators that signed the M.O.U on behalf of South-south Nigeria added that Biafra Youths are out to fight for Biafra, saying that the Biafra National Youth League will continue with the non-violent struggle along with the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra-MASSOB and other splinter groups agitating for Biafra but if pushed to the wall, the group may respond harshly.
On the other hand the National Secretary, Awele Philip, an indigene of Rivers State expressed his anger over pro-biafra groups agitating for Biafra in disunity, he further said that Biafra cannot be achieve in disunity especially when ethnic groups of Biafra are divided by Northern Nigerians who control 93% of Niger Delta oil bloc.
Below is the inaugural speech delivered by the National President of the group, Obuka Prince Chimezie, a young activist at 20.
"Mr Chairman Sir,
Royal fathers here present,
Representatives of MASSOB,
The Biafra Zionist Movement,
BILIE Human Right Initiative,
Student Union Leaders,
My Lord spiritual and my Lord temporal,
Ladies and Gentle men.
It is my great pleasure to stand before you this morning at this critical time in our quest for nation hood, on a great day like this, a day the Lord have made that the Biafra National Youth League will be hatched into this world.
At this juncture, it is imperative to cast our mind back on the events that culminated to the impasse that led to this August gathering.
It is admitted that the January 1966 coup which was orchestrated by the five majors, namely; Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Emmanuel Ifeajuna and the others of blessed memory is the harbinger of the war. While it trite to say that the essence of the coup was not met, it rather cost a waterwashed in Nigeria's historical annals. Whereas, many welcomed the coup while others were sceptical because of the perceived undertone in the coup, thus while the political heavyweights in the North and West were eliminated, those from the East were spared, thereafter the counter coup which ushered in a period of blood-letting and carnage especially in the North against the Igbo which finally led to the emergence of the Republic of Biafra by the then Military Governor Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of blessed memory, ofcourse the rest is history.
Once again, the indices that propped up the defunct Republic is here again and it behoves on all members of the defunct Republic to come together at this auspicious time, to build this republic back to it enviable position.
My fellow compatriots, once again I invite us to the similar situation that transpired in other countries, notably, Sudan, wherein the high level of injustice sparked the crises that finally broke up the country, now the peoples of both countries are better off for it. However, in our own case, despite the pillage of our homes for three good years, the raping of our women, the mass slaughter of our men, slaughter of pregnant women and killings of unborn babies yet Nigeria has remained unbalknised, despite the pains we are made to bear after the pogrom of 1966-1970, yet Nigeria is still unbalknised, we bore the pains , we lost life and limbs, we wept, we gnashed our teeth, yet nobody came to our rescue, the Super Powers ganged up against us but we withstood them, Britain, Russia, Egypt etc fought us, yet we staved them off, we took the world headlong.
My fellow compatriots, suffice it to say that we are the first country to defend ourselves against the combined forces of the super powers and came out unscattered.
Our hero and leader Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu is the first leader to look them into the eyes and tell them the truth, God bless leaders like julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Felix Houphet Borgny of Ivory Coast and a few others who sympathised with our cause. Furthermore, we have to be strong and unfazed even in the face of insurmountable challenges, the spirit of our fathers shall not desert us, our ingenuity gave birth to the famed Ogbunigwe, and a host of technological innovations yet unparalleled , even in the time of adversity, we spoke to the world and they heard us but refused to heed our voice. I declare to you today, we are the greatest people on earth, if only we will come together to harness our immense potential, then the sky is our beginning.
My fellow compatriots, our jealous neighbours are at it again, they don't want us to be united, they thrive in our disunity, they enjoy our discomfort and relish in our quarrels, but should we allow them to revel in our pains why we cry in pains? Should we scatter abroad why our neighbours come together to inflict more pains? The answer is left to your individual answer.
The Land of Biafra is the fourth kingdom of Yahweh on earth, we have all the natural resources at our beck and call, we are blessed beyond measure yet we wallow in self pity because we are not united. The Savannah in Biafra is the home of our fathers from Agbor down to Nsukka to Obudu hills, to the plains of Calabar, to the grassy beauty of Uyo, Biafra is lush, Biafra is blessed, it is evident in Port Harcourt, you can see it in Asaba, Onitsha, Oguta, we can access the sea from Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Bonny or any of our outlets, it is saddening however that our enemies want to divide our ranks and make us cows at their onslaught, they peddle cheap lies and bask in formenting division among us just to keep us divided for their own personal aggrandizement , but they will fail.
For the avoidance of doubt, Biafra is derived from the Bight of Biafra which is on the sea, more closely affined to the present day Niger Delta, it was an Ijaw, Chief Frank Opigo who suggested the name Biafra , and the rest of the East regardless of the ethnic affiliation adopted the name, thus it will be a mockery of sort if this new Biafra is seen as an Igbo affair, rather it is the country carved by our Elohim for his people who presently occupied the following states, Delta, Imo, Rivers, Anambra, Cross River, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Enugu, including part of South-west Cameroon.
Fellow compatriots, if we but stand together in unity as one indivisible union blessed by God and united in his ways then no nation on the surface of the earth will be able to match our meteoric rise as we will soar to the heavens.
All we need is unity, purposefulness and love among ourselves, if this is done, then the toil of our founding fathers and the ocean of blood of our brothers and sisters spilled by those vandals will be worthwhile, but if not, their fate are better than ours, he who has ear let him hear.
Thank you all.
God Bless His Excellence General Emeka Ojukwu, Major Gen. Philip Obong Effiong, Chief Frank Opigo and Kaduna Nzeogwu.
All hail Biafra".