Civil War Child (A Memoir)
by Nestor Udoh
Description
In the dry season of 1966, a group of Nigerian soldiers, led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, an army major, staged a coup d’état that overthrew the elected government of Nigeria. They killed the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and some other high-ranking government officials. One thing led to another, and led by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, an army officer, the Eastern Region of Nigeria declared itself an independent Republic of Biafra. In the rainy season of 1967, a civil war broke out between Nigeria and Biafra. An estimated one million people died in the war, mostly from hunger, starvation and sundry privations.
The war severely affected Ikpe Annang, where the author grew up. From a serene, rich and natural African clan, complete with its rich culture and tradition, which the author has taken time to describe, it was reduced to an unrecognizable physical and cultural rubble at the end of the war.
This is the story of how the author survived the Nigerian-Biafra war as a child on the war front that his once serene village had become. He had very close calls, lost his playmates to death and was subjected to serious psychological trauma as a result. The story is captured in blood-chilling and captivating details by the author of this book. Reading like a Nollywood movie, it is at once interesting and heart-rending.
It is a true account of the Nigerian civil war, told from the eyes of a child in such an innocent and real manner that it can make you laugh at times and cry at other times. It makes an interesting read and could be useful as research or reference material for both students and others interested in African anthropology and local culture. It is written in excellent, flowing prose, which displays creative writing at its best. It is also a good study material for literary studies and stylistics students.
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Author Biography
Nestor Udoh was born in the sleepy but serene village of Mbiabong Ikpe, Ikpe Annang, in Akwa Ibom State, where this story is set, in the eastern part of Nigeria. Under strict parents and a stricter local African tradition, he grew up in the throes of the Nigerian Civil War, which started when he was in primary school in elementary one. Despite close calls, he miraculously survived the civil war amidst the deaths of his playmates and childhood friends. After the war, he was trained as a medical doctor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He was later certified as a Consultant Public Health Physician by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He rose through the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service ranks and was appointed a Permanent Secretary by Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio. He retired as the Dean of the College of Permanent Secretaries.
He has written many books and published many academic journals and newspaper articles as an author. He writes freelance for international journals, such as the London-based NewsAfrica. He lives in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, and writes and runs a private business.
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View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Parrésia Publishers
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9789785959710
- Publication Country or regionNigeria
- FormatPaperback
- Pages454
- ReadershipGeneral
- Publish StatusPublished
- Original Language AuthorsEnglish
- EditionFirst Edition
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