Book Presentation, Pains of Passion, the Story of Biafra

Public Address at the book presentation for “Pains of Passion, The Story of Biafra” – Felix N. C. Oragwu, FSAN, Guest of Honor.

Mr. Chairman Sir, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I want to thank Uche Chris, the Publisher of this very deep, informative, and instructive Book, titled, Pains of Passion, A Biafra Story+ (Courage, Bravery, Suffering and Death). I am highly honored to be invited as a Guest of Honor and to speak on the now defunct State of Biafra and the Challenges of Igbo ethnic Nationality Leadership in Nigeria as a Nation State of many and distinct ethnic Nationalities or Nations. I believe, that I am invited for this Task, for the following Reasons, namely (1) my being a Key Member of the Science and Technology Group that fought for the Defense of Biafra, in which I served as Head of Research and Technology Development (R&D) Planning Division / Coordinator of the Technological Services in the now defunct State of Biafra, (2) being the Coordinator of the RAP Weapon Advisory Services to the Military Formations defending the now defunct State of Biafra, and (3) Perhaps for my consistent and persistent Writings, since the end of the Civil War, pleading and asking the Nigeria’s Leadership Elite in Politics and in Government to address what led to Nigeria-Biafra Civil War. Unfortunately, the Nigeria’s Leadership Elite in Politics and in Government seem not interested or reluctant, to address what really led to the Nigeria – Biafra Civil War. This Book is a must Read by all Nigerians who wish Nigeria well. I highly commend this Book, titled Pains of Passion The Story of Biafra in our effort to address the Nigeria’s Existential Problems as One Nation State, in Peace and Cordiality, so that Nigeria can develop in real Unity , in real Peace and making real Economic Progress as one Great Nation in Africa, South of Sahara Desert, commensurate with Nigeria’s huge and enormous Endowment in Natural Resources and highly talented human Resources, which any Nation will be very happy, proud and grateful to have. We need one indivisible Nigeria to be relevant as Great Nation in Africa. All the ethnic Nationalities comprised in Nigeria should embrace the Spirit of Reconciliation, No Victor and No Vanquished.  Nigeria Unity is therefore not negotiable, in order, to speed up our Economic Development / Industrialization, and relevance in the World of Nations.   Everything must be done to ensure that Nigeria remains one Great / Prosperous Nation in Africa. This is the Message of my Writings since the end of the Civil War in 1970. Recall UK of Great Britain colonized and amalgamated the Indian Sub- Continent now made up of Hindu India, Sunni Moslem Partiskan, and Shite Moslem Bangladesh Nations, respectively. This is the Result of a True Federation following their mutually Agreed Terms of Union by the three new Nations following the end of the Second War of 1939-1945, when Britain was no longer powerful enough to hold them together by force, as former India Sub-Continent now broken up into three Independent Nations of India in 1947, Partiskan in 1949, and thereafter Bangladesh, respectively. Nigeria should not allow that to happen to the forced Amalgamated Nation since 1914 of the different / distinct ethnic Nationalities or Nations, comprised in Nigeria. That is why I have been persistently pleading for Nigeria to be restructured into a true Nation State, that is a True and Sustainable Federation based on Mutually Agreed Terms of Union, like UK of Great Brain which is a Federation of England, Scotland, and Wales, which came into Existence as one Nation State by a Treaty of Union. UK of Great Britain our former Colonial Master is now a formidable Economic, Industrial, and Military Power, in the Continent of Europe. Nigeria can be such Powerful Nation State in African Continent, South of Sahara Desert.     

I sincerely believe that the main Cause of the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War, and related Nigeria’s Political Instability and Crises of Good Governance since Independence in 1960, is Nigeria’s Leadership Failure to address her forced Amalgamation by the British Colonial Authorities. Nigeria has not been availed or given the opportunity to decide whether the ethnic Nationalities or Nations comprised in Nigeria, want to be one Nation, since its Amalgamation in 1914 and the imposition of Sir Fredrick Lugard as the British Governor General of the Amalgamated Entity, now called Nigeria. For information, it is the British Economic Interest / Convenience that led to the forced Amalgamation, willing or not, of the different / distinct ethnic Nationalities or Nations, located, around the Length and Breadth of the River Niger, from the South of Sahara Desert down to the Delta of the Atlantic Ocean and named Nigeria. For information, these different and distinct ethnic Nationalities or Nations, now called Nigeria, are namely, Hausa- Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, Ijaw, Urhobo, Itschekiri, Idoma, Igala, Efik , Ogoja, Isoko, and many others with smaller Populations, as listed in the 1931 British Colonial Population Census of Nigeria. It is the forced Amalgamation of the ethnic Nationalities, that is primarily responsible for the Nigeria- Biafra Civil War, and the Book the Pains of Passion: A Biafra Story by Uche Chris. Please diligently read for more Details, Chapters II, III, and VIII of my Book, written and launched, after the Nigeria- Biafra Civil War, titled, Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra: The Ogbunigwe Technology Fame, 1967-1970, Second Edition, 2017, asking and persistently pleading for the Pains of Nigeria-Biafra Civil War to be addressed in Truth and Justice, and in Peace and Cordiality, but nobody (in Politics and in Government in Nigeria) seemed to listen, and the Pains of Nigeria- Biafra Civil War  continue to linger, till date .

Therefore to  address Nigeria’s Political Instability and Crises of Good Governance and the Pains of the Civil War of 1967-1970 , in Peace and Cordiality, since my Writings from 1970, I have consistently, on End, in Writings, called the Attention of the Nigeria’s Political Leadership Elite in Politics and in Government, to the Examples of Nation States, which are True and Sustainable Federations and which are making fantastic Economic / Industrial Progress in Unity as one indivisible Nation , such as the UK of Great Britain, which is a True and Sustainable Federation of England, , Scotland and Wales, which came into being in 1707, following their Mutually Agreed Terms of Union or Treaty of Union, or Canada, which is a Federation of English Speaking Americans and French Speaking Americans, which came together after the American War of Independence, to establish Canada, which is the American Red Indian Word for Union, or the European Union, which is a True and Sustainable Federation of 27 European Nations, which came into Existence after the 1939-1945 Second World War, when the European Nations found themselves no longer individually capable to control their Colonies in Africa and Asia, and had to come together, in order to remain relevant  in the Global World Economic and Military Power Dynamics, and  the USSR Federation which is a Union of Eastern  European Russia Federation and the 13 Euro-Asian Nations which were brought together by Karl Marx / Engels Socialist/ Communist Ideology in 1919.   USSR has now disintegrated when the Force of Communism can no longer hold.

Nigeria constituent ethnic Nationalities should do likewise, without fear and without further delay, but through Mutually Agreed Terms of Union or Treaty of Union, in order, to establish a True and Sustainable Federation of the ethnic Nationalities comprised in Nigeria as one Indivisible Nation State, so that Nigeria can have Peace, and develop in real Unity as one Indivisible Nation. How to achieve this, in my View, are well documented and contained in my following Documents or Books, namely, (1) Nigeria’s Constitutional Structure and Existential Crises as One Nation, (2) Significant Events in Nigeria and Biafra, from 1966- 1976, documented by me, (3) Fact Sheet of the Problems, facing Nigeria’s Peaceful Existence as One Nation all documented in my Website Blog technogeria.ng, and in my Books, titled  (a) Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra and (b) Technology and Wealth of Nations ( African Experience, 1899-2021), respectively.    

It is my Prayer, and Hope, that Nigeria’s Political Elite, now in Election Contests Mood for Nigeria’s 2023 National Elections, will spare some time to read the above -mentioned Documents in my Website Blog, titled technogeria.ng, which will assist them in addressing my earlier Suggestions in my persistent Writings since 1978, which are also well documented in my Website Blog, technogeria.ng , I have no doubt that Nigeria will be a Great Nation in Africa, but we Nigerians must make this happen.

Thank you, Uche Chris, for writing this Book and for inviting me, and all of us, here to launch this Book. God Bless us All while we continue to pray for God’s Intervention in the Affairs of our Country Nigeria.

Felix N.C. Oragwu, FSAN, MInstP (IOP) London

Former Senior Academic in Physics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), from 1960s,
Head of Research and Development (R&D)  Planning Division / Coordinator of  Technological Services of the Industrial War Machine that operated in the defunct State of Biafra, 1967-1970.
Retired Senior Director in Charge of the Department of Science and Technology (S&T) Policy, Planning and Development of the Federal Government Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) 1979-1987
Former Technology Development Consultant to UNECA, UNDP and UNIDO