107th birthday of Akanu Ibiam

(Born 29 November 1906, Unwana, Igboland)

Affable medical doctor, theologian, and principled statesperson who works for 30 years in the Church of Scotland/Presbyterian Church rural medical programme in central Igboland and west of the Ibibio country and who, in 1967, returns to Queen Elizabeth II of England the three insignias of knighthood (OBE, KBE, KCMG) conferred on him by both her and her father (King George VI) in protest to the central role being played by Britain in the perpetration of the Igbo genocide, the foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa, when Nigeria murders 3.1 million Igbo people, one-quarter of this nation’s population, between 29 May 1966 and 12 January 1970

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Content page of Journal of Asian and African Studies’s special edition on Chinua Achebe

JOURNAL OF ASIAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES

Volume 48 Number 6 December 2013

CONTENTS

Special Issue on Chinua Achebe: The Igbo, Pogrom, Biafra War

and Genocide in Nigeria

Guest Editor: EC Ejiogu

Articles

Chinua Achebe on Biafra: An Elaborate Deconstruction  653

EC Ejiogu

Reading There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra  671

VY Mudimbe

First, There Was A Country; Then There Wasn’t: Reflections on

Achebe’s New Book  683

Biodun Jeyifo

The Achebean Restoration  698

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

A Paradox of International Criminal Justice: The Biafra Genocide  710

Carol Ijeoma Njoku

Biafra and the discourse on the Igbo Genocide  727

Chima J Korieh

On Biafra: Subverting Imposed Code of Silence  741

EC Ejiogu

There Was A Country: Achebe’s Final Work  752

Douglas B Chambers

My Encounters With Chinua Achebe  760

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

216th birthday of Sojourner Truth

(Born ?1797, Rifton, NY, US; dies 26 Nov 1883, Battle Creek, Mich, US)

Leading abolitionist of African American enslavement and campaigner for gender rights and equality whose historic address at the December 1851 Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio, entitled “Ain’t I a Woman?”, has been copiously anthologised ever since

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44th anniversary of John Lennon’s decision to return MBE knighthood medal to Queen Elizabeth II over British role in Igbo genocide

(Medal is sent back to Buckingham Palace, 25 November 1969)

Iconic Beetle’s John Lennon sends back the 1965 MBE knighthood medal bestowed on him by Queen Elizabeth II of England over Britain’s role in the Igbo genocide by Nigeria in which 3.1 million Igbo people, one-quarter of this nation’s population, are murdered between 29 May 1966 and 12 January 1970

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79th birthday of Zeal Onyia

(Born 24 November 1934, Asaba, Igboland)

Masterly trumpeter, composer and public intellectual whose 1958 composition, the effervescent “Egwu Jazz bu Egwu Igbo” (“Jazz is Igbo music”), leads him to research Igbo contribution to the development of jazz, African American classical music, and who receives the highest accolade of his career when none other than Satchmo himself, Louis Armstrong, visiting Lagos, Nigeria, in 1961 and listening to Onyia play at Surulere stadium, inquires in that unmistakeably Popsian voice, “Who is that hip cat?”

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84th anniversary of Ogu umu nwanyi Igbo or Igbo Women’s War

(Resistance begins 23 November 1929, Aba, Igboland)

With the initial mobilisation of 10,000 women which soon expands to 25,000 and joined by women from the neighbouring Ibibio country, Igbo women in Aba (east Igboland) embark on a 2-month historic resistance against the oppressively expansive stretch of 50 years of the British conquest, paralysing the occupation regime and its institutions in much of the east, central and southern regions of Igboland consequently and losing 50 members of the freedom movement during the campaign, shot by the occupation police

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76th birthday of Adiele Afigbo

(Born 22 November 1937, Ihube, Igboland)

Dean of Igbo Historical Studies whose seminal books and papers, particularly Warrant Chiefs (1972), Ropes of Sand (1981), Ikenga (1986), The Igbo and their Neighbours (1987), and Groundwork of Igbo History (1991) are foundational texts and references for the study of Igbo history and civilisation

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

Great news from the Anambra region!

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has set an unassailable lead in the first batch of results on the Saturday 16 November 2013 poll for governor of the Anambra administrative region released by the organising electoral commission (The Guardian, Lagos, 18 November 2013). APGA candidate Willie Obiano scores 174,740 in 16 of the 21 electoral districts declared whilst Tony Nwoye of the People’s Democratic party has 94,956 votes from 2 of 21 districts and Chris Ngige of the All Progressive Congress (APC) receives just 92,300 votes from 2 out of16 districts. Concluding elections for a total of 113,113 “indemnified” votes cast during this round of the exercise are being planned by the commission soon.

Anti-deportation platform

For APGA, which campaigned, correctly, on an anti-APC Igbo deportation-from-Lagos platform, its last Saturday’s performance represents a comprehensive defeat of the reprehensible APC programme of deporting Igbo nationals from Lagos to Igboland which is part and parcel of the ongoing Igbo genocide (http://re-thinkingafrica.blogspot.com.br/2013/08/igbo-deportation-from-lagos_2.html). In the wider compass of Igboland contemporary politics, undoubtedly, Anambra voters have indeed scored an historic defeat of the genocidist and fascist project of the APC in the Igbo country. The voters surely have to go out and consolidate this victory for the incoming Obiano administration whenever the electoral commission convenes the second ballot.

As in 2010 (http://re-thinkingafrica.blogspot.com.br/2010/02/anambra-way-forward.html), voters in Anambra have achieved this extraordinary feat in an atmosphere of relative peace and goodwill, despite the serial provocation of the APC candidacy and operatives – millions of US dollars worth in local currency imported from abroad in west Nigeria to Anambra during the period, importation of agent provocateurs from abroad in west Nigeria to Anambra during the period, wake-keeping-like mourners from abroad in west Nigeria enmeshed in dubious acts of self-flagellation in Anambra during the period, aggressive, pro-APC media campaign from abroad in west Nigeria beamed to Anambra during the period... Besides the very tragic deaths of 25 worshippers at the Uke church revival service earlier on in the campaign, these elections have been remarkably peaceful: men and women from varying political parties openly campaigning actively, boisterously even, without intimidation; no person nor crowd nor vehicle nor building nor anywhere is firebombed, for instance; no suicide bombing, or such inanity – definitely not, not in Igboland, please!

Evidence

If one requires yet another piece of evidence on the ground,  the prevailing peace in this Anambra election season is a reminder to the world that the violence and instability that often headline everyday life in Igboland are encoded in the matrix of the operationalisation of the Nigerian occupation of the Igbo country (http://re-thinkingafrica.blogspot.com.br/2013/06/followingthe-all-day-sit-at-home.html). On the contrary, the politics of Igbo public affairs has historically been conducted in peaceful milieus. The classics indeed attest to this. A reading of that grand debate in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God between ogbuefi Nwaka and Ezeulu on the crucial subject of the future direction of Umuaro exemplifies the trend. The debate rages and rages with its dogged and at times agonising twists and turns but at no time does either of the protagonists try to raise some army or employ any extra-juridical agency to subvert the discourse or impose their will. It remains to the very end an expansive engagement of intellect, a mutual bombardment of ideas!

The electorate in Anambra are surely living up to their pedigree.

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83rd birthday of Chinua Achebe

(Born 16 November 1930, Ogidi, Igboland)

Father of African Literature

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109th birthday of Nnamdi Azikiwe

(Born 16 November 1904, Zungeru, Nigeria)

Political scientist and academic with specialism on an embodying African World consciousness and affirmation, orator, journalist, entrepreneur and principal leader of the 1930s-1960 restoration-of-independence movement for nations and peoples in Nigeria to terminate 100 years of the British conquest and occupation

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96th birthday of Eni Njoku

(Born 6 November 1917, Ebem Ohaafia, Igboland)

Botanist, foundational vice-chancellor (president) of University of Lagos, 1962, followed by Nsukka University vice-chancellorship, member of team of distinguished envoys appointed by the Biafran resistance government  during the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, to travel and inform the world of this raging first genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa

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80th birthday of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu

(Born 4 November 1933, Zungeru, Nigeria)

Historian and general, arguably the most outstanding Igbo leader in history – head of  Biafran resistance during the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, when 3.1 million Igbo people or a quarter of this nation’s population are murdered by Nigeria and its allies, demonstrating, during these devastating 44 months of comprehensive genocidist blockade and bombardment and slaughtering, unrelenting purpose, poise, dedication, tenacity, resilience

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81st birthday of Francis Arinze

(Born 1 November 1932, Eziowelle, Igboland)

Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who had become bishop at just 32, multidisciplinary scholar and prolific author with sharp intellect whose landmark signature is his indefatigable service in organising responsive and expansive refugee rehabilitation programmes in Biafra, unprecedented in Africa, saving the lives of millions, especially children, women and older citizens, during the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, the foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa, when 3.1 million Igbo people or a quarter of this nation’s population are murdered by Nigeria and its allies

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe