By Iyom Bianca Ojukwu
September 17, 2017
Press Release
The Federal Govt has just declared IPOB a terrorist Organisation after the Operation Python Dance 2 debacle with its attendant military occupation of our homeland. There is simply no justification for this categorization. The members of this movement do not bear arms. While I might have reservations about their sometimes provocative rhetoric as well as some of their tactics, this branding is to say the least, extreme.
Ndigbo bear a painful historical burden. We lost almost 3 million of our people, almost a quarter of our population at the time between 1966 and 1970 in our battle for survival. Global and Regional Organisations did nothing; the world superpowers and most foreign governments looked the other way...and little has changed since then. Otherwise the horrendous crimes against humanity would not have occurred in Rwanda, Darfur, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Congo, not to mention Syria.
Someone once said that the world laments atrocities only in aftermath, but not in the lead up when something could have been done. We have travelled this road before. We are now walking the minefield. When the tanks roll in, and the casualties begin to mount, the world will yet again call it another 'internal matter' or ' ethnic conflict'. And tell us that we ought to be grateful that we were not exterminated upon surrender.
We owe it to the memory of those who we loved and lost, who were let down by those who could have come to their rescue, and who paid the supreme price in our battle for survival to say NEVER AGAIN. OZOEMENA.
This is the time to apply the brakes. We must impress it upon our youth, who have become disillusioned and have lost hope in our collective existence in a union in which they feel increasingly excluded and isolated, the need to tread with caution. There is need to explore other avenues, and the doors must never be shut against dialogue.
Surely another spring shall rise, in God's own time , But what every onye Igbo must rise up against is this categorization of IPOB or any other pro Biafra movements which are not armed militias as terrorist organizations, and the increased military presence in the South East.
Chief (Mrs) Bianca Ojukwu!
I am impressed with the courage of this magnificent lady. May the light of Biafra never dim. Ise.
ReplyDeleteI am quite impressed as well. This is a well articulated piece from the splendid wife of Igbo hero. Please keep up the great work. This is another sad period in the life of Ndigbo and we must all work together to restore peace and free our people from the bondage and slavery of Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you my lady as there is no need to feel freedom in a marginalized and an un free nation.
ReplyDeleteWe must be free in Nigeria or restructure,call it anyrhing but we want a safe land for us and our children.
We must live in a nation of freedom of speech and peace.
Go mu lady.
I stand with you r opinions and IPOB is not a terrorist organization but a group of youths who can nolonger live and be enslaved by the pain of the past history but demand for freedom and equality in a democratic Nation called Nigsria.
I'm also impressed but not satisfied. Bianca must use her diplomatic and international connections to table our problems and threat to existence of Biafrans, Indi Igbo to the international community, United Nations and all the individual stakeholders. Biafra must not die, Long live Biafra. Without Biafra freedom Ndi Igbo are finished! Tufiakwa!
ReplyDelete