Era of fighting to keep Nigeria one gone –Southern professionals

“It is no longer feasible to prevent any major group in Nigeria from seceding if they so wish. The era of fighting to keep Nigeria one by force is gone. Most Nigerians want a united Nigeria but no longer at any cost, coordinator of the group Mr Emeka Ugwu-Oju told Southern delegates to the National […]

“It is no longer feasible to prevent any major group in Nigeria from seceding if they so wish. The era of fighting to keep Nigeria one by force is gone. Most Nigerians want a united Nigeria but no longer at any cost, coordinator of the group Mr Emeka Ugwu-Oju told Southern delegates to the National Conference during an interactive session in Abuja.
He said “Our unity, contrary to the public posturing of some elite, is currently very fragile and the common man can feel it. We should stop taking the unity of Nigeria for granted.”
“I will like to highlight a recent incident which we Nigerians may ignore at our peril -the attempt by a group of men to take over a radio station in Enugu and declare the coming into existence of a new country named Biafra. That is how Boko Haram started and following the enabling environment created by our actions or inactions metamorphosed into today’s current monster,” he said.
Ugwu-Oju said there are “sizeable number of Nigerians who at present see no future for themselves in present day Nigeria and if the opportunity presents itself will decide to take control of their own destiny, whatever that may be.”
He said there is danger in 2015 where “a disputed presidential election result and the eruption of violence from potential very well armed radical underground groups sharing sentiments with groups such as MEND, EGBESU, MASSOB, OPC.
“An enabling environment for the eruption of such violence if combined with the Boko Haram insurgency will be difficult for our presently stretched security forces to contain,” he said.
He however said a successful National Conference will “definitely prevent the occurrence of this doomsday scenario and the Southern Professionals are interested in supporting the delegates in any way feasible to produce the desirable outcome that can lay a solid foundation for a new Nigeria.”