The Sentimentalism of Dishonesty

Ipemndoh dan Iyan 

I say ‘Thank you’ to you, Ms Tundun Abiola, for your Observations on your News Report https://youtu.be/ovpmxDbZ0kc regarding President Muhammadu Buhari’s Comments that "Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand."

Commentators, according to your Report, have concluded that Buhari was referring to those agitating for the Secession of Biafra from Nigeria. In fact, Dr Reuben Abati (PhD), on the same Program, categorically identified this Reading of Buhari’s Tweet. It is a little hard, however, to agree with Dr Abati’s reasoning that some Igbo Persons are locked in the Past of the Nigeria - Biafra Civil War of 6 July 1967 to 15 January 1970. Take for instance, the primary Agitator today of excavating Igbo Homeland from Nigeria, Mr Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The Man is busy ordering Violence on fellow Igbos not agreeing with his Mindset – Vision and Mission – but has no recoverable Experience of the Biafran War. According to Wikipedia, he is 53 or 54 Years of Age as of 2021. Either Age will confirm him as born during the War but he was still a Baby when it ended. So, what Memories of that War could he have? 

Kanu might claim that being born in the War Zone was enough, but what was his Babyhood like? How did the Person(s) caring for him keep him alive? How did they survive? However, his Claim, if at all dared, of being born in the War Zone will be undeservedly boastful. The whole of Nigeria was a War Zone. The Biafrans occupied the then Midwestern Region and came as far as Ore in the Western Region. Ore is now in Ondo State. Did the Biafrans not kill Civilians in these Places? The Biafrans bombed Lagos. If the Biafrans could march into those Places, they certainly would have gone also into the Northern Region, as they were (and still are) next-Door Neighbours. 

All in Nigeria during the War lived in Anxiety and in Fear of their Lives. Even Members of the Nigerian Supreme Military Government (SMG)1 such as General Hassan Usman Katsina fought in that War and got maimed for Life, and others like Airforce Service Chief, Colonel Shittu Alao, lost their Lives in the Course of that War.2 The War was more than how Biafran Agitation and Espousers today trivialize it. Yoruba Military Officers fought for Biafra as did Igbo Military Officers for Nigeria, and who really knows the Extent of the cross-carpeting by Officers and Soldiers? That War was the cumulative Consequence of the British Colonialist Design of merging disparate Peoples into a commercial administrative Unit and the Peoples themselves converting this Trade Agglomeration into a sociopolitical Unit, owning the Aberration as though it were natural. 

The principal Percentage of Nnamdi Kanu’s Followers are even much younger than he is. So, how could they possibly have Memories stranded in the Past of the Civil War? From my Examination of this Person, Nnamdi Kanu, he does not possess an original Mind regarding the Foundation of Biafra. He feeds his Followers with the Romanticism of the Biafran Idea – not Ideal – and with dishonest Narrative of the Circumstances of the Biafra - Nigeria Civil War. These Followers in turn worship the Person of Nnamdi Kanu, but are not cognizant of the Ideal of Biafra. It is the same Glorification of Personality that installed Individuals like Adolf Hitler and Donald J Trump Sr in Power, and we all know how it went with those two. 

Nigerian President Buhari was actually kind to proffer that "Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the” Devastation of that War for Biafran Independence. The War was both Human and Material Tragedies. Secondly, is Buhari wrong to explain the Nigerian Civil War as occasioning the “destruction and loss of lives”? He is not. Thirdly, should Buhari have offered to handle with kid Gloves those who seek the Recurrence of this awful Memory in Nigeria’s History? I recognize that Dr Abati made this Suggestion of kid Gloves with his Proposition that Buhari should “talk” to these violent Agitators. Talk to Nnamdi Kanu, who ran away from Nigeria, secured himself a British Passport for UK Protection of himself and insurrectionist Activities from Nigerian Government Response(s) while destabilising Nigeria with Disorder, and at times, deadly Force? Mr Omoyele Sowore is the One deserving of gently, gently meeting of Differences. He poses no violent Threat to the lacklustre Mind of rtd Major General Muhammadu Buhari but an intellectual Challenge to his not only corrupt but equally despairing civilian Administration. Sowore, unlike Kanu, is not a Coward. He left the relative Safety of the United States to return to Nigeria to fight for the Nigerian Peoples, not a Segment of ‘the People[s]'. Sowore is not a Nationalist. Perhaps, the Experience of finishing his University Education enlightened Mr Sowore’s Worldview, and personal Morality. 

All who fought in the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War, whatever their Nationality3 do not wish for the Recurrence of that Experience. I did not fight in that War. I was about 10 Years old when it broke out but there were Easterners – including those forced4 into Biafran Identity – my Age who fought and died in that War. As I have written many times, my Parents supported the Biafran Cause (even though we are Fulani). My Mother's Radio was tuned 24 Hours to ‘Radio Biafra' from the Start of the War to its End. Again, as I have written many times, I could have been a Casualty of that War. I could have been killed or maimed or scarred for Life. I lived about 10/15 Minutes' Walk to the Casino Cinema in Yaba, Lagos bombed by the Biafrans. I still remember the Flash and the huge Sound accompanying the Explosion and my Mother desperately instructing me to take Cover under Something, as advised by the Civil Defence, while cradling my close to 2 Years old Brother as she herself dived for Cover. 

After we were given the all clear that we were safe and were apprised of what had happened, my Mother looked at me and was grateful that I was alive. I cannot recollect exactly what she said. Had I on that Day (19 July 1967) and at the time been at the Swimming Pool opposite the Cinema with my Friends or at the British Library across from it collecting or returning Books for my Parents' older Son or visiting with my Friend who lived about two Minutes’ Walk away from the Cinema, I might not today be writing this Rejoinder. As far as I know, my Friend who lived two Minutes away from the Site is still carrying the Scars all over her Body. When I left Nigeria in my 20s she still had the Scars. She is slightly older than I, I think. Thus, while I know that the Indivisibility of Nigeria is utopian, I do not wish for another Civil War for the inevitable Divisibility. 

IgboNigeria has been very successful in distorting to the wider Nigerian Public the Circumstances of that 1967 to 1970 Civil War. When I say ‘Circumstances’, I refer to the Precipitation of that War, and the War itself. Anti-northern Nigerians whether born before or after the War conveniently erase the Fact that it was mainly Igbo Military Officers who took it upon themselves to plan and execute a coup d’etat against the Civilian Government of Executive President of Nigeria, Mr Nnamdi Azikiwe. He was popularly referred to as ‘Zik’ and had the honorary Prefix of 'Dr'. The Igbo Officers brutally murdered mostly Fulani and Hausa Military Officers and Politicians. It is discounted by the Revisionists that Azikiwe was not killed. He was not even injured. Zik, the Igbo Military Officers, and IgboNigerians lied to themselves then, and still do that Azikiwe was a "ceremonial President" yet both The Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria, 1960 and The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1963 made clear that he was Executive Governor-General and Executive President respectively. 

Our Revisionists deny that the Igbo Military Officer, General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who assumed the Reins of Government sent the Coup Plotters to the Safety of the Eastern Region in the Custody of Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Military Governor, who later led the Biafran Secession as Supreme Military Commander and unelected President. Ironsi claimed the Coup Plotters were in Detention. Yet, he did nothing about prosecuting them. He rather concerned himself with arbitrarily promoting Igbo Military Officers in all the Branches of the Nigerian Armed Forces. These Nigerian Civil War Revisionists, insofar as they see the Fulani and the Hausa as less than Human to themselves, refuse to acknowledge that it was about seven Months after the Coup, 7 Months within which Aguiyi-Ironsi should have done the right thing by facilitating the charging to Court of the Coup Plotters for Insurrection, that Fulani and Hausa Military Officers struck back. Fulani and Hausa Civilian Populations also hit back at Igbo Civilian Populations. 

However, in seeking undeserved Sympathy, our Igbo Revisionists and their Apologists omit that Igbo Civilian Populations retaliated too. It is not okay for Fulani and Hausa Military Officers to be vengeful but it is jolly fine for Igbo Civilian Populations to be, abi? It does not work like that. Good for the Goose, good also for the Gander is how it works. The Hate in which IgboNigeria held FulaniNigeria and HausaNigeria was undisguised in the Biafran Ahiara Declaration of 1969. It was explicit in Intention in that Declaration that IgboNigeria was not interested in electoral Governance of Majority Rule that those who comprise the majority of the Population should acquire more Seats in the Legislature. This Illusion of electoral Principle is still attached today to IgboNigeria and YorubaNigeria Logics like a Plague. It is Irrationality they are unable to rid themselves of. The Ahiara Declaration is very useful in understanding the skewed Ideal of Biafranism within the Nigerian Context. 

As I have written many times previously, ‘Nigeria’ in Geography and Name was a British colonialist Project for the Purposes of Commerce. This is why I agree that the Igbo of Nigeria should have their sovereign Territorial-State, as should the Yoruba. I can never understand why the Fulani and the Hausa cannot reconcile with this. However, I have always maintained that Nigeria’s Divisibility must be achieved through Dialogue. The People constituting Nigeria had nothing in Common before Colonialism except for being Neigbhbors, and perhaps also trading Partners. The Igbo and the Yoruba which do have a genetic Connection5 did not relate as though they do either because they did not know of this Connection or they simply did not care to hold it in their Consciousness. Such were the cultural Distances, and still are, between the Peoples Nigeria is composed of that it is simply Madness to continue to force them together in Identity bequeathed by British Racism and Colonialism. How can our ‘Indivisibility-Nigerians’ so revel in psychological-Colonialism, neo-imperialist-Servitude and Slave-Mentality? 

It is pretty exasperating to hear Persons like rtd Full-General Olusegun Obasanjo despite his Stints as Military Head of State, civilian President and Education to PhD Level claim that “God ... created” Nigeria. This is not just Revisionism of the Nigerian Story. It is outright Dishonesty. “God” had no hand in the coming to be of Nigeria unless Dr Obasanjo believes the ‘white’ Folk is “God”. The Geography of Nigeria was formated by British Colonialism and the Name 'Nigeria' was christened by Flora Louise Shaw – later Lady Lugard – an almost uneducated British Journalist in 1897. In fact, ‘God’ is displeased - enraged actually - at the Formation of Nigeria. This is why Nigeria has been asunder since its ‘white’ Designers departed the Anomaly they forged. 

If, as certain Nigerians assert, the Word 'Nigeria' is derived from the River Niger then what does the Word mean? Shaw, who invented the Word, said she simply "coin[ed]" the Name. Go read her Article of 8 January 1987 for 'The Times of London'. Thus, the Name emerged from an Exercise similar to a Child making up Words. To those who beat their Drums of Ignorance that the Name 'Niger' or 'Nigeria' has Origin in Africa, I have got News for them. Neither is African. 'Niger' is not an African Word. It is Latin for 'black'. Anyone who has travelled over that River - as I have - will know that its Bottom is black. I went across it by Train in the early 1970s and it is what I observed under the very clear Water. Try journeying across the Bridge at Lokoja or Makurdi - I cannot recall correctly which Bridge - and you will see what I saw if the Water is still unpolluted with Debris. It is this black Bed that made Colonialists in the Person of Scottish Mungo Park call it 'Niger' (Black). It is ordinarily a priori that this is the Case, and Empiricism confirms it. The Africans living in its Vicinity never called it 'Niger' prior to European Presence. For Example, there is another River Niger in Mexico. Is this the African Word transported to Mexico? 

Let me add a Note here about the Source of the Word 'Africa' (and its Derivations). Most Africans claim that 'Africa' is not Name indigenous to the Continent so-called. Many assert6 that the Name came from Roman General Scipio Africanus who, with strengthening by the treacherous African Masinissa of Numidia - neighboring Kingdom - defeated fellow African Hannibal of Khart-Haddas (Carthage),7 present-Day Tunisia, in 202 BCE. The Man was born Publius Cornelius Scipio. 'Africanus' was Accolade - a Form of Suffix - given to him after the Hannibal Victory. The Word 'Africa' has six (6) possible Origins. One is European (Grecian). Another one is Indian. The other four (4) are African. For me, the most likely indigenous Candidate is 'Aourigha' because 'Africa' sounds like its Transliteration. Thus, in Fact, the Description 'Africa' is indigenous to the Continent so identified. The Greeks simply could not pronounce its original Form properly, and since Europeans then came to colonize the Continent, their mistaken Pronunciation stayed. 

 

Endnotes

1I am writing from the Memories of a Child in Adolescence but not yet a Teenager so I cannot rightly recollect whether the Nigerian Civil War Leadership was called the Supreme Military Government or the Supreme Military Council. 

2I am not minimizing other top Officers like Olusegun Obasanjo whom Biafran Brigadier Effiong - not Igbo - surrendered to, Alani Akinrinade, Benjamin Adekunle, Murtala Mohammed, et cetera, and junior Officers like Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and the rank and file military Casualties.

3By ‘Nationality’, I intend Belongingness to a Nation. My Nation is Group Identity founded on common cultural History, and shared Genealogy.   

4Biafran History has conveniently suppressed the Fact that all Nationalities in the then Eastern Region of Nigeria were compulsorily conscripted into the Biafran Ideology and Military. Young Nigerians should read what they can about Adaka Boro, another prominent young Eastern Nigerian - non Igbo - Human Rights Activist of that time. To me, he is more of a Hero. As young as I was then, I admired him.

5See Adeyemo, A. A. et al; 'Genetic structure in four West African population groups', BMC Genetics 2005, 6:38 – http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2156/6/38 

6I say 'assert' because they have no Evidence to support their Belief.

7'Carthage' is the Grecian Transliteration of Khart-Haddas.

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