THE IMPACT OF THE NIGERIA CIVIL WAR IN THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS AND CHILDREN

The Impact of War on Teenagers and Children in NgoziOnyioha Orji's Teenager atWar.

NgoziOnyioha-Orji who is gradually establishing a reputation for dealing with issues of child abuse through her novels hails from Nkoporo in Ohafia local government in Abia state. The Umuahia based author has three novels to her credit. Her debut novel, Teenagerat War was co-published with the Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC). Her second novel was The Accused, The Condemned, The reprieved and TheKnots of Karma.

Teenager at War was described by The Guardian Newspaper on the preface page of the text as a 'heart rending tale which portrays the sordidness of War and how it seizes people's sanity.

AkachiEzeigbo describes the text as 'Fresh and Lucid in language suffused with local colour. The image of war are evocative and arresting."

Teenager at War is all about the horrors of war which was mostly experienced by innocent children and teenagers.

Nkem and Chioma are Mr and MrsAgahs's daughters who are in their teenage years. They attend a secondary school where they have friends of the same age grade. Nkem who is the narrator in this text, is the younger sister to Chioma, both of them equally have siblings Egbuna, Aki and the twins.

      Their lives were normal until May 1967 when she celebrated her sixteen years birthday with her peers; Chibuzo and Celia who in turn ushered her into teenage hood, their parents were very protective and do not want them out of their sight until the unfortunate incidence of the Nigerian Civil war broke out. They were surrounded by trustworthy house helps, cook, steward, washer man, gardeners, drivers and house girls.

Chioma started dating Louis who was eighteen years when the war started. During one of her numerous visits to Louis in the company of her sister Nkem, chidi was also introduced to Nkem. Chidi was also eighteen years old at that time he joined the war.

      Both sisters gradually know the meaning of war when the invaders entered into Enugu where they live and go to school in 1967. The family was forced to leave Enugu to seek refuge at their Uncle's house in Okigwe. At Okigwe they were not able to see friends and they became bored. Their mother does not like it with their uncle's wife  because she always prove to be the senior wife over their mother. Enugu fell, and soon it was time to leave Okigwe the family moved to Umuahia.

       Initially, Umuahia was boring until refugees from other towns where the invaders had conquered started populating the town. Mrs Agha, Nkem's mother started operating a restaurant to keep her busy and provide food for the family to eat. The girls, Chioma and Nkem found jobs with the medical directorate and propaganda respectively. These jobs kept them busy and allowed them to pay visits to their friends, Louis and Chidi.

        Amidst the bombs, shellings and bullets their parents allowed them to enjoy their social life by going to dances particularly called 'jumps'. With a chaperon assigned to them by their father. Apart from reading a lot of novels to ward off the strange happenings around them, they have Louis and Chidi, who unfortunately are fighting in the war. Their jobs kept them company until they can see them when they are less busy.

      During Chioma and Nkems stay at Emekuku, a village near Owerri, a tragic incident occurred that shook the family especially Chioma in chapter 4 of part two of the text. By now Louis and Chidi were lieutenants commanding artilleries with batmen to serve them until Louis was called upon by his friend Ezenwa to help him collect his battery from a mechanic who exchanged his new battery with his old one.

Ezenwa was determined to get his battery so he went to the military police for help, the commander referred the case to his subordinate Louis. Louis went to investigate the allegation but the mechanic was no-where to be found. When the mechanic refused to show up he and his boys went to his shop, on getting there the mechanic and some unknown persons opened fire on Louis and his boys. They took cover and without waiting for instruction one of his boys reacted in self-defense and shot one of the ambushers dead.

      Louis was told that his commanding officer wanted to see him at the Military Police Headquarters at Enyogugu. One incidence led to another, Louis was kept in detention, sent to the tribunals and later sent into the worst detention camp in Nnueke. All efforts made by Chioma to see him proved abortive, the officers In charge of the case told her that it was because the case involved a native that was supposed to be protected, that was why Louis case would be taken to the court even after the officer who committed the crime has exonerated Louis from the problem.

     Pius, Louis brother and their father were the only ones granted permit to see him. His case was taken to court and he was pronounced guilty and sentenced to death. He made attempts at breaking out with six other inmates when Ezenwa was killed, but proved abortive, he was caught and was killed in the public with no traces of where he was buried.

      Gradually, the enemy encroached into Umuahia after destroying the villages around them and Owerri is equally shaking. The frequent running to the bush and caves as hideouts from the air liners continued until the Federal troopes gain ground after shelling and destruction of Okigwe and the final push would be Orlu. Agha's family decided to send Chioma and Nkem with their family friends, Frank and Paul to a farm when the news came to them that the soldiers were raping and humiliating women.

       The family became separated when Umuahia became the enemies target and thousands of refugees packed out of Umuahia to God knows where. Chioma and Nkem parted ways when Chioma forgot her purse in their hideout, she went back to pick it and Nkem waited, during her waiting, special airliners of the Federal troops came and bombarded the town, Nkem had to run for her life.

    After walking miles upon miles she came across the father's friend who helped her a little in his car and told her to face Orlu. She overheard from the refugees that the warlords and generals are fleeing the country. This made the Biafran soldiers who had no weapons not to fight any longer, of which Chidi was one of them. She had to trace him, in doing this she walked six miles before seeing Uncle Victor, her mother's distant cousin who joined the army in 1968 and had become a Captain.

 She was directed to Umuaka where she was told Chidi's artillery unit moved to. After dropping her off at the junction which leads to her destination, she came across chidi's batsman who assured her of seeing his boss there but unfortunately they have moved and she had to walk miles until she became tired and sat by the road side where Chidi saw her and took her to Orlu.

       With Chidi by her and IkechiChidi's sister, they prepared to flee Orlu where the enemy is bombarding seriously they moved straight by foot to Umunze where Chidi's batsman was staying before leaving to Akokwa the next day.

Chidi paid their transport fare with a lot of struggle to Enugu so that Nkem can rejoin her parents. Ikechi and Nkem had to disguise as old women before leaving for the fear of being captured by the Federal troops of which they were not so lucky, but for the courage Chidi exhibited in the presence of the sergeant that discovered that the girls were actually not old. The sergeant was encouraged by Chidi's bravery and released them to continue their journey to Enugu.

    During the civil war, children and teenagers contributed to national discussions about the war and other important issues like places where the federal troops are operating and the experiences they had in the home front, participation and what it meant to grow up in the midst of a violent national conflict. These episodes normally takes place in Mrs. Agha's restaurant and the directorates where teenagers who are out of school pass their time.

  The conversation that emerge between Nkem and Nkoli in the restaurant concerning which directorate to go and work;

        'Port Harcourt gone, Aba lost, Owerri taken by the enemy, tension had reached

a feverish pitch in Umuahia.

        'We will fight to the last man; the radio announcer said.

        'What patriotism! I think the Directorate to join is the propaganda Directorate

         I muttered while serving food to Nkoli, one of our customers.

         'Don't be silly, what do you think you can contribute to that directorate. (pg. 68)