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| Anioma not part of Biafra - Another paid IDIOT from Urhobo vomits ignorance. The Biafran hits back |
Another paid agent of the Nigerian government, Ben Etaghene has as usual puked his ignorance into the public domain. In a very silly writeup he published in the Vanguard, the Urhobo-born Etaghene made an attempt to separate Igbo-speaking Biafrans in the west of the River Niger from their brothers in east.
The Biafran has decided to present a robust rejoinder to that inane article in order to expose his stupidity and ignorance to the entire world.
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
This elastic agitation for the illusion called Biafra is rapidly snowballing into a painful anathema. But must this grow unguardedly or a final stop should be put to it? We fought a civil war which was decisively concluded with an agreement of “no victor, no vanquished”.
The Biafran Response:
You and who who fought a civil war? A Civil war, essentially is war fought between brothers i.e same group of people in one country/nation? Biafra existed before Nigeria. Even before Gowon attacked via his police action, Biafra was a sovereign nation. By the way, is Biafra related to Hausa or Fulani or even Yoruba? Does Biafra share any common value system, language, religion, culture or even food?
What was fought between 1967-70 was genocidal war against Biafra by Nigeria. Two separate nationalities forced to live in one arbitrary geographic expression. GO BACK TO SCHOOL!
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
That was universally acclaimed as magnanimous at the time. Nigerians of both “divide” then easily came together and assumed the worst was over.
The Biafran Response:
Who are Nigerians? Can you define the meaning of that? Nigeria is an artificial creation of Fredrick Lugard and the wife. So Lugard is your father or your god? I bet your great grandparents were born Urhobo and not this silly Nigeria, with no meaning that you claim.
Ewu!
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
Inspite of the early forgiving at home, outside the shores of this country, there were pockets of agitators for Biafra for commercial and selfish reasons. I recall in 1972 at the Suddeutsche Zeiting (South Germany Newspaper) my boss, Herrn Helmut Hess told me that the editor wanted to see me. In his office were some Nigerian Biafrans who were there to solicit for money to prosecute the war. I made it explicitly clear to them that the war had ended and the prevalence of peace in Nigeria then, which put paid to their request. Even as late as 1974 in Europe there were still pockets of Biafra sympathisers who played on the ignorance of “merciful” society foiled by Nigeria’s weak publicity outreach.
The Biafran Response:
Look at that! Nigerian Biafrans? What does that mean? How about Nigerian Oduduwa or maybe Nigeria Arewa?
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
This definitely allows for constant revisit to this so-called republic, perhaps buoyed by the poor governance that allows for cases of marginalisation, claims any section of Nigeria, in fairness can make. The continuity of this selective primordial sentiment still prevails among a section of many South eastern Nigerians particularly youths most of whom were born after the civil war, majority of them not grounded with the issues involved in the uprising except emotions and the love of adventure.
The Biafran Response:
The future belongs to the youth. It doesn't matter if witnessed the events of the first Biafra-Nigeria War or not. What matters is that the youths have realised their slave status in Nigeria and are willing to die to gain freedom for the future generation. Glad you admit there is poor governance and marginalisation. Only fools like you believe that hardship is a way of life.
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| Anioma not part of Biafra - Another paid IDIOT from Urhobo vomits ignorance. The Biafran hits back |
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
In one of their recent map, Biafra covered the whole of Anioma, Ukwuani Isoko even extending to some enclaves in Urhoboland. This is an unripe imagination. Hence the prompt reaction of one Chief Tuesday Onoge, an Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) member and the recent clarification by the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for the status quo must be noted. This is what many prominent Igbo leaders had not done though few had spoken out against this dream which died some 46years ago. What is missing in the current flag bearing outing for resurrection of a different homeland is the deep philosophical approach the originator of the dream, late Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi invoked. What we are now seeing is an ephemeral periphery of the idea of a strong man who equally saw the end of his ambition and who made a timely retreat. None among those shouting now has half the charisma and oratory power of Ojukwu to whip up emotions and evoke followership for a course. The originator of dream saw the novalike movement of the Biafra project before all of them. And we are in a different era and time where this romanticism with adventure will fade away but for the socio-economic disturbances.
The Biafran Response:
" And in 1939, the Obi of Agbor, Obi of Idumuje-Ugboko and the Obi of Aboh, for themselves and the entire Western Igbo people, petitioned there Colonial Administration for carving out the Western Igbos from their Kits and Kins East of the Niger. "Consequently, in 1956, Western Igbo leaders organized the AMA1 conferences where it was resolved that the answer to the political problems of the Western Igbos was to create a West Niger Igbo State with the Headquarters at ALIDINMA. The agitation for the creation of the West Niger Igbo State assumed the name ANIOMA after the civil war".
Dr Ifeanyi Okowa you reference has realised he goofed: Bulk of the soldiers that fought for Biafra were Anioma people. Only few days ago Biafra's Commander Brigadier General Conrad Dibia Nwawo Onicha-Olona, Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta State died. So in your myopic mind the following soldiers from Anioma fought for Biafra Republic, so they will return and belong to Nigeria:
Col. Joe Achuzie from Oshimili South was General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 division.
Col. Mike Ndukwe Okwuechime, to start with was the Chief of Linguistics, Defence headquarters, Biafran Army till the end of the Biafra-Nigeria war on January 12, 1970.
Navy Commander Frank Anukwu from Ika was in charge of Biafran Navy till the end of the war.
Brigadier Nwawo from Aniocha North was General Officer who commanded 4 Command (Special) Division of Biafran Army.
Late Col. B.S.A. Nwajei from Oshimili North was at a time, the Commander 14 division.
Col. Ochei from Oshimili South was Commandant of School of Infantry Biafran Army.
Col. Morah and Col. Henry Igboba from Aniocha North and Oshimili North, respectively fought gallantly for the survival of Biafran people during the war.
Late Major Albert Okonkwo from Oshimili North was the Administrator of the Republic of Biafra
Mr. George Nwanze from Oshimili North was the secretary to Odumegwu Ojukwu, Head of State defunct Republic of Biafra, to mention but a few.
How about the Asaba massacre? If they were not Biafrans why were thousands of Asaba men and boys assassinated by war criminal Muritala Mohammad?
Perhaps you can help yourself by reading through this historical piece:
Anioma not Biafra: Historian educates the Delta nincompoop Ifeanyi Okowa over Biafra GAFFE
It is more baffling that an Urhobo is telling Anioma who they are. Read what Anioma people have to say about Biafra:
We are Biafrans - Anioma people CORRECTS erring Lauretta Onochie
They wrote: "It is important as well to note that our leader, Gen. Isama has stated in several fora and without any bit of contradiction that Anioma people are Igbos. We of the Proudly Anioma-Proudly Igbo organization concur with his assertions. Therefore any claim, a self-seeking one for that matter by a group of political wannabes parading themselves as “the umbrella body of Anioma people” should not be taken by the general public seriously. Their rant is not worth a pinch of salt. We are aware that those parading themselves as “umbrella body of all Anioma people” have their loyalties tied to a particular political party in Nigeria. With such interests, their unfounded claims should not be taken by the public seriously."
Why are you drinking panadol for another person headache?
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
The irony of the whole episode is traceable to government’s inaction. The Oromo people in Ethiopia had this same recurring secessionist demand. But with some strange wisdom they found their answer in the redrafting of a constitution which stipulated that any section of the country wishing to go away can get the right to do so in their national assembly with just a simple majority vote. That put paid to the Oromo demand for their own country. Our Chief Ben Nwabueze (SAN) was a party to the drafting of the new Ethiopian constitution. I had severally demanded for a clause of this type to be inserted into our constitution. Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, the second man to move the motion for Nigeria’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, as his last major contribution also said same thing in his submission for a 19-state Nigeria. Since then the Federal Government of Nigeria under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan organised two national conferences without any attempt to find a final solution to this perenimal agitation. The National Assembly since 1999 till now has variously told the nation of the inadequacies in the nation’s constitution without any action to rectify them. This same approach has equally been beamed on the need to diversify the economy to remove focus from the monolithic source of revenue which is crude oil without any practical move. But now with the price of oil hovering between S24 and S25 per a barrel, from over S100 a year ago, it needs a pragmatic approach, same thing the nation should have done about this simmering sentimentality about Biafra. Why must this agitation become a regular issue to disturb the nation’s political clime.
The Biafran Response:
All Biafrans want is for Nigeria to organise a referendum for self-determination. What is holding them?
It is very clear that Biafra is not interested in oil, It wants freedom. Even with crude oil selling at $0.1 Biafrans are thoroughly sick and tired of Nigeria.
Ben Etaghene Wrote:
The United States of America fought a civil war. For 100years, the south were not allowed to rule that nation until ex-President Jimmy Carter emerged in 1976. Nobody ever raised his or her head to take their nation to that era again not to talk of expanding the land mass of their agitation. That in Nigeria, 46years after a new constant horizon of rebellion theatre unfolds shows that an action is needed to stop it once and for all. This is why the position of the Delta State governor,Dr. Okowa comes for commendation. In a timely message to dispel claims of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPDB) that “Anioma Nation in Delta State belongs to Biafra Republic,” he equally decried the move to scrap Maritime University, Ekerekoko, Warri South West, LGA. With this the governor has delivered a serious burden of leadership. Okowa also stated that despite the corollary or similarity in language does not make them same because of the contiguous geography. He said, “Biafran agitation, we have criticised it. Anioma land as it is said, from here, was part of Bendel State; it was part of Midwest Region. We were never part of the South East and obviously we cannot be said to be part of them. We may speak the same language, but we were never part of the South East. We were part of the Midwest; we were part of Bendel. We are now Delta State and we are Deltans.” It cannot be more emphatic than this. Mr. Ben Etaghene is the editorial director of The Bulletin, Sapele, Delta State.
The Biafran Response:
Midwest, Bendel, Delta are all artificial creation. Who told you you were never part of South East? When was South East created and what does it mean. Are aware that the present Cross River State was known as South East? Now it is in the so called South South.
You must understand that nations are organically built based on common value system and culture and not by arbitrary division. Who knows tomorrow Anioma will be drafted into another silly creation of the Northern Nigeria (If they decide to draft you into a state called Anus, please be sure to answer).
That you are being moved around like a pawn does not however change what or who you are. United States survived their civil war because the North and South had similar value system. Is that same for Nigeria? Where it is right in one section for a 13 year old Urhobo girl, Ese Oruru will be forced into a marriage and sexually molested? Does the United States have two opposing legal system in the name of penal and criminal codes? When you compare you must compare like with like.
You wrote all this without providing any historical evidence to back your stupid claim.
Indeed, Ben Etaghene your ignorance in this matter is mind-boggling. Go back to school!
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