I want to start this contribution by saying that, what
oxygen means to human existence is what Biafra means to the Igbos in the
absence of a country that accommodates Igbos’, interests. From all aspects and from different
perspectives, there is no diplomatic way of saying that the Hausa/Fulani and
majority of Yoruba Leaders, who are willing to be used and dumped as
Pathological and perpetual slaves to the North, because of love for quick cash
above all else, political offices and streaks of treachery, which runs in their
blood like oxygen, are existential threats to the Igbos and their general
interests. Danger which took its flight from the 60s, particularly 1966. I will
still come back to this as I proceed in this message.
I must remark here that this Biafran project and the
struggles associated with it, must be based on scientific strategy, that will
not allow any form of mistakes, miscalculations or retreats. It must be based on sound knowledge, not
emotion, not hear say, not this people gather as my people gather, not getting
stranded on the way because of wrong strategies or delayed
actions; the disease that disabled our first republic Leaders and
exposed us to the threats we are facing today in Nigeria as a people; with the
exception of Chukwuemeka Nzeogwu, who rose up to destroy the criminal and
threat network of the North and the
Yorubas against the Igbos, but were not supported by General Aguiyi Ironsi or
Emeka Ojukwu; instead they mis-handled the opportunity to stop the emergence of
a bigger problem that took its effect from July 29 ,1966 and led by Gowon and
Awolowo, who was later induced to join
the killing squad; a challenge that has assumed multiple dimensions today.
By sound knowledge I mean, we need to go back to the
past, through “customized Education”, to know what happened to us in the past,
that made people who cannot beat the Igbos in any contest, you can name of, from
eternity to become Lords and threats to the Igbo, politically, economically,
educationally, in fact, existentially.
It is not enough to blame Nigerians- Hausa/Fulani and Yorubas for their
conspiracy to eliminate the Igbos and take over our property, political
positions in high and low places, money in the banks and resources. We need to dig deep and find out how they
gained access into Igbo territories and was comfortable enough to cause such a
damage and devastation to Igbo interests.
What were our Igbo leaders doing?
This is one question our leaders have not provided the answer. The first
day I met Chief Mbazulike Amaechi (a Zikist) at Ohanaeze meeting at
Amuwo-Odofin in Lagos State, when I was the Ohanaeze Alimosho Chairman and
Ohanaeze Lagos State Chairmen Forum Secretary, respectively. This is the only
question I asked him; and I expected him to use the microphone to answer the
question to the hearing of everyone in the hall. He did not say anything. Indeed,
there was nothing to say; they only watched as threats were gathering before
1966 challenge. This is what history told me, through an independent, unbiased
and elaborate research activity.
We need to explore the history of Nigeria from 1914 till
today, in order to establish conflicts of interests, divergences, convergences,
relationships and developments. We need
to go back to review the actions of Dr.
Nnamdi Azikiwe, General Aguiyi
Ironsi, General Emeka Ojukwu and how what they did, and what they did not do
opened the doors wide for the North and Yorubas to come in and become Lords,
and form alliances with the purpose of
eliminating the Igbos in order to take over their high political positions,
their property, money in the banks, and initiate and implement policies that were strategically
designed to cripple Igbos, economically, politically, socially and
existentially. We can see how people who did not contribute anything to the
independence and liberation struggle, people, who would not have survived
without the resources from eastern Nigeria, are now insultingly and arrogantly
boasting how they will rule Nigeria forever, and see themselves as headmasters
that will determine who will contest elections in Nigeria and who will become
presidents and governors. And Ohanaeze is busy talking about an issue that
cannot work with elements with deviant mentality; Ohanaeze is busy singing lullaby like our first
republic leaders, Ohanaeze is busy trying to make something ,out of deliberate
confusion created by those that benefitted from the atrocities of 1966-1970; Ohanaeze
is busy talking to elements that are still operating from Igbo
properties, which they commandeered after 1970 and have become billionaires
because of Igbo money in Nigerian banks, which they stole and shared after
1970, with Yakubu Gowon and Obafemi Awolowo as
major beneficiaries; Ohanaeze is being very insensitive like His
Excellence, General J.T.U Aguiyi
–Ironsi, and other Igbo officers in the military before 1966 ; who surrounded
himself with SEVEN NORTHERN SOLDIERS AS BODY-GUARDS ;and a head of state ,who
was murdered without resistance from anywhere because, he was so insensitive
that he walled himself with those that declared themselves, enemies of the
Igbos. Now Ironsi has given them power to insult the Igbos and to tell Igbos
whether they will be president of Nigeria or not.
These three Igbo Leaders, were directly responsible for
the challenges Igbos are facing today in this country, because of trusting
people who demonstrated they are not reliable and acting against threats after
wasting too much time. Unfortunately,
Ohanaeze has not learnt anything from these mistakes, each time they talk about
“restructuring instead of insisting on referendum, which is the final
word”. Ohanaeze is feeling comfortable
associating with these same people who are liars, saboteurs and who have
declared themselves enemies of Ndigbo.
Ohanaeze will sit down with them and talk about Nigeria and
restructuring, only to go back and connive with Buhari and his northern
brothers to sabotage Igbo’s political and economic interests. The Afenifere faction, led by Pa Ayo Adebanjo
that Ohanaeze is promoting restructuring with, does not have any influence in
south west.
I cannot imagine in my life that Ohanaeze will bring
itself so low to be engaging in political argument with “Miyetti Allah” – an
association of cow-breeders and goat keepers, to the extent that Buhari’s
spokesman and one of their members (Garba Shehu) is now telling Ohanaeze that
Miyetti Allah is like them. This is the
beginning because, when you are talking about restructuring, it means you are
opening the doors again for the enemies to come in and attack the Igbos; when
we have not recovered from the avoidable mistakes of our past leaders. The North and their leaders and their
Yoruba slaves particularly in APC are
aware of these vulnerabilities and are exploiting them to the fullest. Our people in APC are spectators, while the
North and Yorubas share our commonwealth.
Look at the kind of money Buhari is moving to the north, foreign loans,
projects, and many others. They are only talking about repairing roads in
south-east. Look at the projects being executed and commissioned in south west.
I am sure they will soon position the “snake charmers association in the North
with their Yoruba counterpart to engage Ohanaeze in rubbish argument and start
abusing the Igbos again. After, they
will position their Almajiris, cows and goats and others to contend with Ohanaeze.
These are the insults, disgrace and dishonour and defects
one attracts when your strategy is defective.
Igbos do not deserve these, because God made and equipped us to be on
top. The victims of these mistakes,
those that were badly affected by the Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba war against
Biafra and the generation I belong to, will not watch and allow Ohanaeze to
open the door again for the north and Yorubas to have a leeway to instigate
another crisis and to do what they did from 19661970, and continued till
today. The war is still going on in
government ministries, departments and agencies, exemplified by what Muhammed
Buhari is doing with his position and appointments. If you are watching and
hearing what is going on in South west particularly Lagos State, you will
understand that he Yorubas are at it again.
Go to Ladipo, go to Alaba international market, go to international
trade fair, go to Computer village, the story is that the Yorubas through Lagos
State government want to control Igbo investments and property in Lagos State,
they are sponsoring crisis there. I am
working on the details (see Daily Independent, Friday, May 10, 2019 page 28;
Daily Sun, Monday, April 1,2019 page 18.).
Ohanaeze should have mobilized the Igbos at home and
abroad, to march on, or confront this government, insist on referendum and stop
these obnoxious propensities of Buhari
and his Yoruba supporters; but where are they? We only hear about endorsements
of politicians. They are busy talking
about restructuring, they are busy talking to deaf and dumb people, they are
busy exchanging words with cow breeders and keepers, who do not have idea of
how to get grass to feed their animals, they are busy exchanging words with
people who are singing and dancing around all manner of negativities; they are
arguing with people who sleep on top of trees and live in caves. It is
unfortunate.
I must also mention here that I am aware of reactions,
each time General Emeka Ojukwu’s name was mentioned and the feelings of some
people. But may I advise that though
General Ojukwu was a great man and a true son of Igboland, some of his actions
during the Nigeria – Biafra war helped those who declared themselves enemies of
Ndigbo, to succeed, thereby giving them leverages.
I am not talking from the position of ignorance,
illiteracy or as a victim; I have in my library today more than ten (10) books
on Nigeria -Biafran war by different authors, on different titles and from
different countries.
I was badly and roundly affected by the “watch, while
things go wrong attitude” of our past leaders; I was seriously affected by the
Gowon and Awolowo led atrocities and genocide of 1966-1970. Atrocities that
also led to the death of my young and beautiful mother. What I did was not to
apportion blames, but invest first in research.
That exploration and exposition which resulted from that academic
activity have so far produced more than four (4) books and counting, which will
soon be presented to the world. None is
less than 300 pages. After going through
them, you will ask questions, and after that you will either weep or lament and
start appreciating and supporting the efforts some of us are making to ensure
that we understand what happened to us and how, so that in this new struggle,
we work with knowledge and precision.
IPOB and the victims of 1966-1970 have the responsibility
to take the Igbos to where they should be, and position the Igbos to be among
the super-powers. I love you all.
Written by:
E. Chidi Ofoegbu
For: Biafra State Media
Published by:
Chibuike John Nebeokike
For: Biafra State Media
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