It’s painful to see that life and its inhabitants don’t seem to feel pain as deeply as they claim to. I have personally witnessed pain and can attest that it is a depressing experience. Memories of sorrowful events can be exhausting and excruciatingly painful. At times, I feel the need to exonerate myself from things I barely have any idea of, or to excoriate myself. However, how can we claim to not understand pain? How do we escape the stigma, forget, or never remember? These are the real sources of pain.

The Nigerian state is an example of such pain. Three million Biafrans were raped, starved, butchered, and bombed so that Nigeria could continue to exist under a false premise that the people are united. But are we really one, or do we pretend to be? Do we pretend that the killings never happened, and just move on? It took me years to finally accept that the Nigerian state is heartless, if there is even a word to describe it. There is no remorse for the atrocities committed against families and the captured nation that has never left. There are no attempts at reconciliation or Remembrance Day to forge alliances or have truthful peace talks. The only thing that exists is the air we breathe and the phrase “No Victor, No Vanquish,” which does nothing for the over three million people who died for nothing.

Every day, I wake up thinking of a way to make sense of what happened to the three million forgotten people of Biafra. These individuals died believing in a nation where freedom was binding and sacred, hoping for a new beginning. Unfortunately, their dream didn’t materialize, but we are here, inheriting the consequences of their actions as we live day by day. Nigeria, a nation that pretends to seek peace, should instead strengthen alliances to foster unity and growth. It’s important to address the issues of the war instead of erasing history from schools and sabotaging progress for the entire nation.

What is the purpose of war? What does anyone gain from it? Three million people died and were forgotten. It’s heart-wrenching to imagine innocent children starving to death, women being raped to death, men being killed and butchered, and everyone being bombed while losing their properties. The survivors were given only twenty pounds to start anew after having their belongings seized and being disgraced. This is enough proof of the hate and many other aggressions towards the people for no reason. What is the logic behind all of these evil actions from inhumane leaders? It is a question that still lingers, and it is crucial to find an answer to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

I know that the war in Nigeria wasn’t instigated by Nigeria or Biafra, but rather by Britain’s thirst for oil. The colonizers have yet to apologize for their role in the deaths of over three million Biafrans. They seem to think that the world has moved on, but the pain they caused still lingers.

It’s absurd that the colonizers view us as uneducated and ignorant, even though we simply desire peace, progress, and unity. The war was forced upon us, and Britain took sides based solely on their interest in oil. They didn’t care about the people dying; all they cared about was their own gain. It’s shameful that they meddled in the affairs of a nation they claimed to have granted independence to, but failed to fully support.

As an Igbo, I am haunted by the atrocities committed against my people during the war. It’s disheartening that no one has made a genuine effort to mend the wounds or initiate peace talks. Remembering those who lost their lives during the war would help us move forward and foster progress.

The region has been marginalized beyond reason and viewed as a captured nation. The silence around this issue is deafening, and it’s painful to be reminded of our place and who we are every time there’s a discussion. We deserve better than to be treated like third or fourth-class citizens.

Which of these things has the Nigerian government denied, and which have they done right? These are facts. Most of the time, I am not proud of being called a Nigerian. These experiences invoke feelings of shame and betrayal, which is why my people are suffering and agitating to this day. Not that any part of Nigeria is doing particularly well, but this part of Nigeria lives and breathes with the scars of millions of Igbo people who were slaughtered because the Nigerian government rejected the resolution agreed upon at Aburi. The agreement would have restructured the country, but the government found it unacceptable, and a war broke out, resulting in the deaths of millions. Today, the discussion in politics revolves around the same restructuring that led to the war. Can we all agree that these people died in vain for a war that could have been prevented if the Nigerian government had accepted the resolution at Aburi? The people of the old eastern region want to control their resources and have full control of their lands while remitting to the central government. This desire led to the war and killed over three million people, and today, it is what almost all parts of the southern region are agitating for. So these people died for nothing as a result of the greed of the leaders and their influencers, including the British Empire.

The dictators in government keep making policies that destabilize my region, its people, and its growth. One day, the sun will rise and it will be bright. One day, dreams will come true and they won’t be shattered. One day, our voices and pains will be heard, and they will strike. One day, we will have had enough, and it won’t be enough. One day, just one day, the people’s spirit will be lifted to confront their fears. Let it be noted that the British organized the conference at Aburi, Ghana, in which all parties agreed. Today, the war is not discussed in the UK. No one cares about true reconciliation, including oppressors and aggressors – Nigeria and Britain. We won’t forget until the right thing is done. We will always remember, and one day, God willing, the impossible will be done!

Chidiebere A. Okoroji