IGBO CONUNDRUM: Civil War scars still haunt social, economic, political life — Ezenwafor

….Calls for unity of purpose, social healing, level playing field for recovery

By Clifford Ndujihe

Leader of an Igbo socio-political pressure group, the Igbo Re-invention Movement, IRM, Dr Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor, has warned that unresolved consequences of the Nigerian Civil War continue to haunt the Igbo socially, economically and politically, insisting that only unity of purpose, internal reform and a level playing field can restore the people’s lost relevance.

In a statement titled “Igbo Conundrums: The Tactical Curative,” Evangelist Ezenwafor, said the crushing of Biafra aborted what could have emerged as Africa’s first truly viable nation state, leaving behind deep scars whose ripple effects remain evident across Nigeria and the continent.

According to him, the war’s aftermath produced a “yawning vacuum” that has manifested in mass poverty, social dislocation and political marginalisation, not only among the Igbo but across sub-Saharan Africa.

‘Psychological wound still bleeding’

Ezenwafor said the Igbo suffered a devastating psychological blow during the war, arguing that the humiliation and genocide inflicted on the people eroded their collective self-worth and distorted social values.

“The psychological bruise is so deep that many lost their natural sense of self-value. This degenerated to trauma, desperation and, in some cases, deviant behaviour,” he said.

He lamented that traditional Igbo cohesion and communal bonding had weakened over the decades, creating an atmosphere of “everyone for himself,” where integrity, dignity and honour were no longer clearly distinguished from crime and notoriety.

“Our value system has so degenerated that it is difficult today to distinguish between success and crime. Integrity and dignity have become empty expressions,” he added.

Economic emasculation after war

On the economic front, Ezenwafor said the Civil War dealt a crushing blow to the famed Igbo spirit of enterprise and self-sufficiency.

“The war pulled the carpet from under our feet. Overnight, many financially comfortable people became distressed. That shock was more tragic than losing political power,” he said.

He recalled the post-war policy that limited Igbo bank deposits to £20, describing it as a calculated move to permanently emasculate the people economically.

According to him, the absence of a level playing field forced many Igbos into extreme hustle for survival, sometimes pushing ingenuity into negative directions.

“The denial of a level-playing field, which is the essence of free market economy, remains the worst incapacitation the Igbo have suffered,” he said.

Political exclusion by design

Ezenwafor also traced Igbo political marginalisation to a deliberate post-war strategy that exploited Nigeria’s numbers-based democracy to keep the Igbo perpetually out of power.

He noted that traditional Igbo society was republican and democratic long before colonialism, with consensus-based governance, age-grade legislatures and priestly judicial systems.

“An average Igbo person, no matter how poor, can never mortgage his freedom and right to choice. That is our nature,” he said.

However, he argued that colonial preferences and post-war politics combined to frustrate Igbo participation at the centre.

“The more the Igbo struggled to re-enter mainstream national politics, the more things fell apart. Eventually, frustration set in and the house began to fight itself. Today, the Igbo have largely lost their political voice,” he stated.

Call for internal reform, unity

Despite the bleak assessment, the IRM leader said recovery remained possible if the Igbo embarked on deliberate social reformation and collective healing.

“The onus is on us to ignite true reintegration, bonding and affinity as a people. Social healing can only come through collective and persistent effort,” he said.

He argued that with an enabling environment and political will, the Igbo could industrialise sub-Saharan Africa within a short time, given their resilience and entrepreneurial capacity.

“There is no doubt that with a level playing field, the Igbo can drive economic emancipation across Africa,” Ezenwafor said.

Caution on agitation, divine guidance

On the rising agitation for self-determination, Ezenwafor urged caution, warning against actions that could lead to a Pyrrhic victory.

“The quest for political deliverance through war failed. Non-violent agitation has not yet yielded results. What we have not fully tried is unity of purpose—acting as one people,” he said.

He added that Nigeria had reached a critical crossroads under what he described as divine orchestration.

“A singular divine interest is prevailing over Nigeria. Every plan and device of interest groups is collapsing into it. Only the stiff-necked will suffer for it,” he said.

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