Mr Sasa Ugwumba Kalu Nwoke popularly known as ‘Corporal Nwafor’ because of his heroic role during the Nigeria civil war, has advised Nigerians against making the wrong choice in the 2023 presidential poll.
‘ Corporal Nwafor’ who spoke exclusively with Vanguard in Umuahia at the Adelabu Street office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, where he came to collect his Permanent Voter Card, PVC, warned that “if Nigeria misses it in 2023”, the country would be in for doom.
The 71-year – old who said he would migrate abroad if a wrong President were elected in 2023, warned that no attempt should be made to bring back his corpse when he would eventually die.
“ If we don’t get it right in 2023, I will leave this country for you people. It has been a torturous eight years in hell.
“ Even my dead body will not return to Nigeria. Yes my body will not come to Ohafia. If my dead body is put in an aircraft to bring it back to Nigeria, that aircraft will crash so that my dead body will be charred, and won’t be found!”
He said that Nigeria was at the verge of charting a new cause as God has sent a deliverer like the biblical Moses among the presidential candidates, praying that Nigerians would be vigilant enough to identify the political Messiah.
“ Nigeria needs a miracle worker, and fortunately we have one among the presidential candidates but I won’t mention his name.
“He is simply the best among others; we don’t have the second best. The youths have to decide.
“ Remember what Steve Biko said: If you want to build a nation, kill the tribe. These men have been riding on the shoulders of tribalism but today, we need that best candidate who will build the nation. God has brought him our way. He is like Moses who delivered the Israelites from bondage.
“ We need somebody who loves Nigeria; a man that loves the black race. We have been in trouble. Our children have suffered. Since you were born, have you ever seen good time? It has been darkness, wickedness and evil”.
The civil war veteran who said that Nigerians hardly learn from history, tasked INEC on credible polls in 2023.
“ INEC has no choice than to do a good job. If anyone in INEC doesn’t want to do a good job, he has to get out so that somebody who will do a fantastic job will come in.
“Nigerians are the poorest historians I have ever seen. I hope we have learnt our lessons from the past so we can forge ahead and build a nation.
“We don’t need the civil war experience again. We need to have learnt a lesson from the past. I don’t envisage any repeat of the 1967 ugly experiences. Let’s bury the hatchet and see if we can build a nation.
“ The black race has been in turmoil for too long. Our leaders should know that all the money they gather will turn into rubbles over time. We need to make Nigeria a better place for us all”.
Corporal Nwafor was the brave Biafran soldier who fired 73mm bazooka that hit a Saladine on the convoy of advancing federal troops galloping to overrun Onitsha but were ambushed at the historic Ogidi sector by Biafran soldiers.
Although Nwafor died in the ensuing bloody battle, a federal tank recovered by the Biafra soldiers was later named ‘Corporal Nwafor’ in memory of the brave fallen hero, Nwafor.
The tank was taken to Umudike where it was refurbished and rebranded by Biafran engineers and later manned by Nwoke, a 16-year-old Ohafia boy from Government College Afikpo who joined the Army without the parents’ knowledge.
Nwoke otherwise known as ‘Corporal Nwafor’ was the gunner of the only formidable tank driven by Daniel Lawrence (a.k a Pampas of Argentina) from Ikom who was born by a British woman from Liverpool.
The tank which was then about the only formidable armoury on the side of Biafra fought from Uzuakoli to Ikot Ekpene, Okigwe to Port Harcourt and back to Owerri, doing exploits as Nwoke (‘Corporal Nwafor’) mounted the gunner.
