Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,154,695 members, 7,823,955 topics. Date: Friday, 10 May 2024 at 07:08 PM

Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier - Politics (4) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier (29222 Views)

Peter Obi Attends The Funeral Ceremony Of Late Lady Nimi Faith Ohuabunwa In Abia / Nimi Barigha-Amange Joins APC, Dumps PDP / How I Escaped The Siege Laid In My Home – Saraki (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply) (Go Down)

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by wink2015(m): 3:44am On Nov 10, 2019
Montracine:
Senator Nimi Amange former represented Bayelsa East in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Recently, he threw the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party into distress when he suddenly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with his supporters. The lawyer and petroleum engineer spoke with PAUL UKPABIO on the reasons for his action, his lifestyle and other issues of interest.




You trained as a lawyer. Are you still into legal practice?

It is difficult to marry politics with other things unless you are just a political appointee. But if you want to hold an elective office, it is difficult to marry that with law practice. You cannot be going to court and contesting election. So I hardly practice these days because I’m still in politics.


You look trim and fit. What is your fitness secret?

(Laughs) I have always looked fit and trim. I try to keep fit. I always check the state of my health. I try not to eat more than two times a day.

You stay more in your Nembe home town these days. Why do you prefer staying there to living in the city?

Yes, I live more in the village. I actually don’t leave the village unless I have a very important thing to do or attend to outside the village. I rarely go to the city because I like to be with my people. I am a politician, and as the leader of my people, I could need their votes at any time. So I have to live with them and identify with their daily issues and challenges so that when I am representing them, I would not be a stranger to their needs. That is why I live here in the village.

You studied Petroleum Engineering and Law. If you were a youth, what would you prefer doing for livelihood in the Nigeria of today?

Initially, I wanted to study Medicine after reading law, just to keep my brain alive, but I could not because of political activities. When I left employment as a petroleum engineer, I decided to concentrate on politics. I was good in the sciences, and that was why I was able to study petroleum engineering. As a matter of fact, except for Religions Knowledge and English, I did not do any other arts subject. I had a good focus on the science subjects.
After Petroleum Engineering, I wanted to read Law because I was always pushed to leadership positions. At that time also, I wanted to study Law because I wanted to be on my own. I didn’t want to continue to work for the government or work for some other organisations, so I started thinking of a profession that I could go into and be on my own. I also studied Law because I took it as a challenge to excel even in the arts despite being a science major.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan said he grew up not wearing shoes. What was your own condition like in your early years?

(Laughs) Well, in my own case, I went to school during the day and fished at night. It was from the proceeds of fishing that I was able to pay for my school fees throughout secondary school.


Who were your role models as a youth?


I don’t really think I had a role model when I was much younger. But something kept me going, and that was the fact that I was in Biafra during the civil war. I saw the industry that was being exhibited by the Igbo then. Though I was still going for fishing at night to sustain myself, I took to trading early in life. That is why when I was in secondary school I didn’t find life so difficult. I had grown up fishing and engaging in small trading. That was the beginning of my business activities.
I remember that after secondary school I went to teach. My salary then was N125. I started business with my first salary. I didn’t even buy any personal thing for myself; not even bathroom slippers. I went to Aba to buy articles, returned to Nembe and sell. My stay in Igbo land helped me because I started speaking Igbo language and I was able to trade with them.



As a child, what inspired you to seek education?


After Biafra, I returned to Nembe and finished primary school. My mother was happy and she encouraged me to go find a teaching job. But I believed in education. And before I left for Igbo land, a secondary school had already been established in Nembe by the Catholic Church in 1965, and I saw how nicely they dressed in white shorts, shirt, canvass and socks and I was in love with it and wanted to be one of them. So I did my secondary school in Nembe, moved to Warri and then to Port Harcourt. But I attended the Law School in Lagos.

What was your experience in Biafra?

I am already working on a book about my Biafra experience. It was quite an experience. I was conscripted into Biafra army at age 16 and had three weeks training. Thereafter, we were to go to the war front and fight. But luckily enough for me, my aunt who I was staying with had a discussion with a colonel in the Biafra army who was a man from Nembe. The Colonel drafted me to S&T (Supply and Transport) and that was how I escaped going to the war front.

When was the turning point in your life?

At the end of my studies, I worked at Elf Petroleum, now Total. And after 15 years, I decided that I was leaving the services of Elf Petroleum. Some people thought I was mad to have taken such a decision because I was in a good position and earning a good salary. But I just decided that I would leave, even as the Chairman of the Elf branch of PENGASSAN. I regard that as my turning point because at that time, I was not ripe for retirement. My age was not up to retirement, but I felt I had to leave.
When I left the employment of Elf Nigeria Limited, which is now Total E&P, I did not go home with any money, because after my gratuity and all other outstandings, I was in the negative by N366,000 because I had taken a loan to build a house and another loan to buy a vehicle. Knowing that the following month I was not going to receive salary, I still took the bold step to leave regular employment, moved to Abuja and went straight into politics in March 1998, during the formation of PDP as a party.

Is it really true that you have left the Peoples Democratic Party?

I have left the PDP. I left the party when I found that an individual had decided to take over the party. This is not the way it was when we brought the party to Yenogoa. Party leaders were meeting regularly then to take decisions that affected the party. Party leaders allowed primaries and supported winners after general contest. But now, an individual, because he has been elected governor, decided that all the councilors must be his boys, all the eight chairmen of local governments must be his boys. Annoyingly, the person he picks to be his deputy governor is from the same local government with him. I looked at it and noticed that the national body did not do anything about it, so I had to leave for where I can be useful to my people. That was why I left to join APC. Definitely by the grace of God, APC will win the gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

You said somewhere that your hometown Nembe did not have a secondary school until 1965. Are you happy with the state of education in Nembe today?

This is one of the problems I have with the incumbent governor of the state. Former Governor Sylva, who is from Nembe, established a college of education before any higher institution in the whole area. But when the incumbent governor came, the first thing he did was to move that College of Education to his village. Have you ever heard of that? After that, he has established two other higher institutions within his own area. Does he expect us to be happy with his action?

If you were given the opportunity to go to the Senate again, what do you think you would add?

I am always working for my people. I joined politics because I wanted my place to develop the way the other places are developing. I am also worried about the 13 per cent derivation money. We are the major oil producing community but we are not getting anything out of it. We are getting nothing because the governor believes that the money is a windfall and he uses it the way he likes. It is unlike other states like Abia, Imo, Edo and Delta where they have created oil producing area development committees. Once money comes from the
federation account, that is the 13% derivation, it is shared between the state and the oil producing area development committees, which uses its portion to develop the same communities. But in Bayelsa, it is the other way around.
I think that Bayelsa is one of the states where that kind of committee does not exist, meaning that here, the producing areas do not have any development. You can see that the road from Secretariat to Nembe was constructed by NDDC and STDC. The governor did not do anything. If I am back in the Senate, I will try to see that the money can be channeled directly to the oil producing communities, maybe not by way of cash, but by way of projects. Also the Petroleum Industry Bill that has been lingering for so many years, I would try to ensure that the bill sees the light of day so that the nation can benefit from that if the bill is passed.

You paid your way through school through fishing in the coastal waters of Bayelsa State. How is the business of fishing now in the state? Is it growing compared to the time you were growing up?

It is not the way it was in those days. Then, you could fish and move out of your community. Paddle for just 10 minutes outside your community and you would get a whole lot of fishes. But now, you must move very far into the sea before you can get fish because of the pollution of the water. So we are not enjoying the fishing activities like we used to do in those days.

Your hometown Nembe is about 15 kilometres away from Oloibiri where oil was first found in Nigeria. It is surrounded by about 200 oil wells. How rich is the average person in your hometown? What is the average standard of living in your place?

Well the community is in the hands of the chiefs. I don’t know what takes place in other communities in the whole of Bayelsa State because I have not visited all. But I can say that this is the only community in Bayelsa state where the government is not doing anything in terms of development, because the electricity that we are enjoying is an understanding between the oil producing companies and the community. They gave us generators and gave us diesel to run them. Government does not care whether you have electricity or not. Then the portable water we enjoy in the community was given to us in the early 70s when Elder Spiff was the governor. We service the water system. The community chiefs do the regulation. If there is pump failure, it is the community chiefs that see to it. We don’t have local government activities here because the local government chairman lives in Yenegoa. He visits once in a while to come and pay salaries and returns to his place. Those are the issues.

You have not contested an election in a long while. Do you have a plan to do so?

If I have a space, I will try my best. But power belongs to God. I still have the interest of my people and I believe that they too believe in me; that I can represent them effectively. So if there’s a chance to go back to the Senate, I will do that.

Do you really miss the Senate?

Not exactly, but I am not interested in executive positions. I prefer the Senate because law making is about the development of one’s area and community. Some people may think that executive positions are better, but for me, I know I can contribute to the development of my people more from the Senate

https://thenationonlineng.net/how-i-escaped-the-war-front-as-16-yr-old-biafran-soldier-senator-nimi-amange/?fbclid=IwAR1mKkj1ZmqbB9KU2KKwRC7_9GclTye1b1yIOYJEdgI85cURPu7apHje4bg

Ojukwu foot soldier
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by sweetonugbu: 6:17am On Nov 10, 2019
justbusy:
I'm on tenterhooks waiting for the book. I hope it'll transcend " Half of a Yellow," and Achebe's "There was a Country!"
good
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 7:19am On Nov 10, 2019
charliboy654:

How many pressure did yoy put on your law maker b4 lagos-ibadan rail was build, and since when has it become the responsibility of the law maker to award federal project.
Look at EPZ gas project that would have employ more that 500 thousand people, buhari refuse to approve it. If it was to be a northern project am sure the project would have started by now.

You have a comprehension problem. There was never a place in my post where I said the lawmaker will award project by himself. Go back and read my post carefully. I'd hate to repeat myself.

Also, d'you think the president just woke up one day and decided to do the expressway or bring the rail system in the west and north alive again?
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by PeregrineFalcon: 7:20am On Nov 10, 2019
Patrioticman007:

Imagine 3 weeks trained recruit vs 6 months trained Nigeria Army recruit. The war was just like using insecticide to kill mosquitoes. No wonder many innocent souls died on the other side.



The over 3.5million Biafran people who died during the war died of starvation because Britain(Nigeria) made agreement with France(Cameroon) to close their borders at Biafra, that they will give them part of Biafran territory(Bakassi's Peninsula)

We are not really independents as Africans, the colonial masters are still in-charge of our land indirectly

Nigerian soldiers had more casualties than Biafran soldiers

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 7:24am On Nov 10, 2019
charliboy654:

Airforce that cannot defeat boko haram, is that one airforce. If war start today everyone will lose niger delta will first cripple Nigeria economy by destroying major pipeline.
Then let's see who will really win the war when Nigeria economy is grounded.

Lol.

I hear things like, the Nigerian military can't do _shit cos they can't defeat boko haram.

That particular insurgency is still ongoing because politicians and top military officers have a lot to gain by keeping boko haram alive.

Once it begins to truly hurt their interests, boko haram will be dead in less than a week.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 7:57am On Nov 10, 2019
franchasng:
Cc: FrLukas

29TH DAY OF MAY

29 May 1966 is undoubtedly the most tragic day in the annals of Igbo history. It was a day that the Igbo were subjected to an overwhelming violence and unremitting brutality by supposedly fellow countrymen and women. Ironically, the atrocity was clinically organised, supervised and implemented by the very state that the Igbo had played such a crucial role to liberate from foreign conquest and occupation. This state, now violently taken over by murderous anti-African sociopolitical forces, had pointedly violated its most sacred tenet of responsibility to its Igbo citizens – provision of security. Instead of providing security to these citizens, the Nigeria state murdered 3.1 million of them. The anthem for the genocide, broadcast uninterruptedly in Hausa on Kaduna radio and television throughout its duration, was unambiguously clear on the principal objective of this crime against humanity:

‘Mu je mu kashe nyamiri
Mu kashe maza su da yan maza su
Mu chi mata su da yan mata su
Mu kwashe kaya su.


(English translation: ‘Let’s go kill the damned Igbo/Kill off their men and boys/Rape their wives and daughters/Cart off their property’)

Yet 29 May 1966 is also the Igbo Day of Affirmation. The Igbo people resolved on this day, the day that marked the beginning of the genocide, to survive the catastrophe. This was the day the Igbo ceased to be Nigerians forever – right there on the grounds of those death camps in the sabon gari residential districts and offices and rail stations and coach stations and airports and churches and schools and markets and hospitals across north Nigeria. They created the state of Biafra in its place and tasked it to provide security to the Igbo and prevent Nigeria, a genocide state, from accomplishing its dreadful mission. The heuristic symbolism defined hitherto by 1 October shattered in the wake of this historic Igbo declaration. For the Igbo, the renouncement of Nigerian citizenship was the permanent Igbo indictment of a state that had risen thunderously to murder its people.


The Igbo could not have survived the genocide if they still remained Nigerian. They rightly chose the former course of their fate and not the latter, which they cast adrift. Consequently, Nigeria collapsed as a state with any serious prospects for the future. Despite the four murderous years of siege, the Igbo demonstrated a far greater creative drive towards constructing an advanced civilisation in Biafra than what Nigeria has all but wished it could achieve in the past 40 years. ‘Nigeria gburu ochu; Nigeria mere alu’. Surely, Nigeria couldn’t recover from committing this heinous crime – this crime against humanity, this ‘Malebolge’.

29 May is therefore a beacon of the resilient spirit of human overcoming of the most desperate, unimaginably brutish forces. It is the new Igbo National Holiday. It is a day of meditation and remembrance in every Igbo household anywhere in the world for the 3.1 million murdered, gratitude and thanksgiving for those who survived, and the collective Igbo rededication to achieve the urgent goal of the restoration of Igbo sovereignty.

OK, good. I can relate with this.

There's no way I can support the killing of any tribe outside their ancestral home in Nigeria. It is despicable.

Now, the question to ask is, did the Northerners just wake up one day to start the slaughtering of southerners in the North? No. What really happened? You have conveniently left that part of the narrative out.

The coup plotters mainly igbos killed off the political leaders of the Yorubas in the West and the Hausa/Fulanis in the North and the Edos in the Midwest. No single Igbo politician was killed.

We all know how the north reveres their religious and sociocultural and political leaders. Not only was their leader killed and his body dragged on the streets in the full glare of public view, it was reported that the Igbo living in the North all trooped out and were jubilating on the streets of places like Kano. Foolhardy if you asked me.

So you see, the pogrom against the Igbo, even though not justified, didn't just happen out of the blues. They brought against themselves.


Now to the civil war proper.

You wanted out of the Nigerian Republic. Most of your people had already fled home. The sane thing to do was to hold your home and mount defences to keep invaders out.

But guess what, Ojukwu decided that home wasn't enough and he had to conquer the entire Nigeria for Biafra to exist. The man's stupidity amazes me.

With the few soldiers he got he was moving Westward. He suffered a collosal defeat at Ore. It was a battle best told than experienced. The Yorubas have a saying till this day that refers to that battle. When something is really tough they say, "Oleku bi Ija Ore". As tough as the battle of Ore.


Ojukwu wanted to become the leader of Nigeria not Biafra otherwise he'd have stayed in the East and defended his home.

It is sad that 3.1 million peeps died during the war. Majority of those who died, actually died from starvation. Blame that on Ojukwu. Ojukwu purposely starved his people and used their pictures for propaganda. That's the god-awful truth. Show me a picture of Ojukwu with shrunken cheeks and emaciated body during the war and I'll take back my words.

Chief Awolowo opened a food corridor for Caritas, a Catholic relief organization and Red Cross to being in food for the people. Guess what Ojukwu did. He took advantage of that and started bring in weapons through that corridor. The food that came in through that corridor was seized for personal use.

Once the federal government knew that arms were being smuggled through the food corridor, it was shut. Ojukwu started shouting food blockade, food blockade up and down. More of his propaganda.

There's a lot to this story which can't be exhausted here.

Ojukwu was truly a villain.

If the Nigerian government wanted to eliminate all Igbo, why weren't they all killed off when the federal forces finally reached Igboland?

Why did they accept surrender from the Igbos. Why not just shoot all of them? Or bomb all of them?

When Nigerian soldiers captured Biafra soldiers, they took them into custody and treated their wounds an PD assimilated them into the Nigerian army.

When biafran soldiers captured Nigerian soldiers, the beheaded them.

Due to the massive propaganda propagated by Ojukwu and his chief propagandist, Chinua Achebe, the Igbo really believed the Nigerian soldiers were coming to kill them all.

Imagine their surprise and relief when each town in the east were captured and the soldiers moved in and and offered first aid and food to the inhabitants.

Please read the most accurate book on the Biafra war, "The Tragedy of Victory". It has over a thousand war pictures and it is unbiasedly written by someone who was a firsthand witness of the war.

We know how the Biafra soldiers treated their southern neighbours whom they suspected of colluding with the federal forces without proof.

I could go on and on...but I'll stop here.

1 Like

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 8:25am On Nov 10, 2019
[quote author=jimyjames post=83882786]

[s]Mr man shut your mouth, you read books you read books, written by who? Written by the women and children you claim Ojukwu starved right, ehi nzuzu[/s]

Ehi nzuzu


[s]Show me a picture just one picture of a warehouse where Ojukwu stored food in Biafra and refused to give to women and children? [/s]

I should show you a picture of warehouse? Why you dey mumu like this? Which one is easier to get, a picture of some warehouse or a picture of Ojukwu during the war?

This is what the Nigerian government said about blockage of food and destruction of Biafra farms when they were questioned about it

The said "starvation is a legitimate weapon of war and we have every right of using it against the rebels".

Starvation IS a weapon of war. Has always been. Will always be. Obviously you don't know anything about wars. Why do you think soldiers lay siege to a city? Cut off their food supply so they can surrender quickly and everyone gets to go home including the soldiers laying siege.


[s] The federal Nigerian army committed a lot of atrocities including deliberate bombing of civilians, mass slaughter with machine guns, and rape.
In asaba the Nigerian Army recaptured asaba and asked their leaders to summon all the people of asaba that they want to speak to them, concerning the need for ONE Nigeria,
Hundreds of men, women, and children, many wearing the ceremonial akwa ocha (white) attire paraded along the main street, singing, dancing, and chanting "One Nigeria." At a junction, men and teenage boys were separated from women and young children, and gathered in an open square at Ogbe-Osowa village.
Nigerian Federal troops brought out machine guns, and orders were given,by Maj. Ibrahim Taiwo, to open fire. more than 700 men and boys were killed, some as young as 12 years old.
All these atrocities by the Nigerian Army, you never read about it, but you are here making noise with fake stories yen yen yen Ojukwu yen yen yen claiming you read book you read books[/s]

That's what happens during a war, silly. What do you think happens in a war? Wow! You must have thought a war is like a tea party where you'll all stroll around carrying saucers and sipping gently from your cups and smiling. Or maybe you thought war would be like your dream where your enemies will just lie on the ground and allow you to shoot them and then they surrender their cities to you and you live there happily ever after?

You must be very naive just like your hero Ojukwu.

When the Yorubas tell you that war isn't the answer, you call them cowards like Awolowo. Here's an ethnic group that has spent most of its existence fighting one war or the other.

Obviously, Biafra was Igbos first attempt at war, so it is understandable that they were roundly defeated. Please, don't mention Aba women's RIOT o. That would also explain why you guys seem to have PTSD over a war you never experienced yourselves.

You talking about the atrocities committed by the federal forces, how about the atrocities committed by the Biafran soldiers? Or you think they were all saints? Lol. We are immune to your propaganda machinery. Only newbies will believe you. Ask your southern neighbours what your Biafra soldiers did to them. They'd be really really silly to join you for another round of Biafra propagation. That SE/SS stuff only exists in the minds of Igbos.

1 Like

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 8:36am On Nov 10, 2019
Supersymetry:

Why can't you call a spade a spade (the government don't want to.. simple). How can you be so hypocritical. Trying to set people up against their leaders. How much pressure did your people put on your lawmakers before those infrastructures in your region was approved and completed.

A spade will always be a spade. There. I've called a spade a spade.

On a more serious note though, you say government doesn't want to. Who is the government? Are you saying that Akwa Ibom state doesn't have people at the federal level? Or are they not part of government?

You say I'm trying to set people against their leaders. Oh my! So you haven't realized that everybody should be against their government? No wonder Sowore is fighting this battle alone.

Nigeria has gotten to a point where every single me member of the masses must rise up against this dysfunctional government.

You guys keep asking how much pressure, how much pressure... How else do you get government to do anything anyway. The little infrastructural growth being observed in the southwest today isn't exactly as a result of today's pressure. Today's pressure might yield something in the next few years. When people know that you'll vote for them if they perform, they will perform.

Wasn't that exactly why APC, a ruling party was unseated in Oyo state?

You want the federal government to take notice of you, how do you do that?

If you have a better alternative, then tell us. I'd love to learn from you.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by pazienza(m): 8:58am On Nov 10, 2019
Well, in a country where fabricating false stories against Ndiigbo And Biafra makes you a "true" patriot, this man decided to risk it all and say the honest truth we have always known.

It's good to know that there is at least few men of integrity down there, who has not been coerced into demonizing Ndiigbo to gain political favours from FG or at home.

Of course, we always knew that Ndiigbo are accommodating people despite Nigerians calumny against us saying the contrary, we know this because a Fulani was made the Mayor of Enugu before the war, and Adaka Boro was voted SUG president by Igbo students dominated UNN. In my family house, we accommodated and fed an Edo friend of my brother who was from a poor home and could not afford house rent. This we did for 5years he was schooling at ESUT. We never knew the parents and we never asked, we just knew we was a struggling student from a poor home, and we knew he was going places.
That's the typical Igbo for you.

Nembe people have Ijaw identity crisis, many of them deny being Ijaw(Izon), while claiming to be an independent ethnic group of their own. This might have played a role in this man narrative, as he was not encumbered by need to fit into the pro Nigeria modern Ijaw nationalist account of that war.
I hope forces don't visit and make him to tarnish his upcoming Biafran war book, with a toxic dose of Igbophobic lies.

2 Likes

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by pazienza(m): 8:58am On Nov 10, 2019
IF THE IGBOS DID NOT MARGINALIZE HER
MINORITIES DURING THE ANALOGUE YEARS, WHY
WILL THEY DO SAME IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?

By Efa-Iwa Rex Egbe

Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a
rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants
of some of my (our) misinformed NigerDelta
brothers. First and foremost let me tell you all a
little story for the avoidance of doubt.


I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River
State. We are located in Abi Local Government
Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably
the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of
landmass and to a large extent population -
slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA. My
fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal
side were given the opportunity to serve in then
Eastern Nigeria regional government.

My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory
was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime
of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and
was also Finance minister at the time until the
unfortunate incident of January 1966. He was the
longest serving Education minister. His son the
Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor
of our state “Cross River”. During the outbreak of
the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for
Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my
maternal uncles also served as Permanent
Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu.
My maternal grand father was also a frontline
member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of
Chiefs.

Outside my family circles, another great
Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal
Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo
controlled NCNC. It's on record that Mbu was
Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the
USA. He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is
another minority ethnic group just like my native
Agboland.

The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead
of their own worthy sons at that time. He is the
father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who
is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon
who was the Administrator of the oil rich
PortHarcourt province in the first republic. He is
also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir
Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native
Cross River was the longest serving Permanent
Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of
Education.

The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable
with us “the minorities” that was why they
entrusted education solely in our hands. Not only
education but other critical areas like Public Works
and Transport etc. N U Akpan an Ibibio man from
Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the
eastern regional public service. He was the
Secretary to the regional government.

Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in
present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional
minister of health. The former Governor of Akwa
Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew. There
were other high ranking cabinet ministers of
minority origin like one of our family good friends,
HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the
Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief.
Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others
who are too numerous to mention.

During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from
Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's
Ambassador to Britain. My dad's friend Chief.
Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA
of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted
drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a
former commissioner in the Federal Character
Commission. Capt Akpet a minority from Cross
River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on
intelligence. Secondly for the avoidance of doubt,
aside these political appointments, our people
enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo
dominated region by way of social security.


My dad's immediate elder brother received a
scholarship from the regional government that
enabled him study for a PhD in soil science. He is
the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a
doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the
Niger Delta whose parents

3 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by jimyjames(m): 9:07am On Nov 10, 2019
[quote author=FrLukas post=83893695][/quote]

Go gather the illiterates in your village and tell them fake stories of how ojukwu starved his own Biafran women and children, you are just a kid with no knowledge at all
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 9:12am On Nov 10, 2019
jimyjames:

[s]
Go gather the illiterates in your village and tell them fake stories of how ojukwu starved his own Biafran women and children, you are just a kid with no knowledge at all[/s]

You are just foaming at the mouth.

Didn't read that.

Try harder.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 9:26am On Nov 10, 2019
FrLukas:


Wrong. Its not hatred.

Don't imbibe the narrative of IPOB, please.

The Yorubas are not your enemies, people of Akwa Ibom.

Put more pressure on your federal lawmakers.

They are the ones with the political clout to get projects to your side.

If they don't have the clout, then you should vote in other people who have the clout to get things done.

That's how other regions do it bro.

Everything is a game of politics and aligning interests.

You guys deserve the deep sea port, but have your lawmakers ever presented such concerns on the floor of the house before?


lolzzz

Unity beggars everywhere.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 9:34am On Nov 10, 2019
pazienza:
IF THE IGBOS DID NOT MARGINALIZE HER MINORITIES DURING THE ANALOGUE YEARS, WHY WILL THEY DO SAME IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?
By Efa-Iwa Rex Egbe
Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants of some of my (our) misinformed NigerDelta brothers. First and foremost let me tell you all a little story for the avoidance of doubt.

I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River State. We are located in Abi Local Government Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of landmass and to a large extent population - slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA. My fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal side were given the opportunity to serve in then Eastern Nigeria regional government.
My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and was also Finance minister at the time until the unfortunate incident of January 1966. He was the longest serving Education minister. His son the Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor of our state “Cross River”. During the outbreak of the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my maternal uncles also served as Permanent Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu. My maternal grand father was also a frontline member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of Chiefs.
Outside my family circles, another great Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo controlled NCNC. It's on record that Mbu was Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the USA. He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is another minority ethnic group just like my native Agboland.
The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead of their own worthy sons at that time. He is the father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon who was the Administrator of the oil rich PortHarcourt province in the first republic. He is also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native Cross River was the longest serving Permanent Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of Education.
The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable with us “the minorities” that was why they entrusted education solely in our hands. Not only education but other critical areas like Public Works and Transport etc. N U Akpan an Ibibio man from Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the eastern regional public service. He was the Secretary to the regional government.
Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional minister of health. The former Governor of Akwa Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew. There were other high ranking cabinet ministers of minority origin like one of our family good friends, HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief. Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others who are too numerous to mention.
During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's Ambassador to Britain. My dad's friend Chief. Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a former commissioner in the Federal Character Commission. Capt Akpet a minority from Cross River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on intelligence. Secondly for the avoidance of doubt, aside these political appointments, our people enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo dominated region by way of social security.

My dad's immediate elder brother received a scholarship from the regional government that enabled him study for a PhD in soil science. He is the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the Niger Delta whose parents

We are reading, finish it up.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 9:35am On Nov 10, 2019
pazienza:
Well, in a country where fabricating false stories against Ndiigbo And Biafra makes you a "true" patriot, this man decided to risk it all and say the honest truth we have always known.

It's good to know that there is at least few men of integrity down there, who has not been coerced into the demonizing Ndiigbo to gain political favours from Nigeria or at home.

Of course, we always knew that Ndiigbo are accommodating people despite Nigerians calumny against us saying the contrary, we know this because a Fulani was made the Mayor of Enugu before the war, and Adaka Boro was voted SUG president by Igbo students dominated UNN. In my family house, we accommodated and fed an Edo friend of my brother who was from a poor home and could not afford house rent and even feeding, this we did for 5years he was schooling at ESUT. We never knew the parents and we never asked, we just knew we was a struggling student from a poor home, and we knew he was going places.
That's the typical Igbo for you.

Nembe people have Ijaw identity crisis, many of them deny being Ijaw(Izon), while claiming to be an independent ethnic group of their own. This might have played a role in this man narrative, as he was not encumbered by need to fit into the pro Nigerian modern Ijaw nationalist account of that war.
I hope forces don't visit and make him to tarnish his upcoming Biafran war book with a toxic dose of Igbophobic lies.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by AceRoot(m): 10:24am On Nov 10, 2019
pazienza:
IF THE IGBOS DID NOT MARGINALIZE HER
MINORITIES DURING THE ANALOGUE YEARS, WHY
WILL THEY DO SAME IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?

By Efa-Iwa Rex Egbe

Some weeks back on one of your posts I made a
rebuttal about the erroneous and mischievous rants
of some of my (our) misinformed NigerDelta
brothers. First and foremost let me tell you all a
little story for the avoidance of doubt.


I am from the Agbo ethnic group in Cross River
State. We are located in Abi Local Government
Area which is a coastal settlement and unarguably
the smallest LGA in Cross River State in terms of
landmass and to a large extent population -
slightly a few thousands ahead of Bakassi LGA. My
fore bearers both on my maternal and paternal
side were given the opportunity to serve in then
Eastern Nigeria regional government.

My grand uncle Dr.S E Imoke of blessed memory
was an all influential cabinet minister in the regime
of Dr M I Okpara. He held the Trade portfolio and
was also Finance minister at the time until the
unfortunate incident of January 1966. He was the
longest serving Education minister. His son the
Urbane Liyel Imoke is the immediate past Governor
of our state “Cross River”. During the outbreak of
the war, he was the Biafran Commissioner for
Refugees and Humanitarian affairs. One of my
maternal uncles also served as Permanent
Secretary in the ministry of health at Enugu.
My maternal grand father was also a frontline
member of the Eastern Nigeria regional house of
Chiefs.

Outside my family circles, another great
Cross Riverian M T Mbu was nominated a Federal
Minister for Transport and Navy by the Igbo
controlled NCNC. It's on record that Mbu was
Nigeria's first Ambassador to the UK, UN and the
USA. He is from Boki in Cross River state. Boki is
another minority ethnic group just like my native
Agboland.

The Igbos gave him the opportunity to excel ahead
of their own worthy sons at that time. He is the
father to a Senator MT Mbu jr. Another person who
is noteworthy is the late Chief Michael Eta-Ogon
who was the Administrator of the oil rich
PortHarcourt province in the first republic. He is
also from the same Boki with Mbu. Thomas Weir
Ikpeme an Efik man from Odukpani in my native
Cross River was the longest serving Permanent
Secretary in the Eastern Regional Ministry of
Education.

The key point is that the Igbos were comfortable
with us “the minorities” that was why they
entrusted education solely in our hands. Not only
education but other critical areas like Public Works
and Transport etc. N U Akpan an Ibibio man from
Akwa Ibom state was the technocrat behind the
eastern regional public service. He was the
Secretary to the regional government.

Thompson Akpabio, an Annang man from Ukana in
present day Akwa Ibom state was the regional
minister of health. The former Governor of Akwa
Ibom state Godswill Akpabio is his nephew. There
were other high ranking cabinet ministers of
minority origin like one of our family good friends,
HRH Amanyanabo E P Okoya, Agada III the
Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama in Bayelsa State, Chief.
Erekosinma of Rivers and a whole lot of others
who are too numerous to mention.

During the secessionist struggle, an Ogoni from
Rivers state, Chief.Ignatius Kogbara was Biafra's
Ambassador to Britain. My dad's friend Chief.
Lekam Okoi, from Idomi in present day Yakurr LGA
of Cross River state was one of Ojukwu's trusted
drivers. He is today a successful lawyer and a
former commissioner in the Federal Character
Commission. Capt Akpet a minority from Cross
River was also Ojukwu's dependable aide on
intelligence. Secondly for the avoidance of doubt,
aside these political appointments, our people
enjoyed immense goodwill from the Igbo
dominated region by way of social security.


My dad's immediate elder brother received a
scholarship from the regional government that
enabled him study for a PhD in soil science. He is
the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a
doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the
Niger Delta whose parents

......((WITH KIND PERMISSION TO COMPLETE THE WRITE-UP, VERBATIM)).......

He is the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the Niger Delta whose parents, uncles, aunties and relatives also benefited from the benevolence of the Eastern regional government. Unarguably our Niger Delta region received it's last major face-lift in terms of infrastructure when we were under the Eastern region.

Till the abolition of the regional system of government, the Eastern region was the most united region, they was never a recorded case of ethnic skirmish or BLOOD letting between the Igbos and other minority groups.

During the pogrom of 1966 we all carried the same cross to “Golgotha”, both Igbos and Eastern minorities were killed in their thousands across Northern Nigeria by the blood thirsty Hausa Fulani/Northern folks without blinking an eye. It doesn't really matter if you were Igbo, Ijaw, Efik or a miniature Agbo person.

I never really wanted to bore you with reading this lengthy essay but it's my moral responsibility to tell the truth at all times. I was thought by my fore bearers never to distort history and to always separate facts from fictions. If we were not marginalized by the Igbos during the “analogue” age, how then can the Igbos marginalize us in this digital age?

-----------
Gotten from: https://www.legit.ng/1092790-opinion-why-igbos-never-marginalize-minorities-by-rex-egbe.html
-----------

2 Likes

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by OGHENAOGIE(m): 12:00pm On Nov 10, 2019
FrLukas:


Package that word "idiots" and share it among your family members. Thank God it is plural. It should go round.
see ur big head...
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by OGHENAOGIE(m): 12:02pm On Nov 10, 2019
Osagyefo98:



leave those guys

These guys from west are practically somethingelse.

Suffering and smilling.

They cling to Nigeria as if all their lives depend there.
am sure there are those from dis same west who knows fact...d issue is everyone is trying to sel dier own propaganda as fact
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by GMbuharii: 2:00pm On Nov 10, 2019
FrLukas:
War is never good.

It's so sad so many people lost their lives unnecessarily in the civil war.

Seems Igbos don't know that war is never the answer to anything.

Between the Nigerian government and Biafra,who declared war?

Always endeavour to read wide, thank you

lzaa immhotep

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by GMbuharii: 2:02pm On Nov 10, 2019
Osagyefo98:


I want it to be more of Igbo.

Anything less than that I won't support it.

Where are you from?
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 4:15pm On Nov 10, 2019
GMbuharii:


Between the Nigerian government and Biafra,who declared war?

Always endeavour to read wide, thank you

lzaa immhotep

When Ojukwu declared secession for the Eastern region, that was an automatic declaration of war on the Nigerian state.

1 Like

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 5:03pm On Nov 10, 2019
OGHENAOGIE:
am sure there are those from dis same west who knows fact...d issue is everyone is trying to sel dier own propaganda as fact

The best propaganda Igbos are selling now and must be sustained is that biafra of today is entirely an Igbo affair.

This will erase suspicion and I really want it this way 100 Percent.

This will give rise to rapid development and their will homogeneity in Thought.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Emekadollars(m): 9:43pm On Nov 10, 2019
PrecisionFx:


They are not confused bro, they are just lying
Abi oo

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Hexdavewalkersl: 10:35pm On Nov 11, 2019
Omoodua007:
iPod leaders and running away na 5&6 cowards

He who runs leaves to fight another day
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by T9ksy(m): 12:34pm On Nov 12, 2019
Hexdavewalkersl:


He who runs leaves to fight another day


Yeah, like ojukwu who however, only came back to marry/phock the prettiest olosho in the land grin
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by jnoz23(m): 1:42pm On Nov 12, 2019
Dats his own story tho,
The reality of Niger deltan exclusion from Biafra is not a story!

The day ND put themselves under ipob subjugation can only be comparable to ragnarok
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 1:47pm On Nov 12, 2019
jnoz23:
Dats his own story tho,
The reality of Niger deltan exclusion from Biafra is not a story!

The day ND put themselves under ipob subjugation can only be comparable to ragnarok



Urhobo and Isoko are Edos.

Nobody need them in biafra.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by jnoz23(m): 1:59pm On Nov 12, 2019
AceRoot:


......((WITH KIND PERMISSION TO COMPLETE THE WRITE-UP, VERBATIM)).......

He is the first man “arguably” in Africa to obtain a doctorate in Soil science. I have friends across the Niger Delta whose parents, uncles, aunties and relatives also benefited from the benevolence of the Eastern regional government. Unarguably our Niger Delta region received it's last major face-lift in terms of infrastructure when we were under the Eastern region.

Till the abolition of the regional system of government, the Eastern region was the most united region, they was never a recorded case of ethnic skirmish or BLOOD letting between the Igbos and other minority groups.

During the pogrom of 1966 we all carried the same cross to “Golgotha”, both Igbos and Eastern minorities were killed in their thousands across Northern Nigeria by the blood thirsty Hausa Fulani/Northern folks without blinking an eye. It doesn't really matter if you were Igbo, Ijaw, Efik or a miniature Agbo person.

I never really wanted to bore you with reading this lengthy essay but it's my moral responsibility to tell the truth at all times. I was thought by my fore bearers never to distort history and to always separate facts from fictions. If we were not marginalized by the Igbos during the “analogue” age, how then can the Igbos marginalize us in this digital age?

-----------
Gotten from: https://www.legit.ng/1092790-opinion-why-igbos-never-marginalize-minorities-by-rex-egbe.html
-----------

Any Niger deltan that reasons like this can only be termed a traitor, & you know what happens to traitors!
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by jnoz23(m): 2:00pm On Nov 12, 2019
MelesZenawi:



Urhobo and Isoko are Edos.

Nobody need them in biafra.

Thank God for that! cool
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by Nobody: 2:02pm On Nov 12, 2019
jnoz23:

Thank God for that! cool

You welcome Stop living in world of Illusions.
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by gidgiddy: 2:04pm On Nov 12, 2019
FrLukas:


When Ojukwu declared secession for the Eastern region, that was an automatic declaration of war on the Nigerian state.

Did they tell you that it was because Gowon broke the binding agreement he signed with Ojukwu and the Eastern Region in Aburi Ghana that made Ojukwu secede?
Re: Nimi Amange: How I Escaped The War Front As A 16-Year-Old Biafran Soldier by LegendHero(m): 2:13pm On Nov 12, 2019
gidgiddy:


Did they tell you that it was because Gowon broke the binding agreement he signed with Ojukwu and the Eastern Region in Aburi Ghana that made Ojukwu secede?

Have you ever gone through the Aburi agreement? The Federal government is bigger than any group of people. The constitution is clear about secession. Any act of secession is a declaration of war against the Nigerian state.

The Aburi accord is just a formality and an act of pacifying the secessionist, Gowon had to renege on the agreement because it limits the power and reach of the SMC. Thanks to Ironsi that taught them what power meant.

Except the constitution is modified, that truth will live forever. Another thanks to Nnamdi Azikwe tho, he is the brain behind that clause.

1 Like

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply)

We Wont Support Jonathan, He Can't Win - APGA Lagos Chapter / Is President Buhari Now Speaking In Tongues?, By Audu O. Audu / Tubotamuno Dick Shot By Gunmen (Photos)

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 132
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.