Rather than offering superficial measures that merely appease public sentiment, the Biafra De Facto Customary Government, BDFCG, said the people of Biafra expect the government to focus on formulating and implementing comprehensive strategies that address the underlying causes of societal challenges.
In a statement by BDFCG Spokesperson, Prosper Odinga, the group said the measure requires investments in infrastructure, healthcare systems, education, and social safety nets, as well as the promotion of transparent governance and citizen participation.
The group noted that it is important for state Governors to engage in meaningful dialogue with people, actively listen to their concerns and incorporate their voices into policy-making processes, thereby fostering inclusive decision-making and participatory governance to ensure that demand for good living is met with concrete actions and policies that genuinely improve the quality of life for all.
Read the full statement below 👇
“Biafrans Deserve Access To Quality Living, Functional System and Not Palliatives”
https://bhradvocates.com/post.php?post=124
Date: Friday, Aug 28, 2023
1. We have noted the proposed economic stimulus packages ranging from credit at 9% to fund 75 enterprises, N50 billion on conditional grants to fund 1 million Nano businesses, N75 billion credit at 9% to fund MSMEs to approval to release 200,000 metric tonnes of grains across the 36 States and release of N5 billion to each of the 36 States as palliatives among others.
2. We have noted that the above interventions are for a short term period to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on fuel and floating of naira as well as shortage of food supply.
3. However, we will continue to insist that the indigenous people in Nigeria, of which Biafrans are one of them, should be allowed to decide whether to live in Nigeria or outside Nigeria. The above short term economic interventions are just tokenism in nature and cannot address the problem of more than 200 million people forced to live in Nigeria with the assistance of colonial forces.
4. We want to remind the public that Biafrans refined their crude oil under war conditions. The Nigerian Government should utilize thousands of unemployed engineers to refine our crude oil for domestic consumption as there is no basis for exposing our natural endowment to international pricing. Once Nigeria refines her crude oil, pressure on dollar will go down and exchange rate will stabilize in short term.
5. We have also noted cash awards to fixed income earners and sharing of bags of rice to few people by some State Governors in Biafraland as part of their measures to cushion the effect of economic hardships. We have held the opinion that our politicians are behaving like slaves in Nigeria. They should be bold enough to speak the truth to Abuja powers – Nigeria system is not working!
Cash awards, no matter the amount, or sharing of bags of food items cannot address the fundamental problems that the people of Biafra and other indigenous people in Nigeria face such as lack of access to quality and affordable education, healthcare, employment opportunities, underemployment, affordable housing, and food production. We believe that the people of Biafra have inalienable rights to good living, and this right should not be taken away by mere palliatives .
6. Rather than offering superficial measures that merely appease public sentiment, the people of Biafra expect the government to focus on formulating and implementing comprehensive strategies that address the underlying causes of societal challenges. This requires investments in infrastructure, healthcare systems, education, and social safety nets, as well as the promotion of transparent governance and citizen participation. It is very important for our governors to engage in meaningful dialogue with our people, actively listen to their concerns, and incorporate their voices into policy-making processes, fostering inclusive decision-making and participatory governance to ensure that our demand for good living is met with concrete actions and policies that genuinely improve the quality of life for all.
Prosper Odinga
Spokesperson, BDFCG
Phone: +1917 3465419
Email: biafradefactogov@gmail.com