A retired Major-General of the Nigerian Army, Edet Akpan says lack of trust was the reason behind the disunity between Igbos and other minorities during the civil war.
Akpan, a former director general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), made this known in an interview with Premium Times in Uyo, capital of Akwa-Ibom.
He said, “Lack of trust has always been on between the Igbo and the minorities.”
Akpan, an indigene of Akwa-Ibom, said the state and other south-south states would prefer to stay with Nigeria than to join Biafra.
“It (Nigeria) is much better than a region that you don’t feel (that you) belong. If you are suppressed as a minority (in Biafra) where do you cry to?” he said.
Speaking on why Biafra lost the war, he said other minorities were not certain of their place in an Igbo-controlled nation.
“I remember one Igbo leader who said, ‘Don’t worry the quarrel between the Igbo and the minorities is that between a husband and wife’. Oh, this place almost went into flame. Then it was asked, ‘Who is the husband and who is the wife?’ You see, the lack of trust is still there.”
According to Akpan what the Igbos really want is not Biafra, but not to feel ostracised within the Nigerian state.
“They want to feel that an Igbo man can one day become the president of Nigeria.
“They (Igbos) should seek whatever they want within the framework of the Nigerian state,” he said.
Dolapo is a writer and journalist who works with YNaija. He has interests in Christianity, politics and sports.
Comment:you are not really in order, speak for yourself and not for others, you are one of the people that betrayed ojukwu when he was fighting for this course,do you think you are better off in Nigeria? WY are you always crying for maginalization, stop creating uproar amongst people, this is the time we all have to join hands and bring about this country we have long since dreamt of,
Comment:you are not really in order, speak for yourself and not for others, you are one of the people that betrayed ojukwu when he was fighting for this course,do you think you are better off in Nigeria? WY are you always crying for maginalization, stop creating uproar amongst people, this is the time we all have to join hands and bring about this country we have long since dreamt of,
You should return the money they gave u immediately lier
I am from Opobo in Rivers State, Of South-south geo-polical area of Nigeria, I lost nine (9) of my uncle who fought as Biafrans soldiers, during the Nigerian/ Biafran Civil war. I don’t know what this man is talking. He should speak for himself. Two of my uncles were members of BOFF, Biafra Organization Of Freedom Fighters. One retired from Union Bank as a manager, while the other retired from Nigeria Railways Corporation. They are both alive and living in PH.
Your lie the Zoo All South South and South East are Biafrans No going back