51 Years After The Civil War: Are Nigerians Happier Together?
On 30th of May 1967, Lt Colonel Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Military Governor Of the Eastern Region, made an announcement. He told the people of the Eastern Region that since Lt Colonel Gowon, Head of State, had chosen to break the agreement both of them had signed in Aburi, Ghana, to ensure the unity of Nigeria, he was left with no choice but to declare the Eastern Region a new country to be known as the Republic of Biafra. He also reminded the Easterners that he was acting on the mandate given to him by the Eastern Nigeria Consultative Forum. He ended by telling people that if they did not seek their freedom now, the Nigeria they would live in would be one where they would forever be subservient to Northern Nigeria. The next day, Gowon declared war on Biafra. The war raged for 3 years abd officially ended on 15th January 1970, at the cost of 3 million lives lost, mostly Igbos, and the reunification of Nigeria But has it been worth it 51 years on? Is Nigeria in a better place than it was before the war? Are we a more united progressive nation than we were before the war? Have grown as a people in the last 51 years? Are we less suspicious of each other and more trusting of each other in 51 years? It cost 3 million lives to keep Nigeria one, does the Nigeria you see today tell you that it was worth it? 51 years on, are we any happier as a people? So many questions
