1.
Tribute to Biafran Heroes and Martyrs
From Newfoundland
and Labrador to British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, thousands of ndi
Igbo representing virtually every province in Canada and several states in the U.S. converged on Toronto, Canada,
on June 11, 2005, to pay tribute to the victims of the Nigerian-sponsored genocide against the people of Biafra.
Organized by the International Coalition
of Igbo Organizations (ICIO) in conjunction with the Igbo Canadian Community Association of
Toronto (ICCAT), and the Biafra Liberation Movement (BLM),
the 2005 Biafra Memorial Celebration was the culmination of a series of activities that showcased aspects of the
Igbo culture worldwide during the month-long celebration of Igbo Heritage in May.
2.
Laying of the Wreath
One of the highlights of the memorial
ceremony in which more than 3,000 Biafrans from all walks of life participated was the laying of the wreath. The
Biafran veterans, many of whom wore colourful insignia, left their specially decorated tables for a secluded corner
of the building. From there, the president of the Igbo Canadian Community Association led them in a march to a
makeshift cenotaph at the background of which was the red, black, and green Biafran Flag with its distinctive Rising
Sun.
Within minutes, the procession arrived
at the cenotaph and stood at attention in
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front of the huge and colourful Flag. Instantly, the Biafran Anthem started playing. Ndi Igbo inside and outside the hall stood up with their guests and joined in the singing of the anthem.
The attendees who were wearing hats removed and put them aside. Diaspora kids stopped playing with their balloons
and other memorial-day paraphernalia. And while all eyes were focused on the conspicuously displayed Biafran Flag,
one of the veterans and the president of the Igbo Canadian Community Association stepped forward together, laid
the wreath gently at the foot of the cenotaph, stepped backward, saluted in memory of the victims of the genocide,
and bowed their heads in silent prayer before rejoining the other participants in singing the Biafran National
Anthem.
At that point, many Igbo persons were
visibly overtaken by emotion while others, especially those who were old enough to witness the harrowing waves
of remorseless genocide � the most horrendous ethnic-cleansing operations in the history of Africa � and the horrors of the war that followed them, tried unsuccessfully to hold back their tears.
The scene was so moving that many of the participants felt their hairs stand on end.
3.
Igbo Cultural Dance
Some of the attendees who, after the laying
of the wreath, thought that they had seen the most exciting event of the day were pleasantly surprised by the Owere Women�s Dance Group whose display of Igbo cultural dance was so spectacular and so enthralling
that the roof of the building literally retracted without notice, allowing Canadian and American dollar bills of
different denominations to rain upon the dancers.
The longer the duration of the dance,
the faster the rate at which the dancers were being showered with more and more dollar bills,
and the greater the frustration of the dollar-pickers who were seemingly overwhelmed by the unexpected display
of generosity. A Martian from out of space visiting Biafra, Land of the
Rising Sun, for the first time would have easily mistaken the cultural show for a contest between the Owere women dancers and their philanthropic admirers.
The dancing continued for several hours
after some of the attendees, young and old, joined the Owere women dancers.
4.
Genocide Photo Gallery
The highlights of the day�s events would
be incomplete without a word about the
photo gallery, an impressive collection of carefully preserved war-time pictures that captured, at least in part,
the cruel fate and agonies of Eastern Nigerian indigenes murdered in cold blood by Northern Nigerian and Yoruba
hordes in civilian clothes and military uniform.
The gruesome pictures, some of which were
accompanied by explanatory notes, included Biafran children with bloated bellies and victims of kwashiorkor (a
chilling testimony to Nigeria�s use of starvation as a �legitimate tool of war�); pregnant Eastern-Nigerian women
whose uteri were mercilessly sliced open with bayonets by Northern Nigerian soldiers (an indication of their savagery);
hospitals and open markets that were napalm-bombed and strafed by Russian-supplied and Egyptian-piloted MIGs (including Ozuabam); the wanton destruction of Biafran lives and property by the Nigerian
vandals; the incineration of orphanages and churches (no distinctions were made between Protestants and Catholics);
the wrecks of Biafran infrastructures; and much more.
The pictures were displayed on the walls
of the rectangular gallery. Upon arrival, ndi Igbo and their friends
and sympathizers were given a guided tour of the gallery by the Biafran attendants before being ushered into the
main hall. On the outside, the building was festooned with Biafran flags and balloons.
5.
Opening Prayer and Consecration of Kola Nut
Apart from the above-mentioned highlights,
the events of the day included an opening prayer, breaking of kola nuts, keynote speech, voluntary donations, and
Biafran dishes.
In his emotional and tearful prayer, one
of the Igbo Jesuits recounted with a heavy heart some of the trials and tribulations of ndi
Igbo in Nigeria, including their systemic marginalization, the recent denigration of their language (Igbo), the
destruction of their traditional means of livelihood (importation), the neglect of their infrastructures (roads
and bridges, especially the Niger), the harassment of their cherished leaders and heroes by Obasanjo�s Gestapo, the massacre and imprisonment of defenseless members of the Movement for the Actualization
of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) on trumped up charges, and the PDP
sponsored mayhem in Anambra State. In the end, the Jesuit called on the Almighty God to champion the Igbo course
and redeem the Igbo Nation from the modern-day �Sodom and
Gomorrah� called Nigeria.
The prayer was followed by the customary
presentation of the kola nuts � a gesture of welcome and traditional symbol of Igbo hospitality � to the assembly
of Biafrans. And in strict accordance with Igbo culture, the nuts were first consecrated by one of the elders before
being broken into smaller pieces. The consecration is an indispensable phase in the breaking of kola nuts amongst
ndi Igbo at home and in Diaspora.
6.
Keynote Speech
In the keynote speech that followed the
breaking of the kola nuts, the speaker reminded the participants of the human sacrifice and intellectual contributions
made by ndi Igbo to the development of Nigeria. �Instead of being appreciated,� he pointed out, �all we hear from Nigeria is bad news about ndi Igbo.� After reviewing the circumstances that led to the declaration
of Biafra and the deplorable plight of ndi Igbo in Nigeria today,
the guest speaker speculated on measures ndi Igbo should take to
better their lives somewhat. In sum, his take-home message was simple: ndi
Igbo should stop expecting the impossible (= appreciation for their contributions and hard work) from the ungrateful
(= Nigeria) and, instead, take their collective welfare and future into their
own hands in order to ensure their long-term survival on earth as a people.
The laying of the wreath sparked off an
unexpected flurry of voluntary
donations in support of the Biafran veterans at home and abroad, the virtually forgotten Biafran amputees languishing
in towns and villages across Igboland, and the popular clamour of ndi Igbo worldwide for the actualization of Biafra, given the unworkability of Nigeria and the incessant tug-of-war between her constituent nations. The president of the Igbo
Association of Edmonton in Alberta, the Committee of Friends, the representatives of local and state-based
Igbo associations, and most of the individual participants � all dipped their hands into their pockets and donated
generously.
Sensing that some people were getting
hungry, the master of ceremony announced the readiness of buffet-style dinner soon after. The veterans and special
guests were served food and drinks on their tables; others lined up, table by table, to help themselves with assorted
Biafran dishes that would have been enough for 5,000 people.
At 3 a.m., the president of the hosting
association rose to thank all the guests, the cultural dancers, the Biafran veterans, the chairman and members
of Biafra Memorial Celebration Committee, the corporate sponsors of the event, the Committee of Friends, the attendees
from different parts of Canada and the United States, and every one who, in one way or the other, helped to make
the 2005 Biafra Memorial Ceremony a resounding success. The music and dancing continued afterwards. And some parents
with exhausted little children started to leave.
Even before the 2005 Biafra Memorial Celebration
ended in the wee hours of the morning, most of the jubilant attendees and the joyous organizers of the event were
already looking forward to the next rendez-vous. À la prochaine (until then) everybody!