Sir: Over the past couple of months I have followed
the 'Letters' column of your news- paper with great interest—sometimes, even with great concern. Certain claims have been bandied about concerning the position of the non-Ibos of Biafra and I hope you will permit a few remarks about the Old Calabar area.
Firstly, it is entirely without foundation to claim that our people are overwhelmingly in support of the Nigerian government attitude to. wards Biafra. It is in fact the Biafran govern. ment which enjoys the popularity of the majority of our people. The operative word here is majority, because it would be idle to pretend that there are no Nigerian supporters in the area. Biafra's popularity is reflected in Colonel Ojukwu's desire for a referendum in the area. As it is now known, General Gowon has turned down thp question of a referendum, and has himself proposed no alternative method of ascertaining the wishes of the people. Perhaps he prefers to ignore the wishes of the people instead of risking a mass rejection. But the people cannot accept an_imposed govern. ment and so General Gowon should now be doing a fair amount of rethinking.
Secondly, we do not agree -with the Nigerian claim to be 'liberating' us. The very idea of `liberation' is insulting, so long as it is not known from what we are being 'liberated.' To represent the Ibos as our enemy is entirely un- worthy of any government. We reject this idea, and I want to repeat that it is perfectly possible for us to live with the Ibos as we have done in the past, without any arbitrary boundaries imposed for the convenience of foreigners.
Thirdly, Nigeria is apparently using the `liberation' myth as a justification for commit- ting hostilities against Biafra, knowing too well that it is the so-called 'liberated' people who are bearing the brunt of this abortive war.
The least General Gowon can do, therefore, is to recognise the people's right to choose who they want to rule over them. Their choice is obvious, but in case anyone is in doubt there should be an internationally supervised referendum.
V. S. Inuaesia Secretary, Old Calabar Association of Biafra, 69 Bromfelde Road, London SW4
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