Nigeria Is Haunted by Its Civil War

The conflict’s legacy continues to hold the country captive, half a century later.

By Max Siollun
Mr. Siollun is a Nigerian historian.


LAGOS, Nigeria — Fifty years ago, on Jan. 15, Nigeria’s civil war ended. Fought between the country’s southeast region, which seceded and called itself Biafra, and the rest of the country, which Britain supported and armed, the war was brutal. Over a million people died during three years of conflict. After being starved into submission by a blockade, the Biafrans surrendered and their leaders promised to be “loyal Nigerian citizens.”

Half a century later, the war’s legacy continues to hold Nigeria captive. It simultaneously brings the country together and pushes it apart.

In the early aftermath of the war, the country appeared to be unified. Despite the war’s shocking human tragedy, reconciliation was remarkably rapid. War and partition ironically created a consensus: The country, now united, should never be allowed to break apart again. The government declared a general amnesty for wartime combatants, refused to punish either those who led the secession or those who suppressed it and did not give medals to any soldiers who fought in the so-called Brothers’ War.

The country was re-engineered to prevent another secession. To find a way for Nigeria’s more than 250 ethnic groups to live together peacefully, the country was split into 36 states, most of which coincided with the location of a major ethnic group. The federal government, whose power was increased, provided the states with funds — which created a financial deterrent against secession.

Postwar leaders found another way of building national unity: the concept of “federal character.” A new Constitution required the composition and conduct of government to “reflect the federal character of Nigeria.” Its purpose was to ensure that no ethnic group would monopolize leadership of the government or be excluded from national economic and political opportunities. Still in place today, it in effect operates as one of the world’s biggest affirmative action schemes. Nigerian law even bans political parties if they adopt names, logos or mottoes with ethnic, geographic or religious connotations, or if their membership does not satisfy constitutional diversity requirements.

But these efforts to ensure national unity, however well intentioned, froze Nigeria in time-bound assumptions about what the country should look like. The postwar desire to prevent another secession generated a near obsessive ethnic micromanaging of national life — and created a nation that exists almost simply to share money and jobs. “Federal character” became the most controversial two words in Nigeria’s Constitution. An ethnic quota regulates almost every facet of public life: Admission to the government and the Civil Service, schools and universities, the military and the police is decided by regional origin.

Rather than working as a glue for unity, the fixation on ethnic sharing of national opportunities and resources made Nigerians more aware of their ethnic differences. Resentment rose in parts of the country badly served by the quota system. The irony is plain: To prevent the recurrence of a war fought at least partly on ethnic lines — Biafra was populated mainly by the Igbo ethnic group — Nigeria’s rulers solidified ethnic identities.

What’s more, instead of ensuring the country’s unity, the postwar settlement generated conflict. For much of the past 20 years, Nigeria’s military has been engaged in fighting insurgencies in the north and south of the country. The long-running insurgency in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, in the country’s south, has indirect links to the postwar settlement. By controlling revenues from the country’s lucrative petroleum industry and requiring them to be shared nationwide, the federal government stripped control from local communities.

The postwar settlement created another profound division: between Nigeria’s people and their political leaders. For much of the past 50 years, Nigeria has been governed by the soldiers who won the war. For three decades, the form of rule was direct: Nigeria was under military dictatorship. But the passage to democracy, undertaken in 1999, did not dispel the military’s hold on the country. Military rulers were reluctant to cede power to, or accept the demands of, civilian opposition groups that called for national restructuring and the devolution of power to state governments. Instead, the generals engineered what the civilian opposition criticized as an “army arrangement” and ceded power to one of their own — the retired general Olusegun Obasanjo, to whom the Biafran Army surrendered in 1970.

The generals’ reluctance to dismantle the postwar system mummified Nigeria, ushering in a kind of gerontocracy. In a country whose population is overwhelmingly young — two-thirds are under 30 — the distorting effects of such generational asymmetry cannot be understated. Even now, the officers of the civil war continue to rule the country. Muhammadu Buhari, a 77-year-old retired major general, is Nigeria’s current president.

Even one of the seeming successes of the postwar period — the speed with which the country moved on — brought difficulties. In the rush to “forgive and forget” after the war, Nigeria skipped key questions about its purpose, its form and its destiny. There was no official narrative of what happened, nor an appraisal of lessons learned from it.
The absence of official accounts led others to fill the void. Denied the chance to articulate their grievances through formal channels, such as a war crimes trial or a truth and reconciliation commission, the Igbo ethnic group, which spearheaded the secession, has richly chronicled its suffering and sense of injustice. Barely a year goes by without an Igbo author publishing a book about the war. One of the most successful African novels of the past 15 years, “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, tells the story of the civil war from a distinctly Biafran perspective.

The history written not by the war’s winners but by its losers has become yet another means of division. The parts of the country that won the war want to stop talking about it — and view the Igbos, with their memorializing habits, as something of a fifth column. Ironically, the Igbos, who may be Nigeria’s most widely dispersed ethnic group, are found in every corner of the country. With substantial nationwide business and trading interests, polyglot and intermarried with many other groups, far from a group set on secession, they show how much Nigeria has changed in the past 50 years.

But Nigeria remains haunted by the ghosts of its civil war. It simply stopped the war without addressing its root causes. And by refusing to discuss the war’s legacies, the country’s rulers bred a deep, dangerous disenchantment.

The war may have ended 50 years ago, but
its effects are far from over.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/opinion/nigeria-civil-war-anniversary.amp.html

Good for this who think war is an answer

[b]s."[/b]Ironically, the Igbos, who may be Nigeria’s most widely dispersed ethnic group, are found in every corner of the country. With substantial nationwide business and trading interests, polyglot and intermarried with many other groups, far from a group set on secession, they show how much Nigeria has changed in the past 50 years.

This is the crux of the whole matter: Are they far from being set on secession?

But Nigeria remains haunted by the ghosts of its civil war.It simply stopped the war without addressing its root causes.And by refusing to discuss the war’s legacies,the country’s rulers bred a deep,dangerous disenchantment.The war may have ended 50 years ago, but its effects are far from over.

Nigeria will keep running in circles until the injustices meted out in the name of keeping this contraption perpectually to the benefit of the feudalists is redressed. No peace for the wicked.

All hail Biafra

ok

jlinkd78:
All hail Biafra

Ndi Igbo amaka

... UNITED STATE OF AMERICA is HUNTED by its MURDERING GOERGE FLYOD

NIGERIA TIMES

This writer Mazi Max Siollun is an IPOB yewt.
So says Ogbomosho residents association of Nairaland

Ironically, the Igbos, who may be Nigeria’s most widely dispersed ethnic group, are found in every corner of the country. With substantial nationwide business and trading interests, polyglot and intermarried with many other groups, far from a group set on secession, they show how much Nigeria has changed in the past 50 years.

So much zeal and determination for a region deemed defeated and left to start life from the scratch but dramatically picked up to be dominating every facets of our national life because of the never-say-never resilient spirit.

The region that was responsible for this back then is today a sordid theatre of gross illiteracy, abject poverty, child marriage/abuse, religion intolerance, terrorism, wanton bloodshed and killings among the many unimaginable ills of human existence.

Meanwhile, Nigeria had then remained a deteriorating phenomenon since the forced marriage and nothing but a clear disintegration is imminent.

New York times that thrive on chaos. Be forcing nonsense emotions for us.

Nigerian government is still fighting a warfare against the East

Ogbuu101:
This writer Mazi Max Siollun is an IPOB yewt.So says Ogbomosho residents association of Nairaland..

Let Sarrki catch you first.

Racoon:

Nigeria will keep running in circles until the injustices meted out in the name of keeping this contraption perpectually to the benefit of the feudalists is redressed. No peace for the wicked.

Justice is not only for the igbos but minorities in the Biafra war killed by the Biafra army.

Ogbuu101:
This writer Mazi Max Siollun is an IPOB yewt.
So says Ogbomosho residents association of Nairaland

The article never praised Biafra but outlines how Nigeria is not moving forward by not visiting and actually analysing what happened during and before the war.

The Article also noted that the one sided approach that Biafras have been using to tell the story is affecting the unity of the country since government has refused to tell their own side of the story.

Iamgrey5:
Justice is not only for the igbos but minorities in the Biafra war killed by the Biafra army.

You're right bro.Atrocities were committed by both the Biafran & Federal sides but the feudalists did more worst.The Asaba(Lt.Col.Murtala Muhammed, Capt.Ibrahim Taiwo etc) /Ikot Epene massacres.Atrocities committed by Brig.Benjamin Adekunle 3MCODs etc.

Racoon:
You're right bro.Atrocities were committed by both the Biafran & Federal sides but the feudalists did more worst.The Asaba/Ikot Epene massacres.Atrocities committed by Brig.Benjamin Adekunle 3MCODs etc.

How do you conclude that Nigerian government did worst?.

Just like the Article clearly stated, the major problem here is that the only stories ever told about the Biafra war, are often only told by igbos.

Every other year another igbo releases a book on Biafra, but the war didn't just affect the igbos alone.

The government needs to open up and let everyone tell their own side and versions of the story.

The biggest mistake Nigeria made was not teaching history in our schools, not having an official narration about the war and allowing the losers of the war to be the official narrators of the war.

However, this war happened 50 years ago. It’s not too late to treat those still suffering from PTSD from the war, let’s treat these people so they can stop being scammers, chest beaters, blind followers, self-loathers, and audio developers.

DuwaRepublic:
The biggest mistake Nigeria made was not teaching history in our schools, not having an official narration about the war and allowing the losers of the war to be the official narrators of the war.

However, this war happened 50 years ago. It’s not too late to treat those still suffering from PTSD from the war, let’s treat these people so they can stop being scammers, chest beaters, blind followers, self-loathers, and audio developers.

Lol, a dimwit like you probably didn’t even read the article.

See him going round in circles just like Nigeria

DuwaRepublic:
The biggest mistake Nigeria made was not teaching history in our schools, not having an official narration about the war and allowing the losers of the war to be the official narrators of the war.

However, this war happened 50 years ago. It’s not too late to treat those still suffering from PTSD from the war, let’s treat these people so they can stop being scammers, chest beaters, blind followers, self-loathers, and audio developers.

Exactly, the government needs to let everyone learn about the truth of the Biafran war.

Let everyone see the war archives ?

Let everyone see who supported what ?

Who killed who?

Who ordered the killings of who?

Iamgrey5:
How do you conclude that Nigerian government did worst?Just like the Article clearly stated, the major problem here is the only story ever told about Biafra war, are often only told by igbos.

Every other year another igbo releases a book on Biafra but the war didn't just affect the igbos alone.The government needs to open up and let everyone tell their own side of the story.

Why do you think the government banished the teaching of histroy from our educational curriculum? The more they try to banish/distort histroy, the more histroy cont. to unfold itself.(Check the attached image by Max Siollun is a letter from UniLag group to Ironsi back then).

The major actors esp.on the feudal side are still alive today(Gen.Yakubu Gowon, Lt.Gen.TY Danjuma, Gen. Babangida, Maj.Gen.Buhari/Paul Tarfa etc) are still alive but have refused to tell their stories.Let them do so if truly they're palatable ones to tell.

Gowon & Danjuma today are fighting their former "One-Nigeria" brothers & comarades-in-arms during the post 1966 Nigeria in the middle belt.So what have happened to the marriage?

The truth is still hunting them till today because the ghost of 1966 can never be banish away or rested until all the atrocities committed are atoned for.Meanwhile, pls read write up independent accounts like
-Oil Politics and Violence(Nigerian Military Coup Culture: 1966-1976) by Max Siollun.

Iamgrey5:
Exactly, the government needs to let everyone learn about the truth of the Biafra war.

Yeah and it’s not Biafra war mind you, it’s the Nigerian Civil War.

Iamgrey5:
How do you conclude that Nigerian government did worst?.

Just like the Article clearly stated, the major problem here is that the only stories ever told about the Biafra war, are often only told by igbos.

Every other year another igbo releases a book on Biafra, but the war didn't just affect the igbos alone.

The government needs to open up and let everyone tell their own side and versions of the story.

You typed rubbish. Will the government tie your hands or removed your vocal cords if you write a book or talk about the war??

VaselineCrew:


Lol, a dimwit like you probably didn’t even read the article.

See him going round in circles just like Nigeria

Dimwit lol you people are the root of your problems but una too like to dey point fingers, look I get fingers too!

Supermugu:
... UNITED STATE OF AMERICA is HUNTED by its MURDERING GOERGE FLYOD

NIGERIA TIMES

Those racists are much better than tribe of black that starved 3 million kids of his fellow black.

Hypocrites.

Supermugu:
... UNITED STATE OF AMERICA is HUNTED by its MURDERING GOERGE FLYOD

NIGERIA TIMES

you're truly a supermugu

Iamgrey5:
Exactly, the government needs to let everyone learn about the truth of the Biafran war.

Let everyone see the war archives ?

Let everyone see who supported what ?

Who killed who?

Who ordered the killings of who?

You think nigeria don't know why they are running away from it.

FAAN Aviation, pls remit staffs money to Aviation Thrift Unions, staffs are expecting their loans from cooperative.. Pls, Abeg, Biko, Ejó.. Na beg we dey beg.. This una fraud is getting out of hand.. Since April , 2months non-remittance.. Wetin..?? Una fraud is getting too much... FAAN DFA pls order the payment to all cooperatives in Aviation... Criminals.

Racoon:

Why do you think the government banished the teaching of histroy from our educational curriculum? The more they try to distort histroy, the more histroy unfold itself.
(Check the attached image by Max Siollun)

The major actors esp.on the feudal side are still alive(Gen.Yakubu Gowon, Lt.Gen. TY Danjuma, Gen.Babangida, Maj.Gen.Buhari/Paul Tarfa etc) are still alive but haveiopiy refused to tell their stories.

The truth is still hunting them till today because the ghost of 1966 can never be banish away or rested until all the atrocities committed are atoned for.Meanwhile, pls read write up independent accounts like
-Oil Politics and Violence(Nigerian Military Coup Culture: 1966-1976) by Max Siollun.

Just another emotional silly rant as usual

So what about the truth that majority of the oil discovered then was in the land of the minorities?

What about the people people killed by the Biafran army in old Bendel state?

What About the truth that Ojukwu crushed oil rich rebellion of ijaw only to annex their land later into Biafra for the sake of crude oil?

What about the truth about the Ijaws killed by the Biafran army in the war?

Don't even get me started on the public killing of Banjo despite the fact that he fought for your Biafra!

And the list goes on


If Obasanjo and Gowon were to say what they know, Igbos would not be able to live in Nigeria again.

Tranquillity360:
You think nigeria don't know why they are running away from it.

Ekweme once played second fiddle to Shagari,

Why didn't he bring it out?

You think because others shut up to allow peace to reign, they must have been stupid

Iamgrey5:
Just another emotional silly rant as usual.So what the truth that majority of the oil discovered then was in the land of the minorities?

What about the people Biafra army killed people in old Bendel state? What About the truth that Ojukwu crushed oil rich rebellion of ijaw only to annex their land later in Biafra?What the truth about Ijaws killed in the war?

Don't even get me started on the public killing of Banjo!
And the list goes on.If Obasanjo and Gowon were to say what they know, Igbos would not be able to live in Nigeria again.

So unfortunately, in the suspicion of looming war, the southern minorities were sold a dummy that Biafra will suffocate them, annihilate & take over their oil, but what happened thereafter?

Pls ask Adaka Boro what became of the the delusion they sold to him.Ask Ken Saro-Wiwa too about the Niger Delta Oil struggle.Ask the Resource Control coupists of April 22 1990 their frustration & stories to clear your doubt.The feudalist are sitting atop NNPC and almost oil agencies in Nigeria today.So who win or loose?