“False opinions are like false money, struck first of all by guilty men and thereafter circulated by honest people who perpetuate the crime without knowing what they are doing”-Joseph Marie
What a difference a week makes. I received an enormous amount of mail in response to my article of last week. I was not surprised at the level of responses. In fact, I wholeheartedly welcome it and I do believe that it is always good to talk. Every single comment in response to the article means that we are having a discourse that is long overdue. It really didn’t matter, that some comments were peppered with colourful language which was not necessary but that is fine by me, as Churchill would say;” You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life”.
Out of hundreds that I received here are two : “I just finished reading your take on agitation for secession by some Igbo youths. It’s a masterpiece. You have said what’s needed to be said. I have the feeling that the agitation will soon die because some Igbo both old and not too old who witnessed Biafran war are already up against it. The Igbo will lose more now than they did during their first attempt. Once again, well done”
To another, “Madam, Your articles and those of Sobowale, Iredia and Anele make me not to miss Sunday Vanguard. You were very wrong on some of the points you mentioned on the subject matter. General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was not one of the leaders of January 15, 1966 coup as you erroneously wrote. Rather General Ironsi crushed the coup in Lagos. He made then Lt Col. Yakubu Gowon, a northerner his Chief of Army Staff. An Igbo, Colonel Arthur Unegbe in charge of the armoury was killed by the coupists of January 15, 1966 to have access to weapons. One of the majors that led that first coup was Major Adewale Adegboyega, a Yoruba, the author of WHY WE STRUCK. It is not correct to infer that the first coup was entirely an Igbo coup. Trust you would spare some time to verify the veracity of the points I mentioned”-Ed
It is Chinua Achebe who said, that “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” That is so true.
I have no intention of rehashing old wounds, but, it is about time that the truth is spoken, all of it, it is going to be very painful but it needs to be out there so that we can lance this old festering boil that ties everyone to our painful past. We need to have truth and reconciliation across the land. This will help us to move on and build a better country for all. Our leaders need to do more, I feel they need to do away with the quota system. Real and transparent meritocracy would be the ideal and this will make us focus on what matters; a stronger and united Nigeria but, it is not up to our leaders though, it is up to us! Nigerians deserve the government they have at the moment, so if we want better then we really need to work towards making it so. We have to continue to talk and appeal for common sense and reconciliation.
Ojukwu was interviewed, some years back and he was asked, why some people want to provoke another war?
He said : “I led the first one and I proudly led the first but, it would be a mistake to provoke another war and a second war is not necessary”. He added that: “we should have learnt from the first one otherwise, the deaths would have been in vain and to no avail”. It would be wise taking this advice from the man himself.
Peace does not come with a clenched fist, we all have to be open and willing to come together for the sake of the next generation. If we are habouring bad feelings and resentment over five decades, and intend on another it will be tragic and our children’s children will not thank us. In fact, history will not be kind to us, if we do not choose peace over war. It will be naïve to think that an amicable separation is possible when already we are seeing the writing indelibly on the wall and the older pattern is already on its trajectory.
And I recommend that you read the interview by Vanguard’s Paul Odili, to mark the anniversary of Ojukwu’ 70th birthday, titled “I AM THE FINAL BIAFRAN TRUTH – OJUKWU IN THE VANGUARD.
In the interview, Ojukwu said that “There is no doubt that some people want me to play the oracle, but I do not look like an oracle. I remember telling the people that I am not a politician, but it is their (Igbo) well-being in the North, West and elsewhere that forces me into their defence, but if they want me to stop they should withdraw and come to the East; and not every time you would shout and complain that you’ve been massacred, that their shops have been destroyed and looted you look for me. So, for as long as they are out there they need protection from here, which was what I said”
So here we are again, and some fractions are fanning the fire and the leftover embers, to reignite the resentments and anger for their own selfish agenda, mostly engineered by those who are goading others while staying in a safe distance to watch the young and impressionable people do their bidding, while destabilising the region. If Biafra is the end goal then, the implosion will ensue and it will not be Biafrans against Nigerians but Igbo against Igbo. This will be tragic and unfortunate.
VANGUARD
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