BIAFRA At Asata primary school where I started breaking chalks in 1978, I saw for the first time in my life people gathering and wearing grim faces; some were hissing while others were stroking their two palms. I joined some boys playing in front of G STEPS No 5, Dewhurst Asata Enugu right at the back of Metro Cinema, but because my mind could not go off what I earlier taught of, I ran back to watch and see details on while people should be posturing that way, one of my cousin drew me from my shirt and said why are you here, did you see any child like you around, get back home, she badly finished speaking when people started trooping out of a bungalow, I saw some men about six of them coming out bearing a coffin on their head, I also saw a military cap with a red stripe round it, on close observation, I notice an inscription which I could not see clearly but part of it, it reads, CAPTAIN JOSEPH Eze ( A BIAFRAN ARMY). When did I ask my senior sister where they are taken the man to? She said not the man but his mock coffin; he died in Biafra war front, nobody saw his dead body so the family decided to remember him. The man in question is from Udi local government of Enugu state, one year later I saw people again moving up and down from the same compound, two buses parked outside was filled with women, one open lorry came loaded with elderly men and relatively young men, my father drove his old 404 with my mother sitting in front, when they saw me my mom said to me my son I kept bread for your breakfast tomorrow in the cupboard and do not tell your sisters that it is there until tomorrow do you understand? I replied yes ma'am. But my father who worked with Biafran relief supply, and later was moved by General Odumegwu Ojukwu to Biafran research and production, he could not take my mother's over pampering, he quickly came down from his drivers seat opened the rear door of the car and said to me GET INSIDE WITH MILITARY COMMANDING TONE, my mother then asks him where is he taken me to, he looked at my mom and said HE IS GOING WITH US. I was thinking that my mother will stoutly defend me so that dad will drop the idea of going with me, she didn't follow up her question and my father drove off in his usually high speed. When we got to a particular village which I cannot remember now, I saw those people that I met seating inside buses and a truck they wear walking pass a WALL PAINTED WITH WHITE EMOTION, it was silence everywhere, none was talking to each other, my dad drew me closer and said son listen, this is Captain Joseph's village, the building there is his father's house, this WALL painted white is built by the villagers in remembrance of Captain J.Eze, when we get there, whatever you see me do, do the same thing and if you make me angry, wait and see what I will do to you when we get home. Men, I cautioned myself since my mother who always come to my defence had disappeared in the midst of other women. I saw many Biafran soldiers, some old but very active, others are still very young, everybody walking past the Huge white WALL, muttering something which I later know to be praises and encomiums being poured on the gallant Biafran soldier CAPTIAN JOSEPH EZE. I noticed that when each person gets to the WALL, he or she slows down in pace, turn right facing the giant white WALL says whatever you want to say in split seconds and walk away to join the crowd. Before my father and I got near the WALL, he lectured me on what to say like CAPTAIN JOSEPH; YOU ARE A HERO, WARRIOR OF BIAFRALAND WE WILL LIVE TO REMEMBER YOU. You will then dip two fingers into a white basin filled with powder substance placed on top of the iron table, pick little of it and cast it on the WALL then say the last words PEACE BE UNTO YOU. My father later join his colleagues I saw my mates there but dare not move to join them because the atmosphere there was that of wailing and mourning. Nobody was crying, though, but you can feel the serenity all over the place. I don't know if that ceremony had continued or just for that year. It is important we establish that kind of traditional remembrance place, I heard that Israel has such WALL but built by the government. We can do the same according to our genocidal experience in the zoo called Nigeria. We do not need to assemble in a place where the idiots the zoo Arny, Hausa/Fulani or Yoruba will have asses to, it will be declared HOLY by all core Biafrans, you can fly from the USA to Biafraland just to pay respect for our dead heroes and heroines. Just like a monument but a different one because names of all known Biafrans who died in the struggle for our nationhood shall be found there. From IGBO, IJAW, IGBANKE, IGALA, IGWE OCHA, AKWA IBOM, OGOJA, ITSEKIRI, IBIBIO, URHOBO, IDOMA, DELTA ETC. Remember, core dead Biafrans are brought home for burial and eternal remembrance. ALL HAIL BIAFRA. by Benjamin Kish.
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