The ghost of Biafra..

I read with disgust a few days ago in the papers that self-promoted four-star Biafran Army General Ezegburugburu Odimegwu Ojukwu was at the Millitary Pensions Board to collect his gratuity.

I was appalled because that to me represents a sell-out of the struggle that led to the secession of the Igbo race from the rest of Nigeria.

I remembered a discussion I had with my political mentor, Amb. Raph Uwechue a few years back on his book, 'Reflections on the Nigerian civil war: Facing the future', the circumstances that led to the secession who found a collective voice in Emeka are still present today albeit cloaked.

I wouldn't know if Dim Emeka reflects on happenings in the country presently on the 15th of January every year as a day that Biafra, a child of necessity then and now was killed with the formal surrender of Phillip Effiong at Dodan Barracks in Lagos.

Biafra was an ideal child of necessity against the blood-sucking elements who were thirsting for Igbo blood in the northern part of the country. If only He, Ojukwu had been humble enough to enjoy the goodwill of the Igbo people and seek not to entrench himself in apparent power,
my country, The United States of Nigeria would have been doing the black race proud.

38 years after, I wouldn't know if Ojukwu has been misled to think now that all is well with Nigeria. The problems of Nigeria are legion which could have been settled if Ojukwu had not gotten carried away with the power he could have wielded as an independent ruler of the Biafran Republic without answering to anybody at Dodan Barracks. Erstwhile, he was the military Governor of the Eastern Region.

I daresay that the ideals of Biafra were noble and present-day Nigeria lost out in properly constituting itself into a true United States of Nigeria because Ojukwu got himself misled about his military strength when the Federal Government reneged on the Aburi accord and stuck to his guns when it was eventually ready for it.
Its so bad that villains like Brig-General Benajamin Adekunle are the silent heroes of the Nigerian Civil war and the Obasanjos openly gloat about their being able to bring an end to the civil war.

In light of Ojukwu's recent action, what can be said to be the value of the lives of eminent people like Aguiyi Ironsi, Brig. Victor Banjo, Major Sam Agbamuche, Major Phillip Alale and the rest of those who lost their lives in the struggle?