BY ADA DIKE
For a long time to come, the discussions at the recent gathering
of the Igbo race during the launch of a book, “The
Untold Story of the Nigeria-Biafran War,” would continue to be at the topic of discussion within Nigeria and beyond.
With impressive attendance of personalities
from all walks of life, the event kicked off around 12 noon with opening prayer
followed by National Anthem.
Powered by Ndigbo Lagos, Ohaneze Ndigbo and
Aka Ikenga in collaboration with Lower Niger Congress, the event which took
place at the Agip Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, provided an opportunity
for the Igbo to take stock and discuss the genesis as well as effect of the
Nigeria-Biafran on the Igbo race.
In his welcome address, the President
General of Ndigbo in Lagos, Prof Anya O. Anya, said the book provides one with
a snapshot of Nigerian history - what led to the war, the course of the war and
why the young Igbo needs to know why the Igbo went war.
Furthermore, the former Chief Executive
Officer of Nigeria Economic Summit Group also states that: “The book serves as
reminder about the war. We have no problem with the North and the West but we believe
that there must be justice.”
According to him, the Igbo are the true
Nigerians who create wealth and distribute it among other tribes.
Commenting on why Ayo Adebanjo was the
chairman of the occasion, he said: “It is not by accident that he was made the
chairman of the occasion. Through him and few others, some states in Nigeria
including Abia State were created.”
He implored the Igbo and other Nigerians to
join hands and build Nigeria and stressed that, “Our politics and press must
change. The politics of bitterness and selfishness and the amplification of
negative issues in the country by the press must change,” Anya advised.
Chairman of the occasion, legal practitioner,
politician, leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo during his brief remarks as
the chairman of the occasion, said they are few Igbos
he respects because they are men of their words and they played their parts in
the struggle for a true Nigeria.
He also averred that the book, which
reported the account of the war in a chronological order, was very intimidating
and called on Nigerians to unite for the progress of the country. “The Yoruba
and the Igbo have no cause to quarrel because they have done many things
together in the past,” Adebanjo said.
He queried the content of Nigeria’s
constitution and adds that: “The sovereignty we are talking about is the
sovereignty of the people.”
During the introduction of the
author of the book, the Chief Executive Officer
of Egbin
Power Station, Mr. Mike Uzoigwe, recalled he was
in primary school when the war broke out. “A woman who took care of us under a
tree and directed us when to run to a bunker, died with a baby at her back. She was killed by cannon during an air raid
brought which out her intestine when she could not make it to the bunker.
He revealed that the writer, Dr. Luke Aneke, is a
United States based surgeon and lawyer who made good marks in school during
their childhood years to the extent that he received a lot of knocks on his
head for not measuring up with Aneke in terms of academic performance.
At the melting point of the
event, the book reviewer, Dr. Anele, a senior lecturer
of the Department of Philosophy at University of Lagos, said reading through the book was a job itself.
According to him, the book
was a window into the untold story of Nigeria-Biafran war. “The 771-page book,
sub-divided into four was an eye witness account of the civil war which revealed
the journalistic reportage of the war by foreign media including New York
Times, Agence France Presse, Reuters and Associated Press, among others,” Anele
said.
“Tears swelled my eyes when
I read how Biafran children were killed to keep Nigeria one.”
He recalled how John Lennon of the Beatles
fame protested the crises in Biafra by returning an award given to them by the
British Empire. Another foreigner, according to him, a mayor in the United
States of America set himself ablaze to draw attention to the genocide in
Biafra but later died in a hospital.
Anele was of the opinion
that Nigeria will not make progress if justice was not served. He believes that
“Nigerians have not learnt anything from the tragedy of the Biafran war.
To Anele, the 771-page book which foreword was written by
Gen. Philip Efiong (Late) is readable, straight forward and easy to understand.
The philosopher advised every adult Nigeria, particularly the Igbo to buy and
read the book to know how the rain started to beat the
Igbo.
On the other hand, he pointed some
weaknesses he noticed by saying that there should have been contributions from
ordinary Biafrans like farmers, traders, tailors, teachers and so on. He also
pointed out few misspellings in the book by the author and they are: Wale
(correct word is Wole) and spitting (correct word is splitting), among others.
Among those present at the event were President of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Nnachi, President General of the Igbo Speaking
Community in Lagos, Ebere Ubani, Chief
Martin Agbaso, Prof Laz Ekwueme, Rear Admiral (retired) Ndubuisi Godwin Kanu, Chief Laz Iloka,
Reagan Ufomba, Chief C. C. Ifeanyi, Prof Joe
Ezeigbo, Dr. Titus Okereke, Dr. John Anele.
Others include:, Chief Executive Officer of Techno Oil Limited, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, MON,
Dr. G. S. Ihetu, Barr Chike Igwe of Amokwe, Playwright
and lawyer Fred Agbeyegbe, Middle Belt delegation Ijaw delegation and Yoruba
delegation.
