FG to formally acknowledge Asaba Massacre as reconciliation efforts gain momentum

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori announced during Wednesday's 59th anniversary memorial in Asaba that the Federal Government intends to release a formal reconciliation declaration concerning the 1967 Asaba Massacre. Dr Kingsley Emu, the Secretary to the State Government, represented the governor and emphasised that acknowledgement at the federal level would prove essential for achieving genuine reconciliation.

The state itself has already taken steps to recognise the massacre, officials noted. Addressing the ceremony via virtual participation, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo called upon survivors and bereaved families to pursue forgiveness and reconciliation efforts.

He characterised the Civil War massacre as among Nigeria's most traumatic historical events, revealing that he wept after receiving thorough documentation of the tragedy from Chief Chuks Nduka-Eze. He appealed to those assembled to labour toward preventing comparable incidents throughout the nation's future.

Prof. Epiphany Azinge, serving as the Asagba of Asaba, responded to these reconciliation appeals by noting that although forgiveness remains achievable, complete healing demands a public apology from the sitting President. This position by the monarch mirrors demands from community leaders seeking formal acknowledgement originating from present-day leadership rather than retired officials.

Hundreds perished in the 1967 massacre during the Nigerian Civil War. Each year, the memorial service serves as an important venue for addressing historical accountability and the nation's healing process.

The commitment demonstrated by government representatives toward issuing a formal reconciliation declaration signals movement in the direction of institutional recognition of the tragedy, although particulars regarding scope and form of such declaration have yet to be specified.