Eastern region was totally blockaded by the federal government. Starvation was used as a weapon to force Igbos into surrendering.
According to Awolowo who was Gowon's second in command, starvation was a legitimate tactics during war, you do not expect us to feed the enemy fat.
The surprising thing is, Ojukwu also used starvation as a deliberate ammunition to gain international sympathy. The pictures and video of Igbos suffering from marasmus and kwashiorkor were given to selected PR firms to be advertised during TV primetime all over the world.
The intention was to raise international anger against Nigeria and also force the international community to recognise Biafra. And by so doing, win the war which was at Biafra's disadvantage.
Indeed the whole world was stirred to the extent of an American, Bruce Mayrock, burning himself.
Donations and foodstuffs poured in from all corners of the world. But the donations, surprisingly were used to buy more guns to fight. In fact, many food relief planes that responded to the hunger and starvation calls were used as perfect covers to smuggle in arms.
We must admit that both Gowon and Ojukwu took extremely selfish positions that put the lives of millions of people under their care at great risk during the war.
Gowon insisted on One Nigeria at all cost. According to his government, the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.
Pray, tell me, how can the unity of a country in which at the eve of independence the clause of secession was hotly debated and favoured to be in the constitution, with the Northern and the Western regions wholly in support of secession of any region, be suddenly preserved at ANY COST just seven years after this debate?
In fact, the coup that brought Gowon into power was carried out by Northern military officers with the intention of breaking the North out of Nigeria. Araba must go!
Any observant mind will find course to believe that Gowon and the federal government were not fighting to preserve Nigeria's unity. Rather, they fought to be the beneficiary of the natural resources in the Eastern Nigeria. To be precise, crude oil!
On the order hand, Ojukwu fought to get Biafra sovereignty at all cost and also preserve his position as the head of his new nation. If millions of Igbos had to die. So be it!
To place the sovereignty and leadership of a nation over the lives and safety of your people is nothing short of selfishness at its extremity.
Any leader who loves the people prioritises the lives and safety of their people first. In this regard, both Ojukwu and Gowon failed woefully.
To this end, you must understand why it is imperative we denounce any leader who takes extreme position in the name of preserving Nigeria's unity or giving Igbos Biafra. We have seen the heavy human cost such extremist position has wrought in the past.
For us the Igbos, anyone who says Biafra at all cost again, may the cost start with his wife, children, kinsmen and his community. After this, we will show the person the way to the asylum because that's exactly where the fellow belongs.
To war in Nigeria or in South East, we say Never Again!
Enough innocent blood have been shed in this country that it will be foolhardy for anyone, group or tribe to take steps, covertly or overtly, that will lead to the repeat of such inhumanity again. Never again!
I boldly declare, curse be upon any soul that tries again to take us down to the dark alley of hunger, starvation and war all to assuage their tiny ego!
We must as a people realise there are political solutions to our differences as citizens of Nigeria. We should never allow the ego of our leaders jettison this fact!
Written by Ezeikolomuo
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