I have read many horrifying news and reports of Igbo youths being gunned down in cold blood by Nigeria military forces and cannot imagine in the world why such a solemn celebration to mark and honor Biafra fallen soldiers who gallantly fought to defend their people and land against worst pogrom and genocide unleashed against them by Nigeria and their co-conspirators should degenerate into such bloody violence including those arrested or massacred while praying inside a Catholic Church at Nkpor near Onitsha.
The Biafra Heroes Memorial Day remembrance is an event that began in 2004 because of the neglect of the Nigerian State to cater for the well-being of Biafra veterans after the war ended. Many of the Nigerians who fought on Biafra side continue to live in penury and thousands have passed away due to poverty and refusal of the federal government to re-integrate them into the Military Force.
Biafra Memorial Day, for most part, has been a peaceful event that is celebrated by Ndigbo around the world. This year, because of its historic importance, was celebrated in so many nations around the world including: Ghana, South Africa, U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel as well as in Malaysia, Dubai and other Islamic nations without any violence.
But in Biafra land in Eastern Nigeria, hundreds of peaceful celebrants and even bystanders were either arrested, injured, or killed with life bullets being fired at them by Nigerian DSS, Navy, Army, Police, and Boko haram jihadists in order to disorganize them. This is really sad indeed. Is this the end of freedom and democracy in Nigeria?
The Nigerian State must understand that freedom cannot be tampered with in a constitutional democracy. By the way, Biafrans can never be enslaved, Islamized or exterminated in Nigeria. They can scatter, live in exile, in captivity, but can never be exterminated from the face of this earth—just like the Israelites. Nigerian essayist, Poet and Nobel Price winner, Prof Wole Soyinka, eloquently said, "Biafra is spirit" and a spirit does not die.
I'm alive today because of the heroic efforts and sacrifices made by those gallant Biafran soldiers to defend their people, their land and the unborn from what Prof. Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe, called: "Africa's most expansive and devastating genocide of the 20th century and the inaugurator of contemporary Africa's age of pestilence." According to the erudite scholar on Africa's genocide, "a total of 3.1 million Igbo people, a quarter of Biafra nation's population at the time, were murdered during those harrowing 44 months," while the world watched. What an evil and wicked world!
Fast forward 50 years later, the same human rights abuses—marginalization, repression, oppression, killings, massacres, pogrom and genocide are still going on in Nigeria today. Nigeria's online news media are awash of reports of arrests, violence, and killings of Biafrans by a combination of DSS, Navy, Soldiers, and Police, who are peacefully marching, singing and praying to honor their fallen heroes who died defending them against the worst pogrom and genocidal war in Africa.
Every sensible, caring and honorable Nigerian must ask why. Why is the president's armed forces massacring peaceful protesters? Why is the Nigerian soldiers shooting down innocent and defenseless citizens? Why is the president's army squad killing young citizens from the East? What is he afraid of? Past governments have always ignored Biafra Heroes Day celebrations since 2004.
Today, every where you turn in Nigeria – people are being killed like chicken. What's going on in Nigeria? What does President Buhari wants to achieve? He vowed to die for the unity of Nigeria. Does he think, he can achieve such illusion by arresting, imprisoning, killing and massacring the young generation and go free in this 21st century world? Does he think through his actions or inaction as the leader of the so-called giant of Africa? Are his advisers advising him wisely or are they deceiving and damaging him and his presidency? Does the President know the implications of what he's doing? Does he want to lead Nigeria into disintegration and dismemberment? Is this a setup by the West or what?
Currently, guerrilla war is going on in Niger Delta creeks. The federal government has just deployed a fleet of five warships, 100 gunboats and fighter jets to the creeks of the Niger Delta, in response to continued bombing of oil and gas pipelines by Niger Delta Avengers (NDA). Last week, I read that British submarine is nearing the seashore of Riverine area. Nigerian soldiers are being deployed in droves to Niger Delta region to crush NDA and other freedom and militants groups forming everyday in Nigeria's oil rich islands.
Buhari has vowed to crush MASSOP, IPOB and NDA and will not live to see Biafra realized. He also vowed to die for the unity of Nigeria – simply because of the oil blocks and wealth - he and his northern oligarchy are controlling.
The President has been cruising the world asking for weapons to crush Biafra agitators, Niger Delta militants, his political enemies and opposition, while Fulani herdsmen insurgents with Boko haram jihadists are still rampaging and massacring many innocent and defenseless citizens across many states in Middle Belt, Southwest, Southeast and South-south of Nigeria with impunity, taking over their farmlands and villages.
Earlier this month, the New York Times warned and cautioned President Obama not to sell warplanes to Buhari because of his human rights abuses. In February, President Obama donated 30 military tanks/trucks to Nigeria.
IPOB leader, Nnamdi kanu is still incarcerated. Shiite Muslim leader, Sheikh Zakzaky is still be held. Political enemies: Dasuki and Metuh are being held by EFCC. Fani Kayode, the outspoken critic of the President is also being held by EFCC. Gov. Foyose of Ekiti State, another critic of the President is being threatened and the entire SE/SS leadership are practically silent for fear of reprisal - except the elderly ex-governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who speaks out from time to time. Yet, well known ex-governors who emptied their States treasury are presently serving in the President's cabinet or enjoying their loots.
The Nigerian Army has vowed to descend hard on Niger Delta Avengers while Boko haram jihadists and Fulani herdsmen are still unleashing mayhem in the NE and SW. Boko harm has re-taken some of the local government areas in Borno State. The Fulani herdsmen are still massacring defenseless farmers and villagers with impunity. Yesterday, the OPC leader, Mr. Adams said that he'll not be able to defend the Yoruba land anymore from Fulani herdsmen who continue to massacre local farmers in the area. His group of vigilantes have been called terrorists, while Fulani herdsmen insurgents with AK-47 and assorted weapons are not reprimanded even though the global terrorist watch group has named Fulani herdsmen the 4th deadliest sect on the planet.
On May 29, 2015, the ex-military dictator, Mohammadu Buhari came to power after defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan on April 29, 2015 to be come the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after three failed attempts. While ex-president Jonathan was hailed by all Nigerians and world leaders for accepting defeat and congratulating Buhari even before the presidential election result was announced, Buhari's win was greeted with euphoria that he's the messiah that Nigeria has been waiting for to fix Nigeria. His stance against corruption and war against indiscipline during his military regime in the 1980's were only his known credentials.
President Buhari and APC leadership promised Nigeria change – outlining seventy-five promises to deliver to Nigerians in their administration. Today, is one year President Buhari and his deputy, Prof. Osibanjo took oath of office and not a single of those promises has been delivered yet. Rather, the country is mired in lawlessness, barbarism, impunity, lack of vision, and corruption of the highest order, executive rascality, extremist regime, hypocrisy, genocide, human right abuses, violence, killings, and massacres.
Since Buhari came into power one year ago, the nation has been thrown in enormous suffering, violence, killings, massacres and worst economic crisis of our time. Today, one gallon of petrol sell N184 from N68 it was selling before he took office. Naira is at 368 to $1 and poor masses are dying of hunger due to food scarcity, high inflation and worst economic crisis since 1999.
How did Nigeria with so much human potential and abundant natural resources degenerate into a state of lawlessness, hopelessness, and barbarism. How is that Nigeria – a nation with so much promise of prosperity and greatness has degenerated into lawlessness and hopelessness because of ethnic hatred, tribalism, State injustice, government corruption and rascality, religious ignorance, intolerance and violence.
Millions of Easterners have embraced a call for Biafra Independence from Nigeria because of marginalization and neglect by the federal government. Despite my personal belief that Nigeria can be great, yet, I believe in the promise of Biafra more because Nigeria has not given me anything but suffering, insults, bondage, enslavement, captivity, marginalization, and death.
Why would anyone from the East continue to call himself or herself a Nigerian in a nation that arrests and murders her best brains? Nigeria is a nation that murdered one of her best journalists and writers – Dele Giwa, hangs one of her brightest scholars and intellectuals - Ken Saro-Wiwa, kills one of her best leaders and billionaire – Chief M. K. O Abiola, kills her attorney general in his own bed room and until now no one has been arrested or punished for the crime, imprisons her freedom fighters – courageous leaders fighting fro justice and equity.
This is a nation that continues to exile her brightest minds, scholars, engineers, doctors, educationists, scientist, poets, writers and media professional, philosophers, social thinkers, human rights activist, pro-democracy activist, and its young citizens.
This is a nation with institutional tribalism against its own people, discriminating against the potential segment of its own people, and goes on rampage killing her innocent and defenseless citizens.
This is a nation that does not maintain its infrastructures or build new ones but prefers to embezzle and launder public money overseas, money capital destined for Federal projects, State programs, community and rural development.
This is a nation that fails to educate her young generation, a nation that has disregarded education which is the foundation, pillar and engine of economic growth and prosperity. This is a nation where their billionaires gives millions of U.S dollars to American and British universities while no university or equipped university exists in his own State.
I weep for Nigeria. Nigerians are under tyranny, extremist regime and full-blown dictatorship. There is no democracy in Nigeria now but military dictatorship. Nigeria is degenerating into anarchy and disintegration.
"One Nigeria" is a myth. How can Nigeria be one and continue to live together when variant tribes distrust and hate one another so passionately.
This amalgamation of Nigeria is a forced union and a British contract that expired in 2014. The amalgamation contract must be re-negotiated. It is a critical document that needs to be dusted and reviewed again and urgently addressed by Britain and world powers before Nigeria degenerates into another brutal civil war.
If the global community wants to live in peace and harmony, the human rights abuses and genocide that's going on in Nigeria must be stopped now and the national question addressed.
The urgency is now. Sincere and courageous Nigerians, African leaders and world powers must speak-up now and condemn the extremist genocide regime of this government and call the President to order before Nigeria degenerates into another civil war – which will be more catastrophic than the 1967-70 civil war.
Nigeria has become simply a den of death, of sorrow, sadness, pain, suffering and hopelessness – a lawless and failed nation. Nigeria has truly become an embodiment of a degenerate people and "a degenerate society" according to the powerful statement of an erudite scholar and top diplomat, the late Dr. Joseph Nanyen Garba.
In the words of late Dr. Julius Kambarage Nyerere, former Tanzanian President and African statesman and leader, once said, "Nigeria has chronically chosen to be moving steadily back to the cave, when its counterparts and peers of 60s and 70s are busy finding their ways into the orbit or moon".
Nigerians are screwed – and it'll take courageous, true, and authentic leadership or revolution to fix Nigeria.
May the souls of those Biafran soldiers who gallantly fought to defend us from worst genocide and pogrom by Nigeria and her global co-conspirators made up of evil empires of Britain, former USSR, Egypt, Arab countries as well as the rest of other nations that did nothing to stop the worst genocide in Africa's history – continue to rest in perpetual peace in heaven. I salute you and honor your bravery and noble sacrifice. Amen.
To be continued—
Dr. C. K. Ekeke, is a public theologian, author, activist and leadership lecturer.
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