_{Just say this write up I thought would be relevant}

BY : Onyebuchi Onyegbule

I don’t know how old Uwazuruike, the MASSOB leader was in 1966. If he were as old, he wouldn’t have advised Igbos living in the North to stay on amid death and its real threat. Let him also know that he’ll take responsibility for the fate of that call.

Way back in 1966, I went to the railway station to welcome my aunt and saw a picture that can’t quit my memory. The goods-trains from the north conveyed heaps of human bodies, not groundnut bags: cut-off heads, heaps of them filling the endless wagons to the brim; limbs, pregnant women having their pregnancies ripped open, the foetus yet unborn stabbed in innocence, the head of its father stuffed into the womb of its slaughtered mother with swam of flies following from the north to the east. You may shrug but I saw it and it’s reemerging. There and then, I made up my mind to join the Biafran military.

When people say Ojukwu is a hero, it’s that. He said no to pogrom, genocide and the degradation of humanity. He stood barehands, fought government-backed life-wasters and made his mark which remains indelible. Though Easterners wanted to stay in the north, the hate-environment showed their resilience the redline. In the end, those who left late and managed to get to Markurdi, trekked to Enugu through bush-paths. Weeks later, Gowon matched federal forces to the East to attack an exhausted people. That’s the picture of the last civil war in brief.

Uwazuruike may not know all these being perhaps, a little boy. That may account for his advice. Fact is, he has shown courage and determination in the pursuit of the wellbeing of Easterners but one big mistake can wipe it all out. He said he’s gathering intelligence by the hour on the situation in the north. After intelligence, what next? Will he send his army to fight an existing one? Will he send militias to protect Easterners in the churches, markets, schools? Does he want to give the Nigerian military a reason to kill without let in the pretext of fighting a rebel force? Even as non-violent as MASSOB is, the military still makes them easy targets but toasting armed groups. If he tells the people to defend themselves, with what, which training and what support in a hostile environment?

quite lengthy but interesting first hand, there are people that lived that period whilst others read about it like some form of fantasy

concluding part here

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/analysis/commentary/32292-uwazuruike-dont-keep-easterners-in-north

As strong as America is, the first thing they do in crisis situation is, evacuate their citizens. Uwazuruike’s courage must therefore, be flexed with wisdom. Wisdom demands that in times of uncertainty, the wise pull back, watch, organise and react. Dead people can’t. He should take a cue from the Nigerian military/police. They have severally assured that the situation is under control, but up next, their barracks/offices are bombed putting they themselves in jeopardy. Invariably, they have difficulty protecting themselves; not because they can’t, but rather, that the enemy’s intent is in his mind though his physical presence abides with us. Besides, soldiers aren’t mind-readers. A situation where you don’t control events, retreat then react. This matches Uwazuruike’s preferred but hard-sale option of non-violence. By the time his kinsmen are wickedly murdered unprovoked, his non-violence option will give way to real violence. Each day, we seem to come nearer this.

Boko’s intent is to destroy Nigeria. Is it wisdom to become their pawns? When your people are slaughtered, who defends your cause? What Nigeria is facing now is transition not transformation and it’s not clear where to. Uwazuruike’s task now is: reach out to Ohanaeze/well-meaning easterners/governors and not go it alone, evacuate his people, watch and react. This he can’t when they’re dead. His failure may launch a deadly and perhaps, hard-to-control militant group.

In 1966, Easterners were killed without differentiation- Igbo, Ijaw, Efik, Ibibio, Ogoja. Ojukwu called all together in a Consultative pattern for a collective decision. In 2012, the same people face the same extermination threat without differentiation making the same outreach necessary beginning with his immediate kinsmen. Their collective response will send the right signal to the heartless killers. He should sharpen his intelligence network preparatory to Ojukwu’s internment just in case; though any aggression will sure carry consequences. He should avoid spilling northern blood on eastern soil but quicken pressure for the evacuation of Easterners from the north.  He should in the company of the Consultative Assembly formally report the activities of Boko-Haram to the federal government though it knows, to the AU and UN. That’s the diplomatic end. On the self-defense component, a coalition of forces is necessary. Let nobody preach that a people shall continue to be killed and continuously receive sorry.  Boko-Haram wants the sorry to spread and it will.


the truth is that igbo leaders have not handled this situation properly am so dissapointed in the governors especially rochas and his silly statement.

As strong as America is, the first thing they do in crisis situation is, evacuate their citizens. Uwazuruike’s courage must therefore, be flexed with wisdom. Wisdom demands that in times of uncertainty, the wise pull back, watch, organise and react. Dead people can’t.

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