Nigeria-Biafra War Memorial 2006 (2)
A KWENU Special
Tuesday, May 30, 2007
At this juncture, President of Igbo-USA and Chief Whip of WIC Ken Igwe was back from attending to an emergency that would have kept an uncommitted person away. Refreshments were served and members of the audience were encouraged to help themselves to water, sodas, and finger-licking finger foods.
Matters Arising
In the
absence of ex-Igbo-USA President Oyibo Achebe – a pillar of the community and a
regular at the event these past years, another ex-President of Igbo-USA and
immediate past secretary general of WIC, Augustine Ugo Uzodike, stated that the
memorial started with the memorable memorial lectures organized by Dr. Ene and
later moved through Igbo-USA officials into the Igbo Anglican church, where
money could have been raised and donated to TORP (the Oji River Project) -- a
WIC affair. The fact was that Igbo-USA started to raise money for the veterans,
as a policy, during the last year of his administration in 2004.
On why the 2004 fund was channeled through Songhai Charities, he reiterated Igwe’s submission that Songhai Charities had the accountability system and had people on the group to accomplish quick and dependable delivery. For various reasons beyond the scope of this report, this was not done. Now that the 2005 had been delivered successfully, the 2004 would follow the same path, as would any monies realized during the 2006 session.
Mr.
George Ezike traced his attendance to the Memorial Lecture of 1998, which
Dr. Ene took to Columbia University New York (thanks to Ms. Amaka Eze), and
which Prof. MJC Echeruo of Syracuse University presented. He thanked Igbo-USA
for keeping the tradition regardless of the apathy of Ndiigbo in the area. He
lamented that many Igbo people would not be caught dead at such gatherings even
in faraway USA! He stated categorically. “You cannot divorce Igbo existence form
Igbo culture. Biafra is an Igbo cultural experience, a part of Igbo existence.”
He agreed with Uzodike that TORP is no longer viable: “It is not about the
machinery but about management by a group of dedicated people.” He would have
suggested such crafts as shoe-making that a wheelchair-bound person can do, but
the veterans were getting old—the war ended over 35 years ago. As far as he was
concerned, Ndiigbo should put on their thinking cap.
At this point, it was clear to everyone present that the only way to go was to send money to the war veterans to alleviate their daily grapple with the vagaries of living. Mr. Ezike of New York put captured the mood when he called for the hashing out of a system of steady remittance of money, no matter how small. He said that Igbo-USA can reach out to many people who really cared about the Biafran cause. Uzodike informed that he had contacted a priestly community in Enugu and that it was willing to work out the logistics for steady remittance of money to the veterans. He also informed that these men have children who would need more help. Chief Egwuonwu interjected and informed the audience that, with adequate fiscal support, the veterans were organized enough to handle their affairs. The well-received proposals naturally led to the next item on the agenda: Taking it to the next level.
take it to the next level!
The presenter, Dr. Ené, said that
after a decade of memorial lectures and handouts the Igbo world had come to that
fork in the road where the only way to go was right. He proposed a worldwide
fundraising that would collect and channel a steady stipend to the families of
surviving war veterans at Oji River, preferably though and with a matching fund
from Igbo states governments. He lamented that Igbo state governments had not
shown any commitment to helping to resolve the remaining open sore of Igbo 60s
experience.
According to him, “Beyond being a symbol of Biafran spirit nearly 40 years after its declaration, the veterans at Oji River have come to symbolize what could be the fate of fellow citizens who serve in other wars from Congo to Lebanon, from Liberia to Sierra Leone, and from Somalia to Darfur.” Dr. Ene’s proposal calls for the establishment of an entity that would liaise with the Government of Enugu State in particular and with all Nigerians of goodwill in establishing a Veteran’s Center at Oji River.
“These
brothers at Oji River would one day move on, just as each and every one of us
would one day move on. Then what? Would that be the end of their existence, the
end of 36 years of braving the elements to stay alive? Would the place then
remain fallow to receive yet another band of humanity’s forgotten hoi polloi,
just as it had served the lepers during the colonial era?”
In a voice filled with determination and passion, Ené called on Ndiigbo to assemble on May 27, 2007 at the begging spot along Enugu-Onitsha Road, unveil a statue of a soldier on wheel chair, and pledge that never again shall the few who give so much for so many be condemned to beg for money on the side of a major thoroughfare.
Amidst the applause for the novel idea and the many raised hands wishing to add to the matter, Igbo-USA President Ken Igwe proposed that a committee should be set up to look into the modalities of the proposal and recommend workable logistics. He “volunteered” Dr. Ené, Mr. Ezike, and Mr. Akubueze to serve in the committee. He also volunteered to serve in the Committee. Prof. Ezejiofor Udeh and Mr. Uche Nnamani also volunteered to serve in the committee. Others were encouraged to send in suggestions or to volunteer whenever they can find the time. The committee was given till July 29 to come up with a report on how to implement the new idea.
Many people still wanted to talk about the new level of involvement in the lives of the war veterans. Chief Udenta wondered how the land for the Center would be obtained. Mr. Ezike wondered why the Center should not be named “Biafran Veterans Center.” He said that the problem was that Ndiigbo had not elected their leaders since after the war; the current crops were mostly installed by outside forces not known to be Igbo-friendly. Chief Ajuluchukwu of BlackTVonline.com, a veteran of another war in another clime, supported the idea of the Center embracing veterans of all wars. Dr. Ene assured that his proposal would embrace a Biafra Memorial, probably in line with the “Wall of Heroes,” proposed by Mz. Nnamdi Ohen in 1997 and the “Martyrs Memorial” proposed by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
“BIAFRAN BIDDING”
With 45 minutes left to go, Dr. Ené moved to the fun and important part of the evening: “Biafran Bidding” — adapted from the so-called “Chinese Auction.” Last year, he had donated a mystery bag that was auctioned and netted $1600:00, thanks to such heavy bidders as Attorneys Peter Maduabum and Jude Nkama, and Dr. Ugorji Ugorji (all missed at the current session). This year, Igwe brought two bottles of Ballatoni Merlot 2004, as against the Remy Martin supplied in 2004 by Nzeamalu Oyibo Achebe.
The first started slowly after a
rehash of the rules with Ajuluchukwu chipping in some seed money to cover the
cost. Slowly, it climbed to over a hundred and then picked speed with the
support of such regulars: Akpu, Egwuonwu, Moghalu, Uzodike, Igwe, Udeh, Udenta,
etc. Others such as Udoye, Frank Ogbo, Ezike, Lizzy Udenta, etc. moved it
forward across higher numbers. Before anyone could settle on a rhythm, the
$500.00 was crossed, thanks to Messrs Chris Nwigwe and Jude Madu supporting Ené,
the auctioneer extraordinaire for two years in a row.
With Anemelu and Akubueze’s big
drops, the bid sped past the $700:00 mark. Then “one-dollar spoilers” – as they
were called, rolled in, which forced the rounding up of three-and-four-dollar
bids by Akpu to push the price past $800:00. The young ones were not left out:
thanks to Jideofor Ezike. Not to be outdone, little Miss Ugonna Udeh also
chipped in her piece, as did the towering son of Madu of Maplewood. Master
Kanayo Egwuonwu, who was decked out in his own "boys company" military outfit,
was not left behind. The ladies were also chipping in: Mrs. Lizzy Udenta and Ms.
Ifechukwu Ogbo. With Chief Okey Amuzie joining the bidding, it crossed the
$900:00 mark. At $950:00, the bottle was about to
drop on the latest bidder, Dr. Enabulele, thereby sending the wine across
the Niger to Benin City.
Mrs.
Lynda Uzodike, (Ezenwaanyi) wanted the bid to
cross the $1000.00 mark and said so. Mr. Akpu pushed the envelope fast-forward
with a note that Udenta should open the bottle, that the wine should cross no
rivers, not even Imo River! Mr. Madu would not hear of it; it must cross Imo
River, and Egwuonwu ought to open it. Oh no, now while Udeh and Akpu were
around! Amidst the $5:00 and $10 incremental push, Ezike pushed the price
past $1000.00. Twenty more dollars atop the target, and Udenta it was. He
greeted the audience with the usual “Kwenu!” greetings and expressed
appreciation for the honor.
The second bottle started life with an anonymous $50.00 bid, which Igwe jocosely claimed came with a note that he should drink the wine to replenish the blood he shed for Biafra. The now tired auctioneer Ené chipped in an extra $20.00 to guarantee that Egwuonwu would open it. Chief Amuzie, who came with his sons as in 2004, supported with yet another $20:00. Another bidder refused; Igwe staked his desire with another bid, but the matter was soon settled at $150:00 in favor of Egwuonwu opening the second bottle.
With another $1170:00 going to the veterans next week, everyone was happy that the day ended so well with so few doing so much for Oji River veterans – just as the few of them did so much for so many. It was a respectable performance; many elaborate $50:00-a-person parties in New Jersey’s posh hotels do not return $1000:00! On the contrary, many of them run at a loss. With about half a million naira soon to rain on the veterans, with Songhai returning the $2400:00, many attendees got up to go happy that they must have brought some smiles to the faces of fellow citizens on this Memorial Day weekend.
CONCLUSION:
In
his closing remarks, Igwe thanked all those who have supported the event these
past years, especially Ené,
who started it all, Egwuonwu, who took it to WIC,
and Uzodike, who sustained the tradition during his four years as Igbo-USA
President. He expressed special regards to the women who supported the event and
fed many these past years: Ms. Edith Nwaeze (Anyahuma), Mrs. Lynda Uzodike (Ezenwaanyi), Mrs. Lizzy Udenta (Egbegbelu), and
his wife, Mrs. Gloria Igwe (Akwaeke). He thanked such elders as
Chiefs Egwuonwu and Udenta for staying the course, and members of his cabinet:
Akubueze, Akpu,
Ogbo, Nwigwe, Madu, Nwaeze, etc. Igwe also thanked Prof.
Udeh
for making it two in a row from across the Hudson. To the other New Yorkers,
George Ezike and Uche Nnamani, and now Marylander Ajuluchukwu, he expressed the
gratitude of New Jerseyeans.
In the end, the event ran over by mere minutes; by 6:30 PM, it was all over. The cash was counted and signed over to Treasurer via the Financial Secretary for processing and ASAP remittance. Printouts of papers and copies of two KWENU editions from 1997 were distributed as mementoes, courtesy of Reedbuck, Inc.
Once again, a few good people came together to make a difference in the lives of many. As always, it is a few that make things happen; the rest watch things happen, and another disruptive few try to stop things from happening. Dr. Ene started and sustained something to remind future generations of the sacrifices of their ancestors, from which they could learn a thing or two. That, in short, is the essence of memorials.
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The photo of George Ezike is from blacktvonlinw.com, 2006.
The other photos are from kwenu.com