By Osita Chidoka Mobilises To Get Funding For Nigeria’s Civil War Centre for Memories
Former Minister of Aviation under President Goodluck Jonathan and governorship aspirant for Anambra State under United Progressive Party in 2017, Osita Benjamin Chidoka, has said he is on a self imposed mission to mobilise well meaning Nigerians to donate to Center for Memories in recognition of the sacrifices of the Biafra soldiers that died during the Nigeria Civil War of 1967 to 1970.
In a post on his Facebook account, the former Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety (FRSC), wrote,”Today in remembrance of the Civil War I spent the day in quiet contemplation at the Center for Memories Enugu and with Dr. Arthur Nwankwo (Ikeogu) at his Enugu residence.
After usual catching up, Ikeogu and his brother Ben, MD of Fourth Dimension publishers agreed to donate copy(ies) of all the books they published about the Civil War to Center for Memories as contribution to the Memory Project.
The donation to the Center for Memories is the first step in my, self imposed, mission to attract funding, artifacts and books to the center.”
He further wrote that Fourth Dimension Publishers the successor of Nwamife Publishers founded by Arthur Nwankwo, Chinua Achebe, Sam Ifejika, Alex Ekwueme, Gogo and Flora Nwakuche, Ben Nwabueze and Francis Tabansi, was a post war effort at intellectual renaissance from Enugu that give voice to Igbo writers and reaffirm their presence in a post war Nigeria.
“Fourth Dimension, subsequently founded by Chinua Achebe and Arthur Nwankwo was the melting pot of intellectual activity in Enugu. Nsukka lecturers, Col Vasta, Biafra officers and a host of other writers expressed themselves via Fourth Dimension. The story of Biafra was vividly told by Arthur Nwankwo, Gen. Madiebo, Col. Ben Gbulie and others and helped in enriching the national discourse about the Biafra war. It served as counter narrative to books written by soldiers like Gen. Obasanjo and others.”
Reminiscing on his efforts during the June 12 struggle, he said he has known Arthur Nwankwo since his university days when he was the youth leader of Eastern Mandate Union founded by Chuba Okadigbo, Patrick Dele-Cole, Arthur Nwankwo and a host of other progressive politicians.
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“Our friendship deepened during the NADECO when I was the liaison between Kudirat Abiola and Arthur Nwankwo during Abiola’s incarceration and the struggle for June 12. I will tell the story in my memoirs.
“I was one of the few who kept the Eastern Mandate Union alive in the media when Abacha descended on the group and arrested Arthur for his trenchant opposition to the Junta. On Abacha’s death Arthur was released and the march to party politics began.
“If you really want to honor the memory of Ndi Igbo, a group that have survived, poor soil, lack of access to water, evil slave trade, genocide and civil war yet remain a defining group for self help and excelling against odds, please contribute to the Centre.
I will soon organize a crowd funding event for the Centre.”
