What the nation of Biafra will not be

What the nation of Biafra will not be

1) The Constitution of Biafra to be written by one man and forced on all Biafrans to accept:

The Constitution of Biafra shall be a collective effort of Biafran Citizens. Every Biafran will participate in the formulation and ratification of the Constitution. No single individual will arrogate the powers to himself to write the nation’s Constitution. This was the case in Nigeria where General Abdulsalami Abubakar singlehandedly wrote the Constitution and falsely stated in the introduction that “We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria...Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution...“ Nothing can be farther from the truth because the people of Nigeria never came together to discuss, enact and give themselves the constitution. Technically, a Constitution is made by the “Citizens“ of a nation and NOT the “People“ because the “People“ may or may not be the Citizens of that nation.

2) Membership of Organization of Islamic Conference (O.I.C.):

The blessed nation of Biafra shall never be a member of any Islamic body. Biafra shall maintain its secularity both in principles and in practice unlike the British-created country called Nigeria that professes secularity in principle but, in practice, is a ranking member of Organization of Islamic Conference (O.I.C.). Also, citizens will not be forced to practice a particular religion. There will be freedom of worship for adherents of all faiths without molestation. If the persecuted Shiite sect members wish to relocate to Biafraland, we would gladly accommodate them along with other tormented Christians in Arewaland

3) Make special provisions for Islam and Sharia in the nation’s Constitution:

The Constitution of the nation of Biafra shall not have any special provision for Islam or Sharia because Biafra shall have nothing to do with Islam or Sharia as a matter of State Policy. This is a positive change from the Constitution of Nigeria where Section-260 to Section-264 was exclusively set aside to satisfy Islam and Sharia. For the records, Section-261 of the Constitution of Nigeria mandates the Senate to sit in session to approve the appointment of a Grand Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal, meaning that taxpayers money are being spent on Senators for exclusively deliberating on Islamic and Sharia appointments.

4) A nation with multiple value systems:

Biafra had been and shall continue to be a nation with a common (single) value system. The Biafran society is predicated upon Judeo-Christian Republican value system in which everybody is equal before God and the Law. Biafran society is Republican because equal opportunity and democratic ethos are second nature to every Biafran. The nation of Biafra will not be like Nigeria with three mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed value systems. In the country called Nigeria, there is the Feudal-cum-Islamic value system in Arewa region, the Monarchical value system in Oduduwa region, and the Judeo-Christian Republican value system in Biafra nation. Biafra shall continue with her monolithic Judeo-Christian Republican value system.

5) Minimum Educational Qualification for Presidential Candidates to be Secondary School Certificate:

In Biafra, the minimum educational qualification for Presidential Candidates shall be a Bachelor’s Degree obtained from a 4-year University located in Biafraland. Post-graduate degrees and certificates will be a bonus, but the minimum requirement is that the candidate must first be educated in Biafra (not overseas or other African countries) at Bachelor's degree level. There shall not be any excuse for a Presidential Candidate to produce and submit the original or certified true copy (CTC) of his or her Certificate. An affidavit in lieu of production of the Certificate will not suffice.

6) Minorities in Biafra:

It will be a criminal act to refer to any group as a minority. Even when stated verbally, the person making such statement shall be jailed without an option of fine. This shall be a clear departure from the rot in Nigeria where some people from certain areas are stigmatized with the term “Minority“ which goes a long way to affecting their career or any other venture they engage in. There shall be no minority in Biafra.

7) Allowing someone who committed Treason to run for Political Office:

The minimum punishment for anyone who overthrows Biafra Government or attempted to overthrow Biafra Government will be life imprisonment. In Biafra, we shall not tolerate anyone who has a disdain for democracy only to turn around and participate in democratic exercise just like it is happening now in Nigeria where Muhammadu Buhari committed treason on December 31, 1983, against a democratically elected government of Nigeria only to come back and contest for elections. If it were in Biafra, Buhari should have been serving life imprisonment at the very minimum. 

8) Using different grades/scores to admit candidates from different states of the nation into Government-owned Institutions:

In Biafra, the performance criteria for admitting candidates into Government-owned Institutions (civilian and non-civilian) shall be evenly applied to every candidate irrespective of where the candidate comes from in Biafraland. For instance, if the minimum score required to obtain admission into an institution is 120 points out of a total of 200 points, this minimum score will be applied to every candidate whether he or she comes from the east, west, north or south of Biafra. This will be unlike what happens currently in Nigeria where Northern candidates are admitted into Government Institutions with a minimum score of 10 points out of 200 points while those from the south are admitted into the same institution with a minimum score of 140 points. In the blessed nation of Biafra, meritocracy will hold sway in all aspects of our lives.

9) Operate a Rentier Economy:

The economy of Biafra will be based on two factors; manufacturing and human resource. The Biafran economy will not be operated on a Rentier basis like that of Nigeria. We will not depend on the export of one commodity while importing all other commodities. Biafra will be a net exporter of commodities and a significant melting pot for human resource capital. The ingenuity of the Biafran and his/her ability to innovate and adapt to changing global needs shall be unleashed onto the whole world. In Biafra, we shall teach the world how to run a robust, captive, adaptive, and agile economy.

10) Allow Intelligence Agency to usurp the duties and responsibilities of the Police Force:

In Biafra, the Police shall be fully empowered and unencumbered to perform their duties, roles and responsibilities in a professional manner. We will not allow any of the Intelligence Agencies to usurp the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Police as is the case now in Nigeria. In Biafra, only the Police will have prosecutorial powers in criminal cases involving civilian. Biafra will not be like Nigeria where the Department of State Services (DSS) has gone beyond their mandate of intelligence gathering and are now prosecuting civilians and even arresting Judges. Also, no Intelligence Agency in Biafra should be wearing masks just as the DSS is currently doing in Nigeria. Putting on masks while carrying deadly weapons is the hallmark of terrorists. The Police shall conduct investigations before arresting suspects and not the other way round as being done by the usurping DSS. And whoever is arrested must be charged to court within 48 hours. Nobody shall be arrested on a weekend or after 7 pm on a weekday in any part of Biafraland and the arrest must be done by the Police, and not by an Intelligence Agency. The nation of Biafra must be governed by the rule of Law, and any breaker of the Law shall be prosecuted and this covers from the President to the man on the street. 

The nation of Biafra will not be like Nigeria nor will Biafra be run like Buhari and his Northern brothers are now running Nigeria.

Analysis by:

Barrister Emma Nmezu 

Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya

Spokespersons for IPOB