OPEN LETTER TO THE
IRISH PEOPLE Greetings to the good people of the Republic of Ireland! I pen this open letter for three reasons - To rouse your conscience as a people that defeated colonial tyranny and subjugation, as a member of the European Union, and as a country that provided me a home away from home. The fact is that I love Ireland. The love life between me and this great Celtic land dates to the colonial times in Nigeria, before I was born. My grandfather Thompson Nnanna Okorie (Onye Uyokanjo), who worked as a colonial court officer, was a friend to Fr. Patrick Walsh, a Holy Ghost or Spiritan priest and former Principal of Trinity College Oguta. While the British Empire maimed, killed and milked our land, Irish Missionaries provided education, hospitals and respected our ancestors. In 1967, Nigeria invaded Biafra after failing to implement an agreement reached at Aburi in Ghana, and the latter lost five million lives, of which the world feigned ignorance about it. However, many Irish citizens both at home and in Biafra stood out for justice, equity and fairplay. These brave Irish helped save a generation of Biafran people, and out of them, I was begotten. As a matter of fact, millions of Biafrans across the world today are forever grateful and indebted to the Irish nation. Why should I not love and pledge my loyalty to a country that ensured the survival of my people? This is why the Republic of Ireland shall be among the most important countries to benefit from our natural resources and trade entente at the restoration of the Republic of Biafra. I am of the school of thought that believe Ireland have never reaped where it sowed. The foundation of real Western education was laid by the Irish Missionaries as colonial Britain was economical with their curriculum until the Catholic Spiritans challenged the status quo. Evidence is that most early schools in the Biafra country were built with the supervision of the Irish especially when Bishop Joseph Shanahan took over in Onitsha. My alma mater, St. Peter Claver Seminary at Okpala which was built in 1942 is an example. Even though Ireland is not acknowledged for their sterling contributions around the world, particularly in Africa, Biafra is grateful. Since the end of the war in 1970, Nigeria has refused to move forward, instead successive government have driven its supposed citizens away to distant lands, where many seek refuge or offer other services. Thousands of Nigerians dwell in this beautiful Island, and benefit from whatever accrue to citizens and residents, and we are grateful for your benevolence. This is one reason the Irish nation will be blessed irrespective of any global situation. Some of you may have followed a two weeks timeline of protests under the hash tag #EndSARS, which the Nigeria government brutally put down by sending in the Army to massacre young and peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll gate area of Lagos State. #EndSARS started as an online protest against police brutality and a litany of human rights abuses, and subsequently spiralled into the streets. Nigerians in the diaspora complemented it with a couple of protests held in Ireland especially, at the Nigeria Embassy on 56 Leeson Park in D6 area of Dublin. While I write this letter, security agencies have continued the killing and arbitrary arrest of young people and those they feel could remobilise for protest. The city of Igweocha, renamed Port Harcourt after Lewis Vernon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt PC, Secretary of State for the British Colonies from 1910 to 1915, is currently witnessing a systematic orgy of bloodletting carried out by the Nigeria security forces. As a matter of fact, Ireland have passed through a lot in their history, and emerged victorious even though at a high cost. So Nigerians, especially Biafrans beckon on you as the only English speaking European Union country and fellow global citizens, to humanely network for us on the public opinion chart. I am aware of your capabilities as you did it during the period Biafra was nearly starved to extinction. I am making a plea to Men and Women of Goodwill in Ireland to let Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs, summon the Nigerian Ambassador Dr. Uzoma Emenike and, as a former labour leader Brendan Howlin proposed, push for the protection of anti police brutality protesters. I also appeal that the European Union appoint an envoy, to look into the situation as the security agencies kill with impunity on a daily basis. It is important that Ireland take a stand on the atrocities going on in Nigeria as a matter of global concern. Like in other countries, some of us in Ireland want to go back with the knowledge and ideas gotten from this Celtic land. I have often seen the land of my birth Biafra, through the prism of Irish journey to nationhood, and as such, I look forward to rebuilding it and importing the dodged Irish virtue and character, in welfarism through hard work and industry. I cannot hide the fact to say how nostalgic I feel that a day shall come, when industrious Biafrans, born out of the benevolence of great people of this Island, shall turn Irish potato, beef, milk etc to varieties of food and feed the hungry like you do. Most importantly, I cannot wait for us giving Ireland access to Biafra minerals in trade agreements. Ireland is one of the countries a Republic of Biafra will honour greatly. Finally, it is important you help Nigerians live by raising the bar on public opinion as BBC and its likes are biased due to the free oil plus other benefits of the British establishment. Killings are carried out daily especially in the Biafra territories, but International media are not aware. Like the British have exited the EU, Biafrans want a referendum to exit from Nigeria. The youths are leaving in droves; they do not mind drowning in the Mediterranean, because they are facing the devil and the deep blue sea. Nigeria is like old Yugoslavia, and history will not be kind with people who have the power to rescue the vulnerable, but refuse to do so. Speaking up and standing for what is right is what the Irish are known for. We count on you. Come on Ireland! Ukachukwu Okorie Editor-in-chief, AfricaWorld News