Rethinking Africa is a forward looking blog dedicated to the exchange of innovative thinking on issues affecting the advancement of African peoples wherever they are. We provide rigorous and insightful analyses on the issues affecting Africans and their vision of the world.
CONGRATULATIONS Mr Johnson on a well-deserved win! I hope that under your leadership, the
restoration of Biafra independence will be of high priority.
(Sonny Rollins Quintet, “Decision” [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 16 December 1956])
******Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe’s recently published books on the Igbo genocide are The longest genocide – since 29 May 1966 (2019) and co-author, with Lakeson Okwuonicha, Why #DonaldTrump is #great for #Africa (2018)
RENOWNED economist, brother of celebrated poet Christopher Okigbo and cousin of distinguished agronomist Bede Okigbo, economic advisor to the Biafra resistance government during the Igbo genocide (phases I-III) perpetrated by Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, when both genocidist states murder 3.1 million Igbo people or 25 per cent of this nation’s population
(Sonny Rollins Quintet, “Decision” [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 16 December 1956])
ONE OF THE preeminent tenor saxophonists of all time, composer of leading jazz standards including “St Thomas”, “Oleo” and “Doxy”, and composer of “Tenor madness” where he engages in that historic dialogue with fellow tenor master John Coltrane
(Sonny Rollins Quartet and John Coltrane, “Tenor madness” – with that historic dialogue between the great two tenorists [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone {takes second solo before the engaging dialogue with Trane!}; Coltrane, tenor saxophone {takes first solo}; Red Garland, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 24 May 1956])
(Sonny Rollins Quintet, “Decision” [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 16 December 1956])
(Sonny Rollins Trio, “The freedom suite”
[personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Riverside
Records, New York, US, 7 March 1958)
Renowned economist, brother of celebrated poet Christopher Okigbo and cousin of distinguished agronomist Bede Okigbo, economic advisor to the Biafran resistance government during the Igbo genocide perpetrated by Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, when both states murder 3.1 million Igbo people or 25 per cent of this nation’s population
(Sonny Rollins Quintet, “Decision” [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 16 December 1956])
Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe IN HIS USUAL strategic articulations on the interest and future
wellbeing of Igbo people, George Enyoazu has on his Facebook wall, beginning 8
September 2016, raised the profound issue of choice for Igbo Americans as they
decide to vote at the US presidential election on Tuesday 8 November 2016. This initiative, as would have been expected, resulted in a debate involving
several correspondents and the exchanges have indeed been hearty and
informative. Enyoazu emphatically asks Igbo
Americans to prioritise or privilege the motherland, Biafra, when they go out
to cast their vote at this poll. One cannot overemphasise Enyoazu’s timely
appeal. I am not aware of any US administration since the outbreak of the Igbo
genocide in May 1966 during the Lynden Johnson presidency that has
unambiguously supported genocidist Nigeria as that of Barack Obama’s (and
Hillary Clinton as secretary of state). The historic tragedy of this support
for the continuation of the Igbo genocide is underscored, further, by the fact
that Obama is the first African-descent president of the US republic in 233
years of existence. Hillary Clinton states clearly that her presidency, if she
were elected, would continue the essentials of 8 years of the Obama residency. Igbo Americans surely have a role to play in these hectic times and they
cannot ignore the 3.1 million and more Igbo murdered since Sunday 29 May 1966
as they cast their votes in November. Or, would they? I am posting the
following link as a contribution to this all important subject that Enyoazu has
started: http://re-thinkingafrica.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/herbert-ekwe-ekwe-this-piece-is.html
(Sonny Rollins Quintet, “Decision” [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 16 December 1956])
ByBiafra Diboh(slightly edited from the original) Teresa R Kemp, one of African Americans involved in the free medical care trip to the Anambra region, northwest Biafra, has traced the ancestral home of her father to Oka, Biafra.
Kemp, a military historian, who has in the past organised an Igbo arts and cultural festival in South Carolina, United States, said that her great grandfather, named Osinachi, was enslaved and trafficked over 187 years ago as a metalsmith from Oka to the United States, as confirmed by DNA.
With an interest in the works of African peoples, Kemp told The Nation that she had written a book, Keeper of the Fire (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Plaatform, 2014), of an Igbo metalsmith from Awka, detailing the story of her ancestor. She describes Igbo people as hardworking, intelligent, unassuming, and entrepreneurial in nature: “I am proud to be linked to Ndiigbo, the world has prospered because of Ndiigbo”.
Kemp went to Anambra with an organisation called ASA-World (which has membership in 27 countries), made up of the region’s indigenes resident overseas whose mission is to provide free medical care for the people, costing US$ 800,000.
The team brought diagnostic equipment and medicine to be left behind for resident doctors and other health officials to continue using in Oko, in Orumba north local government, Abagana, Njikoka local government, Obosi, Idemili north local government, Ihembosi and Ozubulu, both Ekwusigo local government, and Oba, Idemili south local government district.
The medical mission treated and provided medicine to people suffering from different ailments. Total treated are: 1,100 in Oko, 8,500 in Abagana, 1,200 in Ihembosi, 1,300 in Obosi, and 1,200 in Ozubulu.
(Sonny Rollins Quintet, “Decision” [personnel: Rollins, tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano; Gene Ramey, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 16 December 1956])
Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe is specialist on the state and on genocide & wars in Africa in the post-1966 epoch – beginning with the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-present day, the foundational and most gruesome genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa. 3.1 million Igbo or 25 per cent of this nation’s population were murdered by Nigeria and its allies, principally Britain. Africa and the rest of the world largely stood by and watched as the perpetrators enacted this horror most ruthlessly. The world could have stopped this genocide; the world should have stopped this genocide. This genocide inaugurated Africa’s current age of pestilence. During the period, 12 million additional Africans have been murdered in further genocide in Rwanda (1994), Zaïre/DRCongo (variously, since the late 1990s) and Darfur – west of the Sudan – (since 2004) and in other wars in Africa. African peoples have, presently, no other choice but exit/dismantle the extant genocide-state (the bane of their existence & progress) & construct own nation-centred states that serve their interests. He is author of several books & papers on the subject and his new book is entitled The longest genocide – since 29 May 1966 (2019).
