Help the Healing Happen
(The Aladimma Project)



 

M. O. ENE
egbedaa@aol.com


Ten years ago, I instituted the Nigeria-Biafra Memorial Lecture with the slogan: “Let the healing begin.” This was a time when the mere mention of Biafra was almost taboo even outside the shores of Nigeria. Since then, a whole lot of water has passed under the bridge.

Of everything that has happened since then, one thing remains unchanged: the worsening condition of the disabled war veterans at Oji River. The need to restore the dignity of these physically and psychologically traumatized men and their families is obvious. The few remaining individuals live the darkest memories of our lives; they stand guard as painful reminders of an era we will rather forget. They have helped to keep the pain alive for almost forty years. It is about time we softened the burden.

PERSPECTIVE
Healing is not just about forgetting and forgiving, it is about learning the lessons of what happened to us and using it to improve the lives of all our future generations. The war veterans at Oji River, Nigeria could disappear any day or pass into history, and we would never hear of them again; then what?

Read again from the Principles of Biafran Revolution:

The Biafran revolution believes in the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person. .... In our society, every human life is holy, every individual person counts. No Biafran wants to be taken for granted or ignored, neither does he ignore or take others for granted. This explains why such degrading practices as begging for alms were unknown in Biafran society. Therefore, all forms of disabilities and inequalities which reduce the dignity of the individual or destroy his sense of person have no place in the new Biafran social order. The Biafran revolution upholds the dignity of man.

For almost forty years, we have reduced the dignity of these men, who are representative remnants of the revolution, because of their disability. This is the irony of ironies. Do we still ask what is wrong with our society? It does not bear to think what those who moved on, unburied and unmourned, would think of a race for which they laid down their lives.

PROPOSAL

I propose not just to resolve the ironic reality of a sad and sorry situation but also to build a legacy on the continued sacrifice of these men and their families. I propose to raise money for a monthly sustenance benefit so these men can stop begging along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

Here is how it will work: We will raise $10.00 ONLY each year from every Igbo person worldwide. If at least 6,000 good people chip in this amount, we will raise $60,000.00. For 12 months, starting this May, every one of the remaining veterans will receive at least 10,000.00 naira EVERY month. The regular income will help these men keep body and soul together and remove the stain of begging for sustenance.

THE ALADIMMA PROJECT

To contribute to the Project -- for the good of our land (ka ala di mma) -- please donate to a special account: BANK OF AMERICA: 3810 0465 2623.

For more details, visit www.aladimma.org or email aladimma@aol.com. All donations will go to the veterans.

Immense thanks for your candid cooperation and strong support.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Economic Automony of the Igbo

by

Akobundu Anyiwo

The Igbo people have had a long history of being successful business people. From the great days of the Nri kingdom to the Slave trading era with oracular activities in and beyond Igboland, the Igbo have showed there expertise in business. The role of women as long distant traders and market women plays a great role in Igbo society. Traditional Igbo society was largely based on farming. An Igbo man's success was measured by the abundance of his farmland. However as Westernization increasingly is taking its effect, the farm based society of the Igbo people is changing.

When Nigeria received its independence in 1960, the Igbo dominated the economy and they were the power engine behind it. However as a result of the war, the Igbo people lost their place in the economy but have clearly regained it. It has even been reported that the Igbo people own 73% of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Even today the Igbo people are known as great business people and entrepreneurs. The success of Igbo people is greatly evident outside of Igboland. As we Igbos have these great economic successes, what can we give back to our communities?