Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe - Politics - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe (4867 Views)
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| Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 3:38pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Almost 30 years before Rwanda, before Darfur, more than 2 million people – mothers, children, babies, civilians – lost their lives as a result of the blatantly callous and unnecessary policies enacted by the leaders of the federal government of Nigeria. As a writer I believe that it is fundamentally important, indeed essential to our humanity, to ask the hard questions, in order to better understand ourselves and our neighbours. Where there is justification for further investigation, justice should be served. In the case of the Nigeria-Biafra war there is precious little relevant literature that helps answer these questions. Did the federal government of Nigeria engage in the genocide of its Igbo citizens – who set up the republic of Biafra in 1967 – through punitive policies, the most notorious being "starvation as a legitimate weapon of war" ? Is the information blockade around the war a case of calculated historical suppression? Why has the war not been discussed, or taught to the young, more than 40 years after its end? Are we perpetually doomed to repeat the errors of the past because we are too stubborn to learn from them? The Oxford English Dictionary defines genocide as "the deliberate and systematic extermination of an ethnic or national group ...". The UN general assembly defined it in 1946 as "... a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups". Throughout the conflict the Biafrans consistently charged that the Nigerians had a design to exterminate the Igbo people from the face of the earth. This calculation, the Biafrans insisted, was predicated on a holy jihad proclaimed by mainly Islamic extremists in the Nigerian army and supported by the policies of economic blockade that prevented shipments of humanitarian aid, food and supplies to the needy in Biafra. Supporters of the federal government position maintain that a war was being waged and the premise of all wars is for one side to emerge as the victor. Overly ambitious actors may have "taken actions unbecoming of international conventions of human rights, but these things happen everywhere". This same group often cites findings, from organisations (sanctioned by the federal government) that sent observers during the crisis, that there "was no clear intent on behalf of the Nigerian troops to wipe out the Igbo people ... pointing out that over 30,000 Igbos still lived in Lagos, and half a million in the mid-west". But if the diabolical disregard for human life seen during the war was not due to the northern military elite's jihadist or genocidal obsession, then why were there more small arms used on Biafran soil than during the entire second world war? Why were there 100,000 casualties on the much larger Nigerian side compared with more than 2 million – mainly children – Biafrans killed? It is important to point out that most Nigerians were against the war and abhorred the senseless violence that ensued. The wartime cabinet of General Gowon , the military ruler, it should also be remembered, was full of intellectuals like Chief Obafemi Awolowo among others who came up with a boatload of infamous and regrettable policies. A statement credited to Awolowo and echoed by his cohorts is the most callous and unfortunate: all is fair in war, and starvation is one of the weapons of war. I don't see why we should feed our enemies fat in order for them to fight harder. It is my impression that Awolowo was driven by an overriding ambition for power, for himself and for his Yoruba people. There is, on the surface at least, nothing wrong with those aspirations. However, Awolowo saw the dominant Igbos at the time as the obstacles to that goal, and when the opportunity arose – the Nigeria-Biafra war – his ambition drove him into a frenzy to go to every length to achieve his dreams. In the Biafran case it meant hatching up a diabolical policy to reduce the numbers of his enemies significantly through starvation — eliminating over two million people, mainly members of future generations. The federal government's actions soon after the war could be seen not as conciliatory but as outright hostile. After the conflict ended, the same hardliners in the Nigerian government cast Igbos in the role of treasonable felons and wreckers of the nation – and got the regime to adopt a banking policy that nullified any bank account operated during the war by the Biafrans. A flat sum of 20 Nigerian pounds was approved for each Igbo depositor, regardless of the amount of deposit. If there was ever a measure put in place to stunt, or even obliterate, the economy of a people, this was it. After that outrageous charade, Nigeria's leaders sought to devastate the resilient and emerging eastern commercial sector even further by banning the import of secondhand clothing and stockfish – two trade items that they knew the burgeoning market towns of Onitsha, Aba and Nnewi needed to re-emerge. Their fear was that these communities, fully reconstituted, would then serve as the economic engines for the reconstruction of the entire Eastern Region. There are many international observers who believe that Gowon's actions after the war were magnanimous and laudable. There are tons of treatises that talk about how the Igbo were wonderfully integrated into Nigeria. Well, I have news for them: The Igbos were not and continue not to be reintegrated into Nigeria, one of the main reasons for the country's continued backwardness. Borrowing from the Marshall plan for Europe after the second world war, the federal government launched an elaborate scheme highlighted by three Rs – for reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reconciliation. The only difference is that, while the Americans actually carried out all three prongs of the strategy, Nigeria's federal government did not. What has consistently escaped most Nigerians in this entire travesty is the fact that mediocrity destroys the very fabric of a country as surely as a war – ushering in all sorts of banality, ineptitude, corruption and debauchery. Nations enshrine mediocrity as their modus operandi, and create the fertile ground for the rise of tyrants and other base elements of the society, by silently assenting to the dismantling of systems of excellence because they do not immediately benefit one specific ethnic, racial, political, or special-interest group. That, in my humble opinion, is precisely where Nigeria finds itself today. http://guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/02/biafran-war-nigeria-mediocrity-persecution-igbo?cat=commentisfree&type=article 1 Like |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 3:41pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
And this is why people, that low life s.c.um of the life rotting in the grave deserves no iota of respect.That explains why he died of self inflicted rat poison. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 3:42pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
This book is a must have and read for any igbo person. Y'all need to shine your eyes. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by aare07(m): 4:52pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Including Tinubu and South- West integration of all the 7 state on the platform of ACN Insha Allah , Mimiko Will win The election- it will make it difficult to integrate Yoruba Nation.......... |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by rhymz(m): 5:12pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
I realy will love to read this book or possibly get the PDF when it becomes available. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by DuduNegro: 5:29pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Im looking at the title to this topic and asking myself, is it wrong to love oneself......and if he was Yoruba leader why should he not love his people? This book may explain the bottom reason why Igbo leaders declare political loyalty to non-igbos and it would likewise throw light into understanding why igbos genrally put the love of other lands above their own alaigbo.........loving oneself and loving one's people and land is a foreign and strange concept to them. Who could reveal this better than Chinua........yes, please let me know when its available free in googlebooks. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by rhymz(m): 5:49pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Dudu_Negro: Im looking at the title to this topic and asking myself, is it wrong to love oneself......and if he was Yoruba leader why should he not love his people?it appears you are itching for some ignorant Igbo vs Yoruba internet cat fight with your inciting BS. 1 Like |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 5:50pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
^ dumb f/u.ck. you clearly didnt read or understand the entire article. You clearly didnt see where he stated that there is nothing wrong with loving oneself but being animaliatic about it, to achieve futile personal ambition is the problem well if you live like an animal, you die like an animal. in this case rat poison helped him out. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by DuduNegro: 5:55pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Mr. Globe: ....nobody personified those fatalistic traits better than Odumegwu Ojukwu, who at the end succumbed to the ravages of aids. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by DuduNegro: 5:58pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
rhymz: it appears you are itching for some ignorant Igbo vs Yoruba internet cat fight with your inciting BS. We Yorubas love ourselves and our land and our leaders love us.....thats a fact! If you put a post here challenging that fact then its because you want a response. So why is my response ruffling you? |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by Ikengawo: 6:08pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
your leaders love themselves and their followers a blind to it. That's what achebe is tell you and you don't want to hear it because of ethnic sentiment. Achebe has spent more time with your leaders than you have. If anyone will know it's the professor, not you. Which yoruba leader are you speaking of that loves their people? Obasanjo? Tinubu? Abiola? Fayemi? and now Awolowo who was only using 'yoruba' as a platform or political advancement. and it's funny that yoruba people that are actual leaders of the people have ALWAYS been the direct enemy of these people and thus not considered leaders by yoruba people. Wole Soyinka Fela Kuti I couldn't compile a list of 'igbo leaders' that have cannibalized on their own people to the extent that I can for the yoruba people. You can't keep propping up opportunists for the sake of saving your ethnicity has a 'leader'. Where did Awolowo lead you? second class citizenship in a Hausa-Fulani political monopoly? |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by Jisunpack: 6:12pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
How do you expect them to understand loving your people, when they can quietly take their parents to shrine for money rituals? How do expect them to understand when they only worship money? A region where brothers don't trust each other , sisters sees each other as enemies? Dudu_Negro: Im looking at the title to this topic and asking myself, is it wrong to love oneself......and if he was Yoruba leader why should he not love his people? Is anything wrong with one loving his people? only the easterners will think otherwise, since every value on that side must have monetary inducement and greed supersedes brotherhood. No amount of revisions can take away the fact that the legendary awo was a great man. Let those that sees nothing wrong with kidnapping their brothers complain. God bless Awowolo Obafemi. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by DuduNegro: 6:18pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Ji_sun_pack: How do you expect them to understand loving your people, when they can quietly take their parents to shrine for money rituals? Yes, GOD Bless AWO..... Chinua should love his peole like Awo did and write a book instructing them against self-hatred and kidnapping. Face East Chinua! |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by Ikengawo: 6:28pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Well, keep propping up Tinubu as if he isn't getting rich off your suffering. Continue propping up Obasanjo, or acting as if Awolowo did anything for Yoruba people. Chinua Achebe has impacted the world over. His writings are standard and required reading in american highschools and universities as well as ones in europe and Japan. He has made the history of the Igbo the voice piece for africa in the world and will go down in history as someone who impacted the enrichment of humanity. To compare him to Awolowo? wow. It's like yoruba leader OLoseuh Obasanjo saids, I dey laugh o.  |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by DuduNegro: 7:50pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
For your Chinua's literary fame we have Soyinka whose literature and plays have been accepted and admitted as parallels with Greek mythical plays. So when you talk about global reconition I want you to reflect on the impact that Soyinka has around the globe. It will be insulting to Awo to compare Chinua to him.....Chinua is politically irrelevant in the Nigerian polity. He may be king in yiur land. Tribal markig is a pride for us and a custom we co share with all African tribes who are proud of their customs. If you look into your own customs you will realuze that ibos used tribal marks to identify between clans. The pictures and recorda are online in case you are not that knowledgable enough about your own culture. Using pictures of blood and children to shock the conscience is a new phenomenal of media reporting and is very effective in subjecting conscuence and winning supoort ti your side.......very effective in winning hearts and minds. I want to remind you that those children in these your pictures went through far more blood and shock as they passed through the birth canal to join us in this world. The females ones among them are giig ti have their own children in future and will still witness and endure a far more blood and pain during childbirth. The males will defend their land and cause and will fight battles and wars in which they will kill or be killed.....it will be far bloodier than anything you are presenting here. So use a different imagery to gt the support you desire, theae ones are not efective. 2 Likes |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 8:39pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
I guess these people they call 'natural pigs' want me to risk a ban on this thread. This dumbo is talking about Achebe not being relevant to Nigerian polity. The same person that severally refused national honours. who is awolowo in nigeria, who knows him. he died infamously and does not have a legacy or respect whatsoever anywhere in nigeria apart from amongst stone age yorrober people. If awo had another chance, he would still commit suicide. And oh we see how your leaders love you... lmao. we see how your leaders went to aso rock to betray abiola for some 'parcels' we see how Tinubu loves you we saw how much obasanjo loved you in his 8 years presidency. we see all that |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by PeterKbaba: 8:43pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Dudu_Negro: For your Chinua's literary fame we have Soyinka whose literature and plays have been accepted and admitted as parallels with Greek mythical plays. So when you talk about global reconition I want you to reflect on the impact that Soyinka has around the globe. You read my thoughts |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 8:48pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Achebe only collaborated Femi Fani Kayode in stating the obvious. I want to be president awolowo sheepishly and selfishly wanted to weaken igbos in order to be president and was played by a much younger gowon. the reason he committef suicide like judas. Why stone aged people worship him at the expense of great people like soyinka explains why they are still in the stone age. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by PeterKbaba: 8:50pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Mr. Globe: When was the last time your achebu guy stepped foot in the south east, just a questions..... cause Awo died fighting for his people in nigeria and not writing love letters or novels in another man's land to make money, wole soyinka ( a noble price winner ) is also with his people in Lagos, protesting the government for a better Nigeria. So I really dont get why you achebu guy is afriad of the south east.... I cant blame him tho, IF ACHEBE TRY ENTER SOUTH EAST, NA HIM BROTHERS GO STILL PLAN WITH PEOPLE TO KIDNAP AM... CURSED PEOPLE. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 8:51pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Dudu_Negro:well, you need that to stay happy, but its on record that awo died of cowardly taking the rat poison way. I await your source...... or maybe he died the way aids patients in your family and village died. you never know. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 8:57pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
PeterKbaba:o If I was achebe, I wont step into a cursed Nigeria too. Lets have Biafra and see if achebe will not touch down next day. And oh, you think war must be involved this 2nd time? its not fuel subsidy protest. AND MAY I KNOW WHAT AWO KILLED HIMSELF FIGHTING FOR AND THE RESULTS. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 8:59pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
hidden |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by T9ksy(m): 9:00pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
PeterKbaba: Abi ojare!!! Imagine how much ransom they will levy on the senile old man. |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by PeterKbaba: 9:05pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Mr. Globe: and you think the south west are afraid of a breakup of nigeria... south west is the back bone of nigeria, peaceful, entertaining, vibrant economically, best structures, the majority of the most productive nigerians home and abroad reside / wants to reside in lagos. We also have crude oil all over South West ( Lagos State / Ondo State / Ogun State /Edo State ) and soon Ekiti State ... So what exactly are you talking about, una too dey jealous person sef aba |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 9:18pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
PeterKbaba:lmaooo... I neva knew i was replying an adult with teenage mindset. South West is the parasite of Nigeria. You have nothing, you contribute nada to the center... you feed on free meal, thats why you love Nigeria with your lives. Oh I see their is oil all over south west, wait until the breakup happens and the pipelines are cut off then we can fully know how much you people love palm oil to substitute it for the one you have now. to answer your question, soith west would wish for anything but a disintegrated nigeria |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by MrGlobe(m): 9:19pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
PeterKbaba: |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by PeterKbaba: 9:24pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Mr. Globe: now i know you have an empty skull ..... which region rules this country... lol fuul |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by T9ksy(m): 9:24pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Mr. Globe: And where is your proof that Awo commited suicide? |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by Jisunpack: 9:50pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Just stop wasting your time on that dolt, else you stand the chance of contacting an acute communicable daftness. Was Ojukwu high on cheap grass to drag his people into a war with zero chances of winning? How could any sane person go into war with his bare hands armed with inspiration from his pure stupidity? Heck, when it was time to show bravery, he cross-dress like aba market woman and bolted to Abidjan , married a new wife and enjoyed his life, after foolishly leading 3 million of his brethren to their early graves. We saw Gaddafi dying side by side with his people, even after several countries offered his asylum. Someone should have reminded the senile old reetard that America deployed nukes and are still ready to do that again and again to protect the lives of Americans. Awo the great! PeterKbaba: |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by DuduNegro: 10:55pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Mr Globe is your typical ibo man.....a slave to his ego, he suffers from Arrested Development (AD). He underestimates and dismisses the capabilities in his opponents. When floored by the opponents, the inner child comes out whining....throwing tantrums and vulgar offensive words to cut down opponents......blaming them for his actions and failures. The Hausas believe Yorubas have become surrogate parents to Igbos. It is hard to deny that considering they flee to our land when they are flushed out of Hausaland and we embrace and endure their whines patiently. What mouth does Achebe have to speak about another region when he cannot return to his own soil? |
| Re: Awolowo Was Driven By Ambition For Himself & His Yoruba People –Achebe by vanbonattel: 11:11pm On Oct 04, 2012 |
Chinua Achebe is a god to the yoruba race. Everything he says should be taken as their gospel. |
and greed supersedes brotherhood. No amount of revisions can take away the fact that the legendary awo was a great man. 
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