The Igbo Persona and the Agony of the Nigerian Civil War in Hyginus Ekwuazi’s That Other Country

Abstract

The article contends that Hyginus Ekwuazi’s That Other Country addresses the Nigerian Civil War experience and the agonies of the Igbo persona. Being a latter third generation Nigerian poetry, the collection chronicles the connection between the agonies of the Igbo persona, the activities that led to the war, and the war experience itself. Unlike most Nigerian Civil War poetry, Ekwuazi’s That Other Country is influenced by the recent campaign and agitation for Biafra. The poetry does not only record a new version of the war experience, it reflects the Igbo persona’s disenchantment with the worsening socio-political situation of the Nigerian State. The poetry shows that the agony of the war glows, even though the war took place 50 years ago. The collection depicts that the agony of the war is fuelled by the inability of the Igbo persona to forget the horrible experience of his past. The article concludes that Nigerian Civil War poetry has continued to surface because successive Nigerian governments have been unable to provide a levelling ground for its people to melt away the tribal and ethnic mistrust that has become part of its national consciousness.