.Appeals for justice
By Valentine Amanze
Fifty years after, the Asaba kingdom in Delta State will on October 7, 2017, kick-off activities in remembrance of thousands of its citizens murdered in Asaba by the federal troop in October 1967, which is today known as Asaba Massacre.
The Iyase (traditional minister) of Asaba, Chief Patrick Isioma Goodluck Onyeobi, disclosed this at Asaba at the weekend.
He said that though His Royal Majesty, Asagba, Prof Chike Edozien, CFR, Asagba of Asaba, was still out of the country, he gave his blessing to the programmes mapped out for the Asaba October memorial, while appealing for peace and justice in Nigeria.
Onyeobi said that while the Asaba people believe in a united Nigeria, they would always remember the massive killing of the defenseless people without reason, stressing that the world must hear their story.
His words: “We the people of Asaba kingdom have decided to collectively come out and tell the world the story of our unfortunate and sad tragic experience of 50 years ago, which has left many of our people badly traumatised.
“We are telling the story because we dearly love our country Nigeria and want it remain united and indivisible.
“We will not allow the same mistake that led us to the unfortunate civil war (1967 to 1970) which produced the Asaba Massacre of October 7, 1967, to be repeated so the history does not condemn us – particularly the present generation of leaders of our country as history done the Bourbones of France who history recorded as having ‘learn’t nothing, forgotten nothing and mastered nothing from their History’. We must strive to evolve a system of government that guarantees justice to all- ‘justice’ as the Greek philosopher Plato defined it to mean ‘giving each man his due’”.
He also appealed for the full support of the global community towards the realization of the goals of Asaba October 7 Massacre.
The Iyase further disclosed that the kingdom has decided to erect a well equipped hospital to serve people irrespective of their tribe to commemorate the victims of the genocide.
Besides, he said that groups and personalities that would grace the occasion include Ford Foundation, Wole Soyinka, Catholic Bishop os Sokoto, Matthew Kuka; Cross River State ex-governor, Donald Duke; Senator Ike Nwachukwu; All Progressives Congress Chairman, Chief John Oyegun; Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader, Chief John Nwodo; and many others.