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  May
1967-1999: After 32 years, are the lessons, pains of BIAFRA,
really, too controversial to mention, or even debate? The
bloody war in Nigeria (1967-1970) between the
south-easterners (predominantly Igbos, Efiks, Ibibios, many
others) and the overwhelming might of the rest of the
country, backed by some international forces, including
Britain, has since left many lingering and thorny issues.
Over 1 million Biafrans and tens of thousands of other
Nigerians died as direct casualties of the war.
In his soon-to-be
published book aptly titled,
BIAFRA: History
Without Mercy,
Chido Nwangwu, Founder of USAfrica Digital Media Networks
writes in the introduction that "there exists ample
intellectual justification, abundant historical rationale,
an abiding global conscience, and a fundamental pan-human
challenge that we, the survivors of the Biafra-Nigeria war,
provide an analytical bridge between those who fought and
died, and the younger ones whose memories seem more like
candles in the rain of lies, cover-ups and masked
distortions unleashed by those who not only waged the war
but insist on erasing all landmarks and shooting down all
signposts of truth on their path.
It is, equally, owed
the unborn, my unborn, to know the sacrifices which laid the
path for his/her/theri future. For how will anyone know and
understand the challenges of his future when his past
remains a battered history without mercy? As for me, my
unborn will know the pains of that war, especially the
enduring sacrifices of their forebears, whenever they come.
Why, you ask? First,
Never Again!
Second, Lest we
forget.
Third, a contextual
debate and insight should bring a reasonable healing to the
hurt and genocide against Igbos and their Biafran folks, the
shared decimation suffered by Nigerians and the lessons
should not, and cannot be ignored my generation as we inch
into the 21st century.
I've encountered a
rag-tag army of ill-informed contortionists and constipating
pseudo-intellectuals who not only insist that 'Biafra is too
controversial to talk about' but disavow any knowledge of
how to spell the defunct Land of the Rising Sun. No matter;
Lies have short legs...."
Until the publication
of Chido Nwangwu's book, this period which remarks the
declaration of the failed Biafra, we publish in
USAfricaonline.com another exclusive commentary
on the issue by our editorial board member James Okorafor,
with contributions by Mr. Nwangwu.
Additional commentaries are welcome.
by Alverna Johnson and Vivian Okeke.
Pix
/Life/USAfricaonlinecolor /May 25,
1999
Chido
Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence
award (1997), is Founder and Publisher of USAfricaonline.com
(first African-owned U.S.-based professional newspaper to be
published on the internet), USAfrica The Newspaper,
NigeriaCentral.com
and The
Black Business Journal. He also serves as
an adviser to the Mayor of Houston on international business
(Africa) and appears as an analyst on CNN, VOA, NPR, CBS
News, NBC and ABC news affiliates.
|
 Osama
bin-Laden's goons threaten Nigeria and
Africa's stability
 What
has Africa
to do with September 11
terror?
Africans
reported
dead
in terrorist
attack
at WTC
September
11
terror
and the ghost of things to
come....
Will
religious conflicts be the time-bomb
for Nigeria's latest transition to civilian rule?
ARINZE: Will he be
the
FIRST
BLACK AFRICAN
POPE?
By Chido Nwangwu
AFRICA
AND THE U.S. ELECTIONS
Beyond
U.S. electoral shenanigans, rewards and dynamics of
a democratic republic hold
lessons
for
African politics.
 CONTINENTAL
AGENDA
Bush's position on
Africa
is "ill-advised."
The
position stated by Republican presidential aspirant
and Governor of Texas, George Bush where  he
said that "Africa will not be an area of priority"
in his presidency has been
questioned by USAfricaonline.com Publisher
Chido
Nwangwu. He added that Bush's "pre-election
position was neither validated by the economic
exchanges nor geo-strategic interests of our two
continents."
These views
were stated during an interview CNN's anchor
Bernard Shaw and senior analyst Jeff Greenfield had
with Mr. Nwangwu on Saturday November 18, 2000
during a special edition of 'Inside Politics
2000.'
Nwangwu,
adviser to the Mayor of Houston (the 4th largest
city in the U.S., and immigrant home to thousands
of Africans) argued further that "the issues of the
heritage interests of 35 million African-Americans
in Africa, the volume and value of oil business
between between the U.S and Nigeria and the
horrendous AIDS crisis in Africa do not lend any
basis for Governor Bush's ill-advised
position
which removes Africa from fair consideration" were
he to be elected president. By Al
Johnson
Johnnie Cochran
will soon learn that defending
Abacha's loot is not as simple as his O.J Simpson's
case.
By Chido
Nwangwu
DIPLOMACY
Walter
Carrington:
African-American diplomat who put principles above
self for Nigeria  (USAfrica's
founder Chido Nwangwu, left, with then U.S.
Ambassador Carrington at the U.S. embassy, Nigeria)
DEMOCRACY'S
WARRIOR
Out
of Africa.
…The
cock that crows in the morning belongs to one
household but his voice is the property of the
neighborhood. -- Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the
Savannah. An editor carries on his crusade
against public corruption and press
censorship
in his native Nigeria and other African countries.
By John Suval.
September
11
terror and the ghost of things to come....
Shred of all polite, fine talk, the
terroristic events of September 11, 2001,
in New York, Washington DC., and
Boston raise many questions. Among them: Are those
wanton terror and wholesale visitation of murder
and mayhem the ghost of things to come into the U.S
as we glide into the so-called new world order?
Whose order, really, is it?... Are those the
signatures of a world gone awry, the continuing
cannibalization
of our world, our
so-called civilization?
By Chido
Nwangwu,
Founder & Publisher. See
DETAILS
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USAfrica
The Newspaper voted the "Best Community
Newspaper"
in the 4th largest city in the U.S., Houston.
It is in the Best of Houston 2001 special as chosen
by the editors and readers of the Houston
Press,
reflecting their poll and annual
rankings.
USAfrica
FORUM
IN THE HOUSE OF
MANDELA: A SILLY CRY FOR REPARATIONS
By Prof. Chimalum Nwankwo
Nelson
Mandela, Tribute
to the world's political superstar and Lion of
Africa
Winnie
Madikizela-Mandela's
burden
mounts with murder charges, trials
Why Bush should focus on dangers
facing Nigeria's return to democracy and
Obasanjo's
slippery slide
Acts of
Cowardice.
There is a saying by
my people: "Sane people don't throw stones into a
crowded area." The commonsensical reason for this
is that when you throw stones into a crowd, there
is a chance it may fall on the head of your family
member or friend. Obviously those who carried out
these attacks did not care whether they hit their
kith and kin. There is also an old cliche that
says: "One man's terrorist is another's freedom
fighter." No one, who was involved in these
cowardly attacks, can be called anybody's freedom
fighter; these were cowards who hid behind women
and children. By Jonathan Elendu,
contributing editor of USAfricaonline.com.
See DETAILS
USAfricaonline.com
is
listed
among the world's leading web sites by the
international newspaper,
USAToday.
Recent
and continuing crises regarding Sharia in northern
Nigeria and security of lives in Nigeria highlight
the other issue whether the Obasanjo's government
has failed to enforce basic human rights of all
Nigerians? See the USAfrica
Special reports.
Sharia-related
killings and carnage in Kaduna reenact deadly
prologue to Nigeria-Biafra war
of 1967.
Is Obasanjo really
up to Nigeria's challenge and crises?
By USAfricaonline
editorial board member, Ken Okorie. His
commentary appears courtesy of our related web
site, NigeriaCentral.com
LITERATURE
Literary giant
Chinua Achebe
returns "home"
from U.S., to love and adulation of
community
 Since
1958, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" set a standard
of artistic excellence,
and more. By Douglas Killam.
Investigating
Marc
Rich and
his deals with Nigeria's Oil
Through an elaborate network of
carrots and sticks and a willing army of Nigeria's
soldiers and some civilians, controversial global
dealer and billionaire Marc Rich, literally and
practically, made deals and steals; yes, laughed
his way to the banks from crude oil contracts,
unpaid millions in oil royalties and false
declarations of quantities of crude lifted and
exported from Nigeria for almost 25 years.
Worse, he lifted Nigeria's
oil and shipped same to then embargoed apartheid
regime in South Africa. Read Chido Nwangwu's NEWS
INVESTIGATION REPORT for PetroGasWorks.com
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