posted
What is written here can correctly apply to today's nigeria. All the emphasis on the article below are mine.
quote:central government made an arbitrary, and probably illegal, decision to divide Eastern Nigeria into three states. This was the immediate occasion for the Biafran secession, which, in turn, led to the civil war. It was designed 1) to isolate the Ibo from the important commercial city of Port Harcourt (the region's major outlet to the sea) which had been built and largely run by the Ibo and 2) to gerrymander the oil reserves of the Eastern region to the particular disadvantage of the Ibo. The goal was to ruin the Ibo potential, set their Eastern congeners against them by granting special favors, and let the Ibo survive as best they could in a diminished area, deprived of capital, resources, and opportunities for growth.
New York Times, Volume 18, Number 3 · February 24, 1972 Letter THE IBO'S PLIGHT By Stanley Diamond To the Editors:
The current situation of the Ibo-speaking people of the East Central State of Nigeria, the former heartland of Biafra, remains obscured by government propaganda, impressionistic reports, and the discreet silence of the Ibo themselves. There is a good deal of activity- mostly hand-to-mouth petty trading-but the over-all situation can be described as bearable only in comparison to the desperate condition of the people in the months following the civil war.
The policy of the Federal government is, and has been, clear enough. That policy is one of immobilizing the social and cultural energies of the Ibo, who made up the majority of Biafrans. It will be recalled that in 1967 the central government made an arbitrary, and probably illegal, decision to divide Eastern Nigeria into three states. This was the immediate occasion for the Biafran secession, which, in turn, led to the civil war. It was designed 1) to isolate the Ibo from the important commercial city of Port Harcourt (the region's major outlet to the sea) which had been built and largely run by the Ibo and 2) to gerrymander the oil reserves of the Eastern region to the particular disadvantage of the Ibo. The goal was to ruin the Ibo potential, set their Eastern congeners against them by granting special favors, and let the Ibo survive as best they could in a diminished area, deprived of capital, resources, and opportunities for growth.
The Federal victory was the first step in achieving these ends. But it was probably world opinion that inhibited the military government of Nigeria (which had taken no action when Eastern Nigerians had been slaughtered in the North in 1966) from attempting the more brutal and obvious forms of repression. In any event, they were not needed to subordinate an exhausted people, and did not constitute the most efficient means of putting the victory to further effect.
Two of the major tactics used in the further effort to execute the policy of immobilization were the enforced retirement of all Ibo civil servants over the age of fifty immediately following the war, and the continued occupation of the East Central State by approximately 100,000 Federal troops. One hardly needs to pursue the implications of these here. Rather I turn to a third tactic, or rather, strategy, which is far more odious.
In recent months, a Public Education Edict has gone into effect, under the direction of the federally appointed administrator of the so-called Ibo State, putting all schools under centralized state control. This has occurred only in the East Central State. The expressed purpose of the edict is to "combat sectionalism, religious conflicts, and disloyalty to the cause of a united Nigeria." Further, "the takeover is for the efficacy, order, stability, and good government of the state in its relationship with the other states in the Federation."
The edict goes on to reaffirm the pre-civil war and colonial definition of a school as a group of ten persons or more-and here the language is unprecedented-"assembled for the purpose of receiving regular instruction in a form of education of whatever kind.." Any such group must now become part of the government apparatus or it will be illegal; and anyone who sets up or teaches in such a school becomes subject to prosecution by the state.
One must understand the meaning and function of education among the Ibo in order to grasp fully the peculiar repressiveness of the new Public Education Act. The school, in the modern era, became the major vehicle for Ibo prestige, individuality, and self-development. Moreover, the schools were, above all, local institutions, whether established by missions, private persons, or local government councils. These will cease to exist and in their place will emerge state controlled and regimented schools, as clearly spelled out in the edict, whose function is to destroy the Ibo sense of nationality, deprive them of their history, and control both the definition of education and the uses to which it can be put. The recent cancellation of the West African school certificate program for Ibo (and only Ibo) secondary school candidates in both the East Central and the Mid-West States is one case in point. Another would seem to be the decline in the number of secondary schools in the East Central State-prior to the civil war the area accommodated approximately 290; at present only 190 are functioning or contemplated.
The Federal military government thus seeks to reduce Ibo society to its own ends, after, as the edict puts it, "the vast destruction and damage suffered by existing schools in the course of the Civil War."
Let me join Ukaobasi in congratulating you for bringing up that excellent article.I always knew you had the potential to do some quality work but for the distraction of booty. By the way are you coming to the Enugu gig in DC this summer?
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Ednut, Thanks a million for jarring our nerves out of complacency. The battle to free the homeland is a worthy one that requires concerted effort from all and sundry, igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Ibibio etc alike. A house built on shifting sand can not stand and Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.
___________________ This war of attrition on the Igbo must end now! Posts: 441 | From: california, US | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
addy, this thread is not for hypocritical ramblings. Sure we have all come to understand your indignation at injustice but everyword from you reads loud and clear: we fixed them. Ednut thanks for the research not like some whose forage into research has been limited by poor comprehension.
[ August 19, 2003, 10:09 PM: Message edited by: nmadike ]
Posts: 26 | From: usa | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Now let us watch and keep our eyes open for Nowa Omoiguis interpretation. He's now opened up a question and answer column for his mutual admiration society. They question, and he answers Of course the answers are always predictable. there is always an out for where historical evidence abounds to counter his claims or where a couple or more of the key Biafran players are still alive.
He now knows of "gentlemens agreements" Ojukwu and Gowon are supposed to have made, which Gowon later implied Ojukwu violated thus justifying Allison Ayida's reccommendations to Gowon to renege on the Aburi accord.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Ednut good job for unearthing an old wound. Hopefully this will help the igbos bring out what they have swept under the carpet for decades. I can still remember the devastation when my maternal uncles were retired. one of them who could not escape with prof obumselu was incarcerated with pius okigbo and co. even essuene and diete spiff were instructed specifically how to deal with the igbos. Why do you think that uncle segun was after onunaka mbakwe and co.
I can also remember those calling for my head when in one of my posts I said that uncle segun was a very smart guy. That he was still following his after the war agenda.
There is an igbo saying that one who does not know where the rain started beating the %$#&^ out of him will not ……. You can call me all the names you want the fact is that you guys are stuck. Until the igbos from finima/peterside /okrika to the ukwuallis come together like during war sweep out the secret from under the carpet, talk/deal with it and marshal out a course to reclame their position. It’s not going to be easy b/c the yorubas , the hausa/Fulani and even the binis will resist. It’s a shame that the igbos survived the war but could not survive the peace.
___________________ though tribe and tongue may differ in brotherhood we stand Posts: 25 | From: westchester new york | Registered: Jun 2003
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Point of Correction to the population tally by Peter, from 15million to 40million based on current deductions.
Posts: 27 | From: Onitsha | Registered: Mar 2003
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That was good. New new strategies each time. But in the end always a way to attempt to represent contradictions. You have only one mouth, and only one tongue.
Please represent only one thing at a time, and per posting. If you cant, then get an additional or several other handles if you haven’t already done so and enjoy as we wallow in confusion, praising one handle, and challenging the other. (the stupid Igbos that you deem us to be).
1. That way one handle can say: * Ednut good job.
2. The other handle can say: * Ednut Why unearthing an old wound?
3. One handle can say: * Hopefully this will help the igbos bring out what they have swept under the carpet for decades. I can still remember the devastation when my maternal uncles were retired. one of them who could not escape with prof obumselu was incarcerated with pius okigbo and co
4. The other handle can say: * You Igbos should know we have you surrounded and isolated. Even essuene and diete spiff were instructed specifically how to deal with the igbos (in other words the Ibibios, Annangs and Efiks are not your friends, how much more the Ijaws and Ogonis, so don’t go deceiving yourself that you have any allies).
5. One handle can say: * Why do you think that uncle segun was after onunaka mbakwe and co.
6. The other handle can say: * uncle segun was a very smart guy. That he was still following his after the war agenda. I already told you so and you guys better give up if you know whats good for you.
7. One handle can say: * There is an igbo saying that one who does not know where the rain started beating the %$#&^ out of him will not …….
8. The other handle can say: * You can call me all the names you want the fact is that you guys are stuck.
9. One handle can say: * Until the igbos from finima/peterside /okrika to the ukwuallis come together like during war sweep out the secret from under the carpet, talk/deal with it and marshal out a course to reclame their position, It’s not going to be easy.
10. The other handle can say: * You all might as well give it up b/c the yorubas , the hausa/Fulani and even the binis will resist. You are surrounded and hated and we are unanimous in our determination to resist any moves you may choose to make.
11. One handle can then pronounce an R. Abati-like generic conclusion such as : It’s a shame that the igbos survived the war but could not survive the peace.
12. The other handle can say: * It’s a shame that the igbos survived the war but could not survive the peace.
Doubtless, Idowu will now hold me up as one of those who challenged him when he asserted Aremu was smart and I dared to add that so was Idi-Amin. He would probably also offer that know-it alls such as us are the exact reason why Igbos continue to be hated and rejected. He would inform us that we would sooner or later self destruct for not heeding his CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS AND UNEQUIVOCAL ADVICE, and of course, should an earthquake occur in Igboland, he would quickly remind us that he told us so.
Had we only listened and voted for Awo instead of Zik, Had we amply supported the Gideon Orkar coup instead of IBB, had we only voted for Sonekan instead of Abiola, for Falae instead of Uncu Sege, had we only jumped off the cliff instead of……..ad infinitum. He would nonetheless conclude that we are just a doomed people. STUCK!!! We might as well just stop breathing.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Ednut: That was a great work you presented. However, I had expected you as Nwafor to add the 'g' word to the derogatory 'Ibo' word used by our former colonizers and local Ndigbo's enemies to refer to the IGBO. In any case, Thanks for feeding us the TRUE story.
Ukaobasi: Good that you and others also see through the charade of using multiple handles to cunfuse issues. Just like some so-called Biafrans who used multiple handles to confuse and in some cases dupe unsuspecting GENUINE Biafrans, most people who claim to speak in support of the fraud called Nigeria have also adopted same SHAMEFUL tactics.
If Addy like he can take up 'Odumegwu Ojukwu' as his handle, he can be sure that it wont take long before well-meaning members of this village figure out WHO is writing.
As the saying goes, the harder they come...
Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Ukaobasi Not to disturb this tread.ll get back to you. But for your information, I first read about “surviving the war but not the peace” from early 1970 ckc onitsha school magazine, in a tribute to a staff who was a biafran army officer and was killed by armed robbers at the end of the war.
___________________ though tribe and tongue may differ in brotherhood we stand Posts: 25 | From: westchester new york | Registered: Jun 2003
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You write with bitterness and always seem to be unforgiving which is typical of a disturbed mind. But you can let go of all that's been eating up your heart if only you can learn how to forgive and move on, that is, if you were offended.
You are one of very few here who frequently recalls the past to lay blame on your opponents, even if the said issue does not arise.
___________________ LIBERTY AND JUSTICE Posts: 18 | From: Oxnard, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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I just signed on. Greetings again. What was that CKC magazine called? and in what context was that article written? ie what was the overall gist in some detail?
The CKC connection is increasingly becoming a moot point if you are vowed to repeating to us what a hopeless thing our lives as Igbos represent, if we dont just give our souls and hearts to your "Nigeria", or make the honourable choice and drive the sword into our chests, than continue to embarass you among your Yoruba family and Hausa friends with all our countless faults and failures.
Try to mention less of those connections or drop those names if they dont help you make your point since they only appear like something anybody can conjure who lived a spell in Igboland and can speak some of the Language.
Lets just talk Plain.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Bisi: Though I dont know what you are talking about, however, all I can say is that forgiveness, I mean genuine and lasting forgiveness comes only through CONFESSION, followed by an unreserved APOLOGY and finally REPENTANCE. Wont you agree with me?
All, Meanwhile, the Nigerian government's WAR OF ATTRITION against Ndigbo continues unabatted:
Quote: "...the South-East zone, which he alleged had the worst federal roads in the country, in spite of its high population, got the least amount of N164.9 million or 8.6 per cent of the total allocation. Giving the breakdown, Okeke said that the South West had N768 million (40 per cent); North Central N316 million (16.6 per cent); North East N254 million (13.3 per cent); North West N221.1 million (11.6 per cent); and South South N239.7 million (12.5 per cent)."
Above is how the South East (Igboland) was sidelined in distribution of Federal funds this year. Yet, some would want us believe that we are "one" under Obasanjo. Ridiculous!
Even without an apology, an acknowledgement by our resident and non resident One Nigerianas that the (intended to be hidden) policies against the Igbo revealed by these articles exists today and remains one of the cancers that ails their progress will go a long way to help them heal together with those Igbos who for self serving purposes are willing to give them a chance.
The blockheadedness to attempt to rewrite history to cover up gaping sores and to pretend not to see, hear, or continue to be a part of the evil they commit is beyond comprehension.
You would therefore expect that the only "Nigerians" in Diaspora would be the indommittable Igbos who will always find a way out of the traps laid for them by jokers, but as it turns out there are as many "Nigerians" seeking to escape the hellhole they created and continue to nurture.
Those who are willing to be raped anally and drop all semblances of morality in order to get part of the crumbs from Abuja or if they have relatives who are well tapped into the system, will siiiinnnnggg like canaries of the virtues of a one Nigeria in which as long as you are oblivious to calamity and the putrid stench of perpetual decay, things are A-Okay.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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In otherwords, if inequities in the system were our mere complaint, then those who try to make us look ridiculous, should be able to have a field day, besides sowing easy discord among us to break the ranks through agent-provocateurs.
We are not talking about inequities however, but about Govt sponsored and induced malice, malignment, strangulation, hostility, suppression, opression, deliberate abuse, attempted dehumanization, brutalization, and outright socio cultural dismemberment all as official govt policy?
Is this defensible? Where are you my Nigerian co-travelers? Is this defensible? Is this a luxury you must enjoy? Is this defensible? Can you hold the wind in your palm? Is this defensible?
By the policy (sword) with which they sought to impale us, they have been smitten!!! But Biafra lives!
The yearning for Justice and truth cannot be erased by intimidation, and no amount of exasperated attempts to taunt, ridicule, demean, malign or impugn by those agents with multiple handles whose impotent goal is to reverse the irreversible, deny the inevitable, defend the indefensible, and rage against the raging fires of our legitimate yearnings will succeed in negating or diminishing the righteous and just aspiration for national self determination which beats in our hearts like an unquenchable fire.
The passion is momentuous!!! and this fire that drives our will to be free of the impotent but bedraggling effort to hold us down will always be greater than the fuel that sustains Nigeria’s will to continue to justify their injustice against us.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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I am happy that this message board is reawakening to the crunch of the matter. It is standing up to the fight, the information war, that remains a veritable tool for the usurpation and magnetization of public and international conscience. I greet all of you brothers.
Before this message board and before MASSOB came into being, the name Biafra was unheard of in the mouths of people especially in Biafranigeria. Today it is used freely even by the enemy many of whom reside with different handles in this board in their efforts to thwart the truth. Today the Biafran movement, the plight of the Igbos in Biafraland, is gradually becoming internationalized. This is the way forward. The antagonism from the draconian state and from their agents on this board is even a major intertexuality in this direction.
For those of you who do not know, what is going on here is a war. It is a war for control of the proper image of the Biafran quest and its need for existence. It is a war to transmit the truth about Biafra and NdiIgbo on the one and those who are concerned with obscuring the truth in the selfish interest of parasitism on the other.
I must commend all you brothers for keeping victory on our side, the side of Biafra. Much progress has been made in 2 years.
"A luta continua"
Ndewo nu.
[ August 22, 2003, 04:44 AM: Message edited by: igbondeewo ]
Posts: 148 | Registered: Nov 2001
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for not heeding his CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS AND UNEQUIVOCAL ADVICE, and of course, should an earthquake occur in Igboland, he would quickly remind us that he told us so. 