By Charles Edet
It’s truism that Germany, Russia, Britain and amongst others employed the scientific services of weapons technicians defeated in wars they won, and engaged their services by tapping into their knowledge by taking good care of them.
Today, if not for several sentiments and lack of vision by the leadership of the military governments then, Nigeria would have converted those behind the creation of the wonder weapons of Biafra to become world power.
Though Biafra exists in the mind , it’s manufacturing feats could have been of great benefit to the nation. South Africa today is the most equipped African nation with regards to its weapon manufacturing capacity and capability. Not weapons bought from America only, they produce and sell to other countries.
In Nigeria we boast as the most powerful African nation, yet we depend on importation if weapons, a dangerous trend that, a blockage conspiracy by the international community renders us weapon-wise impotent, stranded at the mercy of would be enemies.
Powerful scientists of Nigerian origin are all over the super power countries helping them to manufacture weapons and build up their weaponry reserve. Where are ours ? It’s indeed time to focus on engaging our indigenous geniuses in Aba, Làgos Kaduna, etc and those in the academia to help boost our weapon base and not stocked foreign weapons. This is for the rainy day.
Indeed, Nigeria can learn from the Biafran local weapons manufacturing initiative, applied to sustain the civil war for good three years.
An anonymous writer, recently narrated these:
“During the civil war, Biafra made her own weapons, including guns, armoured cars,war tanks and the famous Ogbunigwe ( Bucket Bomb Or Bomb Of Mass Destruction) also refined her own petrol.
Please don’t take my word for it. 50 years after defeating Biafra, Nigeria can’t make her own weapons or refine fuel. We are dependent on weapons and planes from other countries to fight Boko Haram, not even another country. A very disturbing reality.
Terrorists seem to be better equipped-than our forces, as Nigerians are being killed like chickens in the North East of Nigeria.
Yet, With large budgets, inflated and uninflated, we import our arms and every drop of petrol sold in Nigeria.
Why didn’t Nigeria learn from the Biafra? Why did we not turn those Biafran war era scientists into Nigerian scientists to drive our technology? With one Nigeria this dream can still be feasibly achieved.
Britain and other neocolonialist nations, particularly knows that if Nigeria is sufficiently a self fulfilling manufacturer of it weapons, we should be the true leading country of Africa militarily and not numerically as most populous black nation.
Population does not win wars without certified weapons that are not home made, and can be made available without wasting resources and waiting for the importation protocols, that will delay the fight, as experienced in the fight against terrorists.
This is a sincere patriotic reasoning with the aim of stepping up ideas the authorities might look into and refine the idea for the corporate benefits of the nation.
