After the storms, history remembers Ikemba and the 2.75 million Easterners that died in the war. As often queried of Moses the heir aspirant, why did he leave Egypt for Israel? Why did Ojukwu risk his life and father?s assets for the Easterners? After the Aburi Accord was swept aside and confederation thwarted on the 27 February 1967, the uncompromising attitude of Nigeria divided Nigeria. In self-defence, Chief Ojukwu challenged injustice, aggression and inhumane treatment of the Easterner. If Nigeria was one, can it fight against itself? Now over 40 years of the war, the Easterners should forgive and seek new horizon but mark it to appease the innocent victims of it. Usually, it is peace without war but peace after war forewarns of future aggression and inhumane treatment. As humanity tests nature, we must appreciate togetherness trustfully and in confidence but not as agama lizard head-nodding which says yes for yes and no for good and bad.
The Igbo lived in their vacuum all through but if you come into the world where others have existed and planned themselves, what do you do? The war may forever be used as an excuse but the Igbos never looked back. The sting of the tinny black ant was to remind Igbo of inordinate growth. Further, it was a test of Igbo evolutionary history. The Ojukwu era of war was accidental for ignorant kiths and kin. The post-war-Ojukwu was different. The after-death of Ojukwu is challenging. We have watched the Sun, Moon and Stars down, did we learn anything? The Igbos were right to appoint Chief Uwazurike to lead and it would be nice to give him support and a supported leader must have agenda. Chief Uwazurike's agenda may not be Biafra but getting the people to appreciate themselves and speak one voice. The Igbos had a bad push and Biafra may be the least of their needs. For the Igbos to speak one voice is to enable them promote common agenda to work with and enshrine their position in Nigeria. The Igbos cannot bargain well without unity of being and purpose. Even the current echoing of Federal Constitutional Conference is defaulted in advance because the so-called Nigerians (Edo, Hausa, Igbo, Tiv and Yoruba) are not intellectually or realistically honest to truth or in a mood to accept the truth; or else, the proposals of 1911 from which Abuja became the Federal Capital in 1991 had other proposals, which implemented with its reasons will give hope. (see the book titled "The Future Of Nigeria" - NedPress
The Igbos in their unique self may not participate in such Conference because the corrupt Nigerians will abuse it as the Constitutional Conferences of 1959, 1963, 1966, 1979 and 2005. For Nigeria, the first test of reality is to provide evidence of one destiny for all parts. This is why Chief Uwazurike should focus on Igbo Unity and then move on to testing it. The era of neo-democracy is a planned growth of involving people to participate and negotiate in securing common terms and conditions to live together. The Proposals of 1911 concentrated on the framework to base public works (road, rail, water, airport, health, education and social debates and integration) to manage the population and reduce unemployment and crimes. The Nigerian-nation-states ran naked and embarrassed everything in radical disorder and abandoned Nigerians. The problems are terms and conditions kiths and kin can live in peace. With our education and experiences, how are we better than our problems? As humans, Christians and Moslems how are we better than each other? Is there anything to be learned to put the roof in order to shelter all? However, regard the British made-Nigeria as past since 1997; if Nigeria wants to be one it must have the will to make it better. Nigeria is the national system (infrastructure) that picks every Nigerian. It is not always how much paid but that everyone wakes up to something to engage his/her mind. Nigerian nationalism is unique because everyone can trace his root in it. A true nationalism like a cord is a self-appreciation that cannot be broken; where do you start to strengthen the cord?