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| Sir Fredrick (Lord) Lugard |
The great mistake: The British colonialist, Sir Fredrick (Lord)
Lugard with the British government amalgamated the Southern and Northern
protectorates in 1914 into colony, for economic reasons.
The unity did not work because the three major tribes: Igbo,
Hausa and Yoruba did not accept themselves as one. The reason Lord Luggard
mixed oil and water together, as he was quoted to have stated that, ‘South and
North is like oil and water mixed together.’ In my opinion, the question
is: How can wild animals and domestic animals live together in the same den
without harming themselves? For this reason, the amalgamation of Nigeria in
1914, ought to have expired on December 31, 2013. The amalgamation was
called the great mistake of 1914 by Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto)
Premier of the defunct Northern Nigeria. But, nobody ever asked him why he
called it the great mistake of 1914, even as the same mistakes are still
occurring till date. All these great mistakes made thestatus quo to
remain like that throughout the nationalist era to independence on October 1,
1960.
Among other factors that brought problems in Nigeria at
independence was representation in the federal civil service, because the Igbo occupied
most of the civil service positions in the North because they were highly
skilled and educated. Secondly the Hausa/Fulani had not acquired the requisite
skills to occupy such civil service offices. The North felt aggrieved that
their people were not represented in the civil service, as we saw in the
interview a White journalist granted North’s venerated leader, Alhaji Ahmadu
Bello, who had initially called the 1914 amalgamation ‘the great Mistake
of 1914.’ He had reportedly stated: “Well, the Igbo are more less the type of
people who was designed mainly to dominate everybody. If they go to village /
town, they will like to monopolise everything in that area. If you put them in
a farm as labourers, they will try to emerge as the head men in that farm, and
so on.
Well in the past, our people were not aligned in their
responsibility because as you can see from modernisation policy, and in 1952
when I came here, there wasn’t northerners in civil service here. Then, I fight
to organise them now. All the important posts are being held by the
northerners.” He added that instead of giving the Igbo, he preferred to give it
to a hired person from another country.
The marginalisation of the Igbo and other easterners in Nigeria
continued unchecked, coupled with their serial massacre in the North in the
guise of ethnic and religious riots. All these problems brought the
attention of the defunct Organisation of African Unity (now African Union) to
summon series of peace talks. But all were abortive due to the recalcitrance of
the Gowon administration at the centre. The last of such meetings was
rescheduled, as the crisis grown in intensity, as easterners were no longer
safe in the Northern and Western regions of the federation. That led to the
acceptance of Aburi, Ghana as safe and neutral venue by both the Federal
Government and Eastern Nigeria government led by Col Ojukwu. The meeting was
scheduled for January 1967. The essence of the meeting was to restructure the
federal civil service and to restore the confidence of easterners in the young
and diverse nation called Nigeria – the name which a colonial journalist gave
the country. It means ‘Niger area.’ Among reasons why the Aburi Accord failed
was because the federal government led by Col Yakubu did not fulfill its own
parts of the agreement.
Frustrated by Gowon’s recalcitrance and growing hostility in
Nigeria, Col Ojukwu was compelled to summon a Consultative Assembly of elders
and Eastern elders of thought on May 26, 1967 for advice and best way to
resolve the impasse. Naturally, the convocation unanimously voted to stay away
from Nigeria and have an independent state where their security could be
guaranteed. Consequently, on May 30, Lt Col Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, as the
People’s General, declared Eastern Region Independent Republic of Biafra, to
free easterners from constant threat to their lives by northerners, with the
active connivance of the Col Gowon-led federal military government.
It’s important to recall that the Republic of Biafra was
recognised by Cote d’ Voire, Gabon, Tanzania, Zambia and Haiti. The civil war
began in Nigeria on July 6, 1967, when the federal military government led by
Col Gowon decided to adopt a ‘Police Action’ to crush the 37-day-old Biafra and
annex the Eastern Region under Col Ojukwu’s watch . The two sides
waged the war till January 15, 1970, when the federal military government of
Nigeria announced cessation of hostilities with the hypocritical phrase, ‘No
victor, No vanquished.’ Oh! this reminds me of the meaning of BRITISH,
which I tagged: Bundle of Ridiculous people Instigating Trouble In Some
people’s Homes.
No wonder, Gen Odumegwu-Ojukwu is quoted to have said: “Nigeria
is a stooge of Europe. Her independence was and is a lie. Nigeria committed
many crimes against her nationals which in the end made complete nonsense of
her claim to unity. Nigeria persecuted and slaughtered her minorities. Nigerian
justice was a farce; her elections, her census, her politics - her everything -
was corrupt. Qualification, merit and experience were discounted in public
service. In one area of Nigeria, for instance, they preferred to turn a nurse
who had worked for five years into a doctor rather than employ a qualified
doctor from another part of Nigeria; barely literate clerks were made permanent
secretaries; a university vice-chancellor was sacked because he belonged to the
wrong tribe.”
The Nigeria civil war was a deliberate action to starve Biafrans
to death. And this claimed the lives of 6 million Biafrans and properties worth
billions of pounds sterling were destroyed.
The Eastern Region (the home to the state of Biafra) quickly
rose to a maximum capitalist financial height few years after the war, despite
the decision by Chief Obafemi Awolowo to give every Biafran 20 pounds, no
matter how much the person had in his bank account. It was also Chief Awolowo
who starved the children of Biafra to death, because he initiated the idea of
economic barricade against Biafra. This same Yoruba man also betrayed Ojukwu
who freed him where he was jailed in Calabar Prison for treasonable felony. The
agreement he had with Ojukwu was: “Go to Lagos and declare Oduduwa Republic,
while I will declare the Republic of Biafra.’’ When Awolowo got to Lagos, he
accepted the offer Commissioner for Finance from the federal military
government of Nigeria.
Given the foregoing background, we the IPOB in Greece humbly
seek the world’s assistance, particularly the KEERFA Movement United against
racism and the fascism threat, and the Greek government, to help Biafra in her
quest for freedom from the oppressive government of Nigeria. Biafrans have
suffered many atrocities, mayhem and cold blooded killing of our beloved
brothers, sisters, even our children are being raped by the Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri
inspired Boko Haram.
To highlight the seriousness of the Biafran cause, I will like
to mention the sad experience of a Biafran activist, Bruce Mayrock, a White
man, who was 20 years old when he set himself ablaze in front of
the United Nations Building, while demonstrating against the injustice
meted out to Biafrans by Nigeria and Britain. A young student of Columbia
University, New York, at the time.
Unfortunately, he died the same day as a result of the injuries
he sustained. May your soul eternally reign with our Lord in Paradise, where no
political, racial, tribal, religious or economic domination will ever be
tolerated. Amen! Together we remember a host of others that fought so
that we shall live. And here we are today honoring them for
their gallantry; and may the same virtue continue where they stopped. May
their gentle souls rest in perfect peace. Biafra ga-adi, Iseeee!
It is a compulsory duty of everybody in the land of Biafra
to hail Biafra. All must hail Biafra. Whoever that hates to hail Biafra
is our enemy! Try to figure them out wherever they are.
Freedom for all, no matter who you are, no matter your race, no
matter your colour, you are welcome in Biafran Rally today. Thanks and God
bless all who join this awesome remembrance of Biafra’s fallen heroes.
We say freedom for all! Ndewo-nu!!
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