Biafra
is the single most important issue that unites Ndigbo because the
experiences of the Civil War and its aftermath has defined the contemporary
history the Igbo nation. Authoritarian military dictatorship
in Nigeria effectively silenced all discussions of the issues that
surrounded the Civil War which cost the lives of estimated 1.5 million
lives, mostly Igbos. Since the exit of army rule has stimulated
Nigerians to engage themselves in serious search for ways and means
to move the nation forward, it is germane that there ought to be
a re-visitation of the most traumatic era of our nation-hood, hopefully
heal old but festering wounds and aspire not to repeat the mistakes
of the past.
The
Biafra Memorial Project (BMP) is not a mere ceremonial event to
mourn the horrendous losses of one of Africa's fratricidal wars
but rather it is planned program of activities that will bring about
a just resolution to perceived misdeeds as well as expunge the lingering
bitter taste that still remains with those who were embroiled in
that conflict. The BMP is multifaceted and has various levels
of design and execution. The political arm will aspire to
restore the status of parity, which we had in pre-war Nigeria, with
the other major rivals in the North and West. The economic
arm will aim at consolidating and focusing the economic ingenuity
of Ndigbo toward a speedy development of Igboland and the contiguous
territories that border it in the Niger Delta and the Southeast
coastline.
The
political and economic arms of the BMP will be buttressed by structured
sociocultural agenda that will strengthen Igbo heritage by fostering
our indigenous values while streamlining and abrogating practices,
like the osu caste system, which no longer serve any useful function
of Ndigbo in the 21st Century.
The
BMP shall work assiduously to ensure that a special day shall be
set aside annually to commemorate the lives of those who perished
in the struggle for Biafra. It is everyone's expectation that
fellow Nigerians will see the wisdom in joining us in this endeavor
because the losses, even though perceived most amongst the Igbos,
were still substantial in other groups that were also caught up
in that catastrophic crisis. A National Memorial Day,
a public holiday for the commemoration of the Civil War nationwide,
is the least that should be expected from fellow citizens to honor
the war heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, on both sides of
the battle line, to bequeath to us the nation that we inherit today.
