A SHORT ESSAY ON THE ROLE OF RANGERS FC IN POST-WAR RECOVERY FOR NDI IGBO

At the end of the war, the leadership class in Igbo land was in tatters and lacking in confidence. Many had died or been killed during the war. Some others had fled into exile and what was left in the
country lacked confidence. Their livelihoods were gone, their stature diminished, and their self-belief and judgment in question. A new leadership cadre was desperately needed but it was difficult to know where to find it.

The re-discovery of the dignity of the people of the
East Central State was an improbable story of renewal built on sports and sports clubs. It all centered around a football club launched from the ruins of the war in Enugu in 1970. It was called Rangers International.

The rebuilding of Igbo dignity and identity at the end of the
ruin of the war was emblematized in the rise and story of Enugu Rangers International. In their rise to national dominance, Rangers embodied and represented the hopes of a people. An entire generation was raised on the back of the exploits of Albert Onyeanwuna, Christian Chukwu,
Emmanuel Okala, Alloysius Atuegbu, Sylvanus Okpalla, etc.

There was a huge symbolism in their rise to dominance of the Nigerian soccer scene from the ruins of the war. It represented the story of a people who could discover the will to win again. A race that came out of the war,
shell-shocked, all of a sudden found in sports a reason to believe again.

Rangers International was formed on January 29, 1970, just two weeks after the Nigeria-Biafra war. Nicknamed “The Flying Antelopes” by their agility and skillfulness on the football pitch, Rangers remains
the only Football Club in Nigeria that has never been relegated since inception. The name has also been same since formation in 1970.

Postwar Igboland was a very difficult and critical period for ndi Igbo and the Rangers’ motto—Through Difficulties to the Heights—embodying its
mission, vision and history, reflected this situation with an inspiring tone. Rangers represents The Never-Say-Die spirit of the Igbo.

Rangers conquered Nigeria just after a year and conquered Africa 4 years later in 1975. They became the pride of Nigerian and African football
in the 1970s and 1980s. The club recorded numerous victories and attracted thousands to watch the games. The 25,000-capacity Stadium hosted about 40,000 spectators from different cities including Ogoja, Calabar, Onitsha, Port-Harcourt, Abakaliki and Umuahia.
After winning the 1974 double, including a 2–0 cup final win over the Mighty Jets, the Enugu players were given promotions at the Nigerian Sports Council and cars. In November 2008, Rangers became the first Nigerian clubside to be a public company and sell ownership stock.
We will hold a live conversation on Twitter (bit.ly/3W9kK8x) THIS EVENING at 7:00 PM to further discuss the role of sports in our post-war recovery.

Do join us!

#CentreForMemories

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May 30, 2021
We have come to the end of today's event. We hope you have learnt a thing or two about the Biafra War and we immensely appreciate you for staying with us all day.

Daalụ nụ.

To close our event today, here is a gratitude video in honour of all who sent relief aid to Biafra
during the war. We are grateful to them all.

We also remember all who lost their lives during the war. May they Rest In Peace.

Kindly note that you can visit the Centre For Memories to see our ongoing exhibition on
the Biafra War titled “Ọzọemena".

#BiafraRemembranceDay

#CentreForMemories
Read 4 tweets
May 30, 2021
THE BIAFRAN AIRLIFT

The Airlift to Biafra is the second largest airlift in human history. It is known that about 3 million Igbo people died during the war but that number would have been a lot more if not the humanitarian activities of so many groups, organizations and national
governments who sent relief aid to Biafra.

Approximately 30 non-governmental organizations and several governments provided non-military direct and indirect aid through or in support of the Biafran Airlift. Major contributors of such items as food, medicine, transport aircraft,
air and ground crew included:

American Jewish Emergency Effort for Biafran Relief

Canada (financial, food, material, C-130 Hercules aircraft)

Canairrelief (a NGO organized by the Presbyterian Church of Canada and Oxfam Canada. Over 10,000 tons were carried in 674 flights)
Read 8 tweets
May 30, 2021
THE UGA AIRSTRIP

Many people are aware that Biafra had an airstrip in Uli but only a few know that there was another airstrip in Uga, Anambra State.

Uga, the second of the three sites originally selected as a bush airstrip, was hastily developed following the threatened loss of
Uli in September 1968. Like Uli, the airstrip at Uga was converted from a stretch of the main Orlu to Awka road but instead of creating concrete hard-standings, the Biafrans used a form of PSP (a pierced-steel planking system), although local reports at the time described the
material as 'perforated aluminium strip '. (It is very likely that the material used for developing Uga had originally been purchased via the Church Relief Service for use at Uli.

By the end of 1968 the strip was declared operational, but only as a secondary strip to Uli and
Read 6 tweets
May 30, 2021
THE ABAGANA AMBUSH

The Abagana Ambush (March 31, 1968) was an ambush by Biafran guerrilla troops led by Major Jonathan Uchendu that wiped out the Nigerian 2 Division. Of the 6,000 Nigerian troops ambushed, only a very small number survived, including
the 2nd Division's commander, General Murtala Muhammed.

On 31 March 1968, a convoy consisting of 106 vehicles belonging to the Nigerian 2nd Division transporting 6,000 soldiers, as well as armour from Onitsha to Enugu was ambushed and decimated in the town of Abagana by a small
unit of Biafran soldiers led by Major Jonathan Uchendu.

Homemade Ogbunigwe rocket missiles were launched by the Biafrans at a tanker truck carrying gasoline which caused an enormous explosion destroying many of the convoy's armoured vehicles and killing a large number of
Read 4 tweets
May 30, 2021
OPERATION HIROSHIMA

This was a military operation conducted by the Biafran 4th Commando Brigade in an attempt to recapture Onitsha from the Nigerian 2nd Division. The operation ultimately resulted in failure and ended in the deaths of numerous mercenaries and Biafran soldiers.
In early November 1968 the 4,000 strong Biafran 4th Commando Brigade moved northwards from Umuahia to Nkwelle, less than 10 km outside of Onitsha. On 15 November Colonel Rolf Steiner was ordered to launch an offensive operation coined "Operation Hiroshima". Steiner initially
objected on the grounds that his troops were trained for guerrilla tactics, but was overruled.

The operation was a full frontal attack across an open field. With no aerial support or any natural obstacles to hide behind the attacking Biafran brigade was decimated by Nigerian
Read 5 tweets
May 30, 2021
OPERATION OAU (September 2 – October 15, 1968)

Operation OAU was a move by the Nigerian troops to capture the three towns of Owerri, Aba and Umuahia. It was an intermittent battle that may have resulted in over 25,000 deaths on both sides. Although the Biafran soldiers were
outnumbered, they were able to retain control of Umuahia and eventually recapture the cities of Owerri and Aba.

On September 2, Nigerian artillery began shelling Aba while ground forces began to enter the city under heavy Biafran fire. For twelve days bloody house-to-house
fighting ensued and bodies filled Red Cross hospitals before the final Biafrans surrendered on the 14th September. On the 13th September the Biafran 14th Division came under heavy artillery fire from the Nigerian 16th Brigade under the command of Colonel E.A. Etuk.
Read 10 tweets

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