THROWBACKTHISDAY; Philip Effiong, the first Vice President and the second and last President of the defunct Republic of Biafra, died.

 

On thisday November 6 2003 Philip Effiong died. He was the first Vice President and the second Presidentof the now defunct Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970. Born in Ibiono Ibom in present-day Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Philip Effiong joined the Nigerian Armed Forceson 28 July 1945. He quickly rose through the ranks until on 11 January 1956 he received the Queen's Commission following his officer cadet training at Eaton Hall in Chester. England later commissioned him for duty in the Rhine, West Germany. He was then transferred to the Nigeria Army Ordnance Corps; then to England for further training after a peace-keeping stint in the Republic of Congo in 1961. He was Nigeria's first Director of Ordnance. His son is his namesake.

Efiong became Chief of General Staff of Biafra under Head of State, Odumegwu Ojukwu during the Nigeria-Biafra war.

The tactics of the Nigerian military during the war included economic blockade and deliberate destruction of agricultural land. Even before the war, the area was net importer of food, depending on income from its oil fields to feed its populace.

With the blockade cutting off oil revenue and agricultural destruction reducing food production, the result was mass dislocation and starvation of the populace. Two to three million people are thought to have died in the conflict, mostly through starvation and illness.

When Biafra's military resistance collapsed, Ojukwu fled to Côte d'Ivoire.

Efiong assumed leadership in this situation of turmoil, starvation, and collapse. He became Head of State of Biafra on 8 January 1970 and on 12 January announced surrender.[1]

At the time of the surrender, Efiong believed that the situation was hopeless and that prolonging the conflict would have led only to the further destruction and starvation of the people of Biafra. At that time Effiong said, "I am convinced now that a stop must be put to the bloodshed which is going on as a result of the war. I am also convinced that the suffering of our people must be brought to an immediate end.

 

TBT ; makes it 12 years and TBT Blog remembers, RIP.