6.3 MILLION INNOCENT BIAFRAN SOULS AND OUR STAND, IS BIAFRA OR DEATH WE HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH

 

   6.3  MILLION INNOCENT BIAFRAN SOULS AND OUR STAND IS BIAFRA OR DEATH WE HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH.

It is said that “until a lion can tell its own story, the story would always favor the hunter”. Our people  strongly believe that guilt is a difficult burden to carry, and that a kola should be used to settle a kola case. The Biafra  innocent souls: Indeed A festering and unhealed wound, unmitigated by neither the passage of  time,  nor the varying rehabilitative measures or actions is not forgotten.

The death of innocent citizens, who are quite ignorant of the agenda and reasons of the elites, applying no other measure to secure peace but war . The blood of the forgotten innocent three million souls is not only puzzling and confounding; It is a source of concern to the writer and descendants of the victims. It should equally be a source of concern to every sincere living Nigerian, coupled with our people’s  belief that the dead must be properly buried, otherwise its spirit would continue to hover around.

Death is indeed inevitable. Nigerians have witnessed the farewell of some assumed “strongmen” in the recent past; may their gentle souls rest in perfect peace. But death through violence is one that seems unforgiving to the psyche.

Ordinarily, many people are inordinately incensed and unhappy by the mention of a discourse as sensitive as this subject matter. And such that concerns a one-time seceded nation, and a race currently wielding stronger force for an outright secession . Again,  given the territorially delineated cleavages abounding in Nigeria, and its historical legacy of division and suspicion among ethnic groups and regions.

But life is so sacrosanct and precious, such  that it would be heinous and wicked to dismiss its tormenting memory, because of the charades of ethnicity.  Sincere Nigerians would however accept that some differences and issues are yet to be explained and reconciled, especially to the inquisitive youths. I‘m therefore perturbed that history which never expires, experiences expiration in Nigeria especially for convenience sake and selective amnesia.

Some questions will still be long debated in the generations to come, so long the evil against innocent souls of children, women and old men continue to be ignored, avoided, overlooked and unaddressed. Just recently, a number of deaths were recorded during a protest in the South East.

War itself in whatever form is painful. The blow it brings is deeper than broken limbs. The decapitated and shattered dreams, the drawbacks are all gruesome. A nation’s pride is drastically reduced when the objective of a war is not achieved.

Some critics might argue that it makes no sense talking about the dead, while the living is suffering. But if Nigeria can slate 15th January of every year, to commemorate the surrender of Biafra troop to the Federal Government in 1970, and to remember all veterans that participated in various wars. What about the innocent victims of 1966 pogrom, or rather, the ethnic cleansing that lasted for four months and the subsequent genocide in the civil war. Does it not make sense to anyone that cares, that there was hardly any family in Igbo land that did not lose an important soul in those heinous crimes?

Although, to the writer, any issue that had existed in 1967-1970 civil war is perfectly and very reasonable to be laid down to rest, but the telling events that led to the build-up of the prejudice against an ethnic group will always stand tall, as the sustained injury has not been adequately medicated as promised.

However, we   learnt that the civil war was not one that was carefully planned and decided on by the entire Igbo society. Unarguably, some people would prefer living on their knees than dying on their feet. Nevertheless, it was a cause that appealed to a people prepared to fight for their right and determine their fate. It is also a good miracle that the ill-equipped and largely untrained Biafra army was able to withstand the onslaught from the Nigeria army, as long as the genocide lasted, otherwise the writer would not have existed, who knows?

In recalling the root cause of these menace against  innocent souls, it is  attributed to  the record the  Igbos  had  in the per-independence era. It was widely known that the Igbo are extremely industrious and intelligent set of people. We also learnt through various documented political and military ascendancy that the Igbo were unnecessarily envied against in the power dynamics of the country. They had qualities  that most other regions only dreamt of. Their spirit of independence, and invulnerability of their psyche  led to the unarguable fact that Nigerian cannot do without them. It was popularly quoted then that “If you take the Igbo out the Nigerian equation; Nigeria will be a  drowning and wobbling giant gasping for air”

Consequently, the implication of these accomplishments was an immediate fear of Igbo domination. A fear that quickly took hold in the psych of other Nigerians and practically led to the 1966 pogrom and systemic killing of the Igbo in different parts of the country.

Actually, different people have different stories and accounts that led to the civil war, which had kept many with  different views and understanding of it. However, I personally learnt from some elites that Ojukwu did not hearken to the advice of some Igbo elites and his father, on the decision of engaging Nigeria in a war, as the case may be. His father even died shortly after the war was declared.

However, the most widely read African author in the world and a famous writer known to have written back to the west, Chinua Achebe, also in  his book ,“There was a country”  said  that “The fear of  Igbo dominance was what led to the dethronement of meritocracy and enthronement  of mediocrity, that he believes  that following the pogrom that occurred in the north in 1966,which was compounded by the involvement, even connivance of the Federal Government of Nigeria, secession from Nigeria and the war that followed became an inevitability whether Ojukwu was there or not. That It is self evident that an ethnic group known for its independence of mind could not easily be manipulated into supporting a war”

Also, in recognition of the evil menace against innocent souls, and its total condemnation amongst many others, Richard Nixon in Sept 9th, 1968 during his American presidential campaign  said “Until now efforts to relieve the Biafran people have been thwarted by the desire of central Government of Nigeria to pursue total and unconditional victory and by the fear of the Igbo people that surrender means wholesale atrocities and genocides. But genocide is what is taking place right now and starvation is the grim reaper. This is not the time to stand on ceremony or to go through channels or to observe diplomatic niceties, the destruction of an entire people is an immoral objective even in the most moral wars. It can never be justified; it can never be condoned”

Nonetheless, against my better judgement of not recounting outcomes of wars,  as it is all about loss and painful memories, and to avoid been accused of inciting emotions, as it’s somehow an issue that sails too close to emotive core, and  highly inflammatory  especially to the victims. I  would take solace in the knowledge of one thing; that if Nigeria gets better today, hardly would anyone talk about Biafra and secession and all the generated  build up events.

However, it is right we remember and honor in a very special way the victims of the war who must have been mentally injured, not only by exploding gun powder, but also by the negligence and misrule of their exploitative victors.

To have the best for ourselves and unborn generation, it will be wiser to work and act as one unified country otherwise it will still be easy to see open reasons why the Biafra wanted independence, and taking cognizance of the recent national and international calls for  total secession. We will definitely end up surprised should the threat end up not being an illusion.

Notwithstanding, we can only but continue to learn and in so doing evolve and make progress. That is why there is an urgent need for Nigeria to take a clue from modern Germany and effectuate unity government. In Germany, after the re-unification of East and West Germany as a single entity which was torn apart as a result of the aftermath of  second world  war, there was concern as regards the outcome of the re-unification, and there has been a great sense of equality in Governance and recognition. Today Angela Merkel from the old East Germany is the Vice Chancellor of Germany.

Germany has equally shown a resounding memory of never again of holocaust by commemorating and honoring the victimized innocent souls despite the negative vibes it brings to them. In Australia, Britain, Vietnam, Canada, commemorations and honor

to innocent victims of war are yearly observed. In Rwanda,7th April of every year is slated as the genocide memorial day. All because it is the best vindication and honor for the blood of those who untimely lost their lives for a cause known and unknown to them.

The damage and psychological disorder will still be in the memory of the victims until the masterminds of these heinous crimes rise to formally apologize to the victims in a way of national remembrance and commemoration.

 

The voices and souls of the three million Biafrans (children, women, old people and gallant soldiers) who perished in Enugu, Asaba, Calabar, Awka, Onitsha, Aba, in captivity and safe houses and elsewhere, all in search of freedom and safety are still restless and awake, they will not sleep until Nigeria agree on a new contract that gives meaning to their premature death.

Even if no sculptural marble rises to their memory or engraved stone bearing records of their deed. Their remembrance will be as lasting as the existence of our dear country and their souls dignified from long awaited formal burial and commemoration. In so doing, a new page of a brighter history for Nigeria will surely open. 

Written by CHRISTIAN ROWLAND   [email protected]