Nigeria: remembering the Biafran War

Chxta and Ababoy remember the Biafran War, which took place 40 years ago this month.

10 comments

  • Imma Okochua

    The Nigerian-Biafran War has not ended. The enemies of the Igbos still abound and retain their hold on power. The cabal that authored or benefitted from the pogrom against the Igbo is still on the loose.

    I believe that the war will end when an Hausa or Yoruba man, of the rank of a head of state, will re-intergrate the Igbos into the Nigerian life. Right now, there are some no-go areas in terms of what positions Igbos can hold. And there are too many issues that still remined those who witnessed the war that it is not yet over. For the generation of the Igbos that didn’t witness the war, events and decisions confused.

    But the war shall end one day. That day will not however come until the Igbos adjust to the new face of the war and give the the Hausas and the Yorubas the ammunitionto end the war.

  • I think Nigerians have handled the aftermath of the Biafran war very well. In spite of the assertions by many jingoist igbo leaders, the igbos have been fully integrated into the socio-cultural fabric of Nigeria.

    Igbos are amongst the most successful business people in the country, boasting of more millionaires than any other ethnic group. Being the third largest ethnic group, they have held the highest political posts in the land. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the first President of Nigeria, Alex Ekweme, the first Vice President of Nigeria, Anyim, Enwerem, Nnamani and Okadigbo were Senate Presidents in the last administration. In addition to this, Igbos have been at the head of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Udoji, Soludu), the Supreme Court (Nnamani), Finance and various other ministries and top military posts.

    If igbos feel they have been marginalized what about the 200 some other ethnic groups in Nigeria who have never produced so much as a governor, not to talk of any of the federal political appointments?

    Igbo leaders should be sincere and stop blackmailing all other Nigerians with the Biafran war and making to look like they have been victimized. The Niger-Delta issue is a much larger issue than Igbos not producing a president after the civil war. Gowon’s “No victor no Vanquished” strategy worked perfectly. Same cannot be said of the Hutu/Tutsi conflict in Rwanda.

  • Austin Ekeinde

    For sure the issues that led to Nigeria’s civil war are still very much with us. THEY ARE NOW MORE DEEPLY ROOTED, EMOTIONS RUNNING HIGH, ALL GROUPS DIGGING DEEPER INTO THEIR ETHNIC TRENCHES AND DISPLAYING UNCANNING MASTERY OF THE POTENT WEAPONS THEY POSSESS ON OUR STREETS – NONE HAS ANY MONOPOLY OF THE INSTRUMENT OF VIOLENCE ANYMORE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I FEAR FOR NIGERIA – BIAFRA WAS A CHILD’S PLAY. LET US P R A Y !!!

  • OOH! i know Biafra a country would become a leader in Africa
    note this word

  • yorku

    I see the ongoing debates about Biafra and the war. However, I am more interested reading about the ordinary peoples experiences, the civilians rather than political, ethnic, and economic problems that are complex to solve. My parents lived through the war and they are not Igbos, they belong to minority tribes. What about other people’s stories?

  • For all those Who have not lived through the war,Or those who have not traked for miles and miles with there mothers as early as 1am till noon just to buy or sale little food stuff in other to survive.I was just 11yrs old when the war started,I lost two of my younger siblings from malnutrition
    I consumed any thing moving in the bush.Sincerely I will like crude oil in Nigeria to go dry forever so that we can truely see who will survive in Nigeria.I have forgiving the past but I will never forget.Nothing last forever.

  • tega

    yes” i think it’s reaaly a time that the whole of nigeria as a great country to unite and stop tribalism, i can’t just imagine how a fellow nigeria fighting each other all in the name of power , i think the best solution to all these should be oneness, together we stand and divided we fall, i’m from delta state abraka, but i will n’t take it as a yastick maybe because i’m from delta state to use that as an opportunity no, let the nigerian recongnise each ones right, stop talking about the past……..i’m a nigeria just living in morocco a refugee.

  • Sunny

    Tega, you sound wonderful but too naive too. Why can’t we all get along. Remember every body is not Gandi of India.
    Nigerian will better off divided along ethnic line or at least based on commonalities. You know fundamentally, there is not a single Nigerian. We only have Hausas, Yorubas, Igbos etc not a single Nigerian. There you have the problem that will never change. Ironically, the longer we stay together as a nation, the longer it takes that region to attain any achievement. Nigeria is a BAD Marriage.

  • Nigerian is a wrong union..When we the Igbos cries other dont notice but now Deltans are crying it seems to others as non sense.Deltan have been neglected for years.Under BIAFRA ,Deltans will live like the SAUDIS. if a countries like,Andorra,Jordan,Equitoria quinea,etc can be an independent countries..BIAFRA must be also.If not the creation of states in Nigeria,some places,towns,regions will never see deveploment..The solution to Nigeria problem is DIVISION. Nigeria is a Polluted Water that causes different kinds of diseases to people..Look at the Abokis controlling the whole land… BIAFRA WE CAN…

  • tempest

    Nigeria is a pure basket case for the entire Nigerians.There is an element of dominance from the North while the wealth of the Nation Originates from the Neglected South eastern of Nigeria.Only if the Deltans Knew what Sabotaging the Biafran War will lead them to.They forgot that magority of them has igbo name, Mother or father.I guess What goes around comes around.Nigeria should reinvest where ever the wealth of the Nation comes from

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