NIGER DELTA AGONIES OF IGBOS AND OTHERS By IGWEGBE LAWRENCE EMEKA Booktango 1663 Liberty Drive Bloomington, IN 47403 www.booktango.com Phone: 1-877-445-8822 Copyright © IGWEGBE LAWRENCE EMEKA All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author. Disclaimer goes here. First published by BOOK TANGO: 2012 Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them. Scriptures taken from the [New King James Version]. DEDICATIONS Dedicated to the Almighty GOD for his very special favor of the Jewish people and by implication the Igbo people because all available evidence pitch us with the Jewish people and we claim irrevocably Jewish ancestry! The book is also dedicated to my parents: Late Mazi Raphael Iheatu Igwegbe and Late Mrs. Lillian Oriaku Igwegbe (Nee Chukwu). Your memories remain eternally with me. The book is dedicated also to: My grand parents His Majesty, Late Eze Igwegbe Odum (Omenukoaku) - Regent - Administrator - Judge - And business man And his beloved wife, Late Chief Mrs. Mgborie Igwegbe (Nee Abazu) Finally the book is dedicated to - All Igbos who died in the pogrom - All Igbos who died in the civil war - All Igbos who had died since 1980 to date on countless senseless and irresponsible ethnic and religious attacks in the North of Nigeria and other places. - And finally to a wonderful friend, that mean so much to me, Capt. and Engr. Mrs. Obioha Nwana. Our promise to you all is that we must, at the very least achieve a place of pride in the Nigeria State no matter what it takes! FORE WORD ‘The People who gets on in the world Are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they Can’t find them, make them.’ George Bernard Shaw Our march to civilization as a people was rudely interrupted by the British colonialist with diverse consequences. Why trying to build new structures after easing out the British colonialists, the Igbo nation was hit by an infamous civil war against our major intra-national competitors and once again we were back to a more serious intra-national imperialism; that employed among other tools of coercions a de-intellectualization of the Igbo intelligencers in order to cut the Igbo man to size; with the aim of ensuring a perpetual subjugation. Though the de-intellectualization of the Igbos worked considerably but over all the Igbo man despite overwhelming odds marched on. What is more is to trample under foot the vestiges of intra-national imperialism from our major competitors and march on to stardom. That is our destiny! Content Page Fore Word i Dedications ii Chapter 1 Pre-colonial Igbo man Brief on the origin of the Igbo man Igbo people, government and justice system Social security Trade and commerce Science and technology War and conquests Health care Sports and recreation (egwuonwa) Religion Language. Chapter 2 Igbo Man in Colonial Time and in Independent Nigeria Early contact with the British colonialists Effects of colonialism on: - Igbo Language - Igbo Transport - Religion - Igbo Culture - Igbo education - Relationship and authority - Social values - Health care - Trade and commerce Chapter 3 Civil War and Its Consequences Pre-civil war achievements Economic consequences of the civil war loss to the Igbos Political consequences of the loss of the civil war Effect of the civil war on the intellectual prowess of the Igbos Psychological consequences of the loss of the civil war. Chapter 4 Sustained, Systematic and deliberate Destruction Of Igbos and their properties within and without Nigeria Litany of destruction of Igbo lives and properties by other ethnic groups and even governments: 1966- 1970 1971 – 1975 1976 – 1980 1980 – 1984 1985 – 1989 1990 – 1994 1995 – 1999 2000 – 2004 2005 – 2010 Destruction of lives by internal enemy, village terminators! Chapter 5 Appropriate and vigorous Igbo response to the destruction of lives and properties; by fellow citizens from the other ethnic groups and deliberate government injustices on the Igbo people within and Without Nigeria. Response of the five home land governors Response of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, world wide Response of every Igbo man in Diasporas especially the traders Response of Igbo town unions Response of the yet to be formed world wide league of Igbo traders Chapter 6 Strategic Re positioning of the Igbo man in a one Nigeria Repositioning through solid education Repositioning through agriculture Repositioning through development of tourism Repositioning through development of solid minerals. Repositioning through the provision of super structures Chapter 7 What the Igbo man must do to fair well in Nigeria politics