56 years later: Why the Igbo still don’t belong

More than five decades after the guns fell silent, Nigeria is still deeply entrenched in its Civil War, not through armed conflict, but through lingering mistrust, exclusion, and the selective nature of memory. The recent apology by Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State to the Igbo people and the release of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon's memoir have thrust the nation back into a difficult conversation: has Nigeria truly healed, or has it merely learned to coexist with its wounds?

Mutfwang's acknowledgment that the people of Plateau were "deceived into going to war" and his plea for forgiveness represent a significant step. Conversely, Gowon's memoir, "My Life of Duty and Allegiance," revisits his wartime decisions, including the controversial Aburi meeting. These acts of apology and reflection, however, underscore a persistent question: 56 years on, the Igbo question remains largely unanswered. The core issue, the article contends, is that until the Igbo people feel a genuine sense of belonging, pronouncements of "let's forget the past" are insufficient to forge a unified nation.

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Plateau people were deceived into going to war.

The roots of the conflict, the article explains, trace back to 1966, preceding the formal declaration of Biafra. A failed coup on January 15, 1966, led by predominantly Igbo officers, resulted in the deaths of key political leaders. This event fostered deep suspicion in the North, perceived as an Igbo power grab. The subsequent scrapping of federalism for a unitary system under General Johnson Ironsi's Decree 34 further fueled these fears. Six weeks later, a counter-coup on July 29, 1966, led by Northern officers, resulted in the deaths of Ironsi and others, with Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon emerging as Head of State.

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My Life of Duty and Allegiance

The period between mid-1966 and 1967 witnessed brutal anti-Igbo pogroms across Northern cities, leading to thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands fleeing eastward. This violence signaled a failure of the state to protect its citizens, ultimately prompting Ojukwu's declaration of the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967, and the subsequent 30-month war. Despite Gowon's post-war declaration of "No Victor, No Vanquished" and promises of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation (the Three Rs), the implementation fell short.

Key grievances include the infamous £20 policy, which drastically devalued the pre-war savings of Igbo individuals, effectively wiping out decades of accumulated wealth. The "abandoned property" policy saw homes and businesses belonging to displaced Easterners seized in regions like Rivers State. While reconstruction efforts were made, they were uneven, with many war-affected communities in the former Eastern Region never fully recovering essential infrastructure like roads, schools, and hospitals. These unresolved issues continue to fuel a sense of alienation among the Igbo people, hindering Nigeria's path to true national reconciliation.

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No Victor, No Vanquished