Years ago, out of extreme circumstances was a nation born. Harsh as
these circumstances were this nation came into being through the
instruments of succession as a means of survival. Ironically these
people who had opted to secede had prior to this period acted as the
cement that kept the nation together and had contributed so greatly to
that nation they wanted to pull out from. That nation was Biafra, a
country that survived and fought for 33 months against the onslaught of
the Nigerian nation which was aided by two world powers and against
disease and starvation.Pro-Buhari women group seeks referendum on Biafra
Biafra from all indications was a model, she was a beacon of light to
all who through the inadequacies of their political systems all over
the world found themselves in somewhat a disadvantaged structure.
But what really was Biafra’s identity? What legacies of history can
be attributed to this Republic of the free men and women east of the
Niger River.
Yes Biafra lost, yes Biafra exists only in the minds of the ordinary
Igbo man, thus it is a part of us, it is our history. Therefore there is
need for us as a people to remember the greatness of the past that we
may in the present work towards a glorious future!Wole Soyinka Backs Biafra, Oduduwa Republics' Agitators, Says It’s Their Right To Secede
Firstly, Biafra was not merely the sheer, perhaps whimsical will of
one man, then Colonel Emeka Ojukwu to lead his own nation. Some
historians wrongly see Biafra as the egoistic call of Ojukwu. Some say
that he stalled every move by Gowon to heal the wounds, some allege that
his rich background as an Oxford graduate contributed to his obstinacy
to Gowon’s attempt to bring the It’ll be idiotic to break Nigeria – Obasanjo tackles IPOB, Yoruba nation agitators situation in the nation to normal. It is
said that he also felt that by virtue of rank, he and not Gowon was fit
to lead the country. Gowon had sometime ago made comments saying that
Ojukwu never believed that he would go to war. This my dear reader
remains untrue since Biafra was more or less the gasping response of the
people of the Eastern Region to the senseless slaughter that befell her
people in the North under Gowon’s ‘born again’watchful eye in Lagos.
Where men, women and cjhildren were butchered with much ceremony during
those dark days of long knives. We should not forget that Ojukwu, then
leader of the Eastern Region had asked those who survived the first
onslaught to return back, thus to have again expected Ojukwu to trust
the safety of his people to the vacilliating promises and assurances of
Gowon and Hassan Kastina who then was the Military Governor of the
Northern is similar to asking the lamb to accept a hungry lion’s
guarantee of safety and security even if the lion swore with his
ancestors mane.
These petty revisionists are so quick to forget that the Aburi Accord
which was unilaterally repudiated by Gowon was another reason for the
declaration of Biafra, Aburi was perhaps Ojukwu’s last hope that he
would preserve the link with Nigeria without bloodshed nor the further
humiliation of his people, Gowon’s flip flop manner at implementing the
Aburi Accord forced Ojukwu into the hands of the hawks who demanded
Biafra.Igbo behind Biafran agitation, backing South-East serial violence – CNG
Even at that, Ojukwu still believed in one Nigeria, operating under a
different framework, a nation that moved further apart in order to
preserve her existence instead of a collision that would serve no one
nor region any good. If Ojukwu was power hungry or one seeking for his
own kingdom, the Eastern Region would have been more than prepared for
seccession and his boast of no force in Black Africa would defeat Biafra
would have for sure been more than a boast. We can surely see from
history’s many versions that at the point of secession, Biafra had a few
arms and even well trained men. Is it possible that Ojukwu who was no
doubt a strategist , who would always understand the long consequences
of war and it’s odds, would have gone into seccesion without adequate
preparation? It would therefore be unfair to think otherwise, Biafra
thus was a forced child of circumstance that Ojukwu was asked or should I
say forced to give birth to.https://saviournicodemus.blogspot.com/2021/06/igbo-behind-biafran-agitation-backing.html
Again, it will be unfair for Biafra to be described as an Igbo
republic or worse an Igbo rebellion. A close look at the Eastern Region
which pulled out of Nigeria shows that it was made up of the Igbos,
Ijaws, Efik, Ikwerre, Ogoja, Ibibio, Kalabari and so on. In the build up
to the declaration of Biafra, all within the Eastern Region, living
then in the North as at the time of the pogroms had been declared as
Yamirin( A derogatory word used by the average Northerner to describe
the Igbo man) all suffered either the loss of a loved one or a
disfigured one, the Northern mob encouraged by those in authority
slaughtered everyone who was from the Eastern Region under the guise
that they were slaugthering the Yamirin.
Not only that, the Eastern Region minorities were adequately
consulted on matters affecting the Region, even the choice of willing to
be unfree partners in any association of a political or
economical nature was offered to the Eastern Region leaders
including the minorities whose response was a solemn seven point
declaration authorising Ojukwu to declare the Eastern Region as a
Republic as soon as practicable.Fredrick Nwabufo Who offended Buhari – Twitter or Nigerians
Some cynics may attempt to pooh pooh the idea by asking why
minorities were quick to embrace one Nigeria as soon as they were overun
by Benjamin Adekunle’s Third Marine Commandos, my answer to this would
be who wouldn’t? Or would the Yorubas from Ore to Lagos not have danced
welcome to the ‘liberating ‘ Biafran Army which on the course of its
Bliztrieg would have swept an already panicking Gowon out of Lagos?
Did Paris not welcome the German Army? Did Crimea not welcome the Russians?
Thirdly there are many who assert that Biafra was everything
unafrican since she allied herself with countries that were deemed then
as not to friendly to the African cause. Countries like Portugal and
South Africa ( Racist South Africa) top this list.Oduduwa, Biafra Citizens Won't Be Valued Like Nigerian Citizens—Obasanjo Warns Secessionists, Agitators
Those who agree with this line of argument are simply naïve, the
support of these countries for Biafra was simply political. Nigeria at
that point presented the biggest threats to South Africa’s hegemony in
Southern Africa. Nigeria was also to back those seeking independence in
Namibia and Angola. Namibia then was under South Africa as its Trustee
while Angola was a colony of the Portugeuse. Thus the balkanization of
Nigeria would have been a Christmas gift to both nations. Even at that,
Biafra’s major agenda was survival as a nation first , the war could not
afford Ojukwu and other policy makers the luxury of selecting friends
based on ideology and what have you not, even if it meant aligning with
the devil himself. Again those who hold such myopic views forget that
Biafra had the likes of France, Kaunda’s Zambia,Bongo’s Gabon,
Nyerere’s Tanzania, Boigny’s Ivory Coast and Papa Doc’s Hait supporting
and recognising Biafra. Of these nations the Pan African credentials of
Nyerere and Kaunda is not in doubt, they forget this or the fact that
Britain which was supporting Nigeria was treating Ian Smith’s racist
Zimbabwe with kid gloves. What of Nigeria which at independence had
refused to give the Soviet Union even a room for its embassy was backed
Soviet MIG’s, guns and diplomatic support during the war?https://saviournicodemus.blogspot.com/2021/06/oduduwa-biafra-citizens-wont-be-valued.html
Biafra today was the first attempt by the African to define himself
and redraw his borders, how in God’s name could such be unafrican?
The cost of the war today is still with us, the loved ones, the
properties destroyed and confisticated and the perceived
marginalisation of Ndigbo , where we have five states, least number of
Local Government Councils, lack of federal presence etc are legacies
left behind to teach us a people a lesson, but come what may, and in
what manner, the Igbo people know and will know that Biafra had her
identity and it is not what they teach us in our history classes or what
our instituitions have been primed to say but it is in our belief that
then and as in now, our will to freedom, justice and survival was God
given and that it was our duty to take it.deleted tweet, a Twitter ban and Biafran wounds that have never healed
In memory of the millions of lives who died in the struggle!
