Biafra: Buhari is wrong, Nigeria’s unity negotiable – Ojukwu’s son

Emeka Ojukwu Jr., a legal practitioner and son of Igbo 
leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has disagreed 
with President Muhammadu Buhari’s comments that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable.

Buhari made the statement while addressing the country 
last Monday.

According to ERICGOSSIP.COM, Ojukwu, claimed that Nigeria
 is “a product of negotiations”.

He said: “I don’t think the tone of finality in the President’s
speech is right. I have always said Nigeria is a product – a
child – of negotiations. It is a child of negotiations in that when they started the agitation for the country’s 
independence — Zik (Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe) from the Igbo side, Chief Anthony Enahoro from South-West, and (Ahmadu Bello) the Sardauna from the North — they were all going to London.

“They had problems but they patched their differences and,
ultimately, without firing a gunshot, the British government gave independence to Nigeria.

“For somebody to wake up and say ‘there are no negotiations’
is not in line with the fact that an agreement is susceptible to
review and renegotiations. Since it is not really possible to see
the future or what will happen in 50 years, agreements are
subject to review and negotiations.

“An agreement over time requires reviewing or renegotiations.

So, if we are all pleased with it, there will be no pocket of
agitations or discontent. But the pocket of discontent and
agitation is a throwback showing that we are having problems
with implementation (of the agreement to remain as a country), thus calling for renegotiation. In that regard, it is important that everybody should be carried along.

“What I don’t like is a situation whereby the government
sponsors people. As of the time they were convoking the last
national conference, it was my view that the Federal
Government should not pay the delegates.

“I suggested that each ethnic nationality should choose and
sponsor a delegate to the confab; you submit your interest
under a bigger umbrella; once all views are gathered, then we
will harmonise them and look for the best way to implement
them. 

The reason why we are having problems is that people
believe that the constitution we are using was at no time
agreed on. They feel that it was the military that gave us what
we have now.”