Press Release
The attention of the Proudly Anioma-Proudly Igbo Group of Nigeria , a friendship/family group
of Anioma people and their eastern Igbo kith and kin has been drawn to a “Press
Release” written by some deluded individuals claiming to speak on behalf of the
entire Anioma people. To begin with, it is important to note that the said
group “Ndi-Anioma” as they call themselves is not the umbrella body of
the Anioma people at home and in the Diaspora. This responsibility lies with
the Izu-Anioma organization head by Brig. Gen Alabi Isama (rtd), the Ajieh-Osa,
Anagba and Ochiagha of Utagba land.
In the charter of Izu-Anioma, the Anioma people were not
defined as an “ethnic group” but rather an umbrella body covering the people
identified in the course of Nigerian nationhood as West-Niger Igbos, Western
Igbos, then Midwest Igbos , Bendel Igbos and now its often called Delta Igbos.
Anioma is a political identity covering the entire area and was coined by the
venerable Chief Dennis Osadebay in the late 1970s. It is important as well to
note that our leader, Gen. Isama has stated in several fora and without any bit
of contradiction that Anioma people are Igbos.
We of the Proudly Anioma-Proudly Igbo organization
concur with his assertions. Therefore any claim, a self-seeking one for that
matter by a group of political wannabes parading themselves as “the umbrella
body of Anioma people” should not be taken by the general public seriously.
Their rant is not worth a pinch of salt. We are aware that those parading
themselves as “umbrella body of all Anioma people” have their loyalties tied to
a particular political party in Nigeria .
With such interests, their unfounded claims should not be taken by the public
seriously.
As stated by one of
our leaders Col Achuzie, the Ikemba of Asaba, we believe that the issues
leading to the end of Biafran war and the pacification which followed
thereafter has not assuaged a good percentage of the Igbo people of Nigeria
that they have been fully integrated in the country. Many of them still feel
they have been treated as second-class citizens and there are empirical
evidences to suggest that some of these claims have some taints of truth and
reality in it. Among some of the issues include the slicing off of some Igbo
communities out of core Igbo states and merger to other states. We can give
examples:
1.
The area of Ndoki south covering the present Oyigbo (originally
Obigbo) transferred from the old Aba division
and lumped to Rivers
State in 1976. Also, in
the 1980s, three Ndoki villages namely Ohaobu, Mkpukpuaja and Ogbuagu villages
carved from the then Imo State and lumped to Etim-Ekpo LGA of Akwa Ibom
State . It is noteworthy
to state that Oyigbo LGA apart from Oloibiri was the first place in Nigeria to
produce oil and gas in commercial quantities (at Afam). Unlike Oloibiri which
has dried-up since the 1980s, Afam and other Oyigbo oil-fields keep yielding
vast quantities of petroleum.
2
*Achuzia
2. Egbema communities now in Rivers
State . Egbema has 16
villages and out of these 16 villages , 3 namely Mgbede, Aggah and Okwuzi has
the largest reserves of oil and gas in the community. This is apparently the
reason they were lumped to Rivers while the other 13 villages were left in Imo State
where they had to contend with more modest reserves of the commodity.
It is important to note that this “punishment” at least as perceived by many
Igbos did not end up with the eastern Igbo people. The Aniomas or Western Igbos
had to lose Ndoni area to Rivers State and Osekwenike-Onyah area to Sagbama area of Bayelsa State . Just like the other examples we
gave, all of these areas are oil-producing. It is often claimed that the
Nigerian Civil war was a war fought over oil and gas and the actions of the
federal government just like these examples seems to reflect suggest that the
federal government had intended to give a tag of non-oil producing to Igbo
areas including Anioma. While it is interesting to note that parts of Igbo land
has been excised and lumped to other states, a good part of Itsekiri land
embracing what is defined as Ugbege area was lumped to Ondo State; A state
where Itsekiri people are not indigenous. This is one just an example of the
double standards in Nigeria
which seem to swell such protests. It therefore lies with the federal
government to initiate moves to douse such feelings of alienation or punishment
for the war. A common song by Peter Tos , which has one of its iconic lyrics
“Everyone is crying out for peace but no one for justice” brings to the fore
what we are trying to pass across here.
Prof Chinua Achebe’s
book “There
was a Country” puts to rest any country called Biafra .
There was indeed a country called “Biafra ”.
However, Col Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu talked on a “Biafra
of the Mind”. This “Biafra of the Mind” has in
our opinion different dimensions to it. Biafra is a part of the history of Nigeria and
there is no way we can forget about it collectively as Nigerians and more
importantly as Igbos. Therefore, anyone in whatever guise declaring “Biafra died permanently in 1970 with the surrender speech
made by Philip Effiong” is being comical. In the United
States of America , people freely talk about the
Confederate States of Southern USA and the old
Confederate flag is embedded in the state flags of many Southern States because
it is deemed as a part of their heritage. Telling Igbos and other Nigerians who
suffered a lot to pretend that no Biafra of
the Mind exists is a sheer display of wickedness and irresponsibility. There is
nothing to ever stop a war which led to the death of one-seventh of the Igbo
people and left much of Anioma land decimated.
Anyone who claims that a “few resentful people of
South-East origin” are the ones behind the protests. We have seen some pictures
of the protests and such pictures do not seem to suggest that the protests were
the handiwork of a “few resentful people”. It seems to demonstrate a mass
movement among the youths of the South-east region in particular and areas of
the South-south as well. Protest like this as far as it is peaceful is a
hallmark of a vibrant democracy. Laying accusing fingers on MASSOB is
diversionary. The government must do the needful and address the grievances of
these people no matter how “stupid” it would seem. The idea of trying to
separate Anioma from Biafra is laughable. In
the 1960s when the Biafra war was fought, the
Aniomas were drawn to it. The reason is not far-fetched; the war was perceived
as a rebellion of Igbos and Aniomas being western Igbos were involved. This is
not a peculiar case. From Rwanda ,
Burundi
and the Democratic Republic of Congo were drawn into the conflicts between the
Hutu and Tutsi.
This is sadly a
feature of ethnic politics which manifests at times as war in Africa .
Gen Obasanjo who was a major actor in the Nigerian Civil war and former
president, did not hide his understanding that Aniomas are Igbos. In his Niger
Delta Special Development Initiative of 2005, he had Imo, Abia and Anioma area
of Delta removed as beneficiaries. Yet he had Ondo and its rocky capital city
of Akure
included as “part of the Niger Delta”. The said inventive maps claimed by these
people who represent just themselves and no one else in Anioma is a proposal
and it’s in tandem with International law and practices. It was the case with South Sudan . In the original proposal Southern Blue,
Abyei and Nuba were proposed and this was adopted in the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) of Sudan and
South Sudan . Abyei was to decide after a
referendum while Southern Blue Nile and Nuba
would decide after popular consultation. Claiming that the “expansiveness of Biafra ” has anything to do with oil is ridiculous.
Firstly the price of
oil has crashed significantly and there is nothing to suggest that in future,
oil will be “black gold” it used to be. Besides the southeast region even with
the exclusion of the areas annexed and lumped to Rivers has some reserves of
the commodity. Anioma herself also has oil. But anyone who thinks that the
future of Anioma , the larger Igbo race or Africa lies in oil or other commodities
has serious issues. The main drive of development is human capital no less no
more. Igbos has this factor perhaps more than any other group in Nigeria .
It is also worthy to note that several Anioma people are well-disposed to the
protests and the involvement of Anioma towns of Agbor and Asaba towns without
any opposition in whatever guise confirms this point of view. This can be
collaborated by the opinion of Col Joe Achuzie, the Ikemba of Asaba. The fact
that our rulers and other leaders have kept a dignified silence to the matter
would indicate that we are not hostile to such protests as far as its done
peacefully and orderly.
It is therefore not
the responsibility of a faceless organization to claim to have “made a
position”. Those who are making the position are just a group of politicians
based mainly in the UK
using their paid lackeys to make some noise for them. They hope in return for
“loyalty”, the ruling APC would share some “cakes” for them. This we know very
well. Let us state once again that these faceless people do not represent the
Anioma people. Our prime organization is the Izu-Anioma. Before we conclude let
us dwell a bit on the points they raised.
1.”Anioma has never been part ofBiafra in history or
administration”.
1.”Anioma has never been part of
This is how these
people contradict themselves. These were the same people who told anyone who
seemed to care that Onitsha
and Oguta are not “Ndi-Igbo” but Ndi-Anioma. Onitsha
and Oguta are in Anambra and Imo
States respectively. They
were advised to refrain from such spurious claims but they refused. Now, since
it suites them to declare that Anioma had never been part of Biafra ,
they have eaten their words and claims and have restricted Anioma territory.
This inconsistent game they play would only suggest that they don’t even know
what they are talking about. Anioma is the political identity of Western Igbos
which means they are scattered not just in Delta but also in parts of Edo,
Rivers and even Bayelsa
State . Bringing the issue
of a South-south is inconsequential. There is nothing like that in the
constitution of the federal republic
of Nigeria . We are also
aware that we share the closest relatives within the larger Igbo nation are
within the “Biafran” communities of Onitsha ,
Ogbaru and Oguta. Based on International law, we should be at liberty to decide
ultimately where we should belong. Sadly, Nigeria
has failed to restructure (based on ethnic groups) and create regions
recognized by law just like what was done in India by its first Prime Minister,
Nehru.
2.”Our people
accompanied Chief Obafemi Awolowo to Enugu ,
in May 6, 1967”– A fat lie.
Awolowo only took
his western regional delegates to Enugu .
No Midwest leader was involved. Let the
writers of this lie list the names of the supposed Midwest leaders that
accompanied Awo to Enugu
and more importantly the Anioma leaders that we invited. Maybe the writer, whom
we suspect is one wannabe “historian” seems to have forgotten is that the said
delegation from the Midwest was at the instance of the government in Lagos . And the Midwest delegation pledged “neutrality” considering the
seeming tension between the East and the rest of the country. If they are sure
of their claims, we dare them to list the Anioma delegates in that said meeting
with Ojukwu.
3. ”There was never a time, place nor venue, the leadership or representative of the Anioma region agreed to enter into any form of alliance with the people of the Southeast or any region in existence”.
3. ”There was never a time, place nor venue, the leadership or representative of the Anioma region agreed to enter into any form of alliance with the people of the Southeast or any region in existence”.
Yet more lies. In
the memoirs of Chief Dennis Osadebay, he was full of praises for Chief Michael
Okpara for all the support rendered to the Midwest
regional movement which led to the creation of the new region in 1963 and
enthronement of the NCNC in 1964. It is also well-known that many Aniomas were
members of the defunct Igbo State Union which cemented the ethnic bounds of all
Igbos, west and east of the Niger .
There were even agitations to carve out the old Asaba and Aboh divisions and
have them merged with the East with the likes of Rev SW Martin of Issele Uku as
the main driver of the proposal. To further expose their lies, we have attached
a letter written by community leaders of the Ika East area comprising of
Umunede, Igbodo, Otolokpo, Mbiri, Ute-Ogbeje and Akumazi and goes as thus:
“We the undersigned,
on behalf of the people of Umunede clan,Igbodo clan,Akwumazi clan,Mbiri clan
and Ute-Ugbeje clan in Ika Division,Midwest take this opportunity to express
our deep gratitude on the historic liberation of the Midwest and wish you God’s
guidance.We equally take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency Major
A.O Okonkwo on his appointment as the Military Administrator of the Midwest and
pledge our unalloyed support and loyalty to his government. Although we the
above 6 clans in Umunede zone have already donated sums of money and foodstuff
towards win the war funds on individual clans,we jointly donate herewith the
sum of 105 pounds
to win the war. WE FERVENTLY PRAY FOR GOD’S HELP THAT WE CRUSH THE ENEMY.While
thanking you for what you have already achieved-liberation of Midwest-we wish
to place here on record that it will be your guide while deliberating on any
future association, our feelings should be put into utmost consideration”
Signatories to this September 1967 letter to Ojukwu include: HRH Obi N Gbenoba;
Obi of Umunede. HRH A.O Iyeke; Obi of Igbodo, Obi S.C Osagie; Obi of Akwumazi,
HRH Obi Ogana; Obi of Mbiri and Regent I Alekwe,Regent of Mbiri. Also signatory
to that letter are political leaders including Chief S.O.Osuhor, Chief Z.C
Egbuchinem, Chief L.O.C Azikiwe,Chief Odiase,Chief E O Nwabueze, Madam Julie
Onyeagwu and Mr B.O Okoh. Source- Nigeria: Echoes of a Century: Volume One
1914-1999 by Ifeoha Azikiwe.
A document like this can easily be sourced from the National Archives. The representation of Anioma land in the maps could therefore be viewed based on International practices as normal until the Anioma people deem it via a referendum if they accept their inclusion or not.
Henceforward, the representation of Anioma in different maps of Biafra does not and cannot amount to Anioma being part ofBiafra .
That can only be in the figment of the imagination of desperate irredentist
adventurers who creatively made such maps to satisfy their thirst for
empire-building. They may make Anioma to exist in their maps, but the world
must note that it does not have our consent as we reject that tag, vehemently.
4.”The Anioma nation challenges pro-Biafra advocates to provide any evidence or agreement in which Anioma leaders allied with them to secede fromNigeria and became part of Biafra ”
A document like this can easily be sourced from the National Archives. The representation of Anioma land in the maps could therefore be viewed based on International practices as normal until the Anioma people deem it via a referendum if they accept their inclusion or not.
Henceforward, the representation of Anioma in different maps of Biafra does not and cannot amount to Anioma being part of
4.”The Anioma nation challenges pro-Biafra advocates to provide any evidence or agreement in which Anioma leaders allied with them to secede from
….Another laughable
condition. It is well known in the history of Nigeria
that the declaration of a “Republic
of Benin ” with Albert
Okonkwo as leader was in itself suggestive of a movement which was emanated by
the Biafran enclave. This is even why the maps of the declared republic of Benin
was similar to that of Biafra . As such there
is no need to isolate one from the other. In the letter we posted in (3), one
can clearly see that the community leaders in the Ika East area were favorably
disposed to identify with both the Republic
of Benin and the republic of Biafra .
They even made a donation of over 100 pounds to support the cause. It was common
knowledge that the invasion of the Midwest region and subsequent declaration of
“Republic of Benin ” had the support of Midwest Igbos
which brought serious consequences when the region was overran by federal
troops in 1967.
5.”Understand that barricading our roads and shutting down socio-economic activities cannot earn them our backing nor patronage”
Well, for people of wrapped minds nothing don , no matter how civil it would be would them any support. This is the same people who woke up one morning and manufactured a new ethnic group. We ask them here to tell us what the Midwest Igbos were called before Osadebay coined the name “Anioma”. It is not the responsibility of a mere facebook group like Ndi Anioma to talk about support, or alliance or whether the elites of the Igbo people support the agitation or not. We are aware just like most Aniomas that in any protest no matter how peacefully it was conducted would bring some discomfort. This, we understand and this is why our rulers and leaders are indifferent on the matter at least for now.
6. “Asaba remains the capital ofDelta
State and Delta
State remains one of the 36 states of
the Federal Republic
of Nigeria ”
We are not aware that the status quo has changed. Even the protesters are aware they are Nigerians so this issue is misdirected and a case of raising false alarm.
7. “Slaves overnight”
5.”Understand that barricading our roads and shutting down socio-economic activities cannot earn them our backing nor patronage”
Well, for people of wrapped minds nothing don , no matter how civil it would be would them any support. This is the same people who woke up one morning and manufactured a new ethnic group. We ask them here to tell us what the Midwest Igbos were called before Osadebay coined the name “Anioma”. It is not the responsibility of a mere facebook group like Ndi Anioma to talk about support, or alliance or whether the elites of the Igbo people support the agitation or not. We are aware just like most Aniomas that in any protest no matter how peacefully it was conducted would bring some discomfort. This, we understand and this is why our rulers and leaders are indifferent on the matter at least for now.
6. “Asaba remains the capital of
We are not aware that the status quo has changed. Even the protesters are aware they are Nigerians so this issue is misdirected and a case of raising false alarm.
7. “Slaves overnight”
Slaves to whom? It
is strange that those who are now claiming the Niger
“as the natural boundary” were just few years ago champions of claiming Onitsha and Oguta. They
went further to declare that those towns are not “Ndi-Igbo”. Now, since it
suits their interests, the Niger
has suddenly become the natural boundary. Our response to this is an emphatic
No! The Niger is the
boundary up to Ndoni/Aboh axis, where the Anioma people occupy both sides of
the Niger and the boundary
shifts in this axis to the Orashi
River . These people have
proven once again to be meandering snakes, inconsistent with their claims and
positions. Ours on the other hand had never for once been adjusted to suit some
myopic political gains. When these people talk of slaves, the question we raise
is simple, slaves to whom? Because we are aware that our closest relatives in
the Southeast region had never for once been slaves to anybody. From Onitsha
the likes of the Azikiwes, Asikas, Anyaegbunams, Mbanefos, Arakas, Bialonwus,
Ofodiles, and so many others have risen to fame because of the support of their
supposedly “slave owners”.
From Ogbaru, are the
likes of Prof Ben Nwabueze, Osita Osadebe, the Kaines of Ossomari, Oduahs of
Akili, Oscar Onyema now DG of the Nigerian Stock Exchange etc have gained prominence
with tactic support of their “slave owners in Igbo land” and lastly from Oguta
are the likes of AC Nwapa, the legendary mayor of Port Harcourt, Nzeribes,
Nwakuches, Oputas, Nwadialors and many others have rose to fame as well. We
cannot compare the level of infrastructural development of the Ogbaru/Oguta
axis who are supposed to be under servitude to those of their closest kith in
Ndokwa East area of Anioma are according to the authors of that “Press Release”
are not under slavery. Such claims by these liars and enemies of peaceful
coexistence are ridiculous and cannot be backed by facts or history. One of the
reasons, the Asaba metropolitan area is even developing is because of the
investments our supposed slave owners are pouring into the city.
8. The said Mazi Kanu
is neither familiar to much of the SE therefore separating Anioma and making it
a special case is the height of mischief. Frequent announcements that Anioma is
part of Biafra are of no consequence because there is nothing like Biafra in International law. If we say, a “Biafra of the Mind”, many Aniomas are convinced they are
involved in it. Nigeria
is a democracy and a free country and people have to right to associate with
whom they share certain commonalities with. Nobody has branded Anioma people as
messiahs except in the wrapped imagination of the authors of the said “press
release”. Many people mix up the demand for Biafra as demand that would lead to
the break-up of Nigeria .
We do not see it in that perspective. The agitators are of the opinion that Nigeria has a
lot of flaws and if those flaws are not addressed, they have every right to
seek for self-determination. The founding fathers of Nigeria such as Sir Ahmadu
Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa as well as Dr Nnnamdi
Azikiwe had been quoted to have raised the issue of a possibility of a break-up
albeit peacefully. Narrowing this line of thinking to Igbo people is therefore
absolute rubbish. Igbos were not the people who staged the Araba riots which
not only called for the break-up of the country but were violent with thousands
of people killed. It is strange too that the authors of the “Press Release” did
not bother to add that fact in their write-up.
There was no reckless drive into Anioma territory. It was just a military strategy and that has been well-laid in many documents including the recently declassified Biafran files by the American government. We are also aware that those who committed massacres in Asaba, Igbodo, Ibusa, Ogwashi-uku, Isheagu , Aboh and other places were the Nigerian troops. Not the Biafran troops. And the casualties were civilians not combatants, so putting the blame on “reckless drive” is misdirected. The blames lie squarely on the federal troops who forgot the proper engagement of war. Deliberate mass starvation of civilians to death which was used in the Biafran enclave can as well been judged as a carry-over of the same deliberate plan by the federal troops to teach the Ibos a lesson. We cannot rewrite what happened. Recalling the fall of theNiger Bridge
is yet another attempt to create issues where none should even be thought of.
There was no reckless drive into Anioma territory. It was just a military strategy and that has been well-laid in many documents including the recently declassified Biafran files by the American government. We are also aware that those who committed massacres in Asaba, Igbodo, Ibusa, Ogwashi-uku, Isheagu , Aboh and other places were the Nigerian troops. Not the Biafran troops. And the casualties were civilians not combatants, so putting the blame on “reckless drive” is misdirected. The blames lie squarely on the federal troops who forgot the proper engagement of war. Deliberate mass starvation of civilians to death which was used in the Biafran enclave can as well been judged as a carry-over of the same deliberate plan by the federal troops to teach the Ibos a lesson. We cannot rewrite what happened. Recalling the fall of the
Anioma has over 100 miles along the West
bank of the Niger .
We therefore do not see why the bombing of one bridge would be the reason to
claim the Asaba massacre was carried out. The story of the Asaba massacre was
well documented in this book “Blood on the Niger ” by “Emma Okocha”. The
writers should also tell us of Proudly Anioma-Proudly Igbo why thousands of
people from the Ndokwa East/Ndoni axis were brutally killed. Many were accused
of trying to smuggle food into the Biafra
enclave using the waterways which connects that axis to Oguta.
9. The whole exercise of this “Press Release” is an exercise in futility. It is not the opinion of the people of Anioma. Those who are signatories many of them failed politicians who are now in the ruling party merely did a “Press Release” so that a piece of the cake would reach them. These people do not mind to distort history and our collective interest as far as it suits their selfish ambitions and greed. Their “Press Release” can therefore not be the position of the Anioma people. It is only the Izu-Anioma as well as the Anioma Council of Chiefs which has the likes of the Asagba of Asaba, the Obi of Owa, the Obi of Aboh and others are the ones to make decisions for us.
It has become imperative to advice the general public to beware of these people who are parading themselves as spokesmen and women of Anioma. Nobody knows them in Anioma. It is important to state categorically that we pledged our support of a democratic and fairNigeria .
We thank you are for the attention.
9. The whole exercise of this “Press Release” is an exercise in futility. It is not the opinion of the people of Anioma. Those who are signatories many of them failed politicians who are now in the ruling party merely did a “Press Release” so that a piece of the cake would reach them. These people do not mind to distort history and our collective interest as far as it suits their selfish ambitions and greed. Their “Press Release” can therefore not be the position of the Anioma people. It is only the Izu-Anioma as well as the Anioma Council of Chiefs which has the likes of the Asagba of Asaba, the Obi of Owa, the Obi of Aboh and others are the ones to make decisions for us.
It has become imperative to advice the general public to beware of these people who are parading themselves as spokesmen and women of Anioma. Nobody knows them in Anioma. It is important to state categorically that we pledged our support of a democratic and fair
SIGNATORIES
1. Comrade Ephraim Adinlofu (Igbo man)
2. Diokpa Dennis Ajufo
3. Mr Amaka Ejiofor
4. Mr. Patrick Okobia
5. Mr Ike Okonta
6. Mr. Osita Mordi
7. Mrs. Nina Okocha
8. Mr. Samuel Chukwuneku
9. Mr. Carlos Chinwendu Ijomah
10. Mr. Louis-Michael Chukwuma
11. Mr.Robert Iyade
12. Mr Hilary Nduka.
1. Comrade Ephraim Adinlofu (Igbo man)
2. Diokpa Dennis Ajufo
3. Mr Amaka Ejiofor
4. Mr. Patrick Okobia
5. Mr Ike Okonta
6. Mr. Osita Mordi
7. Mrs. Nina Okocha
8. Mr. Samuel Chukwuneku
9. Mr. Carlos Chinwendu Ijomah
10. Mr. Louis-Michael Chukwuma
11. Mr.Robert Iyade
12. Mr Hilary Nduka.
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