By Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi
The war that ended in 1970 against the Biafrans opened the gate to another war that is still raging on till today. The 1967/70 war was fought with bombs, mortars and guns, but today’s war is being fought with dirty policies, Media brainwashing and denial of infrastructural development on the people of the old Eastern state known today as South-East and South-South people.
Before even the Nigeria military captured the heart of Biafra, major parts of the Ijaw, Efik, Isoko etc lands have already fallen into the hands of the Nigeria side. This Nigeria side understanding the essence of psychological warfare unleashed it on coastal Biafrans, made sure they instil hatred on the heart of the coastal Biafrans against their Igbo Biafrans.
Many lies were sold to them. Lies like ‘Ndi Igbo want to dominate you.’ ‘They are only after your oil.’ ‘They only wanted to kick out Hausa/Fulani as to take over as the new lord and master.
They made sure they employ some of their notable men to champion these lies among the people. Elechi Amadi was properly used by the establishment to further this divide and rule among the Ikwere people and their larger Igbo brothers. Till today there have been rifts between the Igbo of present South-East and those across the divide. That’s why the international footballer by Name Sunday Okechukwu Olisa went to the stage and proclaimed how he is not Igbo, even when no one asked him about his origin. This is the end result of the war after war.
The psychological war was also extended to the Igbo in the present South East. It became an unwritten rule in Nigeria that the only people worthy of power in Igbo land and in Nigeria, in general, are men and women that can speak and go against the interest of Ndi Igbo. Those that will stand to blame Ndi Igbo even when they are the victims. Nigeria government saw to it that only this type of people from Igbo land gets lucrative jobs. It’s like a reward for betraying their own people.
Prior to the Nigeria/Biafra war, people like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Philip Efiong, Akanu Ibiam etc didn’t make it to the top climbing on the ladder of betrayal and sabotage. This is the exact reason these leaders stood with their people during the pogrom and fought to save their people during the genocide called the Nigeria / Biafra war.
Even Akanu Ibiam had to renounce his Knighthood and rejected his English name in protest against the actions of Britain against Biafra during that war. Leaders are meant to stand with their people. There is no way millions of your people will be wrong and you as a leader will be right.
Unfortunately, today no leader would have done what Akanu Ibiam did in the 60s. The plan of the Fulani worked perfectly well on Ndi Igbo. The plan gifted them with leaders that are always quick to support the oppressors against their own people. These today’s Igbo leaders lick the dirty buttocks of the caliphate as to remain in power. The caliphate never fails them. They are always quick to deliver once their obedient stooge is involved. They will always assist them with Federal might as to be declared winner against the wishes of the people.
Personally, it didn’t surprise me at all that in an era Mohammad Buhari said a war against Boko Haram is a war against the North and stood with Fulani herdsmen that have killed more than 10,000 Nigerians in three years, Igbo leaders comprising of Governors, Senators, Clergymen and Ohaneze went to a meeting in Enugu and proscribed IPOB, their own sons who have not killed or threatened to kill a soul. IPOB only demanded referendum and Nigeria government killed many of them, dumping their bodies in an unmarked mass graves, without their leaders uttering a word of condemnation. Ndi Igbo have leaders fighting to give parts of Igbo land to the Fulani in the name of Cattle Colony.
That supporters of these Igbo leaders went on to blame IPOB saying they caused their own death is a sign that the Fulani virus is eating deep into the mindsets of some Igbo people. They mean to say that IPOB caused their own death by peacefully protesting, for saying no to the marginalization of Ndi Igbo and Biafrans in general.
This psychological warfare has worked more than expected on some Igbo people. Some Igbo people today believe that Ndi Igbo are the cause of their own problem. Some have been made to believe that their own people are the worse of all people. This is a mind game made possible with Nigeria Media. Anytime a crime happens and the perpetrator happens to be Igbo, the news headline will read thus: ‘An Igbo kidnapper Caught With Guns.’
They are always quick to highlight Igbo when it’s ugly, but when an Igbo gets an international award, same Nigeria Media will conspicuously bury the name Igbo and highlight Nigeria. “Nigeria Girls Beat The World, Win Tech-Innovation Competition In USA”. Those are Igbo girls from Anambra State. They have become Nigerians.
This has negatively affected some Ndi Igbo that they think low of themselves. They are made to believe they love money, but their accusers took seaports for themselves. The money their accusers stole is still being discovered many years after.
The coming of Nnamdi Kanu awakened the consciousness of Ndi Igbo and Biafrans in general. Suddenly the people are proud of their identity. His coming brought out the spirit of the real Igbo man. It’s like the courage of Ojukwu and the wisdom of Zik was born in him. With him the call for Ndi Igbo to think home became louder. Millions of Ndi Igbo in diaspora are desperately in need of a sane Nation to return to. Children and old are today embracing freedom. The people are ready to retire Hausa/Fulani stooges forced on them for the past 50 years.
Until the people completely take back power from these people affected by Nigeria war after the war decimation, Biafra can never be totally free.
#Peace
