DONT GO TO MY COUNTRY AND THINK YOU HAVE BECOME AN AUTHORITY ON IT. YOU KNOW NOTHING. I received a lecture from a caucasian woman who visited Nigeria within the last 2 years, married a Nigerian and is now an Authority on Nigeria. She then called me a Runaway because I live in the United States. Being insulted by someone who has no clue as to what she was saying I controlled and limited myself to addressing her accusations and her naïveté in thinking she knew and understood the Nigerian People. In 1966 Lt Col Ojukwu asked all non-Igbos to leave the Eastern Region, among those was my Family from the University of Nsukka Community. The Alukos of Ekiti can attest to what I am saying. We left Nsukka in a Convoy of maybe 30 Cars on a 2 Day Journey out of the Eastern Region. Between Nsukka and Enugu was a treacherous mountain pass called Milliken hill. A narrow 2 lane road with no railings and certain death if you fell off into the Ravine. My Mother and Father burdened with Six Children carrying only what could fit with us in two cars along with the rest and their families headed slowly and painfully out of the East enduring the sweltering heat, the potholed roads and the fear and uncertainty of our journey. We all made it out of the East my Parents Choosing to stop in our Newly formed State the Midwest Carved out of the Western Region Bordering at Asaba on the West side of the River Niger. We Settled in Benin, but Peace was not to remain for long. One morning sometime in 1967 we woke up to a strange group of Soldiers with vehicles that had the inscription RED DEVIL. Within hours the Word had been passed on that Ojukwus Rebel Soldiers had taken over the Midwest. My family became separated when my Fathers office was entered by Biafran Soldiers who according to his office staff were their to kill him. He escaped going through our hometown of Ora and made his way to Lagos. My Mother was now left alone with Six Children ages 14 to 2. One day two weeks later my mother came home, there was a Biafran Soldier in the Car. She was driving her Friends Car who had left the Country a tiny OPEL. My Mother told all of us to get into the back of the Car and we were squished like Sardines. This Soldier had kidnapped my mother while she was at the Market calling her an American Saboteur and he was taking her to Onitsha for interrogation. My Mother was one brave woman. As we left for Onitsha, I am inclined to believe that my mother knew if we left our City THERE WOULD BE NO RETURN. She pulled into a Petrol Station, stopped the Car and started Screaming If we are going to die we will die on Bini Soil. Bini People started to Surround the Car my mother Kept Screaming, finally a young boy about 20 came up on a Motorcycle in Uniform. He was a Biafran Leftenant. He came to the window and asked the Corporal what was wrong, the Corporal told him he was taking my Mother to Onitsha for interrogation. The Leftenant asked the Corporal to get out of the Car he hesitated and warned my mother not to move. They had a talk, then the Leftenant asked my Mother to leave, the Corporal protested and raised his Rifle. My Mom didnt hesitate took off and didnt look back. We rushed home got some things and Went to my Aunt Jokos House, She was married to Solomon Obaseki. When some Foreigner has the Nerve to insult the Memory of my Mother and my Family because she married a Nigerian, I get Offended, you know nothing about who I am what I am or what I have endured and you most certainly do not know my Country. PART 2 COMING UP
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 08:55:28 +0000
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