Under the leadership of Maj.-Gen. John Sokoya, the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Center team traveled to significant historical locations associated with the Biafran soldiers during the Anambra State civil war. Among the noteworthy places the group visited were the well-known Ojukwu Bunker in Amorka, located in the Ihiala Local Government Area, and the mobile Reconciliation House in Amichi, which commemorates the site of the official end of hostilities between the Nigerian Federal troops and the former Biafran army on January 13, 1970.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
They also went to the Airstrip, Ambush Point, where they seized Nigerian soldiers, and Dr. ABC Ojiakor’s father’s Uli home, which functioned as a base for the Biafra military and intelligence unit, according to Persecondnews.
The palace of Igwe Patrick M. Okeke and the compound of Ichie S.M. Odoh, also known as Ogugo Ofo of Abagana, were also visited. Odoh’s compound was important during the civil war.
The team’s head, Maj.-Gen. Sokoya, thanked the people of Anambra State and Governor Chukwuma Soludo for their cordial welcome.
He underlined that their goals were to locate the state’s war heritage places, save its history for future generations, and stop similar incidents from happening again.
Our goals are to preserve the history of the Civil War, provide real and true accounts from those who were there, draw lessons from the conflict, and revitalize the sites—not to reopen any scars from it.
We need to learn from our history, just as we do from the histories of other countries, so students from our institutions and schools, such as the Army War College, Naval College, Defense College, Staff College, and Air War College, will come down here to conduct research, he said.
The Anambra Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment, and Tourism, Mr. Don Onyenji,
who signed up for the historical trip,
welcomed the state’s military officers with open arms.
He applauded their desire to preserve history since it will teach future generations an important lesson.
There is no nation without history, and history is incredibly significant. We therefore anticipate a stronger collaboration since the development and designation of these locations as heritage monuments will increase human activity, invigorate the surrounding area, and boost tourism.
Contributing, Uli resident Dr. ABC Ojiakor stated that he expected the Nigerian Army to have finished this project long ago, considering the war artifacts that were still in Uli before they were taken off and destroyed, maybe acting as a major war museum.
Because of its close proximity to the airstrip, he described how his father’s nearly 90-year-old house served as both a military and security intelligence base for the now-defunct Biafran army.
When the war started, I was six years old, and we had to flee our home because the now-defunct Biafran forces had taken over. Every family in Uli had to build a bunker for safety at that time due to heavy bombardment, which was intended to stop planes carrying relief supplies from landing at the airport.
The three Rs—Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation—were highlighted following the war. These, in my opinion, ought to be recorded in history.
“In order to lessen insecurity in the Southeast and increase job opportunities for young people, the Federal Government should respect the rule of law and release Nnamdi Kanu,” he stated.
Governor Soludo and the Army received praise from Ojiakor for their security monitoring of the community.
The plaque presentation to Gov. Soludo was reportedly the highlight of the visit, according to Persecondnews.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
