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Monday, November 30, 2015

BIAFRA AND ITS CAUSE

Written by Lucas Anuforo

"When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw."...Nelson Mandela
"Those who do not move do not notice their chain."...Rosa Luxemburg

In an establish State where some section of the country start to be vocal or inquisitive on some sensitive issues which militate their wellbeing such as marginalisation or hegemony of power by a particular race or ethnic within the same territory certainly, things are not really well with such nation.

A nation that craves for development and strong union should carry everyone along irrespective of language, colour, race, creed, ethnic diversity, religion, cultural values or sexual orientation. In essence the country in question should practise an equitable distribution of wealth, equal opportunities and procrustean development where every individual will see each other as equal more so where no ethnic, race or group of persons should see the country as patrimony or 'born to rule syndrome.'

Since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 by the then imperial government of Britain the consequences of it was the country being forced into sham marriage between the three ethno groups mainly the north, west and east. Basically these were three separate countries with different religion and cultural values coming together as one nation but consequently, failed to manage their differences as an entity instead, what it witnessed was war, hatred, ethnicity, tribalism, nepotism and corruption. These vices were what characterised to the birth of Biafra which led to the thirty months bloody civil war against the Nigerian government from (1967 to 1970).

The post civil war era of the late 1960s-1970 created odium within the fabric of Nigerian society the Igbos were most victims of marginalisation hence they lost the war; it implies that they have no much role to play in the mainstream of events in the country both politically and economically.

However the civil war was a great set back to the Igbos just like the Jews holocaust in Auschwitz from (1938 -1945) where 6,000,000 Jews were exterminated. The holocaust is now a yearly remembrance across the globe which also becomes a sensitive issue to the Israelis you dare not, make any contradictory statement, to falsify or alter the history of the Jews genocide unless you want to get yourself into trouble with Israeli government.

Ndigbo lost over one million of its citizens in the conflict. The war was a pogrom, ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by the federal government of Nigeria. Some families' generations were totally wiped off from trace of history. Up till present, no account was given and no proper reconciliation despite the lip service of 'no 'victors no vanquish' and the (3Rs) initiated by the then federal government i.e. Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation which they never implemented. Till date the Igbo are still nursing the pains of the brutal war because the Nigerian government has not done enough to really reintegrate them back fully in the administrative governance of the country. No Igbo President since after 45 years of the end of the civil war. Does it mean that Ndigbo cannot produce a competent hand for the top job or is there in any part of the country's constitution which states or prohibits that those who lose war, will not ascend to the post of the presidency? These are questions that any right- thinking mind will ask.

All successive administrations in the past were intransigent on the Igbos seeing them as a threat to the national unity. It could be recalled that no successive administration were able to allow the Igbos to handle some sensitive administrative positions relating to the nation's security such as the Police Force; the Army the Air force and the Navy. The position of Inspector General (IG), the Army Chief of Staff, the Chief of Defence Staff, the position of the Naval Chief and the seat of the Chief Justice of the federation all these were reserved positions meant for the Yoruba, the Hausa and some ethnic minorities. Despite all these ill-treatments Ndigbo have been dauntless and pertinacious in the establishment of a strong union called NIGERIA. It was the recently, that the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan who confuted every doubt about the Igbos by giving them some of these key administrative positions still it wasn't enough to cushion the effect of the maltreatment on Ndigbo.

On the issue of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MOSSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) these pressure groups were founded on the platform of agitation based on the marginalisation of the Igbos. Many believed that the current demonstration shown by the youths of south-east and some part south- south were empowered and sponsored by some highly placed individuals. Thus one should be reminded that the world is now on cyber age and a global village where people are being inspired through online media, cable TV, the mobile devices. More so some events that had already taken place in other countries could serve as morale booster to further such agitation.

There are lots speculations about the pro Biafra benefactors who are living in mansions and driving exquisite cars while the youths are on the streets constituting nuisances and miscreants. Igbos youths are not the Amagiris or the Alaye boys that can be induce to be restive. An average Igbo youth knows what he/ she wants because they are serious minded and hardworking people by nature moreover they don't pay allegiance or obsequious to anyone even to their elders. Yes they can venerate but not when it comes in taking advantage of them or try to exploit an Igbo man he will bluntly refuse and will not succumb to such idea.

The demonstration shown by these youths on the street was not necessarily only for the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) but due to the long outstanding issues that relate to the wellbeing of the people of south-east which had been unattended for a long time. They did not vehemently, wake up and start demanding for Biafra state but because they've seen that the country has failed them in all facet of life and believed that it's time for them to take up the future in their own hands.

However the recent publication on Vanguard November 20/2015 captioned "Ohaneze disowned Biafra agitators, says Biafra died 1970." Going through the publication it now raises question about the genuineness and creditability of the Ohaneze. The question a rational mind will ask who are the so-called Ohaneze? Is it those that have given up their birth rights for just a plate of porridge or those who gallivant and make jaywalk to Aso Rock Abuja sourcing for menial contracts? Does the Igbos have credible leaders or is it those who impersonate themselves wearing red fez hats? If there is Ohaneze where were they when Igbo citizens were slaughtered in hundreds during the Kano riot? 
If there is Ohaneze why the 2nd Niger Bridge still remain uncompleted for such a long period of time? And if there is Ohaneze why all the roads in the south-east are in state of dilapidation? These are issues the name 'OHANEZE' should represent and not by denying the youths. Ohaneze is just political and not for the benefits of the Ndigbo they have no objective to start with thus a "mission without a vision is an illusion." They should borrow a leaf from AREWA Consultative Assembly or from Afanifere who have made good representation for their people. It is not surprise that the so-called Ohaneze will deny the Igbo youths because of the commitments they've made that south-east will continue to be perpetually underdeveloped in as much as their names are in Abuja payroll they don't care the plights of others.

The era of crushing and repression in order to silence popular opinion is over. Technology has change the way people view things. The internet age has changed the system of information dissemination. Today, an ordinary peanut hawker and other food vendors on the street could video and record every slight event in a matter of seconds and send it to world. The recent event is being closely watched by international community and the government should be very sensitive in handling the issue. Crushing MOSSOB and IPOB would not solve the problem but rather it may further more civil unrest. It is the duty of government to carry all ethnics along in line with constitution of the country which allowed every individual to have an opportunity that will result in an equal outcome regardless of the state or tribe he/she may come from.

No successive administration has ever addressed the issue of marginalisation because, it has been a clandestine issue hence the Hausa and the Yoruba are at the helm of affairs they give no hoot to other ethnics and presumed that everything is alright. No ethnic, race or tribe is indispensible. What formed the American Union today were different nationalities from all corners of the globe irrespective of colour, creed, religion or language. America consists of the Hispanics, the Latinos, the African- Americans, Irish Americans, the Native Americans etc that what makes United States the greatest country in the world. Each citizen's problem is the United State's problem regardless of colour.

The government should recognise that Ndigbo have made laudable contributions to the country's economy even after the civil war they were able to pick up their pieces and continued struggle for survival. The Igbos control almost all the commerce in the federation no state out of the 36 states in the country where Igbos have not made their domineering power present. They are gifted tribe just like the Jews who secretly control economy of the world.

However in order to pacify the restiveness of the youths the government should walk across all aisles and find solution through proper implementation of good framework that will create jobs with equal opportunities, uniform and sustainable development within all states of the federation. This is the only way the country can move forward in economic development. Nigeria will only develop and unite when leaders embrace love and shun ethnic divides. No country can survive two wars and no country will make a meaningful economic progress without proper planning for the youths. May God bless Nigeria!


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THE IGBO RANT

I am an Igbo, I was born an Igbo, I live the life of an Igbo, I come from Igbo, I speak Igbo, I like to be Igbo, I like to dress in Igbo, I eat Igbo food, my heritage, culture and tradition is Igbo, my parents are Igbo.

Am sorry I cannot help it if you hate my lineage. Am sorry I cannot help it if you detest Igbo, am sorry I cannot help it if you hate me because am Igbo. Igbo is who I am, my name is Igbo and I must die an Igbo.

You see Igbo as a threat, why? You call Igbo rapist, criminals, ritualist, prostitutes, kidnappers. You attribute all negative vices to represent Igbo? Why do you do that? You do because you feel threatened that Igbo might outrun the rest of the tribes. Why do you hate Igbo and despise us? You do that because we are creative, enlightened, hardworking, industrious, genius, intelligent, smart, rich, beautiful and amazing. But its difficult for you to admit it because you feel jealous of my race.

Igbo do not own politics, Igbo do not control the economy neither do we control the natural resources and the common wealth of the nation. You do, we don't and yet, despite the fact that you own everything, we still remain one indispensable race that has outshined the other race in all ramifications.

You fear us because you want to exterminate and annihilate our race, you deny us many things and yet we are stronger, richer and mightier. You fear us because we are everywhere. You fear us because no matter how rural a place might be, when Igbo steps in, they turn it into a Paradise. We have our own resources, which lies in resourcefulness, we do not bother you and your control over the polity, but yet when we cough you and the other race begin to shiver.

Am proud being an Igbo, am proud of my heritage and culture. Igbo means high class, Igbo means independence, Igbo means hard work and strength, Igbo means riches, Igbo means resourcefulness, Igbo means self belonging, Igbo means self esteem, Igbo means pride, Igbo means swag.

Udo diri unu umunnem.
# IgboAmaka
# AnyiBuNdiMmeri

Michael Ezeaka
------------------------------

This is beautiful poetry ...

In response to Alaba Ajibola, the Babcock Lecturer Hate Speech against Igbos.

BIBLICAL TRADITIONS OF NDI IGBO BEFORE THE MISSIONARIES CAME TO AFRICA* IGBO 101.

1. NSÓ NWANYĮ
In Igboland women live apart from their husbands and neither cook for them nor enter their husband's quarters when they are in their period. They are seen as unclean. Even up till today such practice is still applicable in some parts of Igboland especially by the traditionalists. Before a woman can enter the palace of Obi of Onitsha, she will be asked if she is in her period, if yes, she will be asked to stay out.

Leviticus 15: 19-20
When a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean, anyone who touches her or anything she has sat on becomes unclean.

2. ANA OBI
An Igbo man's ancestral heritage, called “Ana Obi” is not sellable, elders will not permit this. If this is somehow done due to the influence of the West the person is considered a fool and is ostracized by the community.

1 Kings 21:3
I inherited this vineyard from my ancestors, and the Lord forbid that I should sell it, said Naboth.

3. IKUCHI NWANYĮ
Igbos have practiced the taking of a late brother's wife into marriage after she had been widowed until the white men came. Now it is rarely done but except in very rural villages.

Deuteronomy 25:5
A widow of a dead man is not to be married outside the family; it is the duty of the dead man's brother to marry her.

4. ĮGBA ODIBO
In Igboland, there is a unique form of apprenticeship in which either a male family member or a community member will spend six (6) years (usually in their teens to their adulthood) working for another family. And on the seventh year, the head of the host household, who is usually the older man who brought the apprentice into his household, will establish (Igbo: idu uno) the apprentice
by either setting up a business for him or giving money or tools by which to make a living.

Exodus 21:2
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay you anything.

5. IRI JI OFŲŲ
In Igboland , the yam is very important as it is their staple crop. There are celebrations such as the New yam festival (Igbo: Iri Ji) which are held for the harvesting of the yam. New Yam festival (Igbo: Iri ji) is celebrated annually to secure a good harvest of the staple crop. In the olden days it is an abomination for one to eat a new harvest before the festival. It's a tradition that you give the gods of the land first as a thanksgiving.

Deuteronomy 16:9
Count 7 weeks from the time that you begin to harvest the crops, and celebrate the harvest festival to honor the lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you. Celebrate in the Lord's presence together with your children, servants, foreigners. Be sure that you obey my command, said the Lord.

6. IBE UGWU
In Igboland it's a tradition that the male children are circumcised on the 8th day. This tradition is still practiced till date.

Leviticus 12:3
On the eighth day, the child shall be circumcised.

7. ÓMŲGWÓ
In Igboland, there is a practice known as "ile omugwo ". After a woman has given birth to a child, a very close and experienced relative of hers, in most cases her mother is required by tradition to come spend time with her and her husband. During which she is to do all the work of the wife, while the new mom's only assignment to the baby will be to breastfeed. This goes on for a month or more. In the Igbo old tradition, at this time, the new mom lives apart from her husband, would not cook or enter his quarters.

Leviticus 12:1-4
For seven days after a woman gives birth, she is ritually unclean as she is during her monthly period. It will be 33 days until she is ritually clean from the loss of blood; she is not to touch anything that is holy.

THE IGBO TRIBE AND ITS FEAR OF EXTINCTION

The Igbo tribe is in a serious problem and danger of extinction for the following reasons:

50% of Igbos are born outside Igbo land. Meaning that those children are not likely to live and work in Igbo land and cannot speak Igbo language but foreign language (Yoruba, Hausa, French, English).

40% of Igbos girls between the age of 25 & 45 are single with no hope of marriage because 35% of Igbo boys live overseas and they have all married white ladies.

75% of Igbo youths leave Igbo land every year in search of opportunities in Yoruba, Hausa land or overseas.

85 % of Igbos have family houses and own investments outside Igbo land. They strongly believe in one Nigeria but failed to know that NO Yoruba or Hausa man has a family house or investment in Igbo land.

Igbos are the only people who believe that living outside their land is an achievement.

Igbos are the only tribe that celebrate their tradition outside their land e.g. Eze Ndi Igbo, Igbo Village in America and this is because they have family homes in foreign lands.

Igbos have failed to know that the children you have outside Igbo land especially overseas will never think of living in Igbo land. So what happens to the properties you are building for them when you are gone?

Igbos are the only tribe who see their land as a place to visit or a tourist site than a place to work and live.

Igbos are the only tribe who instead of promoting and appreciating their culture through movies and documentaries they have sought to ridicule it by portraying rituals, killings, wickedness, love for money and other social vices which were not originally inherent in our culture thereby cursing more harm than actually promoting their culture.

Igbos are the only people who without hesitation believe their history and description when it is told or written by an enemy or a foreigner. E.g. that you do not love yourselves or that you love money.

Igbos are the ONLY largest tribe on earth who fought for their independence and failed to achieve their freedom after 40 years.

Igbos are the only tribe who fails to honour their brave heroes and heroines especially the innocent children starved to death during the Biafran war.

Igbos are the only tribe who embraced their enemy after a bloody civil war and subsequently become slaves.

Igbos do not find it necessary to teach their own version of history to their children.

Igbos fight for marginalisation in Nigeria but has no collective strength or teeth to bite.

Igbos how long are you going to fight for your relevance in Nigeria?

How long are you going to fight for a functional airport, rail networks and other structural establishments that underpin sustainable development?

How long are you prepared to wait for your enemy to guide you to your destiny?

Oh Igbos!
Where are your leaders?

Unfortunately, none of them live and work in Igbo land. If you wish to save the future of your children, your identity, your generation and your race then you need freedom and that freedom is Biafra.

Ukpana Okpoko gburu bu nti chiri ya!

By Chime Eze
#COPIED

The Igbo: We die for causes, not for personalities

Written by Emeka Maduewesi

~on fb. 28th September, 2016.


The Igbo will never die for anyone. We will not even riot for anyone. But the Igbo will die for any cause they believe in because the Igbo have a true sense of justice and a determination to obtain it.


The Igbo will not riot because one of their own lost an election. Operation Wetie was the Western response to a massively rigged 1965 election. The Yoruba doused fellow Yorubas in petrol and burnt them alife. Properties were burnt with occupants. The Igbo will never do this.


In 1983, the Yoruba went on a rampage again over the massive rigging by NPN. Lifes were lost and properties destroyed. The riots were over personalities.


Contrast that with Anambra State where Chief Emeka Ojukwu was rigged out by his own NPN, who also rigged out Chief Jim Nwobodo. The Igbo did not protest because the goat's head is still in the goat's bag.


In the North, ba muso was the battle cry when Sultan Dasuki was imposed on the Sokoto Caliphate. The riot and protest lasted for days and crippled economic activities.


The Igbo will riot over issues and causes. The Aba Women Riot was over Tax. The Enugu coal mine riot was about conditions of service. The Ekumeku Uprising was over British colonialization.


Those of "Ekumeku" ancestry - Umu Eze Chima and Umu Nri - were at the forefront of the struggles for Nigerian independence, with people like Dr. A A Nwafor Orizu and Chief Osita Agwuna serving prison terms. Any struggles the parents could not conclude is continued by the children by other means.


The Biafran war was a response to the genocide. The war in fact was brought upon us. The battlefield was Eastern Region. The war ended in 1970 but the issues and causes were not resolved. That is where we are today.


The Igbo will also jointly rise to fight evil in their midst. They did it in Onitsha in the 1980's, Owerri in the 90's, and with Bakkassi in the 2000.


The Igbo will not die for any man. But the Igbo will stand by any man who symbolizes their cause and their pursuit of justice. Even if the man dies, the struggle continues, and like the Ekumeku warriors, the children will pick up the baton from their parents.


This is the Igbo I know, the Igbo I am, and the Igbo we are. This is my story. Feel free to tell yours.

RT. HON. DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE TO DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (1981)

"My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to a dizzy height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May you be acknowledged world-wide as you rise as an eagle atop trees, float among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men.... as leaders of all countries pour into Nigeria to breathe into her ear.

But then, Chuba, if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men of the world, as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as you see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand snatch it away from you. Just as you look forward to hosting the world’s most powerful leader and shaking his hands, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head fall off your shoulders.

None of my words will come to pass, Chuba, until you have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then you will be hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and your name in tatters forever...”
THE REST IS HISTORY AS EVERY WORD OF THE CURSE ON CHUBA CAME TO PASS.

LET'S BE AS PASSIONATE AS WE WANT TO AND BE MODERATE IN OUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION TO ISSUES AS WORDS OF OUR ELDERS ARE WORDS OF WISDOM

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