FWD: Plaques in Queen Mary University of London commemorating 1887 visit to the college by Belgian genocidist king Leopold II torn down

(King Leopold II of the Belgians)

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY of London officials have quietly removed two plaques in the university honouring Belgian genocidist king Leopold II. Leopold II, first cousin of Queen Victoria of England, had visited Queen Mary in June 1887 to lay the foundation stone of the college’s library.

“Magnificent African cake”

Students and others in the university have for long protested against this school’s enduring relationship with Leopold. Leopold was responsible for the expansive genocide of constituent nations in the Congo basin of central Africa in the 1860s-1909, murdering 13 million Africans as he sought control of the region’s ivory and rubber resources in this burgeoning “Berlin sate” mission – as he unabashedly and remorselessly stated at the time: “to secure a slice of this magnificent African cake”.

To also cherry pick their own slice in the “magnificent African cake” of the mission, Germany waged a genocidist campaign against the Herero, Nama and Berg Damara peoples of southwest Africa slaughtering 85%, 51% and 30% respectively of these peoples between 1904 and 1911.

Britain, for its part, sought further slices into the “magnificent African cake” spread that it had enjoyed all along for 100 years when it, under the premiership of Harold Wilson, and its client state Nigeria launched a genocide against the Igbo of southwestcentral Africa, murdering 3.1 million of the people (25% of this nation's population) during 29 May 1966-12 January 1970. Few now doubt that Europe’s “Berlin state” in Africa is demonstrably one of the most viciously constructed murder-machines in history.

States of life

For African peoples, the “Berlin states” constitute an existential emergency. African peoples have no other choice but abandon these certain death-states and construct their own states of life.

(The New York Contemporary Five plays “Sound barrier” [personnel: Archie Shepp, tenor saxophone; Don Cherry, pocket trumpet; John Tchicai, alto saxophone; Don Moore, bass; JC Moses, drums; recorded: live, Jazzus Montmarte, Copenhagen, Denmark, 15 November 1963]) 

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99th birthday of Kenneth Onwuka Dike

(Born 17 December 1917, Oka, Biafra)

HISTORIAN, doyen of the Reconstructionary School of African Historical Studies in the aftermath of 400 years of the pan-European enslavement, dispersal, conquest and occupation of the African World, lays the foundation of this restoration of the African as subject and agency in history in the 1956 publication of his classic, Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta, 1830-1885, inaugurates a stretch of an encompassing African heritage archive and becomes the first African vice-chancellor (president/rector) of the University of Ibadan, and later, 1966-1969, travels the world as one of the envoys of eminent Biafran intellectuals who campaigns tirelessly against the Igbo genocide waged by Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain, under the premiership of Harold Wilson, in which 3.1 million Igbo people (25 per cent of this nation’s population) are murdered between 29 May 1966 and 12 January 1970 in this foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa

(John Coltrane Quintet, “Miles’ mode” or “Red planet” [personnel: Coltrane, tenor saxophone; Eric Dolphy, alto saxophone; McCoy Tyner, piano; Reggie Workman, bass; Elvin Jones, drums; recorded: live, Village Vanguard, New York, US, 1 November 1961]) 

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

Surely, the Igbo intelligentsia has the historic legacy as reference and anchor in its response to the current phase of this genocide ... SALUTE to intellectuals who worked tirelessly in defence of the people during the beginning of this most catastrophic epoch in Igbo history – Igbo genocide phases I-III, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, perpetrated by Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu     Flora Nwapa     Louis Mbanefo     Chinua Achebe     Christopher Okigbo     Michael Echeruo     Ifeagwu Eke     SJ Cookey     Godfrey Okoye      Sam Mbakwe     Janet Mokelu   Obiora Udechukwu     Uche Chukwumerije     Kalu Ezera     Philip Efiong    Kamene Okonjo   Ignatius Kogbara     Alvan Ikoku     Celestine Okwu           Benedict Obumselu     Donatus Nwoga     NU Akpan     Adiele Afigbo     Michael Okpara     Chukwuka Okonjo     Akanu Ibiam     Bede Okigbo     Okoko Ndem     Agwu Okpanku     Tim Onwuatuegwu     Chudi Sokei     Pol Ndu           Benjamin Nwankiti      Boniface Ofokaja     Chuks Ihekaibeya     Conrad Nwawo     Dennis Osadebe     Osita Osadebe   Eme Awa    Chuba Okadigbo   Okechukwu Ikejiani       Uzo Egonu      Winifred Anuku     Anthony Modebe     Alex Nwokedi   Zeal Onyia   Chukwuedo Nwokolo   Pius Okigbo     Godian Ezekwe     Felix Oragwu    Ogbogu Kalu     Kevin Echeruo     Emmanuel Obiechina   Uche Okeke     Chukwuma Azuonye     Onuora Nzekwu     Chukuemeka Ike     Eddie Okonta     Cyprian Ekwensi   Nkem Nwankwo     John Munonye     Gabriel Okara     Kenneth Onwuka Dike     Eni Njoku   Okechukwu Mezu       William Achukwu       Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo    Kalu Nsi    Nwafor Orizu   ZC Obi            Anyaogu Elekwachi Ukonu

(Ornette Coleman Quartet, “WRU” {or Wit and its Relation to the Unconscious – Freud} [personnel: Coleman, alto saxophone; Don Cherry, pocket trumpet; Scott LaFaro, bass; Ed Blackwell, drums; recorded: Atlantic Studios, New York, US, 31 January 1961])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

Genocide survivor-victor

NO PEOPLES who survive genocide are ever “losers”: Kongo, Mongo, Luba, Boulangui, Mangbetu-Azande, Berg Damara, Nama, Herero, Armenians, Jews, Igbo, Cambodians, Tutsi, Darfuri...

Someone or a people that survives genocide is at once a survivor and victor, hence that stunning incantation of the triumph of life itself on the morrow of overcoming the slaughter, the dehumanisation, the immiseration: “Happy Survival”!

(Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet, “Sandu” [personnel: Brown, trumpet, Roach, drums; Harold Land, tenor saxophone, Richie Brown, piano, George Morrow, bass; recorded: EmArchy label, New York, US, 23-25 February 1954)

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

85th birthday of Dannie Richmond

(Born 15 December 1931, New York, United States)

Multifaceted drummer who, in 1957, joins the jazz workshop (often varying from a quintet, sextet, octet and dectet) of brilliant bassist, cellist and composer Charles Mingus, and both embark on one of the most enduring and resourceful artistic collaborations of recent times, recording over 30 albums in 22 years involving several influential instrumentalists in the repertoire, including, especially, multiinstrumentalist Eric Dolphy

(Charles Mingus Sextet, “Orange was the colour of her dress, then blue silk” [Mingus, bass; Johnny Coles, trumpet; Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard, piano; Dannie Richmond, drums; recorded: live, University Aula, Oslo, 12 April 1964])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

Nigeria genocide-state: Indictment

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

FOR ALL intents and purposes, Nigeria collapsed as a functioning state with few prospects or possibilities on Sunday 29 May 1966 – the day it launched the Igbo genocide, this foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa. 

Nigeria murdered 3.1 million Igbo people or 25 per cent of this nation’s population during phases I-III of the genocide, 44 months (29 May 1966-12 January 1970) of indescribable savagery not seen in Africa since the genocide of the Herero, Nama and Berg Damara peoples in southwest Africa, carried out by Germany in the early 1900s, 40 years before the latter embarked on the Jewish genocide in Germany and elsewhere in Europe when it murdered 6 million Jews.

DESPITE Nigeria’s subsequent seizure and looting of Biafra’s gargantuan wealth including, especially, the prodigious Igwe Ocha and conurbation real estate gardens in south Biafra and sales from Biafra’s  expansive oil reserves since 13 January 1970 worth US$1000 billion, this genocide-state, this kakistocratic-state, has cascaded into a frighteningly degenerative slump politically, economically, intellectually, socially, morally, spiritually. And this terminal status, indeed, remains Nigeria’s epitaph.

(John Coltrane Quartet, “Sun ship” [personnel: Coltrane, tenor saxophone, McCoy Tyner, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Elvin Jones, drums; recorded: Impulse!, New York, US, 26 August 1965])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

Nnamdi Kanu insists: “I cannot be tried in secret” – in response to today’s secret-trial ruling, roped in by a Binta Nyako in the kangaroo court, Abuja, Nigeria, Tuesday 13 December 2016

(Nnamdi Kanu: ... leader of Indigenous People of Biafra and freedom broadcaster, Radio Biafra)

Nnamdi Kanu’s historic response, reported by the Vanguard, Lagos, Tuesday 13 December 2016, 1615 GMT:

“I won’t stand this travesty of justice. Buhari spoke in public. He accused me in public. I must also be allowed to stand my trial in public.

“This is nonsense! I will give testimony before the court! By the time I finish, there will be no Nigeria. This is no sharia court. It is a court that operates under common law.

“There will be no screening of witnesses, no fake identities or fake addresses. I cannot be tried in secret. No! Nnamdi Kanu cannot be jailed in secret! They are mad. Why must I be tried in secrecy by a government that does not obey court orders?

“They are killing my people in public; after killing my people, they want to try me in private? That person is mad. I won’t allow it.”

(John Coltrane Quartet, “Consequences” – 4th movement in First Meditations {for Quartet} [personnel: Coltrane, tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Elvin Jones, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US, 2 November 1965])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe