The last days of Biafra
LETTERS
From: Chief 1'. Olu Fayemi, Chike lbik, W. Haydon, Leslie Palmier. Celadon August, K,• Bush, Mrs F. R. Leanii. Giles Play fair. Rev Canon H. R. Wilson, Andrew S. AI,. kintosh, Ronald Duncan. Sir Denis Brogan. Rev S. Tetley, George Sheriff.
Sir: Your editorial comment (23 August) on `the last days of Biafra' is a baffling exhibition of muddled thinking. The comparison of the support given by the British government for the suppression of rebellion in Nigeria with the open invasion of Czechoslovakia by powerful Russia is an evidence of the depth to which British journalism can sink to confuse issues and mislead the people or insult their intel-
ligence. .
The truth is that Nigeria is in the sameposi- tion as Czechoslovakia, struggling to preserve her independent sovereignty by resisting all subtle attempts of powerful 'friendly' nations to didtate her policy. Obviously, Nigeria is de- termined to stop the rebels from turning back the pages of history. That is why you are so wrong.
Indeed, Biafra has existed for a few months only on the pages of newspapers (thanks to Anglo-American propaganda), but right-think- ing Ibos are fully aware that their dream empire to be a reality. must be within great Nigeria where God has placed them, and where they had prospered for generations before the rebel- lion. They are also fully aware that no emer- gency debate in Westminster can force the Federal government to concede the secession of any region contrary to the Constitution of Nigeria which responsible Ibos helped to establish.
Had the British government succumbed to your policy of hostility towards Nigeria, they would have deserved world condemnation as the Russians. But they are sensible enough to know that civilised values do not include bloody revolutions and mass suicide which you called massacre.
It is people like you who would not allow the rebels to listen to the voice of sanity in their midst. But what have you to lose if the whole of Nigeria should perish?
Previous page
