Former Spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2011 elections, Yinka Odumakin has said that the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government should offer constitutional reform that would give room for referendum to address Biafra agitation in the South east and South south parts of the country.<\/p>\n
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Odumakin, who was Buhari\u2019s spokesperson when he contested for president under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), said what the nation requires is required at this point is social reengineering that would make centrifugal feelings to be less popular when the nationality question is well addressed and we begin to focus on the things that bind us as different peoples united by a common vision.<\/p>\n
Said he: \u201cThe sustained protests in the South East for weeks now drumming support for a Sovereign State of Biafra have confirmed what social scientists have correctly argued over the years: you can\u2019t kill ideas. A sane state should by now known that what is required at this point is social reengineering that would make centrifugal feelings to be less popular when the nationality question is well addressed and we begin to focus on the things that bind us as different peoples united by a common vision. It is rather unfortunate that what we continue to see is the usual irrationality that has made Nigeria a folly in the last 55 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who has observed events carefully in that that part of the country for years now would not have missed out that the Biafran flags have been flying all over the place just as the currency has been circulating. The Nigerian security operatives have had running battles with Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).<\/p>\n
\u201cA state that has the capacity to maintain and extend its life span should have been devising creative ways of combating such mood that is so strong by offering constitutional reforms. Canada has been dealing with Quebec question in referendum after referendum which has now become NEVERENDUM.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnited Kingdom in September 2014 had a referendum in Scotland to address similar question. Despite the inability of the separatists to win at the polls, the UK government in January 2015 published a new devolution deal. The UK government published the draft legislation transferring new powers over tax and spending to Scotland, dismissing nationalist claims that it was \u201cwatering down\u201d devolution promises made before the independence referendum.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than seeing this as a moment to address issues of nationhood, our leaders continue the bulldozing strategy whereas what is required is reconstructive surgery. One fellow from the Nigerian Army was threatening ROE (Rule of Engagement) against the protesters. Short of dropping atomic bombs on the entire South East and wipe out all the inhabitants, what ROE is he threatening that could be worse than over a million Igbo killed during the Biafran war from 1967-70 that would now kill the Biafra idea?<\/p>\n
\u201cI have also read some jokers who styled themselves State Presidents of Ohanaeze Ndigbo clownishly declaring that Biafra died 40 years ago. If it is four decades dead, why are they addressing it and why is it that the authentic Igbo voices we know are not the ones making such statement? The silence of renowned Igbo leaders speak so eloquently than the jejune statements of these deluded fellows who can\u2019t read the social thermometer correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former Spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2011 elections, Yinka Odumakin has said that the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government should offer constitutional reform that would give…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n