The Nigerian Civil War, popularly known as the Nigeria-Biafra war, lasted from 6th July, 1967 – 15th January 1970. It was a war fought to counter the secession of Biafra, an area dominated by the Igbo. Many people believed that the war became inevitable because the Igbo people felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government. The conflict resulted from long period of alleged political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious deprivations, which preceded Britain’s formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Before the full blown war, there had been a military coup in 1966, a counter-coup and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria, forcing them to return home.The young military officers who carried out the military junta of january 15 1966 which was the foundation of the later to come civil war was one of the first major impact of youths on the Nigerian political scene which unfortunately lead to the death of over 500,000 Nigerian youths during the course of the 17 month bloody war.
During the civil war the priviledge few who had the means to take their family abroad did so and eventually became citizens mostly those that travelled to the united kingdom among the offspring of these migrants are Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nonso Anozie and many more. However the same cannot be said for the majority who didnt have the means to run away during the time of a bitter discord between the Nigerian government and the secessionist, the youth and even children were compulsorily conscripted into the army. Child armies were trained and matched into the battle ground to face the men of the Nigerian military.
The political class and the elite which mismanagement of fund led to the military intervention and consequently the civil war fled with their families, the rulling military officers sent their families abroad and forcefully conscripted the children of the masses to join a course to which the promise of a better future if they won was all they could cling to.
The youth who had to drop out of school to fight to protect their families and for their own survival were the major casualities of the war. Today veterans of the war who were conscripted forcefully at the tender ages of 14 to fight have been abandoned to fend for themselves despite the various injuries they suffered that incapacitated them from been fully functuonal.
Today The lack of education in the north and the inability of the political class in the Arewa to ensure high level of literacy amongst the indigenes have led to the BOKO HARAM menece where millions of life and property had been lost and once again the youths have been the major victims due to their inability to earn a good living and the damage to which the violence have done to the trade and commerce of the state living youths unemployed, roaming the streets and becoming willing tools for the evil mechanisms of man. This is yet another short coming on part of the political class of which the youths are yet the victims. Yet lessons have not been learnt.
Nigeria’s main problem is widely attributed to governmental failure to manage ethnic diversity. Without finding that elusive social contract, and given current cases of massive violence, especially growing tension and violence between Nigeria’s geographically associated ethnic groups, North (Muslim) and South (Christian), not restructuring the state system could lead to the country’s breaking into at least two regions.
Today, within our nation, it seems that the events of the day, to wit, the large-scale polarization of the polity, the increasing heinous attacks and wanton killings by the Fulani herdsmen, the rise in insecurity fanned by ethno-religious misunderstanding and the queasy sense of marginalization with attendant calls for restructuring and breakup, the inability if the government to tacke this menace will sooner or later led to a bitter battle between the parties involve which might led to another form of civil war which only goes to show that Nigeria as learnt nothing from the civil war.
The cheer unwilligness of the political class to inprove the country and make it a better place if not than they met it or atleast to give the Nigerian youths the same levels of opportunity that they had is another civil war on the young and most vibrant group of people than makes up over half of the nations population.
The country that once flow with milk and honey now flows with struggle, struggling and nothing but more struggles. It is becoming more difficult for the Nigerian youth to get opportunities to acheive their hopes and aspirations. The defiance of the rulling generation to care about the Nigerian youth is nothing but a civil war on the youth population a psychological and economic war which leaves the youths desperate and frustrated.
Tomorrow which marks 50 years since the declaration of the failed state of Biafra perharps the clamouring yet for the actualization of Biafra might indeed be the catalyst for opening the door to real and notable transformation in the democratic dispensation of the country. Perharps the call for Biafra which is becoming more popular by the day and the hero statues with which the IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu had been ascribed in various parts of the country will bring every stakeholder to their toes. The thoughts of another secession and likelihood of the violence that comes with it which will destabilize and shake this country to its very core looks like a strong call to bring all stakeholders back to the negotiating table.
The Nigerian system as it is is not favourable to the Nigerian youth, it serves no purpose if at all it has any. It is not beneficial in anyway to the younger generation as it does not give us a better today neither does it guarantee a better tomorrow.
The opportunities other youths have in other part of the world cannot be compared with that in Nigeria, the youth have been robbed of our today and there is little hope for tomorrow if the status quo remains.
The agitation for Biafra might however be a welcomed development as Nigerian youths are frustrated and desperate for a change that will see them move away from the backdrops, from been promised and consoled as future leaders of which the future will never come, from living in a country in which their hopes and aspiration might never be acheived, in a country were we pray for a better tomorrow that never comes.
But we are not frustrated to the point to which we will pick up arms and give our life in defending a system that as never worked for us. We wont fight for the political survival of our greedy fathers and grand fathers, we wont fight only for the promise of a better tomorrow or for the placating title of the leaders of a future unknown.
When and if we take up arms again it will be for the total elimination of the political class, our guns would lead to a marriage and union of which every part will be included and with which we will live on terms that serves the purpose of the masses and the creating for posterity a future in which they will never have to carry arms again to guarantee a better place for themselves.
*But until then the issue at hand is the May 30, 3017 planned anniversary of the war in remembrance of those who lost their lives. Fears are already been entertained on what is likely to happen on that day as there were feelers that Nigerian security operatives may not be favourably disposed to allow uninhibited celebration. However it is necessary that in honour of all those that lost their lives during the 17 month civil war should be given a respected remembrance 50 years later by notable and peaceful significant programes that would draw back our attention to how devastating the war was and how undesirable a repetition would be for all quarters of the country.*
Adebiyi Adeayo Isaac
Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy Ile Ife, Osun state Nigeria.
08146169428.