IGBO CONUNDRUM: Civil War scars still haunt social, economic, political life — Ezenwafor

2026-02-10 - 08:18

....Calls for unity of purpose, social healing, level playing field for recovery By Clifford Ndujihe Leader of an Igbo socio-political pressure group, the Igbo Re-invention Movement, IRM, Dr Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor, has warned that unresolved consequences of the Nigerian Civil War continue to haunt the Igbo socially, economically and politically, insisting that only unity of purpose, internal reform and a level playing field can restore the people’s lost relevance. In a statement titled “Igbo Conundrums: The Tactical Curative,” Evangelist Ezenwafor, said the crushing of Biafra aborted what could have emerged as Africa’s first truly viable nation state, leaving behind deep scars whose ripple effects remain evident across Nigeria and the continent. According to him, the war’s aftermath produced a “yawning vacuum” that has manifested in mass poverty, social dislocation and political marginalisation, not only among the Igbo but across sub-Saharan Africa. ‘Psychological wound still bleeding’ Ezenwafor said the Igbo suffered a devastating psychological blow during the war, arguing that the humiliation and genocide inflicted on the people eroded their collective self-worth and distorted social values. “The psychological bruise is so deep that many lost their natural sense of self-value. This degenerated to trauma, desperation and, in some cases, deviant behaviour,” he said. He lamented that traditional Igbo cohesion and communal bonding had weakened over the decades, creating an atmosphere of “everyone for himself,” where integrity, dignity and honour were no longer clearly distinguished from crime and notoriety. “Our value system has so degenerated that it is difficult today to distinguish between success and crime. Integrity and dignity have become empty expressions,” he added. Economic emasculation after war On the economic front, Ezenwafor said the Civil War dealt a crushing blow to the famed Igbo spirit of enterprise and self-sufficiency. “The war pulled the carpet from under our feet. Overnight, many financially comfortable people became distressed. That shock was more tragic than losing political power,” he said. He recalled