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Monday, January 23, 2017
'No more war over Biafra again'
~Punch Nigeria. Wednesday, January 18, 2017.
The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo on Tuesday said the ethnic group was not ready to shed blood again in the struggle to realise the Biafra Republic.
It pledged to back the Indigenous People of Biafra and the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra for the release of the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
It said this had become necessary to maintain peace, unity and order in Igboland.
The newly-elected Anambra State President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, said this in a statement in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
He said Ohanaeze would throw its weight behind the detained IPOB leader, to facilitate his unconditional release.
Ogene, who noted that Biafra was for equity, justice and fairness, insisted that the struggle for its actualisation was no longer an issue of violence.
"It's a matter of brain work and the pro-Biafran groups should use that," he said.
He said Ohanaeze would establish a link with other regional organisations in the country, churches and market leaders to advance the Igbo cause and douse tension.
He said, "We are no longer prepared to lose any life in the name of the struggle. Ohanaeze Ndigbo will, among other things, reach out to law enforcement agencies to minimise conflicts between them and the people, especially with regard to extortion at the checkpoints.
"We also intend to empanel a legal team of volunteers to take care of injustices against Igbo and will also assemble medical experts to take care of emergency situations."
Ogene added that the new Ohanaeze leadership would delegate responsibilities were various committees would be put in place to handle specific issues.
THE IGBO RANT
BIBLICAL TRADITIONS OF NDI IGBO BEFORE THE MISSIONARIES CAME TO AFRICA* IGBO 101.
THE IGBO TRIBE AND ITS FEAR OF EXTINCTION
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.
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