June 30 2020 | The Biafra Restoration Voice Of all the resistance channelled towards colonial domination and supremacy in Africa, th...
June 30 2020 | The
Biafra Restoration Voice
Of all the resistance channelled towards colonial
domination and supremacy in Africa, those from the Igbo race have always
remained significant and redefining to the world and especially to the person
and the character of the Igbo people. Although history was intentionally denied
to the young crops of Igbo generation through Nigeria's horrible educational
system, but the ancient character and the resilience of the Igbo race was
never, and would never be lost on the successive Igbo generations. Because it is
this noble character and resilience of the Igbo race, which is, of course, a
direct gift from God himself, that made it possible for us to still stand till
today as a race.
We had the Ekumeku Movement which consisted of a series
of uprisings against the Royal Niger Company of the British Empire between 1883
to 1914. It was a series of wars at different locations and times that lasted
for 31 years. In Arochukwu, the war was fought between 1901- 1902. In Anioma,
the war was fought and it was the toughest and longest lasting war that the
British encountered with local territories. In Ogwashi-Ukwu, the war was fought
in 1909. In Ndoni, the war was fought in 1870. In Onicha-Ado, the war was
fought in 1897; and in other places including Akwa-Ibom. The Ekumeku warriors
were well organized and their leaders were joined in a secret oath to defend
their land, and they were able to use guerrilla tactics to fight the British,
leaving them with so much casualties.
Unfortunately, those who told us that we have no history never, in all
sense of truth, honesty and boldness, told the world what they encountered with
the Igbo Biafrans. But with conscientious historians within that period, we are
able to have some accounts of what happened with verifiable evidences.
We also had the Aba Women's Riot of November 1929,
otherwise known as Women's War. It has been proven by recent researches that
democracy started from Igboland; and that the first democracy to accommodate
and encompass women's rights and participation was found and practiced by the
Igbo race. Perhaps, this Aba Women's Riot is yet another strong narrative to
justify that.
The Aba Women's Riot broke out when thousands of Igbo
women from the Bende District, Umuahia and other places in eastern Nigeria travelled
to the town of Oloko to protest against the Warrant Chiefs, whom they accused
of restricting the role of women in the government. The Aba Women's Riots of
1929, as it was named in British colonial records, is more aptly considered a
strategically executed anti-colonial revolt organized by women to redress
social, political and economic grievances. The protest encompassed women from
six ethnic groups, namely Ibibio, Andoni, Ogoni, Bonny, Opobo, and Igbo. And It
was organised and led by the rural women of Owerri and Calabar provinces. And
in the course of the event, many Warrant Chiefs were forced to resign and 16
Native Courts were attacked, most of which were destroyed. It was the first
major anti-colonial revolt by women in West Africa as recorded. And In 1930, the
colonial government abolished the system of warrant chieftains, and appointed
women to the Native Court system.
I would have loved to name some notable figures and
characters that made the Aba Women's Riot very successful, but that would be a
great digression to the focus of this piece, Igbo Landing. And I believe that
by now, you would have agreed with my opening statement that the resistance the
British received from the Igbo race was quite unique, strong and redefining.
Now let’s delve into the substance of this piece.
The first time I heard about the Igbo Landing on Radio
Biafra from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, it didn't invoke a deep meaning to me until I
heard it repeatedly from him and other sources, then I decided to research on
it. After my research, not only that I was emotionally agog about it, I was
confronted with a careful sense of pride, because I realized, even more, who we
are and why we do what we do the way we do it. And for those hearing about the
Igbo Landing for the very first time through this piece, I will quickly run a
brief narrative of the event before looking at its significance to the
emergence of Biafra.
In May 1803, a shipload of captive West Africans, having
survived the middle passage, were landed by captors of the United States in
Savannah by slave ship, and to be auctioned off at one of the local slave
markets. The ship's enslaved passengers included a number of Igbo people
numbering about 75 captives, bought by agents of John Couper and Thomas
Spalding for forced labour on their plantations in St. Simons Island for $100
each.
The chained enslaved people were packed under the deck of
a small vessel named The Schooner York to be shipped to the Island. During this
voyage the Igbo slaves rose up in rebellion, taking control of the ship and
drowning their captors. And after securing their freedom in what I call
'pyrrhic victory,' they realized that they were not actually free because they
could not go back to their homeland and they could be possibly captured back as
slaves. So, they decided to walk into the Dunbar Creek to drown themselves than
to become slaves.
This event, to some people, is more or less a folklore
because of its incredulity and the implications it harbours for human
civilization, but different accounts and researches have proven beyond every
conceivable doubt that Igbo Landing is a true-life story. A 19th century
account of the event identifies Patterson Roswell King, as the person who
recovered the bodies of the drowned; and a letter from a Savannah slave dealer,
William Mein, describing the event, states that the Igbo captives walked into
the marsh, where 10 to 12 drowned, while some were salvaged by bounty hunters
who received $10 a head from Spalding and Couper.
Many people around the world, especially artists and
authors have been inspired by this event as the account has now become part of
curriculum for coastal Georgia schools in the United States. This story formed
the basis of Noble laureate Toni Morrison's book, Songs Of Solomon; and Writer
Alex Harley recounts it in his highly acclaimed book, Roots. Visual artists
have also paid tribute to the Igbos who endured this event. A Jamaican artist,
Donovan Nelson, did a very beautiful artistic illustrations on the event which
are on display at the Valentine Museum of Art. Beyoncé has also depicted and
paid homage to the Igbo Landing in her music video, Love Drought. The wildly
acclaimed Marvel comic film, Black Panther, Killmonger, played by actor Michael
B Jordan referred to this event, saying, "bury me in the ocean with my
ancestors who jumped from ships, because they knew that death was better than
bondage."
Now, talking about the significance of this event to the
coming of Biafra having highlighted how much impacts it has made to a wide
range of figures from different walks of life, we must recognize that this
event is regarded as the first freedom match in the whole of America.
Therefore, we can say very confidently that the quest for freedom is
coterminous with an average Igbo man. Because we understand that with total and
complete freedom, the room for total and complete self-realization and
accomplishment is made available. It is this room that Biafra seeks to provide
for all today.
Biafra will be significantly conscious of the event of
Igbo Landing, for unlike those who regard the story as a mere folklore, it
captures both spiritual and physical implications for us. A lot of people are
wondering what is the metaphysical force that is driving the Biafra restoration
movement by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB. The answer is not far-fetched: the
spirits of those who rejected bondage to freedom even unto death in Georgia,
coupled with the spirits of over five million Biafrans killed during the war
are relentlessly restive. They are the metaphysical force behind our March, and
of course, Elohim himself is piloting our affairs. The immortality of these
brave heroes and heroines will only be complete with Biafra restoration. With
that, they can find peace in the great beyond as they watch the kingdom of God
on earth.
Let me close this piece by making this recommendation. I
hereby boldly recommend that Biafra Government, when restored, should build
eternal magnificent monument that will forever remind humanity the sacrifices
and the price that those brave Igbo slave captives paid for our freedom, so
that "Our Very Long March To Freedom" will forever remain invaluable.
Written by:
Chukwuezugo J. Uduorji
For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV
Published by:
Chibuike John Nebeokike
For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV
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