PREAMBLE

Many have narrated their stories; others have written the stories of those who could not write, while some are still writing about Biafra. Yet the mystery kept coming as though nothing is yet spoken nor written. Of course, the mystery cannot seize from being unveiled because Biafra is an everlasting dream. It is a legacy that must be told by Igbo people lest others say it to favour them.

“The Igbo [Biafra] story must be told by us – the Igbo, otherwise others will tell our story to suit their agenda.”

F. Oyibo Achebe Beyond Biafra (Special Edition) p. 33.

These stories from the time of the declaration of the failed attempt to actualise Biafra have been taking different trends over the years. Presently, it is focused towards the possibility of the actualisation of a Permanent State of Biafra, which has been interpreted by some Biafran faithfuls as the last kingdom yet to be actualised on earth. It is some of these stories and write-ups that push me at times to critically and systematically investigate the truth behind such assertions.

In this case, as I was thinking about the reason behind the fact that Biafra was born in 1967 and not before or after, I began to discern mysteries behind the date. One of such revelations is the fact that Biafra will be 40 years by 2007 (1967 – 2007). It could as well be a coincidence just as the case of the desolation of the temple spoken of that occurred in 67AD. But every good follower of biblical prophecies knows that coincidence is not the right word to use in situations like this. Thus, we shall critically look at Biafra towards her 40^th birthday and the activities that have made the period thick; ranging from the political, economical and cultural front in Nigeria where we have the highest concentration of the Biafran people.

INTRODUCTION

When I was growing as a kid, I use to hear those who were more matured than I was say; “A fool at 40 is a fool forever.” This adage in most cases is associated with material acquisition as I later grew up to understand. In African cosmology, a man is expected to have been married at least before he is 40 years of age. Forty, therefore, is a very unique and significant number in African and most importantly biblical numerology.

From the biblical point of view, we discover that Moses’ life was divided into three periods of 40 years each. From the time he was born to the time he went into exile he was 40 years. He spent another 40 years in exile from Egypt and the last of his life span was when he handed the rod of leadership to Joshua when he was 120 years. Apart from Moses, David ruled Israel for 40 years and handed power to his son Solomon.

There are other instances like in the case of the flood, which lasted for forty days and forty nights, Christ fasting for forty days and forty nights and also the case of a woman who gives birth to a male child. One major characteristics of this period is that the end is always a prospect of a new dawn, as we shall see in the course of this article.

40 IN RETROSPECTIVE

In pre-colonial Igbo society as well as most of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, a woman is expected to stay away from the Sanctuary (Obi) for 40 days after she has given birth to a male child. She is not to touch holy things or even cook for the husband. The bible makes us to understand that when a woman gives birth to a son, she is unclean for seven days as in her normal monthly separation. On the eighth day, the child is circumcised. Then she remains separate from her husband for yet another 33 days, for a total of 40 days (see Leviticus 12: 2-4).

This is a culture that the Hebrews practised and are still practising. But little did they know that this same culture was to serve as a pattern in the future plans of Elohim in establishing His physical presence any where He has chosen. This pattern was indeed fully encapsulated in the reign pattern of David. David as a king, ruled in Hebron for seven (7) years before he was recognised as king of Israel, which he later ruled for another 33 years making it 40 years in total. He couldn’t build the temple because his hands were unclean; but he had already fulfilled the 40 years separation for a nation, which allowed Solomon to build the Sanctuary. Israel as a nation then became clean to behold the physical presence of the Most High (The Shekinah Glory).

40 IN IGBO CULTURE

I had earlier stated that in pre-colonial Igbo society and even presently, but in a relatively low key – no thanks to Christianity, 40 days is regarded as the total time period for a woman to separate after she has given birth to a male child. Just as in the bible, the first seven days is like her normal monthly menstrual uncleanness. In Igboland, it is also a total of 40. The first seven days is also observed in like manner. After the seven days, the child is circumcised on the eighth day and she remains unclean for another 33 days for her husband. Apart from that of a male child, the fasting of 40 days is also highly observed. This fasting of 40 days is very common among Igbo mystics.

The 40 days signifies or represents the 4 natural powers in the world and the numerological number for the globe is 10. The four natural powers are: fire, water, land and air. It is believed that by embarking on a 40 days fasting, one would have pacified the spirits controlling these powers for clearer and quick solution or answers to a problem. Christ became a supernatural being when he was able to command the waters, the air and use the earth to heal only when he had completed the forty days fasting. The use of earth, water and air to heal and perform rituals in Igbo land is a highly mystical aspect of the Igbo culture that is reserved to those in the field. I am not in that field. Thus, how has this period affect the Biafran people worldwide? We shall use Nigeria as our typical example.

THE TRAVAIL

Biafra would have been declared before May 30, 1967 but it was only declared on that particular day. Why? A lot of mysteries can be discerned from that date from the numerological perspective. This revolution has been narrated over and over by so many other people. In one of my articles (The indestructible spirit of Biafra), I also explained the ordeal that led to the birth of Biafra. The travail towards the birth of Biafra started in 1964 and reached its climax in 1966 before the birth in 1967 in what is known today as the pogrom, when Ndiigbo were butchered in their thousands in Northern Nigeria. I mentioned 1964 because:

“ The tension created by the disturbances in Western Nigeria and the trials that followed, were still fresh in many minds when the federal elections became due in 1964. Again the nation was disappointed but not exactly surprised at the brazen manner in which the elections were manipulated in some parts of the country…”

culled from: The Nigerian Revolution and the Biafran War

By Alexander Madiebo

From 1964 to 1966, the Igbo people were at the receiving end in every civil disturbance. Of course, the same year (1964) was also remarkable in the sense that a male child was born. 1966 is also remarkable because it fulfilled the same pattern of the killing of all male children from two years and below. But as the pattern had it, none of them were in the land at the time of the troubles and these include Moses, Christ and Joshua.

This continued to provoke the Igbo spirit until 1967 when Biafra was finally declared. Biafra was not going to be declared (because the Igbo people irrespective of what they were going through, advocated for peace and one Nigeria). But because it is inevitable for a woman to avoid childbirth travail, so also was it highly inevitable that Biafra be born with the natural travail. Thus, Biafra was declared in May 30, 1967 and a nation was therefore brought forth.

It is a natural phenomenon biological that a woman is expected to deliver after nine months of pregnancy. There are cases of pre and past nine months, but nine months is the normal period for childbirth. This pattern did not pass unnoticed prior to the birth of Biafra. From 1964 when the chaos started as quoted above, to the time when Biafra was declared is three years. That is to say, the difference between 1964 and 1967 is 3 years.

In three years, we have a total of 36 months of 12 months per year. Going by Pythagoras Theorem, 36 months is also written as 3+6 or 3x6. In the first case, 3+6 = 9 while in the second case, 3x6 = 18 or 1+8= 9. So whichever way you look at it, you will agree with me that from the time when the crisis started to the time of the declaration of Biafra was exactly nine (9) months. Thus, in 1967, Biafra was born and from that moment, Biafra became unclean and required forty years to be clean.

OF 40 YEARS

In the case of a male child, it is 40 days as in the Igbo culture, in the case of a nation it requires 40 years as in the case of Israel in the time of David and in the case of the world, it requires 40 jubilees as in the case from the time of Christ to date. It is 2000 years from the time of Christ and if a jubilee is 50 years, then it is exactly 40 jubilees today. Ironically, it is ending at the same time and period when Biafra is about completing her period as a nation. I will take up the case of 40 jubilees in a later article in the near future.

1967 then marked the beginning of that long journey towards the dedication and restoration of the sanctuary or holiness once again in Igbo land and the world as it was in the sketch work. Holiness we must have to understand is quite different from righteousness as well as goodness. Righteousness is the restoration of the God-man interface through faith in Christ, while goodness has to do with man – man interface. But holiness has to do with the culture of the people. In this case, and from 1967, the holy practise that has made the Igbo people unique was openly abused. Thus, Biafra became defiled and unclean to behold the presence of EL.

Holiness, otherwise known as"nso ani" in Igbo language, is the driving force of the Igbo culture. There are certain things that women are not expected to do when they are in their menstrual ejaculation. One of such is the fact that they are not to cook for their husbands. Presently, and no thanks to Christianity, women not only disrespect that practise but are trying to assume the position of the man. In our churches, we have women pastors. It is a good idea in gentile era because it is some of the things Israel experiences whenever they are in gentile captivity. You dare not tell a woman that her position is to be under the man or you will be inviting trouble for yourself. Well as I said, it is very common among the Hebrews whenever they are in gentile control or in an unclean period.

During the war, most of our shrines were destroyed openly and we lost hold of our ties with our ancestors or forefathers. This is a very controversial point among Christians of the western brand but they fail to understand that the same God whom they claim to believe in, told Abraham, who is the father of faith, that he will die in his good old age and join his ancestors. The destruction of those shrines could be likened to the abomination that causeth desolation spoken of in Matthew 24. Then, the Jews were asked to flee to the mountain and those on the mountain should not come down. The Jews were scattered around 67AD. Thus, in 1967, the same happened in our land.

After the war, due to the hardship imposed on us by Nigeria, our youths were left with no choice than to indulge in so many atrocities in order to survive. The laws of the land were put behind and things took a different direction altogether. The respect for elders collapsed, the method for the selection of Igwe (traditional rulers) collapsed except for some few areas. Materialism took the centre stage and the love of money immediately replaced the love of God. Christianity, the arsenal and deification of western culture psychologically and empirically dislodged our people completely from the belief of our culture. If not for a remnant we would have been like Sodom and unto Gomorrah.

I am not writing as if something would have been done within the period. As a matter of fact, nothing would have been done because it is the perfect plan and purpose of God for these things to happen. Nothing could have been done because Biafra was unclean and EL could not come to our rescue not until after 40 years, allotted for a nation to be clean. Thus, we are therefore approaching that period. What are we expecting would happen to Biafra? Will Biafra be actualised? Will the Igbo people who are not only in Nigeria be dedicated? These are some of the so many questions to be answered.

MORE ABOUT 40 YEARS

Apart from representing the time of separation for a nation of God, it is also a period when the enemies of the ideals and concept of Israel are allowed to enslave the Israelites. 400 years in Egypt was for the Egyptians to make the best out of the Israelites, which they did. 400 years of the slave trade was also for the Europe and America to make maximum use of Africans to build their empires. This is an Internet extraction confirming that:

WASHINGTON (AP) - “Some workers who helped build the White House and Capitol, two national landmarks of democracy and freedom, weren't free at all. They were slaves, and a local television station reported Thursday that it has obtained the pay slips to prove it. Historians have known for years that local property owners loaned slaves to help build the president's residence and the meetinghouse of Congress, but details of their work have laid in archives and libraries for generations.”

Even the forty years of David, when Israel had settled in Canaan was marked by series of battles. Therefore we expect the same in our time because the Igbo person symbolizes the final work of God on earth towards establishing an everlasting kingdom. The imperialists were aware of this Biafran legacy and also knew that we are (before now) ignorant of the fact that we are a chosen people. Thus, we were enslaving in Nigeria where the bulk and highest concentration of the Igbo people are for forty years.

With their hands, they built mansions in Egypt, with their hands, they built the white house and capitol house and with our hands (without government support) we have built Nigeria. Nigeria is nicknamed the giant of Africa solely of the effort of the Igbo people. Egypt was the giant of Africa solely because of the effort of the Hebrew before Moses was called for the purpose of liberation. After the war, we were left with nothing but we survived and built mansions all over the country.

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Nothing whatsoever can stop the sun from rising from the land of the rising sun after the 40 years. It is our time and we must have to grab it. The pattern did not fail or suffered a set back in the sketch plan and cannot fail or suffer a set back in the divine fulfilment. Thus, this is a call for all Igbo people at home and in Diaspora and those who do not see themselves as Igbo in Nigeria, Africa and the world to rise and prepare their heart in readiness for that great year of dedication.

We are barely three years as God commanded Moses “tell the Israelites to prepare themselves for three days I am about to come in their midst. Thus, I say, prepare yourself for that day, for it is three days (years) more for Biafra to become clean to behold the holy presence of EL.

CONCLUSION

This is not a formulated story to make you happy or sad, even though some will be happy on the one hand while others will be sad on the other hand. Rather, this is the message of your generation. Christ came 2000 years ago with a message and those who were with him in that generation could not believe him. Presently, his message is being preached as if it received little or no resistance in its early days. The same situation must surely happen. The same pattern of Jonah is the same pattern that will be given to this generation. He was in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights and found himself in Nineveh (a gentile land) where preached for 40 days.

Christ according to the bible resurrected after three days and the gospel took a different dimension into the gentile world. And from that time to date is 2000 years, which is 40 jubilees and we find ourselves in the mystery of Jonah. You have read it and all you read is out of prophetic instinct, meant to bring you to the knowledge of your own generation. We are already closing on the time of the gentiles. For the time of the gentiles is in conclusion. I have always said that you do not have to believe or jubilant over these things but pray that you live to see these things fulfil. And when it starts to become clear to you, do not fail to remember that you first heard or read of it from the east, the land of the rising sun – the land of Biafra the descendants of Ephraim.

So as we use this day, the 30^th of May 2004, to remember the day Biafra was declared and after three years collapsed, let us also bear in mind that when the law came to Moses, three thousand were destroyed but when the law of grace came 2000 years ago, three thousand were saved. In three years time, we shall be launched into a period of grace in Biafran land that will finally see the gradual emergence of a Meshianic State of Biafra.

“This revolution is indestructible and eternal”

BIAFRA LIVES