The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Obi (Prof.) Epiphany Azinge (SAN) has emphasised the need for a befitting national monument in honour of the victims of the Asaba massacre, reaffirming that the Asaba people deserve a formal apology from a sitting president for the injustice of the killings.
The monarch made the call on Tuesday while leading thousands of indigenes in a solemn remembrance ceremony marking the 58th anniversary of the October 7, 1967, killings of hundreds of Asaba citizens during the Nigerian Civil War, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immortalise the victims of the Asaba massacre 58 years after.
He urged the President to immortalise them through an official presidential apology and establish a Federal University in Asaba.
Renewed calls for national recognition of the victims, at precisely 12 noon, the Asagba led a minute of silence in honour of the victims, describing them as “true martyrs whose blood watered the land and gave life to the city’s growth and prosperity.”
“The once rustic, quiet town by the River Niger has today transformed into one of the fastest-growing capital cities, not only in Nigeria but in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Asaba has progressed because of the blood of our sons and daughters massacred 58 years ago. They are martyrs we proudly identify with, our forebears and the closest ancestors we can relate to. As we pour libations today, we invoke their spirits as ancestors in their own right,” he stated.
“We must have a fitting memorial for them. We deserve an apology from the Nigerian government, and we need a Federal University established here in Asaba in their memory,” he insisted.
Also speaking, the Isama Ajie of Asaba, Chief Chuck Chukwuemeka Nduka-Eze, described the remembrance as “a historic and necessary act of honour.”
“From today henceforth, Asaba will observe a one-minute silence every October 7 at 12 noon to honour our people who were killed in the Asaba massacre. A 21-gun salute will mark the occasion as a symbol of our collective respect,” he declared.
Chief Nduka-Eze further noted that the annual remembrance would henceforth be part of Asaba’s official cultural calendar.
“We have been speaking about the massacre to raise awareness, and it is now time to institutionalise this in our city’s calendar,” he said.
“When we met with the President, we raised all our concerns. Although he was silent on the Asaba massacre, it does not mean he is unaware. We do not remember it with anger but with reflection, because it is what the living owe the dead,” he said.
