By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka — FORTY-FIVE years after the Nigerian civil war, a symbolic memorial ceremony for all those who died during the war, was held yesterday in Awka, Anambra State, in fulfilment of the Igbo belief that the dead must be properly buried, otherwise its spirit would continue to hover around.

It was reported that at the end of the civil war, no fewer than two million Igbo lost their lives.

The ceremony, held at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, attracted notable Igbo leaders, including the former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, many war veterans, including those that commanded brigades and battalions before and during the war, as well as delegates from all the fives South Eastern states and traders’ associations in all the major markets in Igbo land.

The event began with an inter-denominational service presided over by the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, and his Anglican counterpart, Rt. Rev Alex Ibezim, assisted by clerics from other denominations.

Governor Willie Obiano, in an emotion-laden speech, said there was hardly any family in Igbo land that did not lose somebody in the war, but commended the people for overcoming the pains with passage of time.

Obianor said: “The story of the war was a story of profound loss, but beside every story of loss sits a story of success, glory and abundance. We are quick to climb over the pains of an awful experience and rebuild broken walls of friendship that will open fresh doors of hope.

“We do this with ease because we are a people of faith. We believe in the centrality of God in the affairs of men. We are bold enough to accept the cruel verdict of fate and bury our dead with fanfare. Our culture upholds the centrality of burial as a crucial epilogue in the narrative of life.

“It is this belief that prompted many citizens of this state to approach me, at the inception of this administration, with a request for a formal burial of our brethren who died in the civil war and the World War II. They died courageously because our people do not acknowledge fear.   “Today, we honour them in words and deeds. We offer them a final resting place; a sanctuary where their memory will forever ruffle the leaves of time. Today, as we lay down their memorial stones, we bring closure to the wanderings of our brothers and sisters whose great souls had yearned for the dignity of a formal burial over the last half a century.

“As we light our candles and whisper our prayers to ease their passage to eternity, we cleanse ourselves of the pain of their death and plant the trees of forgiveness in their memory. And in doing this, we open a new page of a brighter history for our people.”

National chairman of ALL Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, recalled that the former Biafran warlord, late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was always calling for a memorial for those who died during the war, noting that when he reminded Governor Obiano of Ojukwu’s wish, he gladly promised to do it.

He said that having performed the memorial, Igbo would begin to see clearly because they had done what was expected of them since the end of the war.