SPONSORED POST***
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As a boy in Command Secondary School Jos, the workings and everyday happenings of government has always tickled my fancy. It might be a personification of my sapioosexuality or the dexterity of my government teacher, Mr Sado.
Whatever it is, Nigerian civil war also known as Biafran war has always been an island i like to visit. The renewed vigour and fight for emancipation of varying Biafran vanguards makes me take a trip to this very Island.
However, these vanguards have been known to use underarm and untoward strategies to further this sentience. The sentience of being the victim, an ephemeral victim on the grounds of marginalization by successive governments, is a garb they eloquently brandish, to draw sympathy(ies) from people.
This they do with a flagrant disrespect to history. They do this with a big hand over their face and ears, trying not to see the myriad of social and political hulks that makes this movement a social
nullity,historical pixilation, political nothingness and moral defectus.
Here lies my own grouse. A lot of neo-Biafrans don't know how this movement came about.
"What is Biafra? What caused Biafra? Is Biafra feasible or another medicine before sickness situation? These are what i want to address.
[next]
The name Biafra is gotten from a Kalabiri phrase "Bia fulo". It was first put forth by Frank Opigo; an ijaw. Adaka Boro accentuated this claim in his book "The twelve day revolution (Ch 6 pg 57)".
People of Igbo extraction have not presented any juxtaposing argument(s) and as such we are left to believe in the sacrosanctity of its altruism. Furthermore, Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson,a n Ijaw, first played the Biafran national anthem during the proclamation of independence on May 30 1967. Is it not rather selfish and ironic that this movement have been hijacked by some igbos without recourse to the varying historical appendages the movement had ab inito?
If Biafra is for the marginaliztion of Igbos, how about the Ijaw founding fathers? Who have more grounds to fight? I don't even want an answer to this!
Unknown to many neo-Biafrans, a lot of things caused Biafra. The pogrom of igbos, a sad humanitarian malum of an apocalyptic ferocity similitude might have been avoided if Aguyi Ironsi showed or feigned, legitimate or fake, concern on the sensitivity of the North, wasn't the only cause (This is not to make a case for that disaster though; those people were innocent).
A lot of selfish reasons came to play. The January 1966 coup spearheaded by Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu killed many prominent Northerners viz Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Brigadier Zakari Maimalari, Col. Kur Muhammad, Lt Col. Pam, PC Yohanna Garkawa etc.
[next]
Some saw this as a northern "elite pogrom". This was the remote cause of the Igbo pogrom. The reluctance of Major General Aguyi Ironsi to prosecute them or at least make a move to, also strengthened the peddled argument that it was a planned arrangement; an Igbo coup if you like.
We should note that many dramatis personae of this coup were of Igbo origin viz the leader Major
Nzeogwu, Major Onwutegwu, Captain Okafor, Captian Gbulie, etc.
The northern divide of army struck in a counter coup that brought one Col. Yakubu Gowon to power. The cracks in Ojukwu's demeanor began to appear as he refused or showed reluctance in taking orders from Gowon. Ojukwu had grounds, strong grounds for his postulations as he was Gowon's
senior then but the last thing the country needed was a supremacy battle.
The pogrom further strengthened his grouse(s) into the declaration of Biafra. Before this however, Ojukwu's ratassness manifested in his response to the creation of states. He saw it as an affront on his authority. A leader doesn't see any affront on his authorty when he is too busy trying to get better deals for his people.
The infusion of personal battles in a battle painted with a graffiti of freedom from oppression leaves one doubting the sincerity of that battle.
Neo-Biafrans moan over the inhumane treatments meted out by the federal troops. For God's sake, its a war not Valentine's day. The Biafran army would have done the same!
[next]
Another thing that points to selfishness is Ojukwu's lack of foresight. Unpalatable as it may sound, he exhibited a high sense of hastiness, wrong judgement and a lack of insight in his secessionist decalaration.
The Federal Military Government saw this leeway and like a hungry Tiger, pounced it. She blocked food from getting into Biafra which lead to the death of over 2m people from starvation. He one way
or the other caused it.
Another apparent act of lack of foresight was Ojukwu's ignorance of the geography of Biafra. He ought to have gotten an area where defence would have been their greatest asset. He didn't.
The Federal Troops enveloped and blockaded.
*****************************************************************************************
Whatever it is, Nigerian civil war also known as Biafran war has always been an island i like to visit. The renewed vigour and fight for emancipation of varying Biafran vanguards makes me take a trip to this very Island.
However, these vanguards have been known to use underarm and untoward strategies to further this sentience. The sentience of being the victim, an ephemeral victim on the grounds of marginalization by successive governments, is a garb they eloquently brandish, to draw sympathy(ies) from people.
This they do with a flagrant disrespect to history. They do this with a big hand over their face and ears, trying not to see the myriad of social and political hulks that makes this movement a social
nullity,historical pixilation, political nothingness and moral defectus.
Here lies my own grouse. A lot of neo-Biafrans don't know how this movement came about.
"What is Biafra? What caused Biafra? Is Biafra feasible or another medicine before sickness situation? These are what i want to address.
[next]
Contrary to what is common and ubiquitous, Biafra is not entirely Igbo affair. One wonders why Biafra is now a synonym for "Marginalization of Igbos".
The name Biafra is gotten from a Kalabiri phrase "Bia fulo". It was first put forth by Frank Opigo; an ijaw. Adaka Boro accentuated this claim in his book "The twelve day revolution (Ch 6 pg 57)".
People of Igbo extraction have not presented any juxtaposing argument(s) and as such we are left to believe in the sacrosanctity of its altruism. Furthermore, Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson,a n Ijaw, first played the Biafran national anthem during the proclamation of independence on May 30 1967. Is it not rather selfish and ironic that this movement have been hijacked by some igbos without recourse to the varying historical appendages the movement had ab inito?
If Biafra is for the marginaliztion of Igbos, how about the Ijaw founding fathers? Who have more grounds to fight? I don't even want an answer to this!
Unknown to many neo-Biafrans, a lot of things caused Biafra. The pogrom of igbos, a sad humanitarian malum of an apocalyptic ferocity similitude might have been avoided if Aguyi Ironsi showed or feigned, legitimate or fake, concern on the sensitivity of the North, wasn't the only cause (This is not to make a case for that disaster though; those people were innocent).
A lot of selfish reasons came to play. The January 1966 coup spearheaded by Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu killed many prominent Northerners viz Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Brigadier Zakari Maimalari, Col. Kur Muhammad, Lt Col. Pam, PC Yohanna Garkawa etc.
[next]
Some saw this as a northern "elite pogrom". This was the remote cause of the Igbo pogrom. The reluctance of Major General Aguyi Ironsi to prosecute them or at least make a move to, also strengthened the peddled argument that it was a planned arrangement; an Igbo coup if you like.
We should note that many dramatis personae of this coup were of Igbo origin viz the leader Major
Nzeogwu, Major Onwutegwu, Captain Okafor, Captian Gbulie, etc.
The northern divide of army struck in a counter coup that brought one Col. Yakubu Gowon to power. The cracks in Ojukwu's demeanor began to appear as he refused or showed reluctance in taking orders from Gowon. Ojukwu had grounds, strong grounds for his postulations as he was Gowon's
senior then but the last thing the country needed was a supremacy battle.
The pogrom further strengthened his grouse(s) into the declaration of Biafra. Before this however, Ojukwu's ratassness manifested in his response to the creation of states. He saw it as an affront on his authority. A leader doesn't see any affront on his authorty when he is too busy trying to get better deals for his people.
The infusion of personal battles in a battle painted with a graffiti of freedom from oppression leaves one doubting the sincerity of that battle.
Neo-Biafrans moan over the inhumane treatments meted out by the federal troops. For God's sake, its a war not Valentine's day. The Biafran army would have done the same!
[next]
Another thing that points to selfishness is Ojukwu's lack of foresight. Unpalatable as it may sound, he exhibited a high sense of hastiness, wrong judgement and a lack of insight in his secessionist decalaration.
Ojukwu declared independence forgetting that shipments of food have to pass through Nigeria before getting to Biafra. Who does that really?
The Federal Military Government saw this leeway and like a hungry Tiger, pounced it. She blocked food from getting into Biafra which lead to the death of over 2m people from starvation. He one way
or the other caused it.
Another apparent act of lack of foresight was Ojukwu's ignorance of the geography of Biafra. He ought to have gotten an area where defence would have been their greatest asset. He didn't.
The Federal Troops enveloped and blockaded.