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The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 12:56pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
I. Introduction
A new nation has been born. Fourteen million
people have taken their destiny into their own
hands and embarked on the task of building a
nation free from fear, bitterness and hate.
Their sole aim is to develop their innate
capabilities and rear their children in an
atmosphere of peace and security. They
stretch their hands of fellowship to all nations
and appeal for understanding, friendship and
co-operation.
We, Biafrans, opted for self-determination
after a long period of heart-searching and
after making desperate efforts to save the
Federation of Nigeria from disintegration.
More than any other people in the former
Federation, Biafrans contributed their human
and material resources to the cause of
national unity. From 1914, when the British
amalgamated Northern and Southern Nigeria,
Biafrans began to leave their homeland in
large numbers to settle in several places
among the Fulani-Hausa in the North and the
Yoruba in the West. In those areas they
opened up new avenues of commerce and
industry and at the same time built new
homes and erected places of worship and
institutions of learning. By so doing they came
to acquire a real stake in the progress and
well-being of ALL parts of the country. They
regarded themselves as citizens of Nigeria to
an extent that no other group in the country
ever did.
Wherever Biafrans sojourned their industry,
resourcefulness and drive marked them out
from their neighbours. In the North,
particularly, the distinction was enhanced by
religion; for while the majority of the Fulani-
Hausa population were Muslims the Biafrans
were and still remain mostly Christians. In
addition, the progress and dynamism of
Biafrans contrasted with the tardiness and
conservatism of their neighbours who were
generally unable to achieve the same
standards of efficiency and prosperity. The
envy and animosity the Biafrans excited were
manifested periodically, such as in the
massacre of Biafrans by Northern Nigerians at
Jos in 1945 and at Kano in 1953.
While Biafrans abroad were thrusting ahead
and setting the pace for the economic
development of Nigeria, those in Biafra itself
were diligently exploiting the human and
material resources of their homeland. Their
ready acceptance of modern ideas and
techniques brought them to the forefront of
economic and political activities. Democratic
by tradition, they championed democratic
ideals and at the same time advocated the
concept of a united country. They resolutely
opposed the reactionary ideas of the Fulani-
Hausa ruling elite which controlled the North
and dominated the Federal Government. They
also resisted the vicious and unscrupulous
methods by which the Northerners sought to
perpetuate their hold on the political strings of
Nigeria. It was largely this confrontation
between the forces of progress, represented
by Biafrans, and those of reaction, represented
by the Fulani-Hausa which culminated in the
Nigerian census crisis of 1963-64, the Federal
election crisis of 1964 and the Western
Nigeria election crisis of 1965 which brought
the military to power in January 1966.
During the massacre of 29 May 1966, which
was the reaction of the Fulani-Hausa to
Unification Decree No. 34 of the Supreme
Military Council, Biafrans were the sole
victims and there was no discrimination with
regard to their individual ethnic origin. The
massacre of Biafran army officers and men by
their Northern “comrades-in-arms” on 29 July
1966, and of Biafran civilians later, followed
the same pattern: they were killed only
because they were Biafrans.
Those who survived the pogrom fled back to
their homeland disillusioned and embittered.
Their investments in other parts of the
Federation had been destroyed and those
whom they held dear had been killed or
maimed. The families in Biafra who received
them back shared their grief, and hardly any
family in Biafra escaped the loss of a member
or the return of a destitute relative needing
relief. The Northern Assailants showed no sign
of remorse. On the contrary they were jubilant
over the expulsion of the Biafrans in their
midst. The Biafrans themselves would never
think of going back to expose themselves to
the risk of a repeat of their previous harrowing
experience. Thus the pogrom of 1966 resulted
in an irreversible movement of population.
In spite of all they had suffered during earlier
massacres and during the more recent
pogrom, the people of Biafra sought no
revenge but strove strenuously to find a
peaceful solution which would keep Nigeria
together. The Northerners, on the contrary,
rejected every overture, ignored the
implementation of agreements which had been
mutually arrived at, and relied on their military
occupation of Lagos and Western Nigeria to
humiliate Biafrans even further.
Two of these agreements stand out clearly.
As far back as 9 August 1966 representatives
of the Military Governors and Lt.-Col. Gowon
agreed in Lagos that, inter alia “Immediate
steps should be taken to post military
personnel to barracks within their respective
regions of origin”. It was generally recognised
that tension would be reduced and Biafrans
would have less fear of attending meetings
elsewhere in Southern Nigeria if this measure
was taken. The implementation of this
agreement was pressed on numerous
occasions from August 1966 until the collapse
of the Federation, but was totally ignored by
the Northern “conquerors”. Again, after long
persuasion, the military rulers of Northern
Nigeria agreed to attend a conference at
Aburi, Ghana, in January 1967. Far-reaching
decisions aimed at restoring the Federation to
normalcy were taken at this meeting. As is
now well-known, the Northern military rulers
at first repudiated the decisions as soon as
they returned to Lagos but, following further
persuasion both from within and outside
Nigeria, proceeded to implement only a
portion of the Aburi decisions. At the same
time the Federal Government contrary to an
Aburi decision stopped paying its staff serving
in Biafra, and withheld the Biafran share of
Federal revenues.
The protests of Biafrans against the attitude
of the North were met with threats of military
subjugation. The proposal that Nigerian
military lenders should meet in the presence of
named African heads of States was spurned.
The stoppage of salaries of Biafrans in the
Federal public Service and Corporation
compelled the Government of Biafra to pay
these salaries in addition to bearing the
financial burden of rehabilitating other
refugees and displaced persons. Then the
Lagos Government continued to withhold the
periodic payments and remittances from
Federal funds due to the Government of Biafra,
the Biafran Government was forced to take
steps to stop the continued accumulation of
debt by the Lagos Government by
promulgating the Revenue Collection Edict.
Thereafter, the Lagos Government mounted a
blockade aimed at the economic strangulation
of Biafra.
It is this calculated and systematic
persecution of Biafrans in the former
Federation of Nigeria that has driven us to
seek justice and salvation in independence.
Molested, taunted, hounded, murdered and
finally driven away from other parts of Nigeria,
Biafrans have been compelled to acknowledge
that close association with Fulani-Hausa is
fraught with disaster. We have therefore taken
up the challenge to our liberty and dedicated
ourselves to the struggle for our survival.
Some well-meaning observers have
expressed doubts as to whether the Republic
of Biafra can survive both economically and
politically as an independent, sovereign state.
Firstly, they hint that Biafra had been so tied
to the economy of the rest of Nigeria that if
the federal links were severed Biafrans would
suffer a fall in their present standard of living.
In the second place they have tried to
emphasize that Biafra consists of a composite
group of people who lack the attributes of a
nation. Such views have obviously arisen from
an imperfect understanding of Biafra, past and
present.
It is, among other things, in order to
enlighten the enquirer and reassure the
waverer that this publication is being issued.
In the following pages the reader will discover
the real Biafra, a country which has through
the ages undergone a political as well as an
economic transformation resulting in the
emergence of a virile and united nation that is
capable of sustaining itself in the committee
of nations. 1 Like |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 12:58pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
II. The Country
The country, Biafra, is an almost rhomboid
shaped territory which is demarcated to the
west by the lower reaches of the River Niger
and its Delta, to the East by the Obudu
plateau and the Highlands of Oban and Ikom,
to the south by the Bight of Biafra and to the
North by an administrative boundary
following, approximately, the 7 deg. N.
latitude. The total area is over 29,400 square
miles. Thus Biafra, almost as big as Gambia
and Sierra Leone put together, is bigger than
Togo or Rwanda and Burundi combined, and
is four times the size of the Republic of Israel.
The territory is well-watered throughout the
year, lying to a large extent in the basins of
the Niger River, the Cross River, the Kwa
River and the Imo River. Three quarters of
these river basins are lowland less than 400
feet above sea-level. The well-known Niger
Delta which extends through two of the
twenty provinces of Biafra, occupies about
one-fifth of the lowland. North of the lowland
the country rises gradually through open flat
land to the Oban hills and Obudu plateau in
the east and the Nsukka and Udi hills in the
west. The Obudu plateau rises to over 6,300
feet and is one of the coolest and mast
delightful parts of West Africa. There are also
beautiful uplands in the provinces of Okigwe,
Orlu and Nsukka.
Biafra is wholly located within the tropics,
being only a few degrees north of the equator.
But the climate, although humid at some
periods of the year, is on the whole not too
hot. Monthly average temperatures range
between 70 deg. F and 90 deg. F, and average
rainfall from about 60 inches in the north to
about 140 inches in the Niger Delta. Like the
rest of West Africa, the territory has two main
seasons, namely a rainy and a dry season.
The former generally begins towards the end
of April but remains mild until the period June
to September when the rains become heavy
though intermittent. There is usually a short
break in the rains during the first two weeks
of August. The dry season which, in most
parts of Biafra, lasts from November to March
is characterised by relatively light rainfall. A
Prominent feature of this season is the dry,
bracing Harmattan wind that blows from the
Sahara southwards between the months of
December and February.
The tropical climate of the country favours
the growth of luxuriant vegetation. Mangrove
forest covers a depth of between 10 and 40
miles of the coastal lowlands, including the
Niger Delta. Beyond this belt is the rain forest
which extends northwards for approximately
80 miles. In the few places where the forest is
still virgin are to be found many species of
giant and medium-size trees with a thick
evergreen canopy of broad leaves which
restrict the penetration of sunlight. Except in
the forest reserves, which are located
especially in parts of the Cross River basin,
much of the rain forest has been cleared and
is honey-combed with villages, farms and oil-
palm groves. North of the rain forest, as far
as the Northern boundary of Biafra, the
vegetation thins out into rich grassland or
Guinea Savannah which is characterised by
tall grasses and medium size trees. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 12:59pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
III. The People
INTER-GROUP RELATIONSHIP
According to the last census conducted in
November 1963 the population of the Republic
of Biafra is 12.4 million, The figure has risen
by the date of this publication to over 14
million following the crisis of 1966 in the
former Federation of Nigeria and Which, as
has already been mentioned, forced Biafrans
in other parts of the Federation to take refuge
in their home region. The present population
of Biafra, therefore, equals the total number of
people inhibiting the West African states of
Togo, Dahomey, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone
and Gambia put together. In the whole of
Africa, Biafra is now the fourth largest in
population, exceeded only by Nigeria, the
U.A.R. and Ethiopia, and equaling Congo
Kinshasa. However, her population density of
about 500 persons per square mile is the
highest in the whole of Africa. The significance
of this factor in terms of economic
development arid potentialities is obvious.
A tradition that has become generally
accepted divides the population of Biafra into
four main “tribes”; a division which accounts
for ninety-eight per cent of the total
population inhabiting the country, namely, the
Ibos, the Ibibio-Efiks, the Ijaws and the
Ogojas. But, in fact this is an over-
simplification introduced by people foreign to
Biafra. Until the above classification, the
people of the territory did not live or regard
themselves as homogenous “tribes” differing
one from another; rather, they lived in towns
and villages each of which regarded itself as
distinct although in many cases linked to its
neighbours by a mythical or real ancestor.
Thus the people now known as Ibos thought
of themselves as Awka, Bende, Aro, Ngwa,
etc.; the Ibibio-Efiks as Uyo, Itu, etc.; the Ijaw
as Okrika, Ibani, Kalabari, Nembe etc.; and the
Ogojas as Ekoi, Akunakuna, Boki, etc.
In other words, the present Ibos, Ibibio-Efiks,
Ogojas and Ijaws did not regard themselves
as such until they were so classified by
foreigners. For example, the word “Ibo” was
probably derived from “Heebo” which,
according to some European trader of the
19th century, was the name given by Biafran
traders on the coast to the hinterland area
where they traded. Subsequent European
traders slightly changed the word to “Eboe”
from which “Ibo” was derived. It should be
noted, also, that the same Biafran traders on
the coast differentiated between the “Ibo” in
the hinterland and the “Kwa Ibo”, that is, Ibos
living on the Kwa river. The latter are now
known as Ibibios. The traders, of course, were
merely using the word “Ibo” as a general term
for people living in the hinterland rather than
for a tribe in the modern sense of the word.
The term “Ibo” was applied by all the
inhabitants of the Eastern Delta to those of
the Western Delta and never to themselves. It
is interesting to note also that the riverine
groups on the banks of the lower Niger,
Onitsha, Osomari, Oguta etc., refer to their
hinterland neighbours as “Igbo”, a term which
they do not apply to themselves. Thus it
would seem that modern tribal consciousness,
represented by the application of the term Ibo,
Ibibio, Ijo or Ogoja in Biafra, was fostered not
by the people themselves but by foreigners
who were ignorant of the intricate bonds
which held the country together and who
classified Biafrans according to their own
linguistic and other criteria.
These bonds were woven from the earliest
times when the territory was peopled.
Archaeological evidence reveals that Biafra
has been under continuous human occupation
for at least 3,000 years and, as is now being
discovered, that her people developed an
ancient civilisation a thousand years ago, that
is about half a millennium before the
emergence of the Kingdom of Benin. Linguistic
data also confirm the antiquity of the main
languages spoken in the area. It seems,
therefore, that the main groups of Biafra were
indigenous to the territory and that contact
among them has existed since primeval-
times. This does not mean, of course, that the
area was not touched, even in early times, by
external influences. Naturally, populations on
both sides of the Biafran borders have had
cultural and other exchanges over the
centuries. Thus the Delta city-states of
Kalabari, Bonny, Brass, etc., have traditions
which reveal an early Benin influence, while
the riverine city-states of Onitsha and
Osomari have some cultural affinities with
Benin and Igala. More recently, of course, the
entire area his come under the influence of
Western civilisation. But while these external
influences are significant, what is of
paramount importance is the acculturation
and inter-dependence which have taken place
among the various indigenous groups within
the area, and which have welded them
together over the centuries.
One cause of the acculturation could be
ascribed to the periodic movement of
population from one area to another within
the territory. Sometimes the movement was
slow, took many years and involved very long
distances. In some cases, however, it was
fast and comparatively short. In either case
the consequence was to bring new peoples
into new areas and to open opportunities for
cultural interaction and diffusion.
Another cause of the acculturation was the
economic nexus which developed in the
territory from very early times. Because the
communities were interdependent
economically, trade tended to flow in all
directions and the constant meeting of people
from various communities enabled each to
learn, and sometimes to emulate, the customs
or borrow the vocabulary of the other. For
example, two of the most important articles of
trade, salt and dried fish, were provided by the
Delta communities who then received in
exchange some of the farm products of the
hinterland. As might be expected, the constant
movement of traders through contiguous
areas further encouraged mutual
understanding.
The growth of the oversea trade in slaves
intensified commercial relations within the
territory and also fostered the integration of
Biafra. The Delta, from where the slaves were
exported, became a melting pot in which the
“Ibos”, “Ibibios”, and “Ijaws” virtually lost their
separate identities. New families and new
ruling houses emerged from the admixture
and modified the existing order. For example,
among the Delta communities Ibo-speaking
men rose to the exalted position of paramount
ruler. An English trading captain, H. Crow,
who visited the Delta in the late eighteen
twenties, recorded that “the King of New
Calabar (modern Kalabari) …, and Pepple King
of Bonny, were both of Ibo descent”. At the
same time liberated slaves who returned to
their original homes in the hinterland to trade,
introduced new ideas and practices. When the
palm oil trade superseded the slave trade a
further step was taken towards inter-
community diffusion. The nature of the palm
oil trade necessitated the establishment of
colonies of people not indigenous to the
locality, and their culture influenced and was
influenced by the surrounding population.
It was not only trade that contributed
towards the evolution of a homogenous Biafra
in the precolonial era; there was also the
contribution of the prevalent division of labour
within the territory. Individual communities
were noted and relied upon for specific skills.
This encouraged their movement from one
place to another during which the inter-
dependence of all the communities was
enhanced and emphasized. For example, the
people of Awka were famed throughout the
centre and north of Biafra as wood-carvers,
while the Nri people supplied the priestly class
so essential for the religious welfare of the
surrounding communities. Southwards, there
were the blacksmiths, of Nkwerre, the wood-
carvers of Annang, the Item and Ibibio
doctors, the warriors or mercenaries of Ohafia
and Abam and the priests of Arochukwu. Thus
it came to be generally accepted that one
community supplied the wants of another and
the tradition of mutual reliance and support,
now characteristic of Biafrans, became
established. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:00pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
Mobility over the centuries depended on the
intricate system of road and water
communications which linked the whole
territory together. Along these traveled the
traders, the craftsmen, the itinerant priests,
the medicinemen and the emissaries of the
various communities. The most important
markets in Biafra were held at specific, well-
known intervals and were so sited that
traders had to move from one part of Biafra to
another.
It is probable that if a strong military power
had arisen within the territory capable of
subjugating the city-states and villages, a
powerful nation under one political direction
would have emerged before the advent of
British rule as happened in other parts of the
African continent. Such a political authority,
however, was not necessary given the Biafran
way of life. As will be seen below,
relationships among Biafrans was moderated
by matrilineal connections, and attitude to
warfare was mild to the extent that
combatants readily yielded to arbitration by
third parties, or by the Long Juju Oracle of
Arochukwu which was recognised as a final
court of appeal by virtually all the inhabitants
of Biafra.
One consequence of the process of
acculturation was that groups emerged in the
region which, although possessing certain
dissimilarities in language, custom and
tradition, yet retained many common links
baffling to the foreigner in search of simple
explanations and classifications. Inclined
towards generalisations, the Europeans who
penetrated into and later ruled Africa, found
common names for groups of people with the
greatest obvious similarities and labeled they
as “tribes”, “sub-tribes”, “clans” etc. In place
of the ever continuing cultural diffusion a
process was set in motion which not only
labeled groups but compartmentalised and
isolated them. Thus groups of people became
more self-conscious than they had ever been
and learned to identify themselves with such
“tribal” names as Ibo, Ibibio, Ijaw etc. This
tendency grew with the consolidation of
British rule and the introduction of “native”
administration which emphasized the
separateness of “tribes”.
It could thus be seen that, comparatively, the
current tribal labels are of very recent origin.
Nevertheless, as a result of the spread of
Western education, the names have gained
wide acceptance. Furthermore, with the
advent of self-government and the emergence
of political parties, the skilful and often
unscrupulous exploitation of the emotions
associated with these labels has served as a
useful tactic for securing electoral victories.
The result has been to deepen the impression
of distinctiveness already created by the
universal acceptance of the labels.
However, while British rule and its immediate
aftermath on the one hand, has tended to
emphasize the “tribe”, Western technology, on
the other, has introduced new links which
have contributed towards the political, social
and economic integration of Biafra. The use of
modern and fast means of transport, the
growth of new cosmopolitan towns and the
spread of Western education have had the
effect of further blurring the differences
between and enhancing the interdependence
of the various communities. Differences in
language have been largely overcome by the
use of English, and any one with a smattering
of that language can easily move from one
corner of the nation to another without fear of
being unable to communicate with the people
he would meet. Furthermore, since Biafra
never came under the influence of Islam the
spread of Christianity has not caused such
complications in religious belief as are often
found in places where two vigorous foreign
religions and cultures are superimposed on
the indigenous religion. Finally, it should be
pointed out that for nearly three-quarters of a
century Biafra has been ruled as a single
political unit and the vast majority of the
population have grown accustomed to the
fact of their political uniqueness as Biafrans. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:02pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SYSTEM
The extent of acculturation in Biafra is clearly
demonstrated by the similarity in the political
and social systems of all groups. Although
the account which follows largely refers to the
Period preceding colonial rule, it must be
borne in mind that much of the political and
social system discussed is still in vogue.
Each of the groups possessed central
administrative and judicial institutions, and
power as well as authority was based not on
birth but on wealth, status and age of the
individual or individuals wielding them.
Ultimate pourer, however, did not reside in the
central authority, which consisted essentially
of a federation of politically equivalent
segments, but in the segments themselves.
Usually the government of the community
was entrusted to a Council of Elders who
were heads of the component segments
known either as compound, hamlet or ward.
The council was presided over by a head who
must be acceptable to all and who was, in a
political sense, a first among equals. The
Council of Elders was not really a legislative
body but an informal body which met as the
occasion arose. Its primary function was to
take decisions on weighty matters affecting
the whole community, such as the declaration
of war and peace, the settlement of serious
internal disputes which otherwise might wreck
the solidarity of the community, and the
regulation and performance of rituals aimed at
safeguarding the welfare of members of the
group.
The day-to-day affairs of the segment rested
with the Elder (variously called Okpara,
Etubom, Ete Ekpuk etc.). He wields political,
judicial and religious authority, arbitrated in
internal disputes and represented the group in
its external relations with others. His authority
was generally accorded chiefly because he
was recognised as the intermediary between
the group and its ancestors,
Throughout Biafra there has always been an
identical attitude to law and custom. Both
were inextricably bound together and were
believed to have been handed down to the
people’s ancestors by the gods. Thus anyone
who violated those laws not only incurred the
displeasure of the living but also the anger of
the ancestors as well as of the gods. This
attitude towards law helped in minimising
anti-social behaviour. Sometimes it was
necessary to make a new law, and for that the
consent of the entire community had to be
sought; a practice which was relatively easy
on account of the small size of each group.
This traditional process of general
participation in the act of law-making
provided, for the young and old alike, vital
education in the principles of the existing
social order. Subsequently, the law was
ratified by the Elders and given divine
sanction by sacrifice and by invoking the
approval of the ancestors. It is this element of
popular consent and direct participation in the
enactment of laws which attracted the
attention of foreign visitors to Biafra and led
them to conclude rightly that Biafrans were
ultra-democratic, highly individualistic and
disliked or suspected any form of external
government and authority.
In the sphere of social relations, Biafrans had
a common attitude to marriage. Marriage was
not regarded in any part of the country as an
affair between two individuals, a man and a
woman, but between the whole family of the
man and that of his prospective spouse.
Betrothed girls in most parts of the territory
usually went into a period of seclusion
sometimes known as the “fattening” period.
Custom encouraged the man to look for a
bride outside his lineage (exogamy) not only
because this increased the population of the
lineage but because it created an external
alliance, sealed in blood relationship, which
widened the contacts of relatives on both
sides. By this means a member of a, lineage
became connected with the lineage of his of
his mother or wife or sisters, and vice versa.
He could thus traverse in peace vast distances
merely by passing through areas inhabited by
his in-laws. If he was a trader the advantage
of this arrangement was obvious and in this
sense it could by said for Biafrans that trade
followed the wife. The system of marriage
also had political implications because,
although in the pre-colonial era them was no
single political authority recognised
throughout Biafra, the ties of marriage
ensured relative peace and a sense of
common belonging.
There were three other social institutions
prevalent in Biafra which demonstrated the
extent of her cultural homogeneity. Firstly,
there was the institution known as the “Age-
set” or “Age-grade”. Males born in the same
year or within a specified number of years
were grouped together to form one ago-set.
These sets were organised on village bases
but each unit could, and often did, maintain
close ties with an identical unit in
neighbouring villages. The status of the age-
set in the community increased with ago.
Often when the members attained the age of
between 12 and 15 it was formally recognised,
took a name and appointed a leader. Age-sets
rendered such services to the community as
the clearing of paths, cutting of forests, and
the defence of the village. They imposed self-
discipline on their members and could punish
them for any laxity in behaviour. In many
cases women were also organised in age-sets
and these might contribute to a common fund
for mutual assistance and usually acted as
pressure groups within the community.
The second institution was the title society.
Membership of these societies was secured
not by birth but through age and individual
merit as represented by the ability to make
the appropriate payments in cash and in kind.
Usually these societies were open only to the
free born, but among the Delta communities
slaves who were able to afford the initiation
expenses could readily become members. It
was common for such societies to be graded
in an ascending order of seniority which also
conferred increasing privileges and status.
Membership could only be gained according
to the stipulated order and after the requisite
rites had been performed. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:03pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
Lastly, there were the secret societies, a large
number of which still exist. In many cases
title-holders were associated with specific
secret societies, and the two institutions thus
tended to coincide. In other cases, however,
the two were separate, with secret societies
constituting a larger group to which every full
member of the community could be admitted.
One of the most common of these societies
was the Ekpe (also known as Egbo, Akang,
Ekpo etc.) which also corresponded to the
Owuogbo of the Delta in its functions. These
secret societies were used to uphold the legal
decisions of the Council of Elders or of the
community as a whole, they also ensured
conformity in certain rituals and in social
behaviour and undertook certain public works
for the community. Membership of some
secret societies and knowledge of their signs
(for example Okonko) served as a passport for
the initiate while travelling in distant places
where a lodge of the society existed. This, in a
way, helped to foster social integration within
tine country.
In the religious sphere, there has always been
an element of homogeneity in Biafra. As
already stated, Islam never touched even the
borders of the territory. The result has been
that until the advent of Christianity in the
nineteenth century all Biafrans followed the
religion of their ancestors. There existed a
universal belief in a Supreme Deity (variously
celled Chuku, Chineke, Abasi etc.) which
resided above and was the source of creation,
life and fertility. Apart from the Supreme Deity,
it was also believed that there were other
lesser gods of thunder, sun, wood etc., as well
as spirits which were divided into the good
and the evil depending on their supposed
attitude towards the individual or the
community as a whole. The cult of the “Earth”
spirit was one of the most important in Biafra.
This deity was regarded as the mistress of the
underworld and the cult of the ancestors was
closely associated with it. Some of the more
serious crimes such as murder, adultery,
poisoning and stealing farm products were
regarded as offences committed against the
Earth deity. Laws were enacted and oaths
sworn in her name so that reverence for the
Earth Spirit became one of the integrative
forces for most communities.
With the introduction and spread of
Christianity most of the traditional deities
have been abandoned and Christian beliefs
have supervened. The change has also
advanced the integrative effects of indigenous
religion by providing a basically uniform
system of beliefs which pervades social and
political thought and practice throughout
Biafra. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:04pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
IV. Economic Resources
The greatest economic asset of Biafra is her
human resources. The people have long been
famed for their industry, initiative, self-reliance
and an almost insatiable thirst for learning.
Her relatively large and dense population
provides a ready and easily accessible market
for agricultural and industrial products. There
is therefore a genuine incentive for an
economic revolution and already this is
beginning to take place.
The government and people of the country
realised early the importance of education for
a developing country and now there is an
abundance of skilled men and women in most
aspects of human endeavour. The key role
which Biafrans played in keeping the wheel of
commerce and industry revolving throughout
Nigeria vas cloudy demonstrated in 1966.
When the survivors of the pogrom fled to
Biafra the Nigerian economy, especially in the
North, almost ground to a halt. Biafra is
making even greater efforts to educate her
people and to provide them with the
knowledge and skills for survival in this age of
technology.
At the moment Biafra has a primary school
population of about 1,250,000 which is almost
equal to that of what now remains of Nigeria.
Her secondary grammar school population of
65,000 accommodated in 283 separate
institutions bears the same proportion to
Nigeria. In 1967 there were also 33 secondary
commercial schools with an enrolment of
5,674 and the number enrolled in secondary
technical schools exceeded 5,000. In the field
of higher education Biafra has a university at
Nsukka (a second campus of the University is
at Enugu) with an undergraduate enrolment of
nearly 3,000. This university now has nine
Faculties including such crucial ones as
agriculture, engineering and medicine. A
second university for Biafra (The University of
Science and Technology) will open at Port
Harcourt in October 1967. At Enugu, the
capital of Biafra, there is also an Institute of
Administration for training high-level
administrative and managerial man-power, a
University Teaching Hospital for training
doctors and ancillary medical staff, and a Law
School far the professional training of jurists.
Biafrans graduating in various disciplines and
vocations from institutions of higher learning
at home and abroad exceed 1,000 annually.
There is no country in Black Africa that excels
Biafra in the educational facilities provided for
its people.
One of the well-known characteristics of
Biafrans, namely self-reliance, has been of
immense value in the development of the
country. Community developments, for
instance, started in Biafra with village
communities raising funds, and providing
voluntary labour to construct roads to link
their villages with major towns and markets.
By the late forties, community development
efforts had extended to the construction of
hospitals, maternity homes, dispensaries and
village schools. Many communities were
stimulated to greater efforts by the work of
Mr. E. R. Chadwick, a British District Officer at
Udi. Recognising the self-help characteristic
of the Biafrans he organised the people of his
district for general community development
projects including a 5-mile road, a village
school, a maternity home and a co-operative
shop, activities which he recorded in a film
entitled “Day-Break in Udi”. Church
organisations, village and town improvement
unions, age-grades and various other societies
all have taken an active part in providing for
the communities in Biafra such social services
as water supply, postal agencies, bridges,
town halls and market places. And when, in
1963, the Government of Biafra directed that
emphasis should be shifted from the projects
on social services to those that stimulate
economic growth, many communities
responded and undertook various agricultural
and industries projects – all with minimum
Government assistance. Some of the projects
which, have recently been completed by
community effort are listed below:
Some of the Community Development
Projects Completed in Biafra
Social Service Projects
Bridges (feet) 12,561
Roads (miles) 4,714
Co-operative Shops (No.) 13
Postal Agencies (No.) 214
Maternity Homes (No.) 628
Leper Segregation centres (No.) 36
Hospitals and Rural Health centres (No.) 89
Dispensaries (No.) 350
Community Schools and Domestic Science
centres (No.) 275
Adult Education (No.) 1,216
Libraries (No.) 60
Market Development (No.) 166
Water Supply (No.) 302
Embankments (No.) 211
Village Halls (No.) 563
Economic Development Projects
Rubber Plantations (No.) 31
Oil Palm Plantations (No.) 133
Cocoa Plantations (No.) 8
Cashew Plantations (No.) 2
Food Crops Farm Projects (No.) 23
Mixed Farming Projects (No.) 11
Fish Ponds Projects (No.) 5
Poultry and Livestock Farms (No.) 75
Weaving (Textile) industry (No.) 65
Wood Carving industry (No.) 7
Brushmaking industry (No.) 1
Blacksmithing industry (No.) 1
Raffia Products (hats, bags, cane chairs etc.)
industry (No.) 5
Food processing (cassava grating, corn mill
etc.) industry (No.) 4 |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:06pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
Biafra is not only rich in human resources but
is also blessed with enormous material
resources some of which are only recently
being realised and exploited. In the pre-
colonial era, of course, the country was
famous for its palm oil and palm kernel and
for long under British rule the revenue derived
from these were used in balancing the budget
of the whole of Nigeria. Indeed the whole
rationale for the amalgamation of Northern
and Southern Nigeria in 1914 was to enable
the colonial power to use the revenue derived
from the South, and especially from Biafra, to
offset the deficit incurred in the budget of
Northern Nigeria.
In recent years Biafra has improved its
production of palm produce. It is generally
known that Nigeria was one of the world’s
most important exporter of palm produce,
supplying 50 per cent of the World’s palm
kernel and over 30 per cent of its palm oil.
What is perhaps not so well-known is that
Biafra produced over 90 per cent of the
Nigerian palm kernel and nearly 50 per cent of
the palm oil. During the current Six-Year
Development Plan which expires in 1968
Biafra has spent almost £4 million in the
establishment of plantations and the
rehabilitation of old palm-trees. Thus the
future of this vital source of revenue is
assured for Biafra.
However, the Government of the territory has
not failed to appreciate the danger of a
single-crop economy. Thus it has for a long
time embarked on the extensive cultivation of
such cash crops as cocoa, rubber and copra.
As regards cocoa, it is anticipated that
production in Biafra will amount to about
10,000 tons per annum, by 1968. Large
plantations of rubber have been established in
some parts of the country. One of them
established by the Dunlop Rubber Company is
valued at about £1,000,000. Exports of rubber
from Biafra now is almost 60,000 tons per
annum and this figure is likely to increase
greatly when the plantation scheme of the
country begins to mature. Biafra also
produced over 60 per cent of the copra
exported from Nigeria and further extension of
the plantations have been made. Other
agricultural products which are being exploited
on an increasing scale are raffia, piassava,
jute, castor. soya beans, groundnuts,
benniseed and sugar cane.
At the same time, Biafra is almost self-
sufficient in the production of food crops. This
was demonstrated when, as a result of the
recent crisis, the flow of foodstuffs into and
out of Biafra ceased. It was discovered that
the cost of several food items dropped
considerably resulting in a remarkable
reduction in the cost of living, in spite of the
extra-ordinary rise in the population. Common
food crops produced in the country include
yams, tomatoes, bananas, pawpaws, cassava,
rice, beans, plantains, pineapples, onions,
peppers, oranges, avocado pears, etc. Protein,
especially meat, was supplied in the post
largely from external sources but recent
events have shown that even here Biafra
could easily be self-sufficient. The cattle
ranch at Obudu, a place 5,000 feet above sea
level and free from tse-tse fly, now produces a
substantial quantity of the country’s meat
supply and more ranches are being
established. There is also a large and growing
stock of goats, sheep and pigs. Poultry-
keeping has recently become a thriving
business in the country and Biafra is at
present virtually self-sufficient as regards the
supply of eggs and chicken.
Owing to its geographical position, Biafra is
rich in timber, most of which is yet to be
exploited. Approximately 9 per cent of the
total area of the country has been designated
forest reserves and there is a vast acreage of
forest plantations. Biafra now exports nearly 3
million cubic foot of logs end about 35,000
feet of sewn timber annually.
The country does not depend an its
agricultural and forest resources alone; there
is also an abundance of mineral deposits
which is contributing enormously to the
wealth of Biafra. Limestone of a high grade,
suitable for the manufacture of cement, is
found in many parts of the territory. A
substantial iron ore deposit, with a metal
content of about 42 per cent after
beneficiation, has been discovered near
Enugu. Around Abakaliki, in the north, there
are large deposits of lead and zinc ore; as
well as a small quantity of silver. Potential
annual production rates have been estimated
at 13,150 tons lead concentrates and 8,150
tons zinc. There is also an abundance of clay
deposits all over the country suitable far
ceramic and other industrial purposes. Large
quantities of sandstone and glass sands exist
on the outskirts of Enugu as well as at Afam,
Port Harcourt and elsewhere. A mineral which
has played a great part in the economic
development of Nigeria is coal. It has been
mined in Biafra since 1914 and is the only
source of this form of fuel in West Africa. In
1950 the total output was well over 900,000
tons but since then the market for coal has
been shrinking, mainly because an increasing
number of countries are now using diesel, fuel
oil and natural gas instead of coal as a
source of energy.
The discovery nearly ten years ago that Biafra
possessed oil and natural gas in commercial
quantities was a milestone in the economic
development of the country. The exploitation
of these minerals has made astonishing
progress. In 1958 crude oil production was
229,458 net tons but five years later it had
risen to 3,694,981 net tons. Current
production stands at over 7 million net tons
annually. More oil deposits are still being
discovered in the country and production is
yet to begin from a large number of oil-
bearing wells. Similarly, vast quantities of
natural gas have barn discovered in a number
of areas within the country. It has been
estimated that production from one area alone
could easily exceed 50 million cubic feet a day
if fully exploited.
The exploitation of mineral resources in Biafra
has naturally led to the establishment of a
number of industries and the projection of
several others. Two cement factories at
Nkalagu and Calabar, with a total potential
output of about 6 million tons annually, use
local limestone. It is anticipated that an Iron
and Steel Industry will soon be started which
will be based on the iron and coal deposits of
the country; already a small steel rolling mill
is in operation near Enugu. The clay deposits
of the country serve one ceramic and two
pottery industries. A glass factory has been
set up at Port Harcourt to exploit local
deposits of glass sand. There is now in
operation an oil refinery which 1s fed by local
crude oil, and the establishment of a full-scale
petro-chemical industry is under active
consideration. 1 Like |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by seunny4lif(m): 1:06pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by SUPERPACK: 1:07pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
what kind of sermon on the mount be this. summary pls |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:07pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
The list of industrial projects under operation
or planned is by no means exhausted. In the
colonial era factories had been established in
Biafra to manufacture cigarettes, soap,
furniture, metal doors and windows, drinks
(soft and alcoholic) and aluminium roofing
sheets. Since 1960 those industries have
increased their output and new ones have
been started. Late in September 1962, the £3
million Michelin Plant in Port Harcourt
produced the first pneumatic motor tyre to be
manufactured in West Africa. There are also
two textile mills in the country valued at
nearly £8 million. Two large aluminium
companies supply the country’s needs of
corrugated iron sheets, semi-fabricated
aluminium sheets and cooking utensils. There
is a factory for the manufacture of asbestos,
cement sheeting products and pressure pipes.
A modern shoe industry at Owerri
manufactures foot-wear of all types. There
are also factories for the manufacture of
industrial gases, enamelware, flour, plywood,
stationery, razor blades, matches, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals, paints, gramophone records,
etc.
>From the foregoing can be seen that few
countries in Africa possess economic
resources, human and material, comparable to
Biafra. The resulting impact of the judicious
exploitation of these resources on the life of
the people has been remarkable. It is
noticeable, for instance, in the rapid growth of
the urban population over the past few yours;
the population of each of the principal towns
(Enugu, Onitsha, and Port Harcourt) already
exceeds 400,000. All the principal towns are
linked by about 2,500 miles of tarred, all-
season roads, a record in Africa. On the whole,
there are over 17,500 miles of road in Biafra,
probably the densest road net-work in Africa.
A railway line, 192 miles long, runs from Port
Harcourt through the heart of the country to
Northern Nigeria.. The country is also served
by three air ports at Calabar, Enugu and Port
Harcourt. Enugu airport is at the moment
being lengthened to accommodate jet planes
and a new International airport is proposed for
Part Harcourt. The principal port of Biafra at
Port Harcourt is one of the largest in West
Africa; the port now has eight main berths
with a depth of 35 feet, transit sheds and a
warehouse capable of taking 15,000 tons
export produce. Further expansion of the port
and its facilities is in progress with a loan of
£3.5 million from the World Bank. There are
two other smaller ports at Calabar and
Degema while Bonny has recently been
developed as an oil terminal for the export of
crude oil.
Biafrans, engaged in farming, fishing or
cottage industries in their villages, have also
benefited from the economic growth of the
country. They are, in many cases, now served
by pipe-borne water and good roads, and a
rural electrification project has already been
launched to provide them with light and
power. Their children have local primary
schools within easy reach, and a secondary
school is usually not far away. Hospitals or
clinics are also close at hand for the sick; and
so are maternity centres. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by hardoe(m): 1:09pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
V. Conclusion
Enough, it is hoped, has been said above to
introduce the reader to Biafra and its people.
It is a country inhabited from very early times
by much the same people as live there today.
The people evolved a political system which
for hundreds of years allowed each of the
small component groups to manage its own
affairs but at the same time to regain certain
cultural and economic links that bound the
country into a relatively peaceful and
homogeneous unit. With the advent of
Europeans and the imposition of colonial rule
those links were ignored in the search for
labels so that Biafrans seen began to be
regarded is members of four main “tribes”
called “Ibo”, “Ibibio-Efik”, “Ogoja”, and “Ijo”.
Subsequently, the formation of political parties
and the exploitation of these labels by
unscrupulous politicians led to popularisation
of the tribal label. But, on the whole,
something of the old spirit of common identity
remained and was reinforced by the fact that
the whole country was administered
throughout the period of colonial rule and
after as single political unit.
Earlier, the creation of an artificial
geographical unit called Nigeria by the
colonial power induced Biafrans to settle in
large numbers outside their home. The
pogrom planned against them by the Fulani-
Hausa of the North in 1966 has forced the
survivors to seek refuge in their original
homeland. Consequently, an irreversible
movement of population has taken place
which has revived the spirit of nationalism in
Biafra and raised it higher than ever before.
There is everywhere a feeling of common
purpose and common destiny comparable to
the anti-colonial movement of the past. Biafra
has now resolutely joined in the committee of
nations as a sovereign country which Biafrans
see as their only salvation if they are to
survive as a people. Having lost ever 30,000
of their nationals and seen the dispossessed
survivors hounded out of the rest of Nigeria
they have been left with no alternative but
either to succumb to the domination of the
Fulani-Hausa or to stand on their own. They
intensely feel that the path of survival and the
path of honour lie in the latter alternative.
Biafrans have all the attributes of a nation.
With a population of over 14 million living in
contiguous and compact territory, they have
an undisputed homeland of their own. They
possess a well-trained man-power reserve
second to none in Black Africa. Their country
is rich in agricultural and mineral resources
which are capable of sustaining them and
enabling there to stand on their own. They
already have well-developed industries
producing a wide range of manufactures, and
many more are either under construction or at
the planning stage. They are capable of
defending the integrity of their country and
playing an effective role in the counsels of
Africa and the world. Above all they possess
an abundance of energy and an indomitable
will to succeed. |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by Ezemust: 1:39pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
awesome. that's the bane of Africa |
Re: The Original Biafra Published In 1967 By The Government. by Wizprodigy: 2:30pm On Jan 30, 2016 |
Op, thank you for this undiluted truth, wonderful writeup and great research. Although it was soooo long, i really enjoyed it |
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