Thread by @nma_halliday

So @AbaenowaChibuzo made an extensive WhatsApp status about history of #Biafra and books to be read.
#BiafraRemembranceDay

Question of the day;
Describe what each symbol in the Biafra Coat of arms represent and its significance in igbo land and tradition?
#ozoemena
#Thread

Basic Facts about the Republic of Biafra:
Head of State- General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
Chief of General State- Major General Philip Effiong
Capital- Enugu (later moved to Umuahia by October 1967)
Independence Day- 30th May 1969

#BiafraHeroesDay2020

The first military coup was planned by 3 main persons; Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Ifeajuna and Major Ademoyega.
There were alot of other outsider who play different roles but these were the main men.

The coup was largely successful in the North ( with alot of bloodshed), partly successful in the West but recorded less success in the East (minimal bloodshed).
This led to the belief that the coup was orchestrated with an igbo agenda in mind.

Actually, the first military coup failed. This was because those who orchestrated the coup were junior military officers who were angry and fed up with the corruption at the different levels of government and the military. Their aim was to clean up tbe people at the highest....

level of governance and also the highest ranking military officers at that point.
Unfortunately, they encountered some hiccups in execution of the coup, which gave Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi the opportunity to rally a counter-coup effort and succesfully took over the seat of power.

Aguiyi-Ironsi was the highest ranking military ofgicer in the country at that time, so he automatically became the Head of State and deployed military administratiors to the different regions. He did all to calm frayed nerve.
He established the Unitary system of government. 😥🙅🏾‍♀️

Unfortunately, Aguiyi-Ironsi didn’t last long before a counter coup took him away, but not before he appointed military administrator for the different regions of whom our own Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was one of them. #BiafraRemembranceDay2020 #RestinPeace

Details of the first coup and events that lead to civil ear are found in the books posted on the thread.

Chukwumemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, son of the billionaire Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu was the FIRST graduate to join the Nigerian Army. This was against his father’s wish.

His father Louis Ojukwu bbbbwas stinkingly rich to the point that he borrowed the Nigerian government his limousine to be used to chauffeur the Queen when she visited the country, because as it were, the nation had none of such luxury vehicles. 🙆🏾‍♀️🙆🏾‍♀️🙆🏾‍♀️... Odogwu, Baba nla!

Emeka Ojukwu was the point man who declared a free and independent state of Biafra after series of atttacks and massacre of ndi igbo all over the country, especially in the North and after series of failed dialogue and discussion on how to sort out the issue.

Ahiara declaration 1969 was crafted.
Below is a glimpse of it. 👇🏾

#BiafraRemembranceDay #BiafraHeroesDay2020

Biafra weathered the storm and stood against all odds, defying all projections. Biafra had a way of developing everything indigenously

So the Nigerian leaders developed a new strategy: Economic blockade & Starvation.
About 6000 children died daily from starvation& malnutrition

The international silence was sickening as the world press kept mute, not until Bishops Moynagh and Godfery Okoye investigated and sent reports to the Pope and the World Council of Churches, who issued a memo condemning what was described as a “genocide” happening in Biafra.

... and also condemned the press for being silent about it.
That was how humanitarian agencies especially Caritas came into the picture. They did all they could and even managed to airlift a lot of Biafran kids out of the county for proper medical care.

Infact, it is widely believed in Gabon that the current president Ali Bongo Ondimba (Odi na Mba) was one of the Biafran Children who were airlifted and subsequently adopted by the former President Omar Bongo.

Hugh McCullum- “Biafra is a history which Nigeria will NEVER successfully rewrite, nor silence of the world erase”.