The Dead Just Buried The Dead? by Oguchi Nkwocha, MD.
This must be the greatest heist in the history of Nigeria where anything—provided it is an absurdity—is possible. The Nigerian government, an unrepentant genocidist system, hijacked the burial and funeral services of Dim Ojukwu, the leader of Biafra—the same Biafra that is the victim of Nigeria's genocide! Ongoing genocide! While the Igbo watched and cheered…
When the dust settles, and crocodile tears disappear, Biafrans will begin to weep anew, because what Nigeria could not achieve on the battlefield, she at long last succeeded in doing in the graveyard: capture Ojukwu. Yes, Nigeria draped Dim Ojukwu's coffin in Nigeria's shamed national flag, a flag steeped with the criminal sentiments and inhuman acts which Ojukwu led Biafra against; the very thing that Ojukwu led us Biafrans to defend ourselves against. While the Igbo looked on and made speeches…
Known for hypocrisy of the worst kind—of the psychiatric type—the Nigerians and their government came and poured encomium on that solemn occasion and afterwards. Empty words they were, forgotten before the breath forming them was even expired. Yes, if Dim Ojukwu in life was so correct about Nigeria, as they all now admit, why are these “mourners” and these eulogists not pushing his redemptive agenda to save comatose Nigeria now? If Dim Ojukwu “was all that” to Nigeria, why did they not support him in post-war times to salvage Nigeria? Many of them are actually celebrating. They have buried the head of Biafra; therefore, Biafra is finally no more…so they think. While the Igbo celebrated…
Notice how they studiously avoided the word, “Biafra”, as if on cue and under threat of Treason charges? They would not even muster the courage to say that Dim Ojukwu led Biafra and that Biafra was correct then, was correct after, and is still correct now. They dared not call him a true Biafran or a Biafran icon. Yet, they were all willing to parrot on about how Dim Ojukwu fought against injustice, led the Igbo, blah, blah, blah: but no mention of Biafra. While the Igbo looked on and moved on…
In all, they and Nigeria demonstrated what Nigeria is known for: lies, believing their own lies, and pretending that a problem does not exist—wholesale psychological denial. At best, they mouth the words of the eulogy which they have memorized: in reality, there is a definite disconnect between tongue, heart and mind. It does not matter how large the Nigerian flag soiled with the blood of Igbo / Biafrans was that they draped Dim Ojukwu's corpse with; they and the world must already know that Dim Ojukwu will be remembered by history within the context of Biafra, not Nigeria; the Igbo will know him in life and in death by Biafra, not Nigeria; as a Biafran, not a Nigerian. As for Biafrans, we know that Biafra made Dim Ojukwu. It will take just a tiny shred of “The Rising Sun”, the Biafran Flag, to wipe away the fake and mocking green of Nigeria's immoral flag on his coffin.
And what can one say about the Igbo elite and their organizations who participated and witnessed such travesty in docile and moronic agreement or stuporous acquiescence? These guys sat there and could not see anything wrong with what was turned into a thoroughly Nigeria show in the name of burying Dim Ojukwu, the leader of Biafra. They felt no pangs at what was actually staged by Nigeria as Nigeria's victory lap against Dim Ojukwu and the Biafra he led. These Igbo, for all their much vaunted “intelligence”, either performed like cretins, or like cowards. And if they thought that Nigeria will reward them for their acquiescence as they have always thought, they are even greater fools, because their own experience should reveal to them that their principle of unceasing appeasement of Nigeria has never resulted in any positive returns to the Igbo or to Biafra. Rather, the results are more humiliation, more marginalization, more mockery, more deprivation, more subjugation and more killing and dispossession of the Igbo and Biafrans by Nigeria. They have certainly let Dim Ojukwu down—very much so—by allowing Nigeria to take, not just the lead but, the entire stage in the man's final rites of passage. I believe we read Dim Ojukwu at one time say that he wants to die as a Biafran, be buried and remembered as a Biafran. But this class of Igbo, all they wanted was to avoid any association with Biafra for a man who was made by Biafra and who, to the extent that one person alone can ever symbolize Biafra, was that symbol of Biafra. As usual, they were looking after their own personal interests; why even pretend that they were there to bury Dim Ojukwu? No; they only scheme to deprive a dead man of what he owns and prizes the most (Biafra) in order to please their assumed Nigeria-paymasters, figuring that he is now powerless. Shame!
We ask these Igbo efulefu: for all Nigeria and Nigerian's praise of Dim Ojukwu in death, did anyone of them, or did Nigeria herself say, “We are sorry for our actions knowing and acknowledging now that we were wrong and that you, Dim Ojukwu, was right”? Has Nigeria apologized to Biafra, to Biafrans, to the Igbo, now that Nigeria and Nigerians are lavishing praise and acknowledging Dim Ojukwu and Biafra's correctness? Is there any indication that Nigeria, having now recognized the error and devastation of her genocidal actions against Biafra, and having acknowledged that the problems Dim Ojukwu fought against and Biafra stood against are still here because Biafra was not allowed to succeed by Nigeria, (any indication that Nigeria) is now ready to support and recognize Biafra as the best and perhaps only possible, practical solution to the ongoing problems of Nigeria? No. But these guys just want to bury Biafra, never mind burying Dim Ojukwu. They are in a hurry to exterminate Biafra and lose the memory of Biafra. Crying shame!
This entire exercise has thus turned into the proverbial “the dead burying the dead.” But, don't look therein for a dead Dim Ojukwu. Rather, see Nigeria there. Yes, Nigeria is dead alright. As are those insensitive and insensible Igbo who along with Nigeria sought to bury dead flesh. What they fail to understand is that Biafra lives on; therefore Dim Ojukwu lives. They cannot conceive of Biafra being actualized; they think that Biafra is dead, which only proves that they are the ones who are really dead. Because, Biafra never dies: how can you kill and bury a correct and right-eous concept? Biafra will be actualized; in our lifetime.
On that day, we can and shall give Dim Ojukwu the burial befitting a great and beloved Biafran and quintessential Biafran leader, a hero whose task has been successfully completed. Weep today, Biafrans, because Nigeria (with the connivance of some memory-deprived Igbo), in her typical treachery, once again has robbed us of something quite dear to us; yes, another pyrrhic victory for Nigeria. But, you shall be consoled; we will wipe your tears dry. We will have our Biafra. It's only a matter of time, and our own dogged determination and sustained effort.
Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
Nwa Biafra
A Biafran Citizen
[email protected]