IPOB identity misfired

S.I Onwuka

He dresses in Jewish garb and goes around the Igbo world preaching a gospel of self reliance. We’ve heard that before, the composition of his aspect is three stimuli, one, a flag of Biafra that once attempted to secede from Nigeria, a drapery of Israeli flag with the Star of David - which started in 17th century after the Jewish expulsions from France, and underneath it all is Igbo apparel reflecting his position with IPOB. The title says Indigenous People of Biafra, that is IPOB, it doesn’t say Igbo people of Biafra which raises the question regarding the audience he is addressing and the people he is fighting for, and there are reference in the website about humanitarian attachment for Human Rights titled Billie and in recent months, the IPOB has been proscribed - in my opinion, erroneously proscribed, but it has been under intense public scrutiny with the arrest of one its leaders. Who are the Biafrans, those perhaps who live in the ‘Bight of Biafra’, an area that cover four major domos, one the Akwa-ibom section, the Cross River section, the Rivers section, Bayelsa and Ebonyi within the continental shelf that leads to a former Nigerian Peninsula - Bakassi and primarily South South Geo-political, and has been known to the Nigerian Army before independence - especially by Britain and their English society. It's oldest reference is a 16th century map - it is a Portuguese map, suggesting that the map with the earliest mention of Biafra was produced perhaps in the early 18th century, or to be conservative it is possible that the map was reproduced late in the 17th century A.D. That Biafra existed in any map of Africa during advent of Slave trade is questionable, reason exist that the majority of the Slaves and Slave makers taken to anglo-phone countries did not mention Biafra as a region where they possibly came from. The region as late as Orlando Equiano is Bini, possibly 'Bight of Bini', - this is if going by the waters may cover parts of Igbo Society. It seems that such map indicating Biafra as a place other than a people or perhaps a station or perhaps a river as so described during the 'age of discovery' does not seem to particularly exist, it was like Fernando Po - originally Spanish before Portuguese, and situated somewhere in the East, South, Southern district of what is now Nigeria, straddling Nigeria, Bakassi and parts of Cameroon. If we deny that there is an older link to the continental shelf on Calabar 'bay of fish'>crayfish', there is a second possible argument that Biafra is an invention of the Nigerian Army - particularly C. Odumegwu Ojukwu covering the above mentioned areas.

It is only with the reason that we can argue that IPOB addresses Indigenous people of Biafra, as a catchment for all the peoples of Niger-Delta, including the Igbos as they were. In war, the Igbos have led these so-called Biafras - mainly civilians at the eve of the Civil war defending themselves with bare-hands against the onslaught of the Central Nigerian army. They will be led by top military officers who gave the impressions that Igbos were dominant in the army and were worthy adversary to the central Nigerian Army, whereas many of these men and women, such as their leaders Odumegwu Ojukwu, Alex Madiebo, Philip Effiong, George Kurubo(?), Tim Onwuatuegwu, were product of an era that was already in twilight before the civil war and therefore represented the last of their kinds. The Biafran Army as they are called were trained from civil service under a loosely held confederacy and a leader who was making so many mistakes and were gifted the guns of their enemies.

Nonetheless, however, we may refer to a separate map called Bight of Biafra which covers the area from upper Niger Basin in Gabon through a course of several nation state to Cameroon. The problem with this map is that it separates 'Biafra' from the 'Bight of Biafra' with emphasis on bay which is the same as bight or bi, and in essence, it covers the area Britain and some of their new expeditionary force, including Mongo Park, met, from Gabon to Cameroon border with Nigeria. Britain that took over Fernando Po and established their government in the 19th century, and from Fernando Po, they entered Biafra after 21 expeditions. It seems that while Fernando Po was an established port for Britain. Once more we must re-affirm 'Bight of Biafra' through the Encyclopedia Britannica, define "Bight of Biafra, also called Bight of Bonny, bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of Africa, extending east, then south, for 370 miles (600 km) from the Nun outlet of the Niger River (Nigeria) to Cape Lopez (Gabon). The innermost bay of the Gulf of Guinea, it is bounded by southeastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and northwestern Gabon and receives portions of the Niger and Ogooué river discharges and also the Cross, Sanaga, and many other rivers.

"Within the Bight of Biafra are several islands, the largest of which is Bioko, belonging to Equatorial Guinea. Major ports on the bay are Malabo (on Bioko), Port Harcourt and Calabar (Nigeria), Douala (Cameroon), Bata (Equatorial Guinea), and Libreville and Port-Gentil (Gabon)." What this narrative is suggesting is that Bight of Biafra is possibly a river that run through parts of West Africa. What the definition is missing is that Bight of Biafra is 'also' 'called' 'Bight of Bonny', a pinpoint comparative to Rivers (Bonny) definitely separate from Old Calabar called Akwa-ibom today - in Igbo (Ka-ibo(?)) and point out one major theme which runs through the placement of Bight of Biafra within the prescent of South South Nigeria, that it was an English ridden definition to the point that they were or perhaps were not aware that Bonny is within the Bight of Biafra, but missed the point totally by suggesting the River State after the River runs into the Bonny Basin, Cross River after the River 'Cross' is Bight of Biafra which is clearly compromised by the above definition that Bight of Biafra is supposed to stretch from Gabon to boundary with Cameroon. That there was Biafra before Nigeria is an impromptu -- not necessarily accurate, there was Biafra before the coming of Britain is a second argument, a second meaning. It seems that legacy of Biafra is different from the legacy of Bight of Biafra.

To call it a bight of Igbos who are their distant kins may make sense that Biafra was a people not a River, and if the people are named after the River, then we have to locate the people if they ever existed called Biafra, and if it is a place, there is no other district that are given the attachment 'Bight of Biafra? Igbos are sparingly spattered around this would be bight of Biafra, including the Peninsula; that it may added that they are in Bioko, Annobo Island, in Sao Tome and Principe and in the Cameroons. There are also in Cape Verde and Ivory Coast where against some feature in their history, they are said to be new arrivals in these areas. The Igbos are not entirely absent in the adjacent bight of Benin on the other side of the Continent called East, for instance, there are Igbos of Mozambique – morphological, they are shy from their Igbos primarily in the hinterland of Nigeria. The Igbos in Nigeria are therefore only a part of the bight of Biafra and not central to its formative structure but seem to bear brunt of the ancient Hebrew(?) house which makes it difficult to manage. Given the fact that the history of the presence of Spain and the Portuguese in West Africa usually revert to slave trade, there is a problem with showing that slave trade took place sometime between 1750-1850, two centuries or so after Fernando Po (Equatorial Guinea), Sao Tome, and possible Biafra entered world record. It doesn't mean that slave trade didn't exist earlier, it means that it was perhaps nuclear during the second time. Fernando Po existed before Fernando Po - was called after him just for making a brief stop at the West African Country. The history concerning Sao Tome is a reference to a Spanish - not Portuguese visitor in the 'age of discoveries'. What we don't have is a Jewish and perhaps Moorish history of the probably reasons for the 'Age of Discoveries' (1450-1550, 1650) especially for Spain and Portugal. It is hardly a point to make that the penetration of places such as West Africa.

I have tried to discover which is the ‘bay of crayfish’, is it the Cameroons spelled from old calendar as Kamaroon, as it referenced the maroons, also known as the Marrano – not conversos, an isolated Jewish State with the nations of Spain and Portugal, disturbed in the 15th century drive to convert them to Christianity but remained obstinate as others, Marranos, until the wars between Christian Crusaders; the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Venetians, against the Muslims that ruled Europe as Columbus mentioned from Spain in Alhambra. The root of the word ‘Marrano’ who are also found in the Caribbean is not Spanish, although there are reasons to doubt that there is a word ‘Marrano’ in Hebrew that is date-able. Or, do the 'bay of crayfish' (meaning Biafra, or Bay of fish) after Bonny inserted with the coming of Britain. The name Marrano seem to have started a century before the last Muslims wars in Spain and Portugal, perhaps in the fracas between Seville and remnant of Jews in the land under the authority of Rabbi Aruk, but the same seem to have evolved into something else sometime later. There are Morisco to mention in catholic Spain and also Conversos, many of whom are related to Muslims and the Jews. There are also a people called Moors, a term after Almohovids and Almoravids and not particularly after the color their of skin, said to be dark as charcoal but from the Muslim that brought them to Europe. The last wars with Christian ended in favor of the Christians in Spain and in many parts of Europe and in recompense they demanded that all Muslims, Jews, non-Christians others, are to be converted to Christianity on the pain of death under Torquemada or leave Spanish enclave to anywhere but Catholic dominated Europe. It is interesting that the Bight of Biafra and the Cameroons are not articles of history, to the point that Cameroons could not necessarily have been the so-called ‘Bay of Crayfish’, that it seems that the citation ‘bay of crayfish’ is none than Bight of Biafra. We may point that Biafra is rooted in Aramaic and Jewish words, such as beth, be, bey, as if to say bay, or beyit, as if to bi, refers to a play, glottal that doesn’t diminish the linguistic connection between Igbo and Aramaic, as between Igbo and Hebrew, between Igbo and Arabic, all of which were languages active and present in Spain, Portugal, Venice, all of which show of disappearing relational with the possible arrivals to the Bight of Biafra, for instance the Igbos and perhaps others, that in Igbo, the word for ‘place’ is ‘be’, as if to say, ‘be afar’ ‘bi afra’ > place of afra for a kind of fish, but also similar to Hebrew used in that age as chosen place, whereas the ‘vale of tears’ (Samuel Usque) is identified as Sao Tome (possibly ‘place of tears’ - Chronicles of 1492 expulsion ‘IX)– a little ways from Bioko a little from Biafra, and like the Cameroons, it was the open field of West Africa, the place (be) of disembarkation for Jews and Muslims expunged from Europe. The word place in Hebrew is ‘Beth’ suggest that Hebrew which in Medieval Spanish and Portuguese is ‘Ibo’ ‘Ivo’ not Ebreu – excellent for the 21st distinctive Spanish and Portuguese but in reality, Ibo, is perhaps the language after the name Biafra and not necessarily Portuguese.

The old Hebrew does not appear anywhere accept in the form ‘Ibo’ ‘Ivo’, as such as we can say ‘Eboe Island’ a Greek Island a little ways from Castile, holds no punches on Judaism and Hebrew, unlike ‘Leo the Ibo’ meaning ‘Leo the Hebrew’ in verities; ‘Lion of Judah’ ‘Leao Hebreu, ‘Leon de Eboe’ ‘Leon Ebreo’ ‘Leon Hebreo’ as if the common noun Hebrew holds no wit for Ibo, like Ibo as in Igbo, a name too dear for the fore-bearer. The man in question was the son of the man Isaac Abranavel, largely involved in the caring for those displaced from Spain and Portugal. Leo the Ibo was the 16th Century author of philosophical treatise ‘Dialoghi d’amore, Dialogues of love’, that influenced Baruch Spinoza, a polemic on Christian and Jewish religion where he argued for 'Universal theme of love' 'Universality of love' that love was the chief end of the sacrifice of Christ. During the expulsion, only two Ships from Spain and Portugal carrying Jews and their Rabbis were only allowed to disembark in Morocco in North Africa, few Jewish families and Muslims were allowed to sail to Netherlands including the family of Spinoza - Baruch Spinoza, 13 families made it to Turkey - the list still extant at several Jewish Museum, several ships carrying Jews followed Christopher Columbus to the New World and in the next hundred years the rest will disembark in the open littoral that is Africa, especially West Africa and perhaps, the Bight of Biafra, definitely Sao Tome and Principe, also in Fernando Po (belonging to Spanish initially) and at best, South Africa, alternately, Brazil.

One more fact, ‘Beth in Hebrew can be used in such sentence (clause) as Beth Israel, means, the place or the house of Israel, and in Igbo, it will say ‘Be Izraa’ ‘Be Israel’ or Beni Izaa like the Eddas of Nigeria and their 72 priest in what is now Ebonyi (Ebonim)> referring to the house of Israel, a theme within the meaning of Biafra disguised by Igbo. One more point before we continue with Bight of Biafra is the term, ‘bayit in Hebrew meaning our place, our home, similar to the Igbo term, ‘be anyi’ meaning our home, our place. To this we made the Jewish saying ‘Beth anyanya, Bethany, ‘place of a name possibly Ananias. And speaking of ‘ayin’ in Hebrew for the eyes, there is Igbo to consider that ‘eye/s’ means ‘anya’. The other point which requires a lengthy diatribe is Yeshiva, pronounced Yeshivo, meaning ‘from Ivo’, a central Jewish center in Portuguese, Spain, Venice, transferred to the other places. Ivo on the other hand is Nigerian Igbo town showing that there is no displacement with Bight of Biafra as a ‘place of crayfish’ – although ‘azuri’ refers to a place of fish, compare to Igbo word for fish ‘azu’, who may realize that there is a disappearing in meaning, to a point that Biafra and Bini are places within the meaning of Hebrew experience and not amelioration of neither Portuguese and Spanish villa.

IPOB says Indigenious People of Biafra - what does it mean? Perhaps the leaders are suggesting to African Union that Indigeious Biafrans are natives of Nigerian hinter-land who share the problems of other native Africans, and in extensor, the America. And IPOB is seeking to separate themselves from another group of Biafrans called Nigerians, a problem that they hope through their Radio Broadcast will be overcome. I want to mention that it doesn't seem to IPOB and company that they were dealing with educated peoples of the world, that sooner or later, some of their tooth aching claims will be academically challenged. IPOB seem to misfire with Nigerian separatist argument on the context of Nigerian geography, that Northern Nigeria have no reason to be part of Indigenious Biafra also called Nigeria - they are not part of Nigeria on their own volition, a river runs through the North and in the words of Michael Gough 'We are not part of their world, they are not part ours for liking sake, but we have always known each other from a little back. This is not the case, not entirely the argument, that there is a sentiment to be defeated with Niger Republic - is a merry go round argument that Nigeria is a continuation of the empire West of Sudan subtending Niger Republic becoming a new fire through Sokoto through to the end of the Atlantic as 'Allah' promised Usman Dan Fodio. We can maintain that perhaps 'Allah' has confirmed his promise by letting Dan Fodio make it to the mount of the River Niger, River Benue, and Danfodio's stretch across Niger fighting in the East led to his early death, so also Jibril his successor.

How the South East governors of Nigeria including Abia State and South South seem to miss the point about IPOB as a house erroneously built on the margins of popular history in their recent run against the organization and it's leaders, is worrying. I pray that IPOB struggling with identity and misfiring altogether, is to be made aware of the fact that Oduduwa Republic - a mere idea - miscellaneously pampered by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is a sour grapes to Nigeria - which they Nigeria, Indigenious Biafrans must inveigh and totally destroy. I decline to argue backwards that since the day C. Odumegwu Ojukwu in his 1967 speech called for the Republic of Biafra, as rebels from Nigeria, the would-be Black kings on every shore and on any stage were ruined with their garment on. My Dad argue that Nzeogwu was right that Ojukwu didn't get it - even though he tried for Biafra. And a separate argument is that it was not likely that Biafra could have won the war from the beginning, and in the words of Nzeogwu if ‘they’ would have attacked the East in 'September' 'December' (of 66, since he was speaking in 67 before the war from May 30th,) it would be a 'walk through' - in essence there was no Army stationed in the East, “secession will be ill-advised, indeed impossible. Even if the East fights a war of secession and wins, it still cannot secede." Nzeogwu maintained. Although it could be argued that he was speaking from military standpoint. Looking at the sequence of events, it seems that another man from Umuahia by name 'Aguiyi Ironsi' calmed the Nigerian troubled waters for a while but he didn't seem to make converts to his Nationalistic view and died in infamy with the other immortal, Fajuyi.

IPOB misfired since they couldn't make clear the argument that none of the States in Nigeria -- none of the tribes remaining, could rise and say, the glory of a nation was once upon East, it is 'half a yellow sun' because the light did not rise for Africa, we should not allow this people who are down-trodden by our outrages and envy during their 'revolutions' to continue to struggle and through our collective effort must stop the East from sinking further but elevate ---