A progressive people learn from the mistakes of others. Whatever you think of the West or the grudges you feel about them, the truth is that they are on top of the food chain. They are a people propelled not by justice or emotions but by what serves their interests.
What then do you do? Simply outsmart them. Beat them in their own game. Don't give them room to crush you. Never throw yourself under the bush to the extent that you lose public opinion. All they wait for is your very one mistake and they will send you back to the stone age.
In 1967/70 Britain used the BBC to destroy the image of Biafra. They called Biafrans rebels, and in the war Biafrans were victims, they were made the villain. Rebels they were called. The world looked the other way as little children were starved to death. They died out of the excruciating pain from Kwashiokor.
Biafrans were the victims but who cares?
Today, it is certain that Palestine has had people protesting on their behalf. Many believed they deserved their own independent nation. Some did not pick sides. Today, due to the actions of the last few days, they have lost more than 80% of their supporters. Many who chose silence have taken sides against them. Israel now have all the support they need to deal with them with public opinion all on their side.
What happened?
Palestinians went to Israel, and slaughtered children, women and old people. They were merciless. They killed some, stripped them naked and had their bodies driven across the cities with the Palestinians rejoicing and taking selfies. It was a horrible show. The worst is that they gladly streamed it on the internet live.
I don't know if Palestinians just played themselves out of emotions or if they had an agent provocateur who played them into this barbarism. How come Israel with their intelligence never got wind of this attack? How come Israel waited for so long before responding? How come Palestinians did not think of the consequences of their actions?
This brings us to the events of the last two years in Biafra land. After Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was kidnapped. A fellow who has been a staunch PDP supporter infiltrated IPOB. He was never a registered member of IPOB, but the Nigerian government kept pushing him into IPOB. Nigerian media was used to declare him the leader of IPOB. Obasanjo and Osibanjo were contracted to declare that he was more dangerous than Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. That's a Rifraf dancing naked inside his room in faraway Finland.
The game was to force him on the people and use him to derail the struggle. He started pronouncing things capable of giving a bad image to Biafra. He asked the DOS to step aside if they were not ready to answer terrorïsts, but when he was tagged a terrorist, he rushed to social media crying about how he was not a terrorïst. He started shouting Biafra Army knowing too well that such can give Nigeria all they needed to invade our land and kill our people. The game was to terrørise our people in the name of Biafra that they would rise to reject Biafra. The funny thing is that while they do this, they claim they are doing it to free MNK and with it fooled lots of people into supporting them.
Like it is today with the people of Palestine it would have been for IPOB and Biafrans if not for the strength and wisdom of DOS. The actions of these infiltrators would have defined IPOB and the resultant effect would have been to declare IPOB an international terrør group thereby giving Nigerian government reason to crush our people unprepared. This will force lots of people out of IPOB especially those abroad. Movement of cash will be restricted for all ndi Igbo because it will be seen as money for sponsoring terrorïsm. Public opinion will be against IPOB. That was how they also planned to disrupt the election so they could make many Nigerians clamouring for change in government to blame the rigging out of Peter Obi on IPOB. This would have downplayed the rigging, but IPOB smartly beat them in their own game.
Today, Nigerià INEC, judiciary and executive have all been exposed.
I don't think Palestine will recover soon. Our people must reason faster than their enemies. With your strength of mind, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will come out victorious after being freed by the Nigerian court.
I am not writing to educate all Biafrans. I am writing for the sake of the majority.
Elochukwu Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher and Activist, 2023.
