The Biafran: The Igbo

Showing posts with label The Igbo. Show all posts

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Aguiyi Ironsi: The Igbo Martyr who died to safeguard the nonsensical Nigerian Unity

A moment before he was shot, on July 29, 1966, Nigeria’s first military head of state Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi reportedly told his assailants, “Shoot me and you shoot Nigeria.” The goons did not budge. They emptied magazines of Stein guns into his body and that of Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, military governor of Western Region.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Republic of Biafra Anthem

Land of rising sun, we love and cherish,
Beloved homeland of our brave heroes;
We must defend our lives or we shall perish,
We shall protect our hearts from all our foes;
But if the price is death for all we hold dear,
Then let us die without a shred of fear.

Hail to Biafra, consecrated nation,
O fatherland, this be our solemn pledge:
Defending thee shall be a dedication,
Spilling our blood we’ll count a privilege;
The waving standard which emboldens the free
Shall always be our flag of liberty.

We shall emerge triumphant from this ordeal,
And through the crucible unscathed we’ll pass;
When we are poised the wounds of battle to heal,
We shall remember those who died in mass;
Then shall our trumpets peal the glorious song
Of victory we scored o’er might and wrong.

Oh God, protect us from the hidden pitfall,
Guide all our movements lest we go astray;
Give us the strength to heed the humanist call:
To give and not to count the cost’ each day;
Bless those who rule to serve with resoluteness,
To make this clime a land of righteousness.

Pages

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Aguiyi Ironsi: The Igbo Martyr who died to safeguard the nonsensical Nigerian Unity