Dear Steemites, just feel I should notify you all about the Nigerian issues.
The political and ethnic tension in Nigeria as at today, calls for great concern, this is why I am writing this piece so that people who intends visiting the country and or have vested interests therein, can read and learn from someone like me who comes from the country.
There is a very heightened tribal, ethnic and sometime religious tension in Nigeria presently. In the Eastern part of Nigeria popularly dominated by a tribe called the Igbos, some youths under the auspices of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by one Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are advocating for secession to form their own country which they have already named Biafra. Please note that 65 percent of people's from the South East, do not support secession.
Using uncouth languages, threats, public disturbances and other methods, these youths have succeeded in over heating the polity and riled up everyone. More so, they drew up a map annexing parts of the South South and the middle belt regions of the North into their Biafran idea of a country without as much as even a town hall meeting with the true owners of the lands in the regions concerned. This have angered the people's of those regions who have denounced and dissociated themselves from it.
However the main threat to the cooperate existence of Nigeria today, cones from the core North which has the Hausa Fulani. They have reacted out of anger to the threats, abuse and insults poured on them by members of IPOB and have therefore given all Igbos living in the North to leave the North, go back home to the East and form their own country. A coalition of 17 Northern groups has given the Igbos until first October 2017 to leave the North or face the consequences.
This has not gone down well with majority of Igbos who have too much stake in Northern Nigeria and have invested heavily in the region in the past 60 years.
The Acting President and leaders from both sides of the divide have met and all agreed to keep Nigeria as one. However the Youths from both the East and North have since been throwing dangerous words at each other, building up hate, bile, resentment and outright hatred for one Another. The Northern youths I have been told are secretly mobilizing to cause mayhem on any Igbo they see up North after 1st October 2017.
The acting President and security forces have vowed to arrest the youths who gave the quit notice and Also to deal with trouble makers who dare enforce it. However, knowing how volatile the North can be, many folks do not have absolute and complete faith in the abilities of the security forces to stern the tide.
This is the current political reality on ground in Nigeria right now. Therefore anyone with vested interest in the country or coming in for any economic activity, should be red alert at these regions of the country.
Thank you all for your time.
My prayers for the safety and prosperity of your country. May peaceful heads prevail.
And please keep us updated on the situation.
Thank you
Really good post @owhondabright, i´m from Portugal and here the last news from Nigeria had to do with Boko Haram, it´s sad youre youths are turning on each others and starting feuds based on tribal and ethnic lines, i hope things dont get worse!
Peace and be safe
I and others are praying it doesn't get worse. The ultimatum of the Northern youths exited by 1st October. Then we will know what will happen. For now fingers are crossed.
Thanks for sharing. Are these people of a particular ideology - or is it simply tribalism?
In the case of the Eastern youths, they are still pained by the first civil war of 1967-70 in which the Nigerian Armed Forces populated by Northern soldiers won. Secondly they claim they have been marginalized and cheated in the country as against the other regions in the country and hence decided they want to form their own country.
Thanks for the explanation.
Wonder if Boko Haram is involved? However, it sounds v much like grassroots uprising.
No. Boko Haram isn't involved. It is a clash of interest between some Northern and Eastern youths.
I read your post. It is very interesting and I can feel your concern. Try putting pictures in your posts, because then there will be at least a picture in the feed that can draw more attention to your post. Even if it was the Nigerian flag.
Thanks for the advice. I have been trying to upload pictures over here. Doesn't seem to work. Please if you have tips on how it can be done, please enlighten me. I have tried copying from my facebook and instagram pictures, got the URL links over here yet it fails to upload.