Dear Professor Gold, I grew up fascinated by Military Science and war stories. I even dreamed of attending the Nigerian Military school before choosing Government College Ughelli. The youth of my days admired the young, brash, and handsome soldiers of the Nigerian Army during the Civil War. Stories of heroism of fighters like Col Benjamin Adekunle (the Black Scorpion), former Head of State, the late General Murtala Muhammad, and Isaac Adaka Boro (IAB) gripped us, young people, with awe and admiration. When his death was announced over the airwaves of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (Short Wave), it was very surreal because we saw these guys as larger than life and immortal.
On any given weekend, you could hear the name of Isaac Boro blasting through those palm wine bars’ speakers, featuring the voice of the one and only Rex Jim Lawson. His death on the battlefield made the war so real and consequential. I didn’t know him, but there was something about his charisma and the principles and the people he fought for, which I now know as the Ijaw Nation.
Professor Gold, when you mentioned to me that you were authorized to write his biography, there was a little bit of skepticism and a lot of hope that it was the real deal. Through the following weeks and months that we chatted about the manuscript, the reviews, including discussions on the lineage (family tree of IAB) and the book, I couldn’t wait to see a finished product and ultimately a launch, and then a sale of books. I hope that the completion of this project will open new doors to other book deals in the future.
From the Foreword by the former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Go on with one Nigeria), until the very last page, this book is a riveting and captivating collection of history-making statements and stories. The tragic event that led to his death notwithstanding, the Unfinished Project, the story of Major Isaac Adaka Boro as authored by Professor Mondy Selle Gold captures the history of a man who left behind an everlasting legacy for the people of Nigeria and the Ijaw Nation.
The book paints a picture of a freedom fighter, a martyr, and indeed a revolutionary. IAB believed very strongly in the emancipation of the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta, who Boro believed had been marginalized through the years. In the words of General Yakubu Gowon, “Boro’s audacity to challenge the status quo was met with the swift force of a young nation determined to maintain its unity at all costs. However, even in defeat, Boro’s legacy became a rallying cry for future generations. His message was simple, yet profound: without justice, there can be no peace. Without equity, there can be no unity. And without the recognition of the unique struggles of the Niger Delta, actual development cannot be achieved”.
For many Nigerians who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, and for anyone who followed the civil war in Nigeria, the name of Isaac Adaka Boro is a household phenomenon that either spells courage, boldness, or revolution, or a traitor. Today, Nigeria can hardly complete a political conference without discussing resource control. In Professor Gold’s Isaac Adaka Boro: The Unfinished Project, the topic of resource control was at the center of IAB’s determination to ensure that the Ijaw people received their due respect and acceptance in the Nigerian nation. In a scholarly manner, Professor Gold set out to correct several inaccuracies surrounding the death of Isaac Boro during the Civil War. Many would view the life of Major Isaac Adaka Boro as complex, but Professor Gold meticulously deals with this complexity by weaving relatable stories into a clear, brilliant piece of literature.
Through interviews with family members, friends, and civil war commanders, Professor Gold set out to ensure the records about a consequential leader like IAB are correctly documented. His visionary and revolutionary principles, which earned him the title of The Lion of the Niger Delta, have been captured in this masterful work. Tracing the birth of IAB in the oil city of Oloibiri, Professor Gold shows how Boro was destined for greatness. Starting as a student leader at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Professor Gold points out that the formation of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, which was led by IAB, was a necessary secession plan to let the world know how he felt about oppression and discrimination. Till date, this oil has been both a blessing and a curse. To the Nigerian nation, it has been a blessing, but to the people of the Niger Delta, it has mostly been a curse. Diseases from exposure to chemicals from oil exploration have ravaged the communities without support or an end in sight. These are the people that Isaac Adak Borro fought for, and Professor Gold has masterfully captured this in this book.
Judging from the volume of the book, a whopping more than 350 pages of deep research and methodical display of professional writing, Professor Gold was able to clear up several of the lingering misinformation in the Nigerian blogosphere. By leveraging numerous different sources, including eye-witness accounts from family members, respected community leaders, military officers, and, more importantly, a former Military Head of State, Professor Gold appears to have achieved the objective for writing this autobiography.
The book shows IAB not only as the Lion of the Niger Delta but also as a freedom fighter and revolutionary. In the words of General Godwin Alabi-Isama, “Major Boro was my officer and my friend. He was shot exactly 30 minutes after he left me at 6 a.m. at Aletu Eleme, where he received his orders for the final battle into Port Harcourt on the morning of May 18, 1968. Port Harcourt was captured at noon on the same day. God knows why”.
The Ijaw Nation continues to speak out against injustice and discrimination. Professor Gold credits this energy to the heroics of Major Boro and has succeeded in immortalizing such an icon. Between academics and traditional advocacy, Professor Gold has produced a very impressive body of literature that bridges the gap between these two dichotomies. It was not enough to talk about IAB’s fight for the emancipation of the Ijaw people alone; Gold also displays his ability to showcase his scholarship capacity. One hopes that the production of this book has put to rest the arguments between researchers of IAB’s revolutionary life and the controversies surrounding his death. As I held a copy of this book in my hands, I appreciated the amount of energy and dedication that Professor Gold and his team gave to ensure the completion of the work.
IAB was a fighter for justice and a voice for equality. As long as Nigeria and the human race continue to struggle with these issues, the spirit of IAB lives. Professor MSG demonstrated a mastery of the intricate complexity of the nation and ensured that IAB spoke from his grave. Visionaries may die, but their visions live on. IAB is such a person, and Gold made sure that Nigeria and the world would not forget. Bravo Gold.
Professor Charles E. Orbih is the Professorial Chair EdSea Business School Open Christian University-Haggai International Bible College; Co-Founder Nigeria Diaspora Coalition for Change, President Ogbona Diaspora in The Americas Inc, and a Global Legacy Leadership Recipient
