depicted through Professor Ezeka, the Director of Mobilisation, also Odenigbo’s friend who drives a Mercedes Benz. The book appreciates the efforts of a few European mercenaries who helped Biafrans by destroying planes and by bringing food to starving refugees. The book depicts how America viewed Biafran patriotrism through a journalist who feels the Biafran spirit to persist and to have hope in spite the war is the brilliance of Biafran propaganda. The book points out how Biafrans themselves have inculcated racism, this is seen through Olanna, worrying if her child picks up Bush Umuahia accent or some disease. Through Odenigbo the book voices out how the white man has succeeded in his attempt to colonise Africa permanently through racism.
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by the unification of the ethnic groups and by forcing upon the ‘Nigerian’ identity over them ii. by rigging the government and making the Northern Housa take control of the government, which lead to East Africa seceding. The Biafran identity was further hampered with, when out of starvation non Igbo people turned into saboteurs and helped the Nigerian army, leaving them with no identity of their own.
Though a true patriot and a radical, Odenigbo might seem like he is mimicking the coloniser at times - when he calls Ugwu ‘my good man’; listens to western music, dismisses traditional herbs to cure illnesses. The book, however, depicts Odenigbo’s literate, intellectual self as an outcome of his own hardwork and not a mere means to mimic the coloniser. This is seen when Odenigbo is depressed after his return to Nsukko after the war and finds out that his research papers have been burnt. This can be observed in the transformation of Ugwu who barely knew to speak English, to one who taught English and even corrected …show more content…
The book mentions how Biafra, however, received no real support from the world, except support from China and France – they supported Biafra’s claims and praised their patriots but offered very little real support. David Burmingham mentions how France wanted to extend help to Biafra to gain easy access to territory rich in petroleum. He also mentions how America’s then President Lyndon Johnson provoked immediate response to his foreign policy team to “get those nigger babies off my TV
by the unification of the ethnic groups and by forcing upon the ‘Nigerian’ identity over them ii. by rigging the government and making the Northern Housa take control of the government, which lead to East Africa seceding. The Biafran identity was further hampered with, when out of starvation non Igbo people turned into saboteurs and helped the Nigerian army, leaving them with no identity of their own.
Though a true patriot and a radical, Odenigbo might seem like he is mimicking the coloniser at times - when he calls Ugwu ‘my good man’; listens to western music, dismisses traditional herbs to cure illnesses. The book, however, depicts Odenigbo’s literate, intellectual self as an outcome of his own hardwork and not a mere means to mimic the coloniser. This is seen when Odenigbo is depressed after his return to Nsukko after the war and finds out that his research papers have been burnt. This can be observed in the transformation of Ugwu who barely knew to speak English, to one who taught English and even corrected …show more content…
The book mentions how Biafra, however, received no real support from the world, except support from China and France – they supported Biafra’s claims and praised their patriots but offered very little real support. David Burmingham mentions how France wanted to extend help to Biafra to gain easy access to territory rich in petroleum. He also mentions how America’s then President Lyndon Johnson provoked immediate response to his foreign policy team to “get those nigger babies off my TV