Never Again Conference – Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, and others are expected to gather this week to discuss the events surrounding the Biafran War, Afriupdate reports.
The conference titled, “Never again Conference: 51 years after the Nigerian-Biafra civil war” which would hold virtually will examine the issues and circumstances that led to the Civil War and take a position on how to unite the nation.
The war was fought between the government of Nigeria headed by General Yakubu Gowon and the secessionist state of Biafra led by late Lt. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu from 6 July 1967 to 15 January 1970.
Biafra represented nationalist aspirations of the Igbo people, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government.
![[FILES] IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in court](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Nnamdi-Kanu-in-Court.jpg "IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu fails to regain freedom at Supreme Court 1")
Interestingly, many years after that war, the Biafran dream is still alive.
Groups like the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) are leading the campaign.
Addressing a virtual press conference on Sunday, the Chairman Conference Planning Committee, Prof. Pat Utomi, said prominent personalities such as the First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi; Tanko Yakasai; Peter Obi; Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; Senator Shehu Sani; Lady Onyeka Onwenu; Amb. Godknows Igali; Alhaji Ahmed Joda, Prof Ladi Hammalai, and Mrs. Charity Shekari would be part of the ‘Never again Conference’.
Utomi said the forum would initiate a roadmap for national development by dissecting the challenge of nation-building 51 years after the civil war as well as the much-canvassed restructuring, marginalization, equity, fairness, and justice in the country.
“The conference is also aimed to underscore the lessons of the civil war and more especially to promote nation-building, forgiveness, healing, reintegration, stability, and national cohesion. We also want to use the occasion to call for national reflection and encourage bridge-building among Nigeria’s racial groups.
“We believe that the time has come for a robust interrogation of the causes of the Nigerian-Biafran War in order to identify the fault lines that have retarded national cohesion and growth.
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“The “Never Again Conference” is the brainchild of Nzuko Umunna, a pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization with members spread across all corners of the world.
This year, Nzuko Umunna is collaborating with Njenje Media to deliver the conference.
“The conference is a sequel to the highly successful ‘Handshake Across the Niger’ conference which celebrated the many shared but often ignored values and interests between Nigeria’s racial groups as epitomised by their age-long peaceful coexistence and robust relationships,” he said.
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