Uzokwe's Searchlight


It is easy for people, who may not understand the gravity of this statement, because they did not undergo the horror that many Biafrans underwent, to say that the man was simply exercising freedom of speech.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003


Alfred Obiora Uzokwe

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ORJI KALU AND THE POLITICS OF SELF INTEREST
- HE WANTS BIAFRANS TO APOLOGIZE!



nly in the world of Governor Orji Kalu, of Abia state, does someone, who has been offended, debased, trampled upon and dispossessed of his relatives, turn around and apologize to his aggressors. In my recent book, Surviving in Biafra - The Story of the Nigerian Civil War, I talked about why General Phillip Effiong remains one of the heroes of the Biafran war. In January 1970, the mantle of leadership, of the Biafran nation, unexpectedly fell on him. At this time, the federal troops were menacingly heading into Biafra's hinterland to complete the genocide they started more than 30 months earlier.

Even as General Effiong was preparing the instruments of surrender, in a nationwide broadcast, he stated in no uncertain terms that Biafrans fought because they were provoked. He reminded the world that Biafra did what any aggrieved people would do under the circumstance presented to her and that was to take up arms in self defense. Biafrans had no choice, they took up arms in self defense because as the Igbos say, only a tree would hear that it is about to be killed and still stand in the same location. There must be no apologies for self defense.

It was however with utmost sadness and disgust that I read the comments of one of the loose cannons of the Igbo tribe, a man who parades himself as an Igbo leader and mouthpiece by dint of his current position in government. While receiving Chief Jerry Waya of PDP in Umuahia, Governor Orji Kalu "appealed to Nigerians to forgive the Igbos over the civil war" [vanguard, September 8, 2003] As if this was not bad enough, he added that the war "was a mistake on the part of the Igbo�" I had to re-read the statement before accepting that it was coming from an Igbo man.

It is easy for people, who may not understand the gravity of this statement, because they did not undergo the horror that many Biafrans underwent, to say that the man was simply exercising freedom of speech. That would have been true if he spoke as a private citizen, in which case, one would just ignore him as a nut case. That was however not the case; the manner and occasion during which he made the statement, created the impression of the fact that he was speaking collectively for the Igbos and that is anathema.

Has it been that long, since the war was fought, that this man already forgot what precipitated it? Has this governor already forgotten the three waves of genocide in 1966, in northern Nigeria, that saw the easterners beheaded, maimed, eyes gouged, women folk raped and thousands massacred in cold blood as the sound of "ina nyamili" filled the air? What part of the fact that Biafra fought in self defense does this man not understand?

The governor crowned his sacrilegious statement, in Umuahia, when he said that he and many people in the present generation were not part of the war. This writer is still trying to decipher what he meant by that statement. Does it mean that the man was born after the war? If for the sake of argument we assume that he was born after the war, should one believe that his relatives did not narrate to him what happened? Did they not tell him how the Igbos were provoked in the north, or the human toll that the war took on the Igbos? Again, if for the sake of argument they did not, he could have picked up any book about Biafra, and educated himself on what happened. Even my children, born here decades after the war, can tell Orji Kalu how it started and the toll it took on Biafra and Nigeria in general. The man should be ashamed of his statement.

If on the other hand, by saying that he was not part of Biafra war, he meant that he was on the side of Nigeria during the war, like Ukpabi Asika and his likes, then it is easy to understand why he is faulting Biafrans for defending themselves. It was a war that caused many to lay down their lives just to see that Ndiigbo, including Orji Kalu - the motor mouth, did not perish. By his thoughtless and misguided statement, he is saying that the blood of fallen Biafran heroes, children who died of malnutrition and men and women who died from heart break because of the atrocities they were witnessing, would go in vain. If the problem with this man is that he does not understand the history of the war, Abia state University, where he went to fetch himself a much needed first degree, should have fixed it. It is regrettable that the Igbos have once again invested in another prodigal son.

Orji Kalu's statement ranks up there with the insult that Ndigbo received from the erstwhile junior minister for defense, Mrs. Dupe Adelaja, who said sometime back that former Nigerian soldiers, who fought on the side of Biafra, where traitors who did not merit any benefits. Her gaff was somewhat more bearable because she was on the other side of the divide during the war and was expected to defend the actions of her forebears. The statement equally ranks up there with the one made by General Obasanjo, in Bayelsa state, when he said that the war was caused by struggle for resource control. But as despicable as Obasanjo's statement is, he can be ignored, after all, he was a commander in the army that tried to exterminate the Igbos and would say anything to justify his sadistic tendencies and inclinations.

Orji Kalu's utterance equally ranks up there with the one made by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, when he said that starvation is a legitimate instrument of war. Even though General Yakubu Gowon took his advice and used starvation to reduce Biafran children to skeletons, one could ignore his statement because he was equally on the other side and wanted to use all means to suppress Biafra But how does one justify or ignore Orji Kalu's statement that Biafra made a mistake by defending herself to prevent further extermination and immobilization of her people? How does one justify the fact that the statement was made by a so-called Igbo leader? What is going on Ndigbo? Are the Igbos self destructing?

Every day I read one story or the other where one Igbo or the other is denouncing a war in which many laid down their lives so that they would live to utter arrant nonsense; what manner of ungratefulness is this? What in the minds of these people was supposed to be the alternative for Igbos in 1966 and 1967 -role over in northern Nigeria and play dead? Should Igbos have stayed put in northern Nigeria while "ina nyamili" shouting barbarians plundered their houses, raped their wives, beheaded many and killed thousands? How many waves of genocide should Igbos have endured before the likes of Orji Kalu agree that the Igbos were indeed wronged? It would have been different if Biafra just chose to secede without provocation, but that was not the case.

What part of this history has Orji Kalu and his cohorts failed to comprehend? Why would Ndigbo go asking Nigeria for forgiveness for a war that Nigeria forced on them? I am sure the reader is thinking, "this commentator is getting very worked up about this"- yes, I am and I have no apologies to offer, unlike Orji Kalu. If anyone should apologize, it is General Yakubu Gowon and he has sensibly done that in my maternal homeland - ASABA, Delta state and I appreciate that.

There just might be a reason why Orji Kalu is doing this; he has learnt that in Nigeria, the only way for an Igbo man or woman to advance politically is to genuflect before the powers that be or even disown the Igbo tribe. Ukpabi Asika set that trend in the late 60s, just before the war started. When the war ended in 1970, he got his reward and became the governor of East Central state even though the Igbos loathed him. General Ike Nwachukwu did the same; he took up arms against his people and was later amply rewarded with all kinds of positions. At the just concluded World Igbo Congress in Nashville, Senator Wagbara summed up the imbroglio in Anambra state as a mere breach of contract, instead of rising up honorably and calling it what it was. That was as shameful as can be.

In the case of Orji Kalu, I think he is simply setting the stage for a run for Aso Rock either as a vice presidential or presidential candidate. What he just did was to fire the opening salvo to get the attention of the likes of Babangida and Atiku for the vice presidential slot. He was invited to the world Igbo Congress to help exhort the Igbos to get out of the sidelines in Nigerian politics but the best he could offer was to tell them that Igbo presidency was a long shot. His latest statement, about Biafra, must be condemned in no uncertain terms. The condemnation must be spearheaded by Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu and other pan Igbo groups and even all Nigerians of goodwill.

With this type of attitude, from Igbo "leaders" of Orji Kalu's ilk, no wonder why we still have Biafran war heroes languishing in Oji river encampment while the Igbos boast of billionaires and millionaires. No wonder why roads in the south east are the worst in the nation while Igbo billionaires and millionaires parade the land, looking for politicians to install and defrock at will. No wonder why schools in the south east are under-funded and teachers go on strike monthly, while Igbo millionaires send their children to the best schools in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and the likes. They have not heard that charity begins at home.

The most disconcerting thing is that the Igbos continue to flounder with regards to the establishment of a leadership body, with enough clout, to call people like Orji Kalu to order. I understand that World Igbo Congress is about to respond or has responded. That is good but it is regrettable that a once prosperous tribe is slowly being consigned to the dustbin of irrelevance and people are standing around pointing elsewhere while the bigger chunk of the malignancy lay within.

Onye nwere nti, ya nuru (He who has an ear had better listen).

HERE I STAND!