BIAFRA; IGBOS ALL OVER THE WORLD REMEMBER FALLEN HEROES, AS WIC ADVOCATES FOR KANU'S RELEASE
BIAFRA; IGBOS ALL OVER THE WORLD REMEMBER FALLEN HEROES, AS WIC ADVOCATES FOR KANU'S RELEASE
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The event started with THE observance of a minute silence in honor of the fallen Heroes and Heroines, breaking of the traditional Kola nuts and pouring of libation by an Igbo elder statesman and one of the living legends and a veteran of the civil war, and Chairman World Igbo Congress (WIC) Council of Elders, Dr Lucius Akuchie (Ofokaja 1 of Houston United States).
In performing this traditional rite, he prayed for the repose of our departed Compatriots and peace to reign in Biafra land.
The Theme of this year's event is "54 Years After, What has Changed"?.
In his keynote address, the Chairman, World Igbo Congress, Dr Festus Okere enjoined every Igbo man to set aside this day in remembrance of our fallen heroes and Heroines, including those who paid the supreme price during and after the war, serving the interest of Ndigbo in particular and Biafra in general.
He canvassed for this day to be declared a public holiday in the whole of former the former Eastern Region in remembrance of all those who died defending the cause of Biafra.
The WIC Chairman condemned what he described as a gang up against Ndigbo and it's collective interest in Nigeria, a scheme which has been operational from independence till date.
According to him, Ndigbo were singled out for marginalisation and persecution for the 1966 coup plot which had officers from across all geopolitical zones of the country.
Some of the highlights of this year's event was the Unveiling of the names of our fallen Heroes and Heroines which was presented by Amb. Rev Paul Ndukwe who read out some of the names of these departed martyrs;
Among whom were General Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu who led the resistance and proclamation of the State of Biafra, Gen. Phillip Effiong who was his Second in Command, Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, who was in charge of the Military Intelligence, Col Achuzie and Dr Chukwuemeka Ezife (Okwadike na Igbo-Ukwu).
Others were; Major Timothy, Cpl Nwafor, Pte Okonkwo, the ace and award winning broadcaster and writer Dr Cyprain Ekwensi popularly known as "Okoko Ndem", and the erudite and fearless broadcaster Chukwumerije among others.
Special mention was made of a young male undergraduate, Bruce Mayrock who set himself ablaze at the lawns of the United Nations Headquarters in New York to attract the attention of World leaders to the plight of Biafrans during the Genocidal war in one of the earliest cases of self-immolation in modern history.
There were also several veterans from around the world notably, Canadian servicemen, French pilots, Irish Priests and Reverend Sisters including Irish health professionals who paid the supreme prize trying to assist Biafra overcome the global siege masterminded by the Nigerian Federal troupes.
There were many presentations made by notable surviving Biafran War veterans who witnessed and took active part in the war to stop the evading forces from the Nigerian government. Among these was Dr Innocent Ukaba whose presentation was titled "WHOM WE ARE".
According to him, the name "Biafra" originated from the geographical areas known as the "Bight of Biafra", an area which stretched from the lower Niger, through Calabar, towards the southern parts of Cameroon and upto the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean.
This area, he said was an important slave trade route during the days of transatlantic slave trade. A situation which promoted the selling of our forebears into slavery, some of whom became famous as a result of the resilience and undying spirit of the Igbo man. Chief among these is Olaudah Equiano who was sold into slavery in the Caribbean to a Royal Navy Officer, who bought his freedom through his heroism and hardwork, and later became an abolitionist and writer, whose work helped facilitate the abolition of slave trade in the affected continents.
There were also the group of brave Igbo slaves who were shipped to the United States, and who decided to drown themselves in the River at Simmons Town in the present day Georgia, United States instead of serving as slaves in a strange land. This particular area has since been immortalized and dedicated as a historic site where Igbos congregate annually in remembrance of these great men of Igbo decent.
Mention was also made of King Jaja of Opobo who moved from Arochukwu to become a King in the area and whose descendants had multiplied and occupies some states of Rivers, Cross River and Bayelsa in present day Nigeria.
Another war Veteran, Jeff Ohanaga, a professor of Quantitative Analysis and Business Research, at American Intercontinental University, The Chairman of WIC's Political Action Committee (PAC), based in Houston US, presented a document titled "Pogrom and Genocidal War on Biafra".
He defined 'Pogrom' "as organised massacre of a particular ethnic group". A definition which aptly described the horiffic and mindless slaughter of Ndigbo during the civil war.
He particularly pointed out the infamous 1966 "September Massacre" which took place simultaneously across all the Northern Region of Nigeria as it was called then. This spontaneous massacre was one of the worst genocide committed against humanity in modern history, surprisingly, neither the United Nations nor other World bodies have taken any steps to recognize it as such, hence the systemic annihilation of Ndigbo in the larger Nigerian society persisted 54 years after the initial pogroms and genocide.
According to the erudite scholar, these senseless acts of atrocities against a peace loving people, fully qualifies as acts against humanity and specifically as pogroms in every sense of the word.
Other ethnic groups such as the Jews, the Tutsi and the Rohingya where such inhumanity took place have had their cases classified as genocide and in some cases, the perpetrators, collaborators and masterminds have been sanctioned by the appropriate Organs of the UN to answer for their misdeeds. He rallied Ndigbo in Diaspora to leverage on their contacts and positions abroad to lobby International bodies to recognise our dilemma in the Nigerian state.
He equally harped on the importance of proper research to present our case in a more scientific context for the world to see, saying that finance will be needed to achieve the above.
He advocated for the building of Memorial Artifacts to showcase our history and continously remind us and the international community about what happened between 1966 and 1970, and beyond.
One of the presenters was Chief David Koren (Nwanne Ndigbo) from Pensylvania. Though a US Citizen, at the commencement of the war, he volunteered as a crew member for the airplanes that ferried food items, medical and other logistical supplies into the Biafran hinterland to the disapproval and chargrin of the Nigerian and British governments at that time, as hunger was one of the greatest weapons used against the Biafran people to ensure that those who survived the bombing and shellings would not survive the hunger, starvation and deceases ravaging the entire Biafra land. Chief Coren and his airlift crew took unimaginable risks at the expense of their life and freedom in their respective developed Western countries to assist in providing the much needed relief to both civilians and combatants on the Biafran side.
Their breathtaking heroics and life threatening escapedes have been hailed in many Igbo gatherings since the end of the civil war.
Sadly enough, that merciless war declared on Ndigbo claimed the lives of all his fellow Western volunteers and crew members, leaving him as the 'last man standing' and being alive and healthy to relieve these gory tales.
Chief Emeka Njoku, a war veteran of the Biafran Airforce, currently based in Ontario, Canada, being the only certified indigenous Health and Safety Officer during the war was at hand to give a prognosis on how the young nation of Biafra was able to withstand the combined efforts of the Nigerian military might, the British and their collaborators for Three tortuous years during which necessity gave birth to inventions.
He recounted the story of the "Aviation Miracles" whereby planes were landing and taking off from the famous Uli Airport without any scientific or technical landing aids and instruments, even at night and under inclement weather conditions. According to the war veteran, most of these incredible tasks were successful while a few others ended in disaster with monumental casualties.
On declaration of The State of Biafra by Gen. Ojukwu on 30th May, 1967, a few countries provided some sort of support and sympathy to the the Biafran cause, these include France, Portugal, Isreal, Haiti, Zambia, Gabon, Ivory Coast and to some extent China. He mentioned that Van Rawson flew a fighter jet nicknamed "The Biafran Baby" from his home country Sweden to Uli in Biafra land under very impossible conditions.
He further confirmed the assistance of Irish Missionaries such as Fr Tony Brian, Fr Dorran, John Lennon of the Beetles Band and Steve Jobs as some of those who sympathised with the plight of Biafrans.
Special mention was made of a particular Canadian crew sponsored by the Presbyterian Church to assist in bringing relief materials to Biafra land, but whose aircraft crashed in the process killing the entire Canadian crew members all of whom were buried at Saint Theresa's Catholic Church and the Thomas Aquinnas both in Uli.
While making his presentation, Ogbuefi Delly Ajufo (Anya Ndigbo na Ibuzo Anioma Delta state), who is an industrialist and entrepreneur decried the hatred of Ndigbo by other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria as a result of envy due to the success and achievements of Ndigbo in all spheres of life.
He admonished Ndigbo to stop lamenting and confront the common enemies for our survival and emancipation, noting that Ndigbo have what it takes to overcome the official gang up in the national arena.
Speaking during the event, Dr Sylvester Onyia, President of American Veterans of Igbo Decent (AVID), an umbrella body of all Igbo serving and retired service men and women in the US Armed forces of the Army, Marines, Airforce, Navy SEALS, Border Guards and a host of other ancillary military service professionals based in the United States said that it was regrettable that the scars of the war had refused to heal due to the constant reminders by the Nigerian government through it's actions and policies aimed at subjugating Ndigbo.
He wondered why Britain whom the Biafrans share a common religious ideology with, continues to support the mistreatment of Ndigbo in the Nigerian project. He urged Britain to show concern about the unlawful detention and trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kalu, a British Citizen and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He called for peace and the unconditional release of Mazi Kanu, a political prisoner.
Also Mazi Kanunta Kanu, the younger brother of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu took the opportunity to thank Ndigbo for their steadfast and support for the IPOB leader and Biafran cause while insisting that Britain has a role to play in securing his brother's freedom and release from the Nigerian prisons.
Addressing the event, Barrister Austin Okeke informed the gathering that a Memorial Cenotaph and Monumental Park will be erected in all states of the Biafra land to immortalise the fallen heroes and Heroines who paid the supreme prize defending the land. According to him, over 400 names has so far been collected from across the Biafran territory while the collation of more names is ongoing for proper and final documentation and immortalisation.
There were callers from across the globe who supported the event while urging that the initiative should continue to enjoy prime space in the Biafran discourse.
It is noteworthy that this event attracted the creme de la creme of Igbo intelligentsia from all over the world, among whom are, the immediate past Chairman of World Igbo Congress, Prof Anthony Ejiofor, Chief Dr Cyprain Osuoha, the current Vice Chair of WIC Mazi Basil Onwukwe and a host of other eminent sons and daughters of Ndigbo.
The event was anchored and put together by Mazi Silas Muoneke, who is the WIC Mobilisation and Event's Coordinator and Team Leader.
The Theme for this year's event was coined by High Chief Barr Jeff Azubuike, Coordinator World Igbo Congress, South Africa.
During his closing remarks, Dr Akuchie prayed for peace in Igboland and asked God to intervene on behalf of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
Source; TBE Magazine.
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