Monday, 5 December 2016

FWD: Onyeka Onwenu’s forthright position on Biafra – a challenge particularly to those clusters of the Igbo intelligentsia, especially in the diaspora, who have exercised a mortifying silence over the existential emergency of these times…

(Onyeka Onwenu: ... songwriter, journalist and actress, and graduate of Wellesley College and New School for Social Research)
 Onyeka Onwenu (Eaglewatchnews, Saturday 3 December 2016)

ON THE Python or crocodile dance operation in the southeast, a peaceful region, on a Christmas season and criminal silence of all southeastern governors, states assemblies, senators and house reps. I say this to you, you may hide under the altar of cowardice and hypocritical silence, be assured we know why you are silent.

When we voted for you guys, we entrusted our collective welfare into your hands. In matters like this, we look up to no one put you. Silence speaks one language betrayal. Yes you betrayed our trust. We feel abandoned. We will wait for you during election time.

FROM the slaughter of our old men, children and rape of our women by Fulani herdsmen, to the beheading of Bridget and the acquittal of the murderers, to the slaughter of pro Biafra agitators praying, those celebrating memorial of our fallen heroes to this final occupation of our land, we tell you Biafra shall arise.

Biafra is our destination. The youthful spirit of our ancestors. The eternal city of all who desire to live in freedom for self actualization. That day will come when the oja will sound, the gong shall herald the rising of the Sun, the victory of the wise men from the east. That day as Martin Luther King Jr said, “we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”.

And for Nigeria, the grave of Biafra ingenuity, keep your evil intent on the people of Biafra. You must know that it is your hatred, marginalization through policy of exclusion and your murderous policies and impunity to our people that fuels our energy.

We will not give up.

BIAFRA is all we ask and only that we shall accept. No presidency. No restructuring.
(Max Roach Quartet, “Speak, Brother, Speak!” [sides I and II; personnel: Roach, drums; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Mal Waldron, piano; Eddie Khan, bass; recorded live, The Jazz Workshop, San Francisco, US, 27 October 1962])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

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