Biafra protests: Group writes Obama, US condemned for remaining silent while 'bomb waits to detonate'
We, of Nigerian American descent, Nigerians, and Americans living in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are very concerned about the disturbing silence of President Barack Obama and the United States Government to the current pro-Biafra protests sweeping through South-East and South-South Nigeria.
The matter is especially disturbing because over three people have been confirmed dead from stray bullets by Nigerian soldiers during the peaceful protests that have seen as much as 10,000 youths storm the streets of Port Harcourt.
What started as an arrest of a single man, Nnamdi Kanu, by the
Directorate of State Security (DSS) has turned into a situation that is
without a doubt a bomb waiting to detonate, and will cause massive
unrest in Nigeria as more protests are being staged around the country,
and the Nigerian government has shown no signs of actions to quell the
crisis whatsoever.
It is with a heavy heart that we remind President Barack Obama and the United States government that these same "Biafra" sentiments now intoxicating the jobless and irritated mostly "IGBO" youths to a frenzy on the streets of Imo, Owerri, Enugu, Asaba and Port- Harcourt led to one of the most devastating wars in Nigeria's history: the Biafran war, which caused the alarming loss of up to three million lives.
We also want to remind President Obama of the dangerous connection of the "Biafra territory" to the Niger Delta which is currently suffering a re-surge in violence as a result of the chronic poverty and catastrophic oil pollution which fuelled the earlier Niger-Delta conflicts and have remained largely unsolved.
Recent threats by Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar to crush the pro-Biafra protesters with military action, violence is most assuredly not the solution and will quickly escalate the crisis.
It is with a heavy heart that we remind President Barack Obama and the United States government that these same "Biafra" sentiments now intoxicating the jobless and irritated mostly "IGBO" youths to a frenzy on the streets of Imo, Owerri, Enugu, Asaba and Port- Harcourt led to one of the most devastating wars in Nigeria's history: the Biafran war, which caused the alarming loss of up to three million lives.
We also want to remind President Obama of the dangerous connection of the "Biafra territory" to the Niger Delta which is currently suffering a re-surge in violence as a result of the chronic poverty and catastrophic oil pollution which fuelled the earlier Niger-Delta conflicts and have remained largely unsolved.
Recent threats by Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar to crush the pro-Biafra protesters with military action, violence is most assuredly not the solution and will quickly escalate the crisis.
We urge President Barack Obama and the United States government to
implore on the Nigerian military that military brutalization and human
rights abuse by the Nigerian security agencies is not the way to go. The
right to peaceful protest is an integral part of a democratic society,
which both the U.S and Nigeria have fought tirelessly to ensure Nigeria
rightfully becomes.
Corruption is without a doubt, the biggest impediment to growth in
Africa as President Obama and several key United States officials have
reiterated several times. This is why we are highly disappointed that
President Barack Obama and the United States government have decided to
turn a blind eye to the fact that both APC candidates in the upcoming
Kogi and Bayelsa state governorship elections have been indicted by
Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, the EFCC for monumental corruption
charges running into billions of Naira.
In a democratic society, we believe it's not too much to ask that candidates who want to run for sensitive positions such as Governorship positions, at least clear all current criminal charges against them before the government allows they take roles of leadership.
In a democratic society, we believe it's not too much to ask that candidates who want to run for sensitive positions such as Governorship positions, at least clear all current criminal charges against them before the government allows they take roles of leadership.
We call on President Barack Obama to remember his position and the
mantle of global leadership that comes with the office he occupies, and
hence act swiftly on this matter.
We Nigerian Americans, Nigerians, and Americans in Nigeria believe this is the right time for President Barack Obama and the United States government to act before the situation gets out of control.
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