I never saw the Biafra war. I didn’t experience the war. I wasn’t there when the coup plotters did their thing and executed the coup. But those that will always say I know nothing about war, have subjected me to suppression and used many policies to bring me and my people down. It has been injustice upon me and anyone answering same name with me. Those that subjected me to this evil are always there to frighten me about war. Why must you marginalize me over a war I was never part of? That’s because you know that the war never ended…

You took the war to another level, but we are so blind to realize it on time. Achebe wrote about the ills of Nigerịa. He went on to defend Biafra through writing and as an Ambassador. Today, we that never experienced this war are here writing like Achebe did, and what you do is call us miscreants. You think we aren’t serious right…more revolutionaries are coming after us.

Yesterday was 27th May right? It ought to have been children’s day celebration. I remembered in those days, we normally dress up neat and head to the local government for the march pass. The green white green will be flying up and down. And the sounds of the National Anthem will be heard everywhere. From the Radio station to television stations, it is same story. Visibly, you will see people waving the flags. That flag of death that brought death on youths at Lekki Tollgate. Same happens on independence day. A day we fool ourselves about an independence that never happened.

But I want you to look back to yesterday. How was the children’s day celebration in the East? Did children match anywhere? Did you see people gleefully waving Nigerịa flags? Do you still see Nigerịa flags hanging anywhere in the East?

We that once ignorantly waved Nigerịa flags are today saying we want out, then how will it be for those of them who are today not even seeing Nigerịa flag? You are going to face children that are already aware of the atrocities of one Nigerịa. The school children are observing. Events are already teaching them history and they are asking questions and getting the right answers.

You can keep fooling yourselves about one Nigerịa. You can keep belittling those asking for referendum. But one thing you will one day agree to is that Nigerịa is already gone and has no place in our hearts. You will have no option than to desolve this union.

Elochukwu Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher And Activist, 2022