Prof. Ebere Onwudiwe, an economist and a political scientist was one of the participants of of the political discourse at the conference in Abuja recently tagged “Memory & Nation Building, Biafra: 50 Years After” at the Yar’Adua Center in Abuja.
Highlighting the importance of Biafra, he said there are conferences to mark the 50th year of Biafra in universities around the world.
He stated this while fielding questions in a chat. Professor Ebere Onwundiwe said Ndigbo were not only the victims of the Biafra Civil War, the present south-south states comprising Cross-Rivers, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and some part of Delta States, he said felt the brunt of the harsh effects of the civil war.
Responding to the question that the conference in Abuja did not deal with the yearnings and sufferings in Igboland he said, the conference was not to preach the choir.
His words: ''Let me say first of all that Ndigbo are not the only victims of the Biafran war. People of the present day South-south in Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom also bore the brunt of that conflict in significant measures. In any case, the conference was not to preach to the choir. We wanted a conference that will address where we go from here as Nigerians. And you will agree with me that the Yar A’dua Center, the organizers of the conference did a great job of it. We are not pretending that it was a cure all conference. This in fact is the second conference on Biafra that I have been part of. The first one was at the University of Ibadan. Gen. Gowon was there. Gen. Effiong was there, plus other significant participants in government such as Chief Richard Akinjide and noted journalist of that era like the late MCK Ajuluchuku, and many academics. Also please note that as we speak, there are many other conferences to mark the 50th year of Biafra in universities around the world with themes emphasizing memory, the atrocities of the war and the like. These are all good. It is, in fact, good enough that we are able to hold the conference on Biafra in Abuja in the first place. I wonder if this could even have happened in previous administrations with a sitting acting President in participation.''
''So really, this conference was not an Abuja affair. It was a veritable Nigerian event designed to bring to the consciousness of the whole country the need to win the Biafran war in all fronts, and then, move on to a collective great future. A situation where a grandfatherly person like Chief Iwuanyanwu who saw the war up close can be moved 50 years on to recently say, ‘I am a Biafran’ should make this country think. This is why we focused on the three Rs to address a major part of what IPOB and MASSOB are protesting.''
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