Nigeria has not learned from civil war, says Kukah

CATHOLIC Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, yesterday said
Nigeria has not recovered from wounds of the civil war, 51 years
after the unfortunate event.

He also lamented that the leaders have not learned instructive
lessons from the 30-month war.

The activist-cleric, who spoke at the second edition of the
“Never Again Conference” said the country has failed to adopt
resolutions meant to heal the wounds of the war.

But, elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakassai disagreed with him,
saying that the country had witnessed reconciliation and
healing.

The Second Republic politician, who recalled that the largely
Igbo coup of 1966 aborted the Nigerian dream and trajectory,
observed that reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation had
taken place and Nigerians are living with one another all over the
country.

He called on Nigerians to join hands to deepen democracy and
enthrone an egalitarian society.

The theme of the virtual conference was: “51 years after the
Nigerian-Biafran civil war.” It was chaired by Afenifere chieftain
Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

The conference is the brainchild of Nzuko Umunna, a pan-Igbo
socio-cultural organisation, which organised the first edition in
Lagos last year.

Kukah said some of the neglected resolutions were re-echoed at
the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission set up by
former President Olusegun Obasanjo and chaired by the late Justice
Chikudifu Oputa.

He also said while the military laid the foundation for
Nigerians to begin a process of rebuilding the nation, “things
somehow went wrong” along the line.

Kukah stressed: “I have met a lot of people who fought the war
who are full of regrets. There is a lot of resentment, anxiety and
frustration that we have not learnt any lessons.

“Fifty-one years after the war, we are still hearing the kind of
agitations that ordinarily, with commitment, dedication, focus and
the right leadership, we should have put a lot of the anxieties
behind us. Unfortunately, they are still with us.”

The bishop described the Oputa panel, which he was part of, as
“the best school I would ever hope to attend”.

He added: “Oputa Panel managed to generate quite a lot of data
and information that academicians and policymakers would have used
to ensure we erect the signpost saying, ‘Never Again’, because it
gave us an opportunity, a mirror to look at ourselves after hearing
from all sides but we didn’t have the discipline to follow
through.

“We have not been able to forgive ourselves as a people. The
wounds of the civil war have not been able to heal.

“Coups and counter-coups that followed were more or less
miniature civil wars by themselves because they threw up the same
contradictions, anxieties and feeling of divisiveness across the
country.”

The chairman of the conference planning committee, Prof. Pat
Utomi, said the initiative started as an advocacy “in trying to
bring a better understanding of the civil war and its aftermath to
the Nigerian people”.

He said it was being pursued in a way that “it will become a
source of energy for bringing a new nation”.

Utomi stressed: “We know that if people learn enough from errors
of yesterday, they can, in fact, make more progress than they are
currently making,” he said.

“One of the biggest challenges of nation-building is the kind of
trust deficits that exist which make policy implementation very
challenging.

“A better understanding of the civil war will make it become a
ladder that people can climb to higher levels of growth.”

Adebanjo said with justice and equity, restructuring and a
people’s constitution, Nigeria would overcome most of her current
challenges.

He called for a return to the 1960 Independence Constitution or
1963 Constitution, which were products of agreement among the
founding fathers, including Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and
Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

A First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, who decried
the marginalisation of Igbo in Nigeria, called for the enthronement
of equity, fairness and justice.

‘Igbo President will prove war has truly ended’

A leader of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prince Emeka Udodeme,
said only when an Igbo person becomes the President will the world
believe that the war has truly ended.

The new Ohanaeze president in Anambra State told our
correspondent that Ndigbo desire equity and fairness

He said: “Ndigbo are not lacking anything except the presidency
which other zones had occupied.

“What Ohanaeze Ndigbo is saying is: allow us to occupy the only
position other sections of the country had occupied, which is the
presidency, and we will not relent in that demand.

“We’ve fared well through our struggles but why are they still
afraid to give Igbo what is due to us?”

For the National Vice-President of Ohanaeze (Southeast), Chief
Damian Okeke-Ogene, some of those issues that led them to war were
still there.

He said: “Yes, the war ended many years ago, but have those who
fought against us during those years seen it that way?

“Ohanaeze is not giving up on the Igbo president come 2023. The
present body will continue from where the Chief Nnia Nwodo stopped
in making sure Ndigbo get to that elusive position

“We are working with our brothers and sisters from other ethnic
groups. We are demanding equity, justice and fairness in
Nigeria.”

CATHOLIC Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, yesterday said
Nigeria has not recovered from wounds of the civil war, 51 years
after the unfortunate event.

He also lamented that the leaders have not learned instructive
lessons from the 30-month war.

The activist-cleric, who spoke at the second edition of the
“Never Again Conference” said the country has failed to adopt
resolutions meant to heal the wounds of the war.

But, elder statesman Alhaji Tanko Yakassai disagreed with him,
saying that the country had witnessed reconciliation and
healing.

The Second Republic politician, who recalled that the largely
Igbo coup of 1966 aborted the Nigerian dream and trajectory,
observed that reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation had
taken place and Nigerians are living with one another all over the
country.

He called on Nigerians to join hands to deepen democracy and
enthrone an egalitarian society.

The theme of the virtual conference was: “51 years after the
Nigerian-Biafran civil war.” It was chaired by Afenifere chieftain
Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

The conference is the brainchild of Nzuko Umunna, a pan-Igbo
socio-cultural organisation, which organised the first edition in
Lagos last year.

Kukah said some of the neglected resolutions were re-echoed at
the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission set up by
former President Olusegun Obasanjo and chaired by the late Justice
Chikudifu Oputa.

He also said while the military laid the foundation for
Nigerians to begin a process of rebuilding the nation, “things
somehow went wrong” along the line.

Kukah stressed: “I have met a lot of people who fought the war
who are full of regrets. There is a lot of resentment, anxiety and
frustration that we have not learnt any lessons.

“Fifty-one years after the war, we are still hearing the kind of
agitations that ordinarily, with commitment, dedication, focus and
the right leadership, we should have put a lot of the anxieties
behind us. Unfortunately, they are still with us.”

The bishop described the Oputa panel, which he was part of, as
“the best school I would ever hope to attend”.

He added: “Oputa Panel managed to generate quite a lot of data
and information that academicians and policymakers would have used
to ensure we erect the signpost saying, ‘Never Again’, because it
gave us an opportunity, a mirror to look at ourselves after hearing
from all sides but we didn’t have the discipline to follow
through.

“We have not been able to forgive ourselves as a people. The
wounds of the civil war have not been able to heal.

“Coups and counter-coups that followed were more or less
miniature civil wars by themselves because they threw up the same
contradictions, anxieties and feeling of divisiveness across the
country.”

The chairman of the conference planning committee, Prof. Pat
Utomi, said the initiative started as an advocacy “in trying to
bring a better understanding of the civil war and its aftermath to
the Nigerian people”.

He said it was being pursued in a way that “it will become a
source of energy for bringing a new nation”.

Utomi stressed: “We know that if people learn enough from errors
of yesterday, they can, in fact, make more progress than they are
currently making,” he said.

“One of the biggest challenges of nation-building is the kind of
trust deficits that exist which make policy implementation very
challenging.

“A better understanding of the civil war will make it become a
ladder that people can climb to higher levels of growth.”

Adebanjo said with justice and equity, restructuring and a
people’s constitution, Nigeria would overcome most of her current
challenges.

He called for a return to the 1960 Independence Constitution or
1963 Constitution, which were products of agreement among the
founding fathers, including Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and
Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

A First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, who decried
the marginalisation of Igbo in Nigeria, called for the enthronement
of equity, fairness and justice.

‘Igbo President will prove war has truly ended’

A leader of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prince Emeka Udodeme,
said only when an Igbo person becomes the President will the world
believe that the war has truly ended.

The new Ohanaeze president in Anambra State told our
correspondent that Ndigbo desire equity and fairness

He said: “Ndigbo are not lacking anything except the presidency
which other zones had occupied.

“What Ohanaeze Ndigbo is saying is: allow us to occupy the only
position other sections of the country had occupied, which is the
presidency, and we will not relent in that demand.

“We’ve fared well through our struggles but why are they still
afraid to give Igbo what is due to us?”

For the National Vice-President of Ohanaeze (Southeast), Chief
Damian Okeke-Ogene, some of those issues that led them to war were
still there.

He said: “Yes, the war ended many years ago, but have those who
fought against us during those years seen it that way?

“Ohanaeze is not giving up on the Igbo president come 2023. The
present body will continue from where the Chief Nnia Nwodo stopped
in making sure Ndigbo get to that elusive position

“We are working with our brothers and sisters from other ethnic
groups. We are demanding equity, justice and fairness in
Nigeria.”