Advanced Nationalism of Ndigbo (1)

No tribe has suffered in the Nigeria project more than the Igbo, it is estimated the Igbo lost somewhere between two to six million, i repeat two to six million people from 1953 and during its war of independence from Nigeria.

Pogroms against easterners can be traced back as far back as 1945 and peaked in the aftermath of the Revenge counter coup of July 1966.

The immediate forerunner to that orgy of bloodletting after July 1966 was the coup led by officers of eastern extraction who killed prominent politicians and military men mostly and almost singularly of northern origin.

In retaliation thousands of military and civilians of eastern extraction, mostly Igbo’s, were slaughtered in the north for the misdeeds of those coupists and many Igbo fled homeward to they eastern, by they millions.

During brief interludes when the pogroms subsided and during the time Gowon and Ojukwu were negotiating a more peaceful union and upon Ojukwu’s urging, many Igbo returned northwards only to be slaughtered more furiously again between July 1966 to May 1967.

In light of the unrelenting bloodshed targeted against Igbo people and the return of millions of itinerant Igbo’s from the Nigerian diaspora the Eastern region house of assembly mandated Ojukwu to declare Biafra for the security of Igbo people and the abrogation of the agreements forged by they 3 regions before the colonialists gave Nigeria independence.

Based on this authorization and to escape manipulation Ojukwu declared the republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967 and the federal government fought furiously to reintegrate Biafra back into Nigeria.

The Igbo’s fought the combined might of 359 nation tribes of Nigeria for 30 long months to assert and secede from Nigeria, but was forcefully occupied and fully reintegrated back into Nigeria by force by January 1970.

This history sets Ndigbo apart from every other tribe in Nigeria today.  

Ndigbo are the only tribe in Nigeria to have experienced nationhood basically having their own indigenous country within Nigeria. 

They Ndigbo are they only tribe within Nigeria to have established their own army, Air Force, navy and war time civil defense directorates.

Ndigbo created ministries called directorates and appointed administrators or Governors for each of its 16 provinces.

Ndigbo apppointed ambassadors and was recognized by four countries.

Biafra had its own national anthem as well as well as a national currency and laws and its courts.

This peculiar and unique history puts the Igbo man at a higher level of consciousness exhibited through restive nationalism than any other tribe in Nigeria today except the Kanuri who have launched their Boko harem war of independence, but are far less organized or as advanced as the defunct rebel republic of Biafra.

Based on this history it is incumbent for Nigeria and its security forces to Respect Igbo people and leave them alone to mourn and remember their heroes and many dead buried in mass graves during the pogroms and war on the anniversary of the declaration of the defunct republic.

It is also incumbent of Nigerians from passive tribes who have never resisted real or imagined domination, marginalization, death from Fulani herdsmen or fulanization and who have no militants of their own to not be casting aspersions at Igbo people.

These tribes do not qualify to point fingers at Igbo people as none of their rhetoric has been backed by blood.

God Bless the memory of the defunct Republic of Biafra and God bless Ndigbo in one Nigeria.

By Terhemba Osuji