1949 Enugu Coal Mine Massacre - The Regret of Those That Paid the Ultimate Price. By Nnabuike Nnadede In Nigeria’s bid for independence, most rightly give credit to founding fathers Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe and others. But they wrongly believe that Nigeria got independence without giving a fight. Exactly 65 years today, the British colonial police shot and killed 21 defenseless coal miners in the Iva Valley mine in Enugu, and wounded over 50 people. Their crime was that they organized an industrial action in protest against widespread exploitation, abuse of workers, and deeply unjust system. In fact, their major plan was to pressurize the British to leave Nigeria. They died fighting for freedom. In solidarity, the West Africa Students Union of Great Britain & Ireland organized a protest in Trafalgar Square, where Zik of Africa delivered a landmark speech: “The people of Nigeria cannot continue to accept as their destiny the denial of human rights. We, too, have a right to live, to enjoy freedom, and to pursue happiness like other human beings. Let us reinforce our rank and file in the fight for freedom, no longer suffering in silence and whining like a helpless dog, but striking back with all the force at our command when we are struck, preferring to suffer the consequences of pressing forward our claim to a legacy of freedom, than to surrender our heritage to despoilers and usurpers… So long as we are undaunted and are determined to be a free people, the fire of freedom shall not be extinguished from our hearths; we shall march forward towards our national emancipation. So long as we refuse to believe that we are doomed to be the serfs and peons of others, our continent shall be redeemed, and we shall have a new life and enjoy it abundantly.” It was their blood that galvanized people into action against colonization in West African. How could Nigeria forget them? There should be notable and embellished cenotaph in their honour. They deserve a posthumous national award, and their memorial supposed to be eternal. Where are their widows, children and bereaved parents? They have been abandoned, and the government doesnt even care about them. One would have thought that Nigeria would have honoured them in the centenary celebration, but what was far more dramatically moving and profound is that Nigeria decided to honour British Crown that caused their death – Queen Elizabeth 11, Frederick Lugard, and Flora Shaw. They will be turning in their graves seeing how their country honoured those that beheaded their ancestors and sent them to early grave. The land of hope and glory they died for is now the land of hopelessness where the old that served the country struggle to receive their pensions, while corrupt politicians and civil servants are glorified. They didnt know 65 years later, Nigeria would be a country without constant power supply or a country where politicians would constantly ignore the complaints and the plights of the masses. When they were fighting for equality for all, they didnt know that the country would become the estate of Othman Danfodio, where his descendants would ruthlessly prevent a change of power, and treat people in the South as conquered people, and minorities in the North as willing tools that would never have control over their future. While two hundred thousand workers in East Germany protested against the shooting, and three million Czech workers registered a protest against such horrendous crime. There were no protest in the North and Western Nigeria; they did not stand side by side in grief and solidarity with the people in the East. And Nigeria government has refused to honour them in any form. What a country! Is this the Nigeria they died for? If they were to come back today, would they be happy with this Nigeria? Is Nigeria police not more brutal than the British police that murdered them? Police that killed unarmed protesters in Dangote Cement factory in Gboko. Police that have killed so many people just because they refused to give them twenty Naira. They didn’t envisage that Nigerian would one day deny their people freedom, and slaughter over three million of them. They would be appalled if they could see the Nigeria of today. They would wonder what happened to the freedom they fought so hard for. Is Nigeria Government not more ruthless than the colonial government that killed them? Considering how she has slaughtered her own citizens – Udi massacre, Zaki-Biam massacre, Ogoni massacre, Biafra genocide, etc. Where is the better working condition and better society they fought for? They would be bemused at how workers are treated - under-paid or no payment at all. While politicians live in opulence, most workers live in penury. Where is the honour, glory and nobility in dying for a country like Nigeria where looting the public treasury is acceptable, where millions of people go to bed hungry, where 70% of the youths are either unemployed or underemployed, and a place where some politicians turn some of the citizens to thugs, which they use to assassinate opponents? Why should someone die for Nigeria? No wonder many soldiers do ‘tactical maneuver’ to Cameroon whenever they encounter Bokoharam members. If they died for Nigeria, they would be forgotten like others, and their families would be thrown out of the barracks. Since Nigeria has refuse to honour them, the people of Biafra will not forget them, and will fight to restore a country they will be proud of. We will dedicate this day to them - make it a public holiday. They are the glorious dead.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 00:00:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015