BIAFRA : Nnamdi Kanu, please take is easy! By DONS EZE

We totally share in the sentiments and aspirations of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, for a better place for the Igbo under the sun. But we do not endorse or subscribe to Nnamdi Kanu’s method of trying to actualize his dream Biafra.

The reason why many people, particularly the Igbo, became tired and uncomfortable with the contraption called Nigeria, which necessitated the declaration of Biafra Republic in 1967, was because Nigeria had turned itself into a Golgotha, a slaughter house, and also lacked freedom and equal opportunities.

For thirty months, Biafrans were in the trenches, fighting to liberate themselves from the oligarchic and fascist regime that had held Nigeria captive since its formation, and at the same time, creating a country where all its inhabitants would be free to pursue their legitimate goals without let or hinderance, without molestation.

These were the ideals which endeared many people to Biafra, why most Biafrans, young and old, stood firmly behind the Biafran leadership till the sun of that Republic set.

It appears, however, that the Biafra currently being pursued by some of its agitators, might be a different one. Perhaps, it could be a Biafra of the survival of the fittest, a Biafra where, according to Thysmachus, the strong rules, where might is right.

We have not been comfortable with the way the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has been abusing, insulting and threatening the lives of so many people, including the South East Governors, and some Igbo leaders, who he suspects, were not on the same page with him in the Biafra of his dream.

Last year, members of IPOB physically attacked former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in far away Germany, where he went to celebrate New Yam festival. They also reportedly attacked Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi.

Just a few days ago, June 28, 2020, to be precise, Nnamdi Kanu in a radio broadcast, categorically called on his followers all over the world, “to stone to death the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, anywhere he is sighted”, because according to him, Nnia Nwodo did not do anything to stop herdsmen attacks in Igbo land.

Perhaps, Nnamdi Kanu was trying to confer on Ohanaeze leader the power the man did not possess. How could Nnia Nwodo stop herdsmen attacks when he does not control the police or the Army? Instead of issuing a Fatwa on those who control the security agencies for failing in their duties, Nnamdi Kanu decided to vent his spleen on an innocent man.

Nnamdi Kanu had described Nnia Nwodo as “a saboteur from the lineage of saboteurs”, simply because the man was not in tune with his own idea of Biafra. But in a democratic dispensation, which we all look for in a future Biafra, must everybody hold the same view? The beauty of democracy is divergent of opinions.

Unfortunately, while Nnamdi Kanu is accusing the Nigerian state of suppressing Christians in the country, the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in the Nigerian section, has also named IPOB as one of the entities levying attacks on places of Worship in Nigeria.

They cited a media report that IPOB members “attacked five Christians, including a priest, for holding a holy mass in defiance of IPOB orders to stay at home”.

The other day, the IPOB leader was quoted to have said that “every Church goer is going to hell!” That would be a careless statement. Even in Israel where most of the people are Judaists, they still allowed Christians to come on religious pilgrimage.

If Nnamdi Kanu is a Judaist, does he expect all of us to follow him to Judaism? I do not think that would be possible. Thank God, the man Jesus Christ gave the key to the Kingdom of Heaven bears a different name.

Now, Nnamdi Kanu says that Chief Nnia Nwodo should be stoned to death anywhere he is found. Haba! Nnamdi Kanu, please take it easy.

The Biafra we all are clamouring for is where everybody will be free to order his or her life in accordance with the law. It will not be a Biafra of one-man, or of a privileged few, where very few people will have access to power, otherwise, why will we be talking of leaving Nigeria?

In the Biafra of our dream, one man cannot be all-knowing, all-powerful and a Messiah incapable of doing any wrong. The Biafra we want is one of  free enterprise and the collective will of the people. It will be a place where everybody will be contributing his or her own quota according to his or her abilities.

BIAFRA : Nnamdi Kanu And His Macabre Dance Of Surugede By Osmund Agbo

Any student of Igbo folklore knows too well not to dance to the spooky tunes of Surugede. It never ends well. In fact, the unmitigated calamity that is sure to follow is a sad reminder that the high-pitched eerie note belongs in the realm of the spirit and the dead. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the self-described Supreme Leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) regrettably dipped out on this crucial life lesson and like the one whom the gods wanted to destroy, was first made mad.

Trending in the news lately is the effort led by the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo and endorsed by southeast Governors to create what is now called Alaigbo Stabilization Fund. In pursuant of that initiative, a 50-man steering committee made up of experts and professionals in various spheres of life was constituted. Their mandate is to come up with a blueprint on how to jumpstart the economic engine of the region and make Alaigbo a favored destination of new capital. It’s the latest attempt by a people known for their legendary enterpreneural spirit but hitherto have continued to sail on a rudderless ship with devastating consequences.

For someone who just few months ago wrote a long open letter addressed to the southeast Governors and made a passionate plea on the subject, it brought yours truly so much joy. In fact, almost all the people I have encountered thus far view the move as not just positive but strategic to the economic empowerment of the region. The only exception is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The leader of IPOB allegedly declared a fatwa on the Ohaneze leader and was reported to have encouraged his millions of followers to stone Nnia Nwodo to death whenever he comes within sight.

On the surface it seems like the issue between Mazi Kanu and Ohaneze leadership bothers on a perceived difference in strategy. While Kanu and his IPOB wants nothing but Biafra, Ohaneze on the other hand does not foreclose the prospect of a Biafra but views sessession from the Nigerian state as a last resort. The apex Igbo socio-political body’s position aligns with the bulk of Igbo intelligentsia and favour a restructured Nigeria,not just as a matter of political pragmatism but also as a more viable economic option. 

With this rift, Kanu has gone on an over-drive to launch a barrage of ad hominem attack against the person of Nwodo and his team, calling him a Fulani stooge. Kanu went on to make  some hefty but ridiculous allegations that the Ohaneze leader is behind all herdsmen atrocities and Operation Python Dance in the southeast. Today he has gone even further as to make  a serious threat on the life of a fellow Igboman. It’s just hard to imagine how Mazi Kanu’s latest posturing is helping with realizing the Igbo agenda or fostering unity among Ndigbo. I have a feeling that this move is a naked Machiavellian approach to power grab. A last ditch effort to crush whoever is on his path to achieving an imperial dream.

John Nnia Nwodo was elected the 9th President-General of Ohaneze in 2017, when he won by a landslide in an election where he polled 242 against 13 to defeat his opponent, Prof. Chinweyete Ejike, a university don and the former Vice Chancellor of ASUTECH. Prior to that, Nwodo a lawyer and an alumnus of the London School of Economics had had a distinguished career both in the private and public sectors . He cut his political teeth as the first Igbo president of the Students Union Government at the University of Ibadan. He would later serve as a minister under President Shehu Shagari and also General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Ike Ukehe is a blue blood from a long line of rich family pedigree; a rare mix of cultural and political royalty. His late father, Chief John Nwodo l, was a two-time minister that served under Azikiwe and Okpara and the older Nwodo was also reputed to be one of the biggest financiers of the short-lived Republic of Biafra. The family maintained a close personal relationship with the Ikemba up untill his demise in November 2011. Nnia Nwodo himself, as a young man fought in the Nigeria civil war on the Biafran side and stayed in the trenches till the very end. Such is the profile of the man Nnamdi Kanu has condemned as a stooge in the hands of Fulani oligarch and now wants him dead. Disturbing is the fact that he is yet to provide an iota of proof. How dangerous !

In my last essay marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Biafran war, I took time to eulogized Kanu and his IPOB for their solid contribution to the struggle for justice for Ndigbo. That still holds. I believe that Nnamdi Kanu will forever remain an important historical figure in that context. In that same piece, I also did encourage him to close ranks with Ohaneze and work together for the common good. 

It is so troubling that today, the IPOB leader continues to thread on a very dangerous terrain. He is relying heavily on his army of dimwits within the ranks of a fanatical following to visit mayhem on anyone who dare to question his modus operandi or stand in the way to his totalitarian rule. 

Nnamdi Kanu should to be reminded that silencing opposing voices is totally against the republican nature of the people whose affairs he plans to superintendent. This illustrious son of Chukwuokikeabiama surely needs our prayers.

 

Dr.Agbo is the President and CEO of African Center for Transparency and writes from the United States.

BIAFRA : 53 years after Biafra: You committed evil against Igbo, Frederick Forsyth attacks Britain, his own country

By Ademola Adegbamigbe

On Monday, 6 July, 2020, it will be  exactly 53 years since the Nigerian civil (Biafra) war started. One of the foreign journalists and writers who witnessed it was Frederick McCarthy Forsyth, the English journalist and author, who will be 82 this year. He was born on 25 August 1938. At such age when a man is moving closer to his grave or Maker, his conscience becomes sharper, his propensity for remorse gets greater. He tends to make all past crooked ways straight. He confesses his sins or does so vicariously- that is, on behalf of his clan or community or country.   

That is exactly what Frederick Forsyth has done, blaming his country, Britain, for its bias against the Igbo during the Nigeria-Biafra war that spanned three years, 1967 to 1970.

That war would have been averted, but the Aburi peace accord between Emeka Ojukwu and Yakubu Gowon failed. Read that story 

Another Briton who became contrite was Harold Smith, a colonial officer who admitted that Britain deliberately made the North to dominate the South here in all ramifications, using well choreographed policies of demography, appointments and politics.

Forsyth is a household name in the Commonwealth countries and beyond for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra, The Kill List, The Biafra Story and others. According to William Okugo Okereke: “This is the Man who has the true history of the 30 months genocide against Biafrans. He is not an Iboman! His books on Nigeria/Biafra are Emeka and The Making of an African Legend.”

It was when he covered the war in Nigeria as a BBC correspondent that the bias of Britain became clear to him. He revealed this in a recent article in : “Buried for 50 years: Britain’s shameful role in the Biafran war.”

It was for this reason that the writer walked away from the BBC, narrating, “Six months later, in February 1968, fed up with the slavishness of the BBC to Whitehall, I walked out and flew back to west Africa. Ojukwu roared with laughter and allowed me to stay. My condition was that, having rejected British propaganda, I would not publish his either. He agreed.”

In the article, Forsyth reveals the sins of Britain: “I arrived in the Biafra capital of Enugu on the third day of the war. In London I had been copiously briefed by Gerald Watrous, head of the BBC’s West Africa Service. What I did not know was that he was the obedient servant of the government’s Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO), which believed every word of its high commissioner in Lagos, David Hunt. It took two days in Enugu to realise that everything I had been told was utter garbage.

“I had been briefed that the brilliant Nigerian army would suppress the rebellion in two weeks, four at the most. Fortunately the deputy high commissioner in Enugu, Jim Parker, told me what was really happening. It became clear that the rubbish believed by the CRO and the BBC stemmed from our high commissioner in Lagos. A racist and a snob, Hunt expected Africans to leap to attention when he entered the room – which Gowon did. At their single prewar meeting Ojukwu did not. Hunt loathed him at once. 

“My brief was to report the all-conquering march of the Nigerian army. It did not happen. Naively, I filed this. When my report was broadcast our high commissioner complained to the CRO in London, who passed it on to the BBC – which accused me of pro-rebel bias and recalled me to London.

“What is truly shameful is that this was not done by savages but aided and assisted at every stage by Oxbridge-educated British mandarins. Why? Did they love the corruption-riven, dictator-prone Nigeria? No. From start to finish, it was to cover up that the UK’s assessment of the Nigerian situation was an enormous judgmental screw-up. And, worse: with neutrality and diplomacy from London it could all have been avoided.”

Like Forsyth, Harold Smith, an accomplice in the lopsidedness of Nigerian politics, confessed (as quoted in 

“Despite seeing vast land with no human but cattle in the north, we still gave the north 55 million instead of 32 million. This was to be used to maintain their majority votes and future power bid. The West without Lagos was the most populous in Nigeria at the time but we ignored that. We seriously encouraged the north to go the military. We believed that the south may attend western education, but future leaders will always come from military background. Their traditional rulers were made influential and super human. The northerners were given accelerated promotions both in the military and civil service to justify their superiority over south. Everything was to work against the south. We truncated their good plan for their future. ‘I was very sorry for the A.G.: It was a great party too much for African standard. We planned to destroy Awolowo and Azikiwe well, the west and the east’. And sowed the seed of discord among them. We tricked Azikiwe into accepting to be president having known that Balewa is the main man with power. Awolowo has to go to jail to cripple his genius plans for a greater Nigeria”

Below is Forsyth’s article on the bias of Britain against the Igbo, entitled:

“Buried for 50 years: Britain’s shameful role in the Biafran war.”

By Frederick Forsyth

It is a good thing to be proud of one’s country, and I am – most of the time. But it would be impossible to scan the centuries of Britain’s history without coming across a few incidents that evoke not pride but shame. Among those I would list are the creation by British officialdom in South Africa of the concentration camp, to persecute the families of Boers. Add to that the Amritsar massacre of 1919 and the Hola camps set up and run during the struggle against Mau Mau.

But there is one truly disgusting policy practised by our officialdom during the lifetime of anyone over 50, and one word will suffice: Biafra.

This referred to the civil war in Nigeria that ended 50 years ago this month. It stemmed from the decision of the people of the eastern region of that already riot-racked country to strike for independence as the Republic of Biafra. As I learned when I got there as a BBC correspondent, the Biafrans, mostly of the Igbo people, had their reasons.

The federal government in Lagos was a brutal military dictatorship that came to power in 1966 in a bloodbath. During and following that coup, the northern and western regions were swept by a pogrom in which thousands of resident Igbo were slaughtered. The federal government lifted not a finger to help. It was led by an affable British-educated colonel, Yakubu Gowon. But he was a puppet. The true rulers were a group of northern Nigerian colonels. The crisis deepened, and in early 1967 eastern Nigeria, harbouring about 1.8 million refugees, sought restitution. A British-organised conference was held in Ghana and a concordat agreed. But Gowon, returning home, was flatly contradicted by the colonels, who tore up his terms and reneged on the lot. In April the Eastern Region formally seceded and on 7 July, the federal government declared war.

Biafra was led by the Eastern Region’s Oxford-educated former military governor, “Emeka” Ojukwu. London, ignoring all evidence that it was Lagos that reneged on the deal, denounced the secession, made no attempt to mediate and declared total support for Nigeria.

I arrived in the Biafra capital of Enugu on the third day of the war. In London I had been copiously briefed by Gerald Watrous, head of the BBC’s West Africa Service. What I did not know was that he was the obedient servant of the government’s Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO), which believed every word of its high commissioner in Lagos, David Hunt. It took two days in Enugu to realise that everything I had been told was utter garbage.

I had been briefed that the brilliant Nigerian army would suppress the rebellion in two weeks, four at the most. Fortunately the deputy high commissioner in Enugu, Jim Parker, told me what was really happening. It became clear that the rubbish believed by the CRO and the BBC stemmed from our high commissioner in Lagos. A racist and a snob, Hunt expected Africans to leap to attention when he entered the room – which Gowon did. At their single prewar meeting Ojukwu did not. Hunt loathed him at once.

My brief was to report the all-conquering march of the Nigerian army. It did not happen. Naively, I filed this. When my report was broadcast our high commissioner complained to the CRO in London, who passed it on to the BBC – which accused me of pro-rebel bias and recalled me to London. Six months later, in February 1968, fed up with the slavishness of the BBC to Whitehall, I walked out and flew back to west Africa. Ojukwu roared with laughter and allowed me to stay. My condition was that, having rejected British propaganda, I would not publish his either. He agreed.

But things had changed. British covert interference had become huge. Weapons and ammunition poured in quietly as Whitehall and the Harold Wilson government lied and denied it all. Much enlarged, with fresh weapons and secret advisory teams, the Nigerian army inched across Biafra as the defenders tried to fight back with a few bullets a day. Soviet Ilyushin bombers ranged overhead, dropping 1,000lb bombs on straw villages. But the transformation came in July.

Missionaries had noticed mothers emerging from the deep bush carrying children reduced to living skeletons yet with bloated bellies. Catholic priests recognised the symptoms – kwashiorkor or acute protein deficiency.

That same July the Daily Express cameraman David Cairns ran off a score of rolls of film and took them to London. Back then, the British public had never seen such heartrending images of starved and dying children. When the pictures hit the newsstands the story exploded. There were headlines, questions in the House of Commons, demonstrations, marches.

As the resident guide for foreign news teams I became somewhat overwhelmed. But at last the full secret involvement of the British government started to be exposed and the lies revealed. Wilson came under attack. The story swept Europe then the US. Donations flooded in. The money could buy food – but how to get it there? Around year’s end the extraordinary Joint Church Aid was born.

The World Council of Churches helped to buy some clapped-out freighter aircraft and gained permission from Portugal to use the offshore island São Tomé as a base. Scandinavian pilots and crew, mostly airline pilots, offered to fly without pay. Joint Church Aid was quickly nicknamed Jesus Christ Airlines. And thus came into being the world’s only illegal mercy air bridge.

On a visit to London in spring 1969 I learned the efforts the British establishment will take to cover up its tracks. Every reporter, peer or parliamentarian who had visited Biafra and reported on what he had seen was smeared as a stooge of Biafra – even the utterly honourable John Hunt, leader of the Everest expedition.

Throughout 1969 the relief planes flew through the night, dodging Nigerian MiG fighters, to deliver their life-giving cargoes of reinforced milk powder to a jungle airstrip. From there trucks took the sacks to the missions, the nuns boiled up the nutriments and kept thousands of children alive.

BIAFRA : Igbo Women Seek Biafra, Voice Nigeria's Bleak Future

Nigeria is one of the largest by territory with population (estimated currently at 206 million) and huge economy in Africa. Situated on the southern coast on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, this country most often referred to as the "Giant of Africa" has never-ending multiple and complicated internal problems ranging from politics (system of federal governance) to widening economic disparity to cultural differences. The country has 36 states and it is officially called the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Early July, Kester Kenn Klomegah had the chance and interviewed Chief (Mrs) Marie Okwo, President of the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), about the impact of the civil war, the current politics and the role of the church in Nigeria. She is one of the remaining few Nigerians who have seen Nigeria from the struggle for independence through the development of its democracy. Mrs Okwor, who is an associate of the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, is now the leader of the Igbo Women Assembly and one-time member of Advisory Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Established as an NGO in 2006, the Igbo Women Assembly focuses on women empowerment and the youth, it consistently encourages moral values particularly among young graduates. Headquarters in Enugu, Enugu State of Nigeria.

Here are the interview excerpts:
The Nigerian civil war (1967-70) was a bitter experience, and has also affected expected development in the Biafra State. What are your views about this, especially from women’s perspectives?

The war of 1967-1070 war was a pogrom; a war of attrition meant to wipe out a whole race for no just cause. It reminded me of the Holocaust against the Jews. Those who died of hunger starvation, bombings were numerous in number. Malnutrition killed many children who developed a disease called "kwashiokor" – medical experts explain as lack of protein in the body and the belly fills up with fluid. I feel very emotional as I speak about this.

Suffice it to say, that the war could have been avoided, had Nigeria kept her end of the agreement at Aburi, in the Republic of Ghana, which came to be called "the Aburi Accord" that was reached in 1967. This venue offered the delegates security guarantee and that meeting was billed to be the last chance of preventing all-out war. The accord finally broke down because of differences of interpretation on both sides. This led to the outbreak of the war. Markets and places of worship were not spared from bombings and strafing. As a matter of facts, one of my domestic staffs lost her mother in one of the market bombings had been hurt by a shrapnel; she bled to death since medical facilities were scarce.

The effect of the war on the State of Biafra was deplorable: So much destabilization as the seat of government had to move from place to place and so could not settle down to the business of governing the people effectively. There were so many things to worry about, such how to get arms and ammunition. There was also the issues food insufficiency. Lack of concentration on the part of the Administrators and the Biafran military officers and soldiers had adverse effects on the Biafrans. As each area fell to the Nigerian military and their superior military weapons, civilians also had to relocate to safer areas. It was really rough and tough especially for nursing mothers most of who lost their babies. So so sad an experience.

Assessing the effects of the civil war today, especially from gender perspectives, what else can you say in this regard, will women play a more critical role in the administration of a Biafran state?

Before I comment on the role women can play in the administration of a Biafran state, let me mention the important roles they played during the war. It will be recalled that most men were in war fronts fighting to defend Biafraland. Others had lost their jobs and were forced to stay idle at home. The duties of catering for the needs of the rest of the families, therefore, fell on the women/ wives. In short, they became the bread winners.

On the roles women can play in a Biafran state, let me say, without fear of equivocation that without the contributions of women in governance, success will be difficult to achieve. Women have great potentials that should be harnessed in order to move the state forward.

How do you look at the political governance in the country in relation to Biafra State?

The government of Nigeria is vehemently aversed to the name Biafra. Mere mention of that name makes them chilly. This government would rather have Biafrans remain under servitude of the Caliphate North. The slogan after the was "No victor, no vanquished." That was the greatest deceit of the century. Biafrans have never been re-integrated.

The basis for unity no longer exists. Biafrans struggle for their survival without depending on any one. Since Nigerian government has refused absolutely to accept Biafrans as a component part of Nigeria, it stands to reason that they should be allowed to go and develop on their own at their own pace. It is pertinent to mention that the North contributes little or nothing to the development of the country. Rather resources from Southern Nigeria are controlled and squandered by Northern Elements.

On security in Nigeria, I wish to make it categorically clear that in Nigeria, security is at its lowest ebb. The Fulani Herdsmen are the cause of the unprecedented insecurity in Biafraland. They move about freely with their cattle carrying sophisticated AK 47. They destroy farmlands and crops, kill farmers, gang-rape and kill female farmers in their farmlands. The resultant effect of the destruction of farms and crops will be devastating as there will be monumental scarcity of food soon, this will spell doom for the masses.

Government and the security operatives are fully aware of the perilous situations but prefer to look the other way. Sometimes the police offer to pay competitions. A few days ago, a middle-aged woman was gang-raped by Fulani Herdsmen in a farm till she went into a coma she was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The insult by these Fulani Herdsmen is a great insult to Biafrans. Why will these Fulanis not allow us peace in our space? Enough is enough! When people are pushed to the wall, they have no alternative than to fight back.

Igbo Women Assembly call for a Referendum to settle the issue, once and for all. Our children have no future in Nigeria. We feel like the Israelites while in bondage under the Pharaohs of Egypt. We desire freedom to follow our own designs and practice our Christian Religion without let or hindrance.

Are people really satisfied with the current government? What, in your objective view, are some of their political mistakes?

Nigeria has never been so polarized or rancorous as it is now. There's so much unrest which stems from oppression, corruption wrong choices of appointees to important governing bodies. Square pegs are placed in round holes indeed. The bitterness existing in Nigeria, at the present time, is unequalled. Security is non- existent. The reality is that there is unchecked anarchy. As things stand now, Nigeria may just disintegrate without gunshots.

Almost all of Nigeria's intractable problems emanate from imposition of candidates during elections; no free, fair or credible elections are conducted. The situation gets worse with every election.

In the first place, the Constitution under which elections are held is a fraud. Far from being the "People's Constitution." We have faced these mistakes since the inception of presidential system of governance in Nigeria. The system under reference is wasteful, encourages corruption and dictatorial tendencies.

In spite of the flaws in the Constitution, the ruling party has ignored most of the clauses which might enhance the peaceful co- existence of the citizens. Impunity is rife with this current Administration. There is therefore an urgent need for intervention by concerned people of the entire world. Any adversity that befalls a Nation will have adverse effects on other Nations if not nipped in the bud.

This is a clarion call by the Igbo Women Assembly for assistance by all who abhor oppression and bad governance. No justice, no peace! No peace, no progress!

As a highly devout Catholic, how would you argue that the church could be a tool to fight against all injustices and state maladministration, most probably corruption in the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

The church in Nigeria, irrespective of denominations, has a vital role to play in addressing the ills of Nigeria. It is the duty of the church to do all in her power to restore the dignity and moral values of our societies.

All of a sudden, acquisition of wealth has taken precedence over ìntegrity, justice and fair play. The church has a duty to inculcate the congregations with a sense of responsibility moral values and discipline. Most criminals and corrupt members of the society are not pagans but Christians driven into such negative behavioral tendencies by the system. It is interesting to say that wrong leaderships beget wrong followers.

Unfortunately, some pastors preach the gospel of prosperity instead of salvation, thereby driving people into acquiring filthy lucre through any means whatsoever. People quickly forget that greed and avarice lead to destruction. They do not remember that whatever one has on earth cannot accompany him/her to the great beyond. Others will enjoy the ill- gotten goods. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation and the church must make concerted efforts to bring the menace to the barest minimum.

And the Biafra diaspora outside Nigeria, especially in the United States and Europe…are they optimistic about break away of the Biafran State?

Biafrans in the Diaspora are even more enthusiastic about an independent nation than some Biafrans at home. Any sign that a Referendum is on hand will see a deluge of Diaspora Biafrans flying back home. They will contribute in no small measure to bring rapid development to the new nation-state. Surely, this new nation will overtake Nigeria, which regards herself as the so- called largest country, in Africa. Yes! Largest in all types of vices like kidnappings, rape, sleeze oppression, abuse of human rights and so forth.

What are your recommendations here, what should or must be done under the current circumstances in Nigeria?

My perspective on the future or the way forward for Nigeria, the country has expired and cannot be revived, neither can it be reactivated. It is my well-considered opinion that any group or ethnic nationality, which wants to leave this contraption, should be granted their peace and freedom. Nigeria is too large to be one country since there are too many differences in religion, cultures and traditions, food and languages and other factors. Nigeria has never and can never be one. Unity has eluded the country.

If, however, Biafra becomes unattainable then we should go back to the parliamentary system of governance. A weak center with regional autonomy. As things are now, the country is rudderless and groping in the dark. If no positive action is taken soonest, Nigeria will take a nosedive into a deep precipice, in this case, the name will become irreversibly extinct. Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah.

Nnamdi Kanu warned over alleged threats to kill Igbo leaders

The Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, has warned the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to desist from creating problems for the Igbo people and stop threatening to kill the elders who go contrary to his opinion.

Chief Ralph Uwazuruike of the Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, had recently issued a similar warning to Kanu saying that Biafra should not be realized if it would be a place where elder statesmen and religious leaders would be insulted and dehumanised.

Kanu was accused of hauling insults on Igbo leaders and religious leaders through the London-based Radio Biafra and his social media platforms.

National deputy leader of BNYL, Ebuta Takon Akor in a statement to DAILY POST on Wednesday, said such action will put the lives of the IPOB members at risk.

The BNYL warned the IPOB supporters to be mindful of any instruction they carry out sheepishly.

“He is endangering the lives of his members because we will respond this time to any assassinated attempt on any elder in the East.

“These elders maybe doing things that we don’t like because of their age, we should condemn their moves, criticise them, we don’t have to threaten them with death, or are we helping the Fulani to kill our own?

“Nwodo was not the person who collected the defense funds Biafra supporters donated worldwide, uptil now we have not seen a single trained Soldier from IPOB to combat Fulani.

“The same thing he told his members to do Anthony Nwoko and when the man was killed they denied it, even when evidence from the National Leader of BNYL, Princewill Chimezie Richard pointed to one of their Enugu Chief Security they denied and flew him to Ghana, now he has started again, it won’t be taken this time.

“The killer of Nwoko has since taken to Ghana when he was exposed by BNYL, and his family issued statements denying that their son knows nothing about it, if we are as bad as the killers would have gone against such a family.

“Nnamdi Kanu must stop forming cult groups because we will mobilise our Militant boys to confront his cultists if he is looking for internal conflict like that of South Sudan, because this has nothing to do with Biafra struggle.

“Ebuta Takon Akor said his group will continue to stand for what is right despite who is involved, adding that they have been cautioning former Niger Delta Militant Leader, Asari Dokubo to sheaths his sword recently.”

BIAFRA : Nigeria elected member of UN Economic and Social Council

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday in New York elected Nigeria along with 17 other countries into the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN.

Newsmen report that the new ECOSOC members will serve for three years with effect from Jan.1, 2021.

Checks by NAN shows that this will be Nigeria’s third time of serving in the important council since 2012.

Considered the heart of the UN, the council ECOSOC drives the economic, social and environmental agenda of the UN.

While 14 seats are reserved for African countries in the council, only five were vacant for Wednesday’s election.

Madagascar, Liberia, Libya and Zimbabwe were elected along with Nigeria following their endorsement and presentation by their respective sub-regional organisations ealier.

Also elected are Indonesia, Japan and Solomon Islands to represent Asia-and Pacific states, and Bulgaria for the Eastern European Group.

Others include Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico to represent the Latin American and Caribbean Group.

Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom were elected to fill five vacant seats reserved for “Western European and other” states.

Nigeria’s Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Mr Samson Itegboje, told NAN that the country’s election within two years after its last term in the council underscored its diplomatic clout at the UN.

On why membership of ECOSOC is important to Nigeria, Itegboje described the council as a very strategic organ of the UN.

Under the UN Charter, it is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, employment and economic and social progress.

The council also identifies solutions to international economic, social and health problems, and facilitates international cultural and educational cooperation, among others.

Itegboje said as a member of the council Nigeria would be better placed to advance not only its interests but those of Africa as a whole.

Igbos on Twitter are Sharing the Lasting Legacies of the Biafran War

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as Biafran War, began in the year 1967 and ended in the year 1970. It’s been fifty years since the war ended, and the war is still not discussed or taught in schools as a part of Nigeria’s history. Those who learn about the war are those who were either directly affected, or have family members that were directly affected by it.

Many young Nigerians today who grew up in the West or whose families were not directly affected by the war know next to nothing about it. However, a couple of people who experienced the war either directly or through their parents eyes are sharing their stories on Twitter.

A lot are from interactions are from a tweet many have seen as distasteful.

Biafra was a WAR. A bloody WAR. Not an INVASION. There were unprintable killings, looting, stealing and ills on both sides. So many many books by the primary players document this. Stop talking about Biafra only from the victim perspective as though it was an invasion!!!

Many people, from all tribes, saw his tweet as distasteful and asked him not to speak on the matter if he didn’t understand what really happened, and the Igbos who had stories decided to use that as an opportunity to educate anyone who might have similar opinions.

Here’s what they had to say about the Biafran war:

Ayo, EASTERN NIGERIA WAS INVADED, 3 MILLION CIVILIANS MURDERED, FOOD AND HEALTH SUPPLIES BLOCKED FROM REACHING CIVILIANS, STARVATION AND HUNGER. THAT WASN'T A WAR, THAT WAS A GENOCIDE! A GENOCIDE!!!!

Biafra was a WAR. A bloody WAR. Not an INVASION. There were unprintable killings, looting, stealing and ills on both sides. So many many books by the primary players document this. Stop talking about Biafra only from the victim perspective as though it was an invasion!!!

My dad was recruited as a child soldier,he lost his onlybroda wen the naija army attacked,I encouraged him to talk about da conflict as a way to help him heal,alot of our past leaders who had a hand in that conflict,avoid the topic bcos they committed war crime's and they know it

It was a genocide. In war, we don't target unarmed civilians, women, and children. In war, we don't bomb places of worship, schools, and hospitals. Go read about what Murtala said at the end of the war. Or Adekunle's speech during the conflict.

I wasn't there during the war, but those who were alive then have told stories of events, none of the Westerners running their mouths here had any experience, neither do they know of any after effect of the damage that was done or is being done till today,

they all sing "move on" but till today the war is yet to be over, those who occupy the corridors of power and security have always used their offices to fight the Igbos till this day, they complain and groan when they even buy their properties and build houses today.

When they returned to Lagos in the middle of the war; from Asaba, my grandparents returned to their own pad. Neighbors told on them. They hid my grandpa, my grandma spoke Hausa, Cried and said said he was in his villiage. Or they'd have all died. But here you are, chatting shit.