■ Author: Ugochinyere Onyechere
■ Twitter: @Umuchiukwu_writ
■ May 24, 2018
Before 1966, we never had any reason to cry, weep nor be sorrowful in our land; hence, we never had fallen Heroes nor Heroines. Specifically, we wouldn't have had any reason (s) to do so if the British, Egypt, Russia and other world governments had not committed this grave genocide against the Biafrans. This is the more reason we should make it a historical event like other world events in the history curriculum.
Their quest was simple; "we want to be independent", however, it turned out to be an offensive demand which led to their strangulation and murder. The faced the worst situation and had no place to hide. Their blood is soaked, Schools, churches, marketplaces, farmlands composed their bodies to manures.
These are the people we tend to remember come 30th May. For 44 years, we ignored their great sacrifices until the emergence of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Within this period, the Biafran struggle had suffered backwardness and had seemed to be unrealistic. We have awoken our consciousness and have known the importance of remembering the selfless sacrifices of our heroes.
Before now, the world has been remembering the dead. There have been several popular events which remind the world about a people who have died on special quest or course. This special course might be service to their land, genocide etc. Historically, the Holocaust, the Halloween, the Memorial day etc. are all events marked out to honour some people who have died notably globally.
Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honour the American dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defence of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” of America.
The Holocaust, also referred to as the Shoah, was a genocide during World War II in which Nazi Germany, aided by its collaborators, systematically murdered approximately 6 million European Jews, around two-thirds of the Jewish population of Europe, between 1941 and 1945. Today, the entire world stands to acknowledge the remembrance of the Holocaust.
The Halloween is dedicated to remembering the dead, including Saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed; also, the world commemorates with the victims.
It is quite pathetic and horrible to make mention of how honouring victims in like manner as was mentioned above became a crime and an avenue to kill more upon those that were murdered already in Nigeria. Right from 2014, every 30th May have been known to be the Biafran Heroes remembrance day.
Usually, we had always resorted to peaceful rallies worldwide as an option to remember them. But in this course, casualties were impart recorded following the incessant clampdown on armless people.
To this effect, this quote by Ralph Marston which states that "You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination", has exposed the ideas of Biafrans towards their determination.
An Igbo adage states that " for the fact that a woman cries during labour does not mean that pregnancy should be forbidden". It's evident that the Nigerian murderous security agencies forbid to see or hear the name IPOB, but this is no reason to forsake these heroes and heroines.
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by the command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has made it easier and possible by slating 30th May a sit-at-home.
On the date mentioned above, Biafrans have been mandated to sit at their homes, this way our fallen heroes will be honoured. We have done this before. However, we want to do it again. There should be a positive turnout hence every institution, schools, Churches, Markets, transport companies, industries and companies must be shut down.
Honour must be given to whom it's due. Total compliance to on 30th will portray a positive imparts and generate more momentum to our struggle. Our fallen heroes deserve this honour. Therefore we must make this event a historic one.
Editor/Publisher: Udeagha Obasi
For Umuchiukwu Writers.
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