Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River Residents Praise Gowon – A Rebuttal

BEN AHANONU

He’s our hero, say indigenes

The coastal aborigines in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states (BRAC) have praised former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, for creating the states.

They described the ex-Head of State as their hero.

BRAC said they would forever remain grateful to Gowon for carving out the BRAC states from defunct Eastern Region in line with the yearning and cries of their fathers and mothers.

According to the BRAC states, Gowon is second to the Holy Spirit, by virtue of the respect they have for him.

They said those asking the former Head of State to apologise for his role in the civil war should have a rethink.

A statement by the General Coordinator of BRAC Coastal Aborigines, Doris McDaniels, in response to calls for Gowon to apologise over his role in the civil war, reads: “It has been brought to our attention the recent insults directed at Gen. Gowon by Igbo apex groups, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“We are deeply offended by their audacity in demanding an apology from Gen. Gowon for his divine role in leading Nigeria to a peaceful end of the war, and delivering the BRAC coastal areas and her people from the genocidal oppression of the Biafran soldiers, preventing further evacuation of the BRAC people from their ancestral homes of the oil rich coastal areas in anticipation of Biafra winning the war.” McDaniels, who also urged the Igbo groups to address the atrocities committed by Biafran soldiers against the people of BRAC states, added: “We are now known as BRAC: Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. We believe the people talking about Gen. Gowon are not telling the truth. They should speak the truth and hold their warlord, Col. Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, responsible for starting a spontaneous, ill-prepared war with no strategy and planning, conscripting the BRAC states into his imaginary political Biafra Republic without their permission and consent.”

“The Igbo groups know this to be true, but they have chosen to spread falsehood about Gen. Gowon’s peace mission to keep Nigeria united.

“We earnestly ask Gen. Gowon to ignore and forgive the false perspective and fabricated version of the Nigerian civil war presented by the groups.

“We assure him that the people of the BRAC states know the truth and appreciate the timely intervention of his leadership and his war generals and veteran federal troops to usher in peace…”

WE THE IGBOS SHOULD ASK THESE SABOTEURS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

Who is spilling oil in the Niger Delta?

Who appointed and disgraced Tam David – West?

Who killed Ken Saro Wiwa and seized his body?

Who killed Isaac Adaka Boro the first Nigerian secessionist?

Who killed the four Ogoni monarchs?

Who is controlling the oil in the Niger Delta while they struggle for contract to safeguard pipelines? Ask Tompolo and Asari Dokubo.

Since after the war in which they betrayed Igbos how has been their progress in Nigeria?

Who killed thousands of innocent Akwa Ibom citizens in one day?

Are they aware that no Igbo military officer from the Southeast participated in the January 1966 pan-Nigeria military Coup?

Who was Phillip Effiong? The second in command in the defunct State of Biafra?

During the killings in the North, were their people spared?

Why is Port Harcourt Refinery dead?

Why is Port Harcourt International Airport moribund?

Why is Eleme Petrochemical industry dead?

Where is Akwa Ibom Aluminum Smelter Factory?

Why is there no functional seaport in the entire BRAC yet they are living in the waters?

Who took the oil wells of Cross River State?

Why have they not become rich with Igbo property they seized as “Abandoned Property.” Even the father of Nyesom Wike allegedly seized Igbo property too.

How prosperous is the BRAC and Nigeria after the sabotaged Igbos during the Biafran War?

When Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara was the Premier of old Eastern Region, he had a vision that revolutionized infrastructural development in the entire Eastern Region. He built NigerrCem in Port Harcourt, Nkalagu Cement Factory, Golden Guinea Brewery in Umuahia, Trans Amadi Industrial Complex, in Port Harcourt, Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt and Enugu, Obudu Cattle ranch, Cement Factory in Calabar and transformed the agricultural life of the people- many Farm Settlements were built, food production got enhanced and he laid the Industrial Foundation and Transformation of the former Eastern Region that made it become one of the fastest growing economies in the world then but this got destroyed by the naivety of Gowon with his refusal to assent to the Aburi Accord.

The Eastern Regional Government also had a scholarship scheme for the region which Isaac Adaka Boro and many others benefitted from. He studied Chemistry at the University of Nigeria Nsukka through that scheme.

Ndi Igbo, our real enemies are neither Yorubas, Hausas nor Fulanis – Never! Our real enemies are these people calling themselves BRAC.

Ndi Igbo should wake up! These people are our real enemies? They love what we hate and hate what we love. We must see them as our enemies. They hate us with passion and we should not take it lightly.

Their fathers like Isaac Boro sabotaged the Igbos during the avoidable Nigeria – Biafra War and brought Nigerian troops through the creeks to kill Igbos but Igbos are indomitable.

Is it a wrong call that Gowon should apologize to the Igbos for the injustices meted out to them under his watch including the seizure of money belonging to Igbos that were lodged in the banks with the sole aim of impoverishing them as he gave every Igbo person only 20 Nigerian pounds irrespective of how much he or she deposited in the banks? Is this not sheer wickedness and these charlatans called Aborigines of BRAC are busy issuing annoying statement but time will tell

Today, Aba has emerged with uninterrupted power supply and I am sure it will soon become the centre of industrial revolution n the entire country.

God bless Igbo nine!