86th birthday of Bede Okigbo

(Born 29 September 1929, Ojoto, Igboland)

Agronomist, one of Africa’s preeminent agricultural scientists, cousin of economist Pius Okigbo and poet Christopher Okigbo, distinguished head of the Biafra land directorate who works indefatigably to boost food production throughout the country in response to the expansively catastrophic land, sea and aerial siege of the Igbo population (31 March 1967-12 January 1970), unprecedented in African history, during the Igbo genocide by Nigeria and its allies – principally Britain – in which 3.1 million Igbo are murdered in this foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa

(Max Roach & Anthony Braxton, “Birth” [personnel: Roach, drums; Braxton, reeds; recorded: Ricordi Studios, Milan, Italy, 7 September 1978])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe