.jpg)
Charles Ajunwa Tourists from all over the world visit the National War Museum, Umuahia, Abia State, to enjoy the serene atmosphere and also to satisfy their curiosity about the Nigerian Civil War.
The documentalist in the National War Museum, Mr. Julius Ogar, told THISDAY they are doing everything to ensure that the place is well maintained.
"Our dream is to make this place a tourist haven since there are no much tourist sites in Umuahia. We have a tall dream to make this place very attractive, tourists are invited to the National War Museum because it's a public centre and anybody that wants to know about the Nigerian Civil War, the unity of Nigeria should endeavour to visit here.
The National War Museum, Umuahia is one of the seven wonders of Nigeria. The museum was established some 25 years ago. Initially this place was run by the military before it was transferred to the National Commission for Museum and Monuments, which is holding it in trust for the Ministry of Defense," Ogar said.
According to him, the museum has well furnished gallery, recreation centres, multi-purpose hall, museum kitchen, children play ground.
"We are proposing to open an exhibition hall where our visitors will watch films, power points and slides.
"We have three sections here, the army section, the air force section and the navy section. In the army section, we have both hardwares used by the federal troop and the secessionist troop. The famous one being the Biafran Red Devil, Ogbunigwe, relics of Radio Biafra and Biafran cooking pot which is the local refinery.
"In the air force section, we have the eye-catching aircraft which is the unicorn known as the Biafran mosquito, we have the Egyptian donated aircraft, locally made anti-air craft gun, rocket launchers.
"In the naval section we have the NNS Bonny (the craft ship), assault boat that was locally made by the Ministry of Transport, patrol boat guns and the anti submarines," he noted.
According to Ogar, the relics of the war are preserved and maintained by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).
The Nigerian-Biafran war, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the Southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra. The war, which started on July 6, 1967, came to an end on January 15, 1970.
