War is not an option

           Emeka travelled to his hometown for a visit. It’s been a while since he visited. His grandfather was so happy to see him, to spend time with him.

Being an active member of the IPOB (Indigenous People Of Biafra) Emeka and his grandfather Chief Obiora had a lot in common being that he fought in the Biafran war. They discussed how to improve the lives of the Igbo people. From the government to the people.

One day, his grandfather overheard him speaking with his friend on the phone. Emeka and his friends are youths who wanted the independence of Biafra by any means necessary. Be it through dialogue or war. Especially through war. They hadn’t a care about the repercussions that would result. The massacre and carnage were just afterthoughts.

The next day, after a delicious dinner of eba and bitterleaf soup, Obiora thought it wise to educate his grandson on the dangers of war. After experiencing it first-hand, he definitely knows what it’s like.

“My son, I heard you speaking with someone the other day. About the independence of Biafra. Who was that? A friend?’ Obiora calmly inquired.

“Oh,yes papa. That was Ikechukwu,my friend. We are in the same department in school.” Emeka replied clearly confused why his grandfather was asking.

“Do you think a war can achieve those aspirations?”

“Yes, papa. I do. It’s time to come out of our cowardice and fight for what we really want, for what is really ours.”

“You don’t think coming to a dialogue will do that?”.

“ No I don’t. When has dialogue solved anything. If we continue like this, we won’t get anywhere.’”

“Listen my son, there is nothing that can’t be solved through dialogue. War isn’t an option…..” Emeka started to argue but was cut off.

“ Wait, let me finish. I have a story for you. You do know I was a soldier in the Biafran war, right?”

“Yes, papa.

Obiora began recapping the events of the Biafran war to his grandson.

“ In July 15,1967, the war broke out. Then, I was just a boy. We were hearing the war but haven’t seen it. I was in the village with my parents and siblings. All the actions first began in major cities. The attacks, the bombings and the rest. “

“But, papa, what really caused the war?”

“ The main cause of the war was the incessant killing of the Igbo people in the northern region of Nigeria. The northern dominated federal government. Infact, it was a result of ethnic, political, religious and sociocultural conflicts in the country. All this contributed to the break out. Nobody was willing to compromise.

The Biafrans were headed by late Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu. He was the commander in chief while the Nigerian army by late General Yakubu Gowon. Both parties wanted to come out victorious. I enlisted to fight for Biafra which my family was against but I wouldn’t be deterred from going. Just like you, I was very eager to defend my people.

Very quickly, a year went by. The war was progressing and we were gaining ground. We were determined to win this war, that was until something unexpected happened. That year, 1968 precisely, the federal government troops surrounded Biafra capturing coastal oil facilities and the city of Port-harcourt which was a major Biafran territory. The blockade imposed during the ensuing stalemate led to mass starvation. We were showing great resistance and recorded defeats in Abagana,Arochukwu, Oguta, Umuahia and other prominent cities before the capture. Many young lives were lost in the defense but our troops couldn’t hold. That particular offensive by the Nigerian troops began to close the ring around us with further advances on the northern front and the capture of Port-harcourt on 19^th of May, 1968.

The blockade of the Biafrans led to a humanitarian disaster when it emerged that there was a widespread civilian hunger and starvation in the beseiged Igbo areas. People died in thousands from starvation. Children and women especially were afflicted by kwashiorkor which was caused by protein deficiency. The source of food were very limited. I lost two brothers to it. The Biafran government reported that Nigeria was using hunger and genocide to win the war and sought aid from the outside world.

On May, 1969, a company of Biafran commandos raided an oil field in Kwale and killed eleven Saipem workers and Agip technicians. They captured three Europeans unhurt and then at a nearby Okpai Field Development, they surrendered and captured prisoners including fourteen Italians,three West Germans and a Lebanese. It was claimed that this foreigners were captured fighting alongside Nigerians against Biafran troops and were assisting them in constructing roads to aid them in their operations against Biafra. They were tried in a Biafran court and sentenced to death. This incident elicited an international uproar. In the following month, Pope Paul VI, the governments of Italy, United Kingdom and United States of America mounted concerted pressure on Biafra for release of the foreign prisoners. On 4^th of June, 1969, after receiving a personal direct mail from the Pope, Ojukwu pardoned the prisoners. They were released to a special envoy sent by the foreign governments and promptly left Biafra.

With increased British support, the Nigerian forces launched another attack against us once again on 23^rd December,1969 with a major thrust by the 3^rd marine commando division led by Col. Olusegun Obasanjo which succeeded in splitting the Biafran enclave into two almost bringing us to our knees which the final offensive later achieved anyway on 9^th January,1970 claiming Owerri which was the main Biafra headquarter. Ojukwu fled into exile leaving his deputy Philip Effiong to handle the details of the surrender to General Yakubu Gowon of the federal army. The surrender paper was signed on 14^th of January,1970 thus ending the civil war. So you see my child, that was it.” Emeka who had been enraptured by his grandfather’s story was speechless. When he could speak again

“ Papa, this goes to show we have always been their object of oppression from the beginning. Killing us, usurping our power and right to governance. We don’t want to be with them again, can’t they let us be? . I still think it’s better to take our chances fighting.” Emeka replied hotly.

“ I know how you feel,my son. I want the same things too but war is not an option. It does more harm than good.,”

“ How?’

“ Can’t you see? , War only preys on the innocent. Millions of people died in that war from hunger and genocide. Properties were destroyed, businesses closed just to mention a few with nothing to show for it. All those lives wasted for nothing. Suffering for nothing. Nobody not even one person who had witnessed that would ever want a repeat. Proper dialogue could have achieved all that for us without shedding blood. But let bygones be bygones. This is the present, the future lies in the hands of youths like you. You shouldn’t make the mistakes we made but rather, learn from it. Good night my son.” With that, Obiora left for his room. That night, Emeka couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing and turning on his bed mulling over his grandfather’s words until sleep claimed him in the wee hours of the morning.

The next day, after deliberating over everything,he couldn’t help but understand where his grandfather was coming from knowing it to be true. War never helped anybody rather it destroys works already achieved. There need not be loss of lives and properties anymore. With proper dialoguing, all these agendas would be met. He vowed to change the mindset of other youths who wanted war starting with his base IPOB movement where he was the president.

With that thought in mind, Emeka returned to the city two weeks later and began an anti-war campaign preaching proper dialoguing.