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| Asaba Massacre: Address By Prof. T. Uzodinma Nwala President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) At the Occasion of the 50th Commemoration |
The event marks the Asaba genocide, the series of gruesome cold-blooded killings of innocent civilians by troops of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, culminating in the “DANCE OF DEATH” at Ogbeosewah in Asaba on October 7th, 1967.
On that one day alone hundreds of helpless people were mowed down and buried dead or alive in mass graves.
It is no doubt, the darkest chapter in our history which we must continue to recall for the benefit of our children including those unborn.
An Address
By Prof. T. Uzodinma Nwala
President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF)
At the Occasion of the 50th Commemoration of the Asaba Massacre
Grand Hotel, October 7th 2017.
Mr Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I speak to you on behalf of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF).
It is an organization founded by patriotic citizens from all parts of Alaigbo
– the Igbo-speaking Areas of Nigeria – Eastern Igbo, Western Igbo,
Southern Igbo and other areas that speak various Igbo dialects and
practice different variations of Igbo culture.
We had earlier sent our message to the Palace of Nnanyi Agu – the
Asagba of Asaba – through the Organizing Committee of this hallowed
event – the 50th Commemoration of the Asaba Massacre of October,
1967.
Secret United States diplomatic dispatches about the Nigerian Civil War
In the message, apart from identifying with the Asagba of Asaba and his
cabinet as well as with our kinsmen and women from Asaba, our
Anioma brothers and sisters and, indeed, the entire Igbo race on the 50th
Commemoration of the Asaba Massacre – the darkest chapter in our
history. we have urged all of us to reflect very deeply into the meaning of
this episode in our history and what it means for our future.
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Indeed, the gruesome cold-blooded killings of innocent civilians by
troops of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, culminating in the “DANCE OF
DEATH” at Ogbeosewah in Asaba on October 7h, 1967, where
hundreds of helpless people were mowed down and buried dead or
alive in a mass grave, is the darkest chapter in our history which we
must continue to recall for the benefit of our children including those
unborn.
The Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) salutes the courage of
those who have continued to provide us the records of the event as well
as the opportunity to honor the memory of our people who were victims
of this sad and unforgettable event.
We salute the courage of the Asaba people and their noble spirit. We
salute the courage of people like Professors Elizabeth Byrd and Frazier
Ottonelly who have sustained the records for the sake of history. We
also salute our brother Emma Okocha, author of the immortal work -
The Blood on the Niger – a book that will perpetually challenge the
conscience of men and women of good conscience throughout the
ages.
We salute the courage of our brother, Ifeanyi Uriah and other survivors
of that genocide. Ify was with us at the International Colloquium on
the Igbo Question in Nigeria. The Asaba Massacre featured strongly
at that event in our search for thr roots of Igbo predicament in Ngeria.
50 years after Biafran War: Nigeria continues to massacre Biafrans
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His eye-witness account of that massacre presented on that occasion is
captioned Ogbeosowah: The Rise from the Dead. An Eyewitness
Account . It is published in the two volume publication that came out of
that Colloquium with the title IGBO NATION: History and Challenges
of
Rebirth and Development,
One of the presentations at that Colloquium which we have continued to
cherish is a presentation by Dr. Luke Aneke, It is captioned On The
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Jewish example. In that work Luke recalls how the Jews have handled
their similar experience in history – The Jewish Hollocaust - to make
sure no such experience happens again in their history. With the help of
the international community, they have continued to hound all those who
took part in the Hollocaust. One of the notable cases is that of Mr. Kurth
Waldehm, former Secretary-General of the United Nations who was
pursued as an actor during the Jewish holocaust.
Even as Head of State
of Austria, he was unable to move freely within the international
Community until he died. ADF believes that, if not ourselves, our
children and children’s children will pursue this historical cause in
ensuring that justice is done to the spirit of those innocent people whose
blood was spilt because they were Igbos – Yes, Asaba Igbos.
ADF will like to be associated with the project of a befitting Memorial,
possibly a War Museum in Asaba in Memory of the victims of the Asaba
massacre.
We can’t be done without paying glowing tribute to our father and
historical icon, a man of immense global stature who has done a lot for
the cause of Alaigbo, whose Igboness compelled him to take a wife from
the other side of Alaigbo - what else could be a stronger show of Hand
Across the Niger in warm embrace of Igbo sons and daughters. We
mean none other than Chief (Dr) Sonny Iwedike Odogwu, the Ide
Ahaba.
We salute the memory of Chief Dennis Osadebe, the first civilian
governor of the Midwest Region and Secretary of Igbo State Union. So
do we salute the memory of Ambassador Ralph Uwechie, the former
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
We cannot also end without paying glowing tribute to our son,
Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, the leader of the idealist patriotic youth
who rose in great patriotic love for what they felt was a genuine fatherland.
Despite the avoidable aftermath of the revolution they set in
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motion, we do acknowledge that age and lack of adequate experience
was responsible for the mistakes they made in actualizing their
revolution. How else could one explain the mistake of General Emeka
Ojukwu to commit Biafra soldiers to the Midwest as well as the Western
gamble in response to an appeal by Chief Awolowo for Biafra soldiers to
be sent to liberate the West from the occupation of northern soldiers,
Neither Azikiwe, Okpara nor Chief Dennis Osadebe could have
sanctioned that gamble.
Yes, these are the factors we must consider in our assessment of what
happened that led to the Asaba Massacre. However, after all said and
done, there has always been an Igbo question before the Asaba
Massacre
Igbo intellectuals have consistently demonstrated our common identity
as Ndigbo.
In 2008, we came here, about fifteen pan-Igbo organisations
led by the Conference of Igbo Scholars (CODES) to celebrate the FIRST
FESTIVAL OF IGBO CIVLIZATION to mark the 50th Anniversary of the
publication of the epic novel written by Chinua Achebe –Things Fall
Apart.
Finally, the greatest additional response which history demands of us is
to consolidate and sustain that identity for which those brothers and
sisters suffered such unspeakable pains of death. While we remember
and forgive, we must not forget who we are!
PROF. T. UZODINMA NWALA
ADF PRESIDENT
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