I particularly like this story.
it simply points at the imbecility of a government that seeks to outlaw any historical remembrances, especially those that have anything to do with the darker side of Nigeria's past. Biafra tops this.
Why is Nigeria so afraid of Biafra?
This national mnemophobia is scary. But it points at a significant absence in the Nigerian government's arsenal of critical absences. How is it possible for a state to be so afraid of its own history to the point of annulling the study of that history in schools? I am sure i will never get this perplexity off my head as long as i live.
But then, Biafra resides in the arts and hearts of those who carry it about in subversive romance. And there's nothing Nigeria can do about that; let it play all its politics of memory all it wants.
Permit me to ramble a little. You go other countries and visit their museums and protected historical places. I was in Canada for a conference recently. When i entered the Western Development Museum (WDM) in Saskatoon, my jaw dropped! An entire town--the BoomTown Street--is preserved most dramatically, with its shops and implements, and infrastructures, and all. My friend warned me not to do any lamentable comparison when we were entering. But my mouth started running away in bitterness.
Why is it impossible to have an entire hundred of acres dedicated to the Biafran memories? Go check out Badagry and its multiplicity of memorials. My tour guide on my last trip made a scary observation: Where would all these be in the next 20 years? That kept me silent, and troubled. I am still troubled.
This is one dimension of our concern with infrastructural development--historical infrastructure--that we need to hold the government responsible for.
Adeshina Afolayan, PhD
Department of Philosophy
University of Ibadan
+23480-3928-8429
Department of Philosophy
University of Ibadan
+23480-3928-8429
On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, 8:03:01 PM GMT+1, Obododimma Oha <obodooha@gmail.com> wrote:
"One day, we saw our father cutting the stick and burying it. We were
very sad indeed. In fact, I kept a vigil over the grave of the stick
with the rising sun after he had finished. He buried his pistol, too.
He saw father's face and sadness was written boldly all over it. He
told us that Nigerian soldiers had entered the town and that that they
whisked every adult male from any compound where any artform or
anything that carried the symbol of Biafra was found. We understood
that he needed to be safe but we were very sad for losing a great
friend carved in wood!"
Read the full story by clicking on this link:
--
--
B.A.,First Class Honours (English & Literary Studies);
M.A., Ph.D. (English Language);
M.Sc. (Legal, Criminological & Security Psychology);
Professor of Cultural Semiotics & Stylistics,
Department of English,
University of Ibadan.
Fellow,
Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies,
University of Ibadan.
COORDINATES:
Phone (Mobile):
+234 8033331330;
+234 9033333555;
+234 8022208008;
+234 8073270008.
Skype: obododimma.oha
Twitter: @mmanwu
Personal Blog: http://udude.wordpress.com/
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