PRESS STATEMENT
Tue, Jul 30, 2024
The Biafra De Facto Customary Government (BDFCG) wishes to address the Biafran public regarding the planned protests by concerned citizens of Nigeria, scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 10. While we are not part of the organizers of these protests, we understand the deep-seated grievances driving these actions.
The BDFCG acknowledges the fundamental right of indigenous people in Nigeria to express their dissatisfaction through peaceful protests. We affirm that it is the civic right of every individual, including the Biafrans, to participate in such demonstrations if they choose to do so. These protests are a legitimate and democratic means for the people to voice their concerns about the state of the nation.
It is crucial that the rights of those participating in the protests are respected. We call on all relevant authorities to ensure that no individual is coerced, intimidated, or forcefully prevented from joining these demonstrations. The federal government must not hijack these protests but instead listen to the cries of the people and address their legitimate concerns.
The BDFCG calls on the indigenous people in Nigeria to use the instrumentality of civil disobedience and peaceful protest to register their displeasure over the decades of colonial and neo-colonial maladministration and bad governance in Nigeria, starting from 1914. We recognize the supreme power of the people as enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution, Chapter 2, Section 14(a): “Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority.” The same constitution, in Chapter 4, Section 40, empowers indigenous people in Nigeria to freely associate and assemble in pursuit of their well-being.
We are amazed that the national protest declared by hungry and angry indigenous people of Nigeria, scheduled to commence on August 1, 2024, is being threatened and frustrated by government agents. As Biafrans, we want to state without any ambiguity that it is the fundamental right of indigenous people to protest in any way possible against the oppressive and neo-colonial government.
However, we have fought a genocidal war against the enemies of freedom, good governance, equity, fairness, and justice for a complete 30 months and have lost more than 3 million innocent souls. We are still losing innocent souls to wicked and oppressive local and foreign buccaneers in power.
During the last general election, Biafrans voted for character, capacity, and competency, but the same local and foreign interests hijacked the people’s will and installed a character that would serve the interests of a few bloodsuckers. The judiciary, as the last hope of the common man, conducted the burial ceremony for the remains of the Nigerian state. The military defended the fraudulent 2023 election, and today the indigenous people are worse off, hungry, and angry!
We in the BDFCG are happy that other indigenous people in Nigeria have started testing what Biafrans have tested from 1966 to date. To that, we say, welcome to the club of oppressed people. Together, we can overwhelm those few oppressors.
We shall give you all moral and spiritual support while sustaining our own mode of protest, which has been ongoing for decades. To us, Nigeria is not a nation until indigenous people in Nigeria regain their freedom.
Nigeria is currently facing significant challenges:
– Severe economic hardship, with a proposed salary take-home of N70,000 per month, which equates to less than N2,300 per day. The cost of a single meal surpasses N3,000, making it difficult for many federal workers to afford more than two to three meals a week.
– Rampant insecurity that endangers lives daily.
– The blatant looting of our collective wealth by those in power.
– Government incompetence and brazen nepotism.
– The exploitation of ethnic divisions and the extravagant lifestyles of our political elites, juxtaposed with the suffering of the masses.
– An overinflated government budget that serves the interests of the few and the irresponsible removal of subsidies on essential energy, exacerbating the hardship faced by the people.
– The mindless destruction of citizens’ property and businesses by both federal and sub-national governments.
The government’s dismissive response to these legitimate concerns, urging the populace to endure and be patient while deploying repressive measures to stifle dissent, is unacceptable. However, the people’s resolve to demand accountability and change is unwavering. The use of hungry and disgruntled security personnel to suppress peaceful protests will only unify them with the people in their shared frustration and anger.
We urge the political class to heed the voices of the people and take meaningful steps to address the issues at hand. This includes tackling food inflation, curbing the ostentatious display of wealth, and demonstrating genuine remorse and willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good.
Finally, stop this feeding bottle federalism and return economic and political power to indigenous people living in Nigeria.
Prosper Odinga
Spokesperson, BDFCG
Phone: +1 917-346-5419
Email: biafradefactogov@gmail.com
Website: [www.bdfcg.org](http://www.bdfcg.org)