ROSSIKE: I've always wondered about this rarely mentioned aspect of the Biafran War.

Going by the various debates on the topic, a visitor from outer space would be forgiven for thinking the war was strictly between Nigeria AND the Igbos.

But the territory of Biafra also included the various lands and ethnicities located south and south west of Igboland - the Efiks, the Ijaws, the Ogonis, the Anyangs, the Ibibios, the Kalabari, the Ikwerres etc etc.

These of course are the oil producing regions whose multi-billion dollar industry lies at the very heart of the modern Nigerian economy.

A few questions: Since Ojukwu's reason for declaring secession was the 'oppression of the Igbos', why did he include the non-Igbo oil-rich riverine areas in his newly-declared nation?

Did they ask to be included?

Was the decision to rope them in democratically reached, with the agreement of those people?

Or were they forced into the new republic at the barrel of an Igbo-held gun?

If Biafra had won, who would have controlled those oilfields?

Igbos?

Would they have become the new oligarchs, suppressing the rights of the riverine people who owned the oil?

What chances would a riverine politician have had to emerge president of Biafra considering the Igbo majority?

What chances are there that Ojukwu would have surrendered power to a democratically elected president after leading Biafra to triumph?

Negro_Ntns:

Gej would still be shoeless if Ojukwu had won. We all trully need to see and applaud the vision of Gowon and Awolowo in reintegrating the nation.

berem: what have you and your family gained from the reintergration? Are you better off now as a nigerian? Don't you ever dream of having Odua as a nation? What has been the situation of the country since Gowon and Awolowo reintergrated Nigeria? Has it been better or worse?

Negro_Ntns:

If we created a Yoruba nation would you become a Yoruba citizen?

Negro_Ntns:

If we created a Yoruba nation would you become a Yoruba citizen?

berem: for wetin? I dey craze? Nothing in this world is gonna stop me from being a Full Blooded Igbo! Even if I live outside my native homeland,that does not warrant me to deny where I come from.

dayokanu:

Dem go dey beg for visa to come in

Negro_Ntns:

Dont worry about your blood aggregate, that issue will be handled separately. I am asking you a political question. If we create Yoruba sovereingty would you be interested in citizenship?

ijaw citizen: Instead of these Igbos to give answers to the issues/questions raised, they rather attack/abuse the person verbally.

Typical Igbo tactics-if you don't like the person is saying, attack/kill him.

I wonder what would have been the situation of my people had Biafra succeeded. I know for sure there would of been another round of conflict therein where Ijaw especially would be tagged "ungrateful Rebels"

ijaw citizen: Instead of these Igbos to give answers to the issues/questions raised, they rather attack/abuse the person verbally.

Typical Igbo tactics-if you don't like the person is saying, attack/kill him.

I wonder what would have been the situation of my people had Biafra succeeded. I know for sure there would of been another round of conflict therein where Ijaw especially would be tagged "ungrateful Rebels"

PROUD-IGBO:


^^^Well we can only go on what we know; compare how your people (Ijaws) were treated by and have related with Igbos over the centuries prior to 'Nigeria' getting involved in our 'relationship'......compare that with the way your people have been treated by 'Nigeria' from the late 60's to date: Adaka Boro; Saro-Wiwa; Odi; distant desert oligarchs controlling your oyel fields; environmental pollution and degredation; criminal neglect of Ijaws in Nigerias' political-economy prior to GEJ; unfair oil revenue derivation; etc-etc-etc.

Of course Igbos were a majority in the old eastern region, but going by what you know of Igbos; their culture/values/attitude to work/sense of justice and republican nature.....going by all these parameters, do you really think you would have gone through what you've been through in Nigeria before you're recognized as political and economic equals?; do you really think your lands would be as they are today with no world-class infrastructure but environmental pollution and devastation everywhere?

Go to all the oil coys in Port Harcourt and Warri and tell me which ethnicity has been criminally taking advantage of this 'one Nigeria' (maybe things are changing slightly now with GEJ) as if say na only dem wey sabi petroleum/chemical engineering.

Shine your eyes bruh, as you're being sold the same dummy Adaka Boro and Saro-Wiwa were sold in the late 60's; whatever differences you imagine you have with Ndigbo are differences between cousins/neighbours and will always be overcome with a little dialogue as has been done for centuries.

berem: for wetin? I YOU dey craze? YES! Nothing in this world is gonna stop me from being a Full Blooded Igbo! Even if I live outside my native homeland,that does not warrant me to deny where I come from.

ROSSIKE: I've always wondered about this rarely mentioned aspect of the Biafran War.

Going by the various debates on the topic, a visitor from outer space would be forgiven for thinking the war was strictly between Nigeria AND the Igbos.

But the territory of Biafra also included the various lands and ethnicities located south and south west of Igboland - the Efiks, the Ijaws, the Ogonis, the Anyangs, the Ibibios, the Kalabari, the Ikwerres etc etc.

These of course are the oil producing regions whose multi-billion dollar industry lies at the very heart of the modern Nigerian economy.

A few questions: Since Ojukwu's reason for declaring secession was the 'oppression of the Igbos', why did he include the non-Igbo oil-rich riverine areas in his newly-declared nation?

Did they ask to be included?

Was the decision to rope them in democratically reached, with the agreement of those people?

Or were they forced into the new republic at the barrel of an Igbo-held gun?

If Biafra had won, who would have controlled those oilfields?

Igbos?

Would they have become the new oligarchs, suppressing the rights of the riverine people who owned the oil?

What chances would a riverine politician have had to emerge president of Biafra considering the Igbo majority?

What chances are there that Ojukwu would have surrendered power to a democratically elected president after leading Biafra to triumph?

CyberG:

So when will you carry your fat, UGLY face back to buhafra and leave Lagos ALONE? Your native buhahafra is NOT good enough to live in because you might be the next to be kidnapped, rape.d, sacrificed or eaten for FOOD by yiboe CANNIBALS? There is NO full blooded ibo anywhere who does NOT live in alayiboz.

Dede1:


There is no doubt you are idiotically ill-informed. If not, you could not have conjured the crap such as “Since Ojukwu's reason for declaring secession was the 'oppression of the Igbos', why did he include the non-Igbo oil-rich riverine areas in his newly-declared nation?”

I know with time, you will show your true color as Edo peep. Ojukwu never reasoned for anything in declaring secession except for the lack of guarantee of safety for the easterners residing in other parts of Nigeria barring eastern region.

In addition, the eastern consultative body consisted members of eastern house of assembly even dissolved they were still the mouthpiece of the people of eastern region.

Chyz*:
The Igbo man's nuts can always be found on the tongue of the yoruba man. Sad,but the truth. This thread is a good example.

ROSSIKE: But the territory of Biafra also included the various lands and ethnicities located south and south west of Igboland - the Efiks, the Ijaws, the Ogonis, the Anyangs, the Ibibios, the Kalabari, the Ikwerres etc etc.

Mr Achebe displays his scewed and totally wrong position by saying he was "dismayed" by a 1966 publication called "The Nigerian Situation: Facts and Background", which demonstrated the complete unfairness existing in Nigeria where 45% of managers were Igbo, over 50% of the posts in Nigerian Railways, over 70% of posts in Nigeria Ports Authority and foreign service were occupied by Igbos. Remember the Igbos account for only 18% of Nigeria's total Nigerian population.

In the chapter "The Dark Days", Mr Achebe, having minimized the coup as "non-tribal and one led by Junior officers protesting corruption and decay", starts railing against other tribes when they took revenge, rightfully so, against the Igbos who had killed their most senior leaders. He says that in a country where tribalism is endemic, the "rumor of an Igbo Coup" began to gain acceptance. I find it unbelievable that Mr Achebe would take such a position. This January 1966 coup, WAS AN IGBO COUP, there is no doubt about it, and denying that will not further Achebe's goal of reducing tribalism in Nigeria.

In the same chapter, he says that other tribes started attacking Easterners, taking out their resentment against the Igbos who "had led the nation in every sector - politics, education, commerce and arts and had driven out the colonizing British from Nigeria". This comment brings two points to light. He tries to portray "Easterners" as one victimized group but this is not truth. As he said before, many minority Easterners "dreaded the prospect of Igbo domination", hence their joining of the Yoruba "Action Party" group.

Second point is that he tries to portray other tribes as being driven by envy at Igbo's success. Mr Achebe, remember the Igbos triggered this by launching a coup and killing people from other tribes. Second, a nation will never be united if one group dominates all the rest. This is the biggest mistake we have in Africa. One tribe tries to dominate and shut out others, the others fight back and we all end up losing, just as we see in Nigeria, and so many African nations. So Mr Achebe, please try to be far sighted and use your talent to guide your Nigerian people (all tribes) to be more unified and not celebrate the Igbos for dominating the rest, and congratulating them for being superior, or for being the "Jews of Africa" as has been said before.