I can uderstand igbos hating yorubas somuch and I can understand yorubas hating igbos so much to the extenþ of using food as a weapon of warfare but what I understand is this 2 groups choosing to live in one country nigeria despite the difference . Why can't they just. Organise referendum and let these 2 groups go their way

akinmax: Time past , time and time again,The yorouba nation has been waiting patiently for a reference point to unleash their animosity on this ungrateful people ,who always abuse their hospitality and peacefullness , the cloud is gathering, It may be long, quick or sudden, but I bet you Boko haram strategy to kill will be a child play in comparison to this.If at this time in history of our country , one children book writer is vomiting garbage,what this means is adding more salt to a wound - a trigger effect to already over heated politics.The noting is always true about the Ibo folks, they always look for trouble, anywhere they are, they hate decorum ,its in their DNA.

[size=16pt]WOW I CANT WAIT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT YOUR KINSMEN ARE JUST NOISE MAKING COWARDS, LET ME MAKE IT KNOWN TO YOU THAT EVERY IGBO MARKET PLACE IN LAGOS HAD ANTICIPATED A DAY LIKE THAT AND WE ARE WELL PREPARED, SO LETS JUST WAIT TILL THAT DAY THEN WE'LL KNOW WHO RULLY OWNS LAGOS...ASK YOUR BROTHER WHO CLAIM TO BE OMONILES WHAT WE DO TO THEM EVEN IN THEIR SO CALLED SOIL...SMELLY INDIAN HEMP AND OGOGORO DRINKING OWAMBE COWARDS!![/size]

kettykin: I can uderstand igbos hating yorubas somuch and I can understand yorubas hating igbos so much to the extenþ of using food as a weapon of warfare but what I understand is this 2 groups choosing to live in one country nigeria despite the difference . Why can't they just. Organise referendum and let these 2 groups go their way

THANK YOU BRO!!

Standing5:
Ojukwu was involved in the war and would never come out to call Awo "the best president Nigeria never had" if Pa Awo was truly what Achebe says he is. . . And btw, Achebe wasn't involved in the war 1% of what ojukwu witnessed. So who are we suppose to believe?

Ojukwu said what he meant at the time he said it, Achebe is saying what he believes in his book. We can only judge people by what they say, not what we think they are saying, unless they spoke in a language we can not understand.
I don't want people to come here 10 years from now and say, oh Achebe was really speaking in "Oxford english" he really loved and respected Awo. Which we all know is absolute nonsense.

It has been 42 years since the war ended and Nigeria is still in search of peace and unity. I have read the comments on this thread and I'm apalled by the chaos this has generated. Now I know that there are some people who are determined to re-write history. For so long we (Yoruba/Igbo) have been waging senseless "war" against ourselves yet the "enemy" is out there trying to lord over us and force their religion down our throat. We hate with bitter odium in a bid to undo one another yet the blood sucker is out there sacrificing our (Yoruba/Igbo) brothers and sisters to their god.

Awo, Ojukwu et al all played different roles before, during and after the war. Awo is not god, he is mere flesh and blood and in a war situation it is expected that he protect the interest of his people (Yoruba). Ojukwu also displayed his loyalty to his people (Igbo). Why then do we continue to brood over their mistakes? If we have so much energy to dispence why dont we channel it on our common enemy? Prof Achebe's "There was a country" is his personal acount of what transpired during that era. I do not think it is meant to soil the name of Awo.

The starvation policy and change of currency strategy were brilliant! In fact Awolowo was BRILLIANT. Igbos/Ojukwu's army were relying on arms and physical power to win; awolowo helped naija win d war by using his brain more than anything else. Trust d yorubas; always intelligent (dat's dey don't like to fight...violence is not in their dna but if u bring ur drama to them, dey will show who d boss is; by using their intelligence as usual).

Peace out dudes!

CHINUA ACHEBE and other Ndigbo, GROW UP and Move on, you declared a war not family reunion, so don't expect to be fed by your enemy.

The war is over, lets stop whining over what has happened based on our common over zealousness. Lets move on and grow together.

Achebe is a frustrated man.

He sure is! I think part of him resents d Yoruba; why dey always win without fighting or showing much aggression/threatening anyone. I think he probably resents Soyinka for winning a nobel prize dat is why he keeps refusing the naija honors dey bestow upon him (kind of trying to say medals don't matter to him).
What was he expecting anyway? Dat Awolowo (being on d naija side of d war) would help Biafra win? Excuse me, Mr, dats not how war is fought. Imagine US helping iraq win its war. He is just a bitter old man. Bottomline.

mko abiola: Achebe is a frustrated man.

ikeyman00: @@@@@
shymex
u ve shown enuogh zeal here and always demonstrate how u want us as black people rise to living well

but u failed to know that we will never get there by telling lies im afraid

looks like u are shying away from the truth

what are they afraid of ? their fellow human?

Ok, brother... If you were to be in Awolowo's shoes, what would you have done? Bear in the mind that Ojukwu and Biafrans were not willing to surrender as long as arms continued to flow in - despite knowing darn well they were fighting a lost battle... It was an unwinnable war - and the Nigerian and Biafran forces had more small arms than what was used in World War 1.... And Ojukwu said he wanted arms, not food - so what do you expect Awolowo to do??

The war happened over 40 years ago - and I've got a father who joined the Nigerian army at age 19, to fight on the Nigerian side - after Lagos was bombed by Biafran mercenaries... He never wanted the war but he had to fight to save his country, and he was traumatised for years... Hence, why he married late... However, he went to Uni in the Eastern part of Nigeria before he left Nigeria and he has since moved on - why can't Chinua Achebe who was not even in Nigeria during the war move on

logica: Dude, he was right. The West was very much neutral (and as a matter of fact was leaning in favor of Biafra) until the ill-conceived push towards Lagos. All Biafra had to do was hold on tight as up till that move, the war was in a state of doldrums.

Well, if as intelligent as you are, you failed to understand that Banjo(a Yoruba) was asked to lead such an important expedition (capturing the capital and chasing the northern soldiers out of it) which would have necessitated a truce, I wonder what will convince you that the Igbos where never against the west. Awolowo succumbed to the threat from the north
and got a position that enabled him fulfil his original desire.

abouzaid: @kodewrita, that interview u were quoting was given on political ground.

All along I dont want to comment on these issues, but I'll talk & will look fact in the eyes n comment.
1. The crises began as a muslim/christian - north/eastern nigeria affair.
2. Ojukwu/igbo saw Awolowo/yoruba as a brother(fellow southern brothers)
3. Ojukwu never had war in mind at the beginning
4. Awolowo was sitting on the fence and was communicating with both parties.
When the hausas turn the matter to war on the igbos with a promise(to make Awolowo president) he joined them and become their adviser n strategist(the promise which was never fulfilled).
Ojukwu n the igbos saw Awolowo as a betrayer 'cos of that role. Why it looks like the igbos are attacking Awolowo/yoruba is, he(Awolowo) acted as an unfriendly friend. If he had "declared Oduduwa Republic as he(Awolowo) promised" or told Ojukwu earlier on that he's supporting the north, it would've been a different scenario. In all the north(muslim) deceived Awolowo/used Awolowo to destroy igbo(christian), which was their hunger considering their jihad mentality. Thats my little analysis from the details available to me from all sides. Reconciliation worked in south africa, why cant it work here, if only this new generation decides to acknowledge dtruth no matter who's involved.

mko abiola: Apart frm his novel "things fall apart" what has Chinua Achebe done or achieved for d ibo race.mtchewwww

You are soooooo naive

Parnassuss:
The war was between the North and Igbo? Are you daft, scratch that you are fukken daft! What sort of deluded generalisation is that? Does that mean Yoruba soldiers did not fight in the Nigerian Army? Was Awolowo, the quintessential Yoruba effigy, not heading the starvation council? Dude the war was NIGERIA vs BIAFRA, Nigeria constituting virtually all other tribes save some SE.

Also to all those rejects and fucktards who say "it was war, I would have done the same thing, Awolowo did it for the country" Bleep Y'ALL!!! Do you know what war crimes are, wasn't WWII a war also, didn't people get tried for genocide? Nigeria broke every bloody war time rule (yes, wars have rules) and got away scot free and then complain that those who suffered these crimes bury the hatchet? If anyone shouting at Achebe for rocking the boat has ever posted or said anything against the BH then that person is a common lowlife and hypocrite. I was against Achebe's writing in the first place but I see now the reasons he had for writing it in the first place. Bleep AWOLOWO. Bleep U SHORTSIGHTED DICKTAKERS, DOUBLE Bleep GOWON and Bleep ALL BLIND COMMENTATORS!

Bwahahahahahaaha!!

It was a war between Northerners and Igbos - Biafrans dragged other in by invading their regions... Basically, most Yoruba recruits into the Nigerian army joined the war, after civilians in Lagos were bombed - and your soldiers invaded Ore...

Ojukwu was a prick!! A smarter tactician wouldn't have invaded the 'neutral' regions, he would've cut off the access to Igboland via River Nigeria; created a buffer zone around Western Igbos; and focus on sea access via Calabar, Akwa Ibom, or Rivers... He was just cocky and stupid... Yet rather than surrender when it became obvious the darn war was unwinnable, he turned it into a propaganda war, and kept all the food to himself and his Biafran soldiers... Thus, leaving the civilians to starve to death...

Where was pseudo-PanAfricanist Nnamdi Azikwe during the war?? His cousin Ifeajuna caused the darn war in the first place...

You're lucky Nigeria didn't carpet bombed Biafra the war US Army did Vietnam... If they had dropped 10 million bombs on your heads, you won't be crying about a blockade - it was a war, don't go to war, if you're not prepared for the outcome...

Chief Obafemi Awolowo is my hero!!!

Let me remind u dat some years ago ur coward yo-robber brodas on funeral processing passing through ladipo market started breaking nd smashing windscreen of vehicles packed along ladipo road, blaming them for road obstruction, the resultant melee that followed was beter imagined than told. The igbo traders gave them the beating of their life and at the end the corpse and the ambulance carrying it were burnt to ashes and 2 of ur brodas joined the dead corpse to eternity. This happend in ladipo lagos , u may verify. Let me tell u bastard that we are waiting for an opportunity to slug it out with u cowards and dat d-day may not be far. Its a promise!

Whaow! I guess you are carrying sooo much anger to be contained in one individuals system. Please have a glass of cold water, and try to chill a bit. I don’t have a clue how old you are, but please speak to people who have experienced war/s. And I am sure you will embrace peace and civil-co existence with 1000 times the passion with which you are promising to go to war now.

I spent considerable years of my life in Yoruba land. Believe me I am not a bit surprised by the display of loudmouthed shenanigans and dissemination of outright falsehood by the Yoruba on the historical events manifested by the entity called Nigeria.

MAURI:

Whaow! I guess you are carrying sooo much anger to be contained in one individuals system. Please have a glass of cold water, and try to chill a bit. I don’t have a clue how old you are, but please speak to people who have experienced war/s. And I am sure you will embrace peace and civil-co existence with 1000 times the passion with which you are promising to go to war now.

This is the problem right there. People talk of war as if they are going to family picnic, and when they lose they can't bear the consequences. Terrible things happen in wars. It is useless to blame somebody for starving you after the fact. If you can't bear to lose, don't start it and if you lose take it and move on.

Somebody please tell me, do you fight a war while by feeding your enemy

I think the whole issue started from the coup orchestrated by igbos in which they killed Northern leaders that in fact fouled the air thereby creating the scenario which culminated into a war. And I believe the first generation of leaders failed in certain areas they would have done better. But Awo using the food tactic despite wrong brought the war to a swift conclusion. The problem is both Nigeria and Biafra did condemnable wrongs, as the Biafrans killed innocents and also invaded places that they shouldn't have. We wonder whether you ibos plan to apologize for that? My point, we the youths need to stop thinking the way our elders did. Or else we will end up in the same place they at. I believe Nigeria is a complete set, the Ibos one of the greatest tribe of resourceful entrepreneurs, the yorubas intellectuals, the Hausas great politicians, and the list go on and on, I am neither from any of the three tribes but I feel that Nigeria can be a better place to live if we believe we can make a difference and leave the ethnocentric bigotry in the dustbins thereby working for our collective good. The truth is that our leaders use all sort of distraction to keep us from realiazing the great damage they do to us every time when they plunder our collective treasures.

shymexx:

Bwahahahahahaaha!!

It was a war between Northerners and Igbos - Biafrans dragged other in by invading their regions... Basically, most Yoruba recruits into the Nigerian army joined the war, after civilians in Lagos were bombed - and your soldiers invaded Ore...

Ojukwu was a prick!! A smarter tactician wouldn't have invaded the 'neutral' regions, he would've cut off the access to Igboland via River Nigeria; created a buffer zone around Western Igbos; and focus on sea access via Calabar, Akwa Ibom, or Rivers... He was just cocky and stupid... Yet rather than surrender when it became obvious the darn war was unwinnable, he turned it into a propaganda war, and kept all the food to himself and his Biafran soldiers... Thus, leaving the civilians to starve to death...

Where was pseudo-PanAfricanist Nnamdi Azikwe during the war?? His cousin Ifeajuna caused the darn war in the first place...

You're lucky Nigeria didn't carpet bombed Biafra the war US Army did Vietnam... If they had dropped 10 million bombs on your heads, you won't be crying about a blockade - it was a war, don't go to war, if you're not prepared for the outcome...

Chief Obafemi Awolowo is my hero!!!

U are a fuctard if awo is ur hero

what a wise man.pa awo his tooo much.

pazienza:

You are not making any sense, you talk about soldiers,tell me,who were the soldiers.
My uncles joined the biafra army when it was obvious that they were going to be killed by the egyptian mercenaries air rades which were been directed at peoples homes,and market places. People joined the army to save their families from the vicious nigerian land army and egyptian airstrike mercenaries that was intent on exterminating the igbo race. Didnt adekunle openly tell the world that they shoot at 'anything that moves'. My mother has lived throughout her life with the trauma of haven seen an airstrike that was directed towards a market place tear her best friend into pieces of meat,she saw many family members and friends die in that market that day. How do you expect her to show love for this country,or even raise children that would love this country? Most igbo people still bear the scars of the biafran war,to most of us,the war was a war of survival.

Nigeria cannot just wish away the biafra question,they might have refused to teach about it in schools,but in most igbo homes,the pictures tell us the stories. Achebe is doing nigeria a favour bringing this issue to the fore.

ok we had u he bringi d issue den wat is a war thr most colatrall damage so wat Bleep biafaran boys want again abeg if dnt want 2 b in 9ja again carry ur wahala go jere mtsw. Is war wat d u expect hw many did u kill 2 is jast dat u fail d war daz u remain a victim.

pazienza:

You are not making any sense, you talk about soldiers,tell me,who were the soldiers.
My uncles joined the biafra army when it was obvious that they were going to be killed by the egyptian mercenaries air rades which were been directed at peoples homes,and market places. People joined the army to save their families from the vicious nigerian land army and egyptian airstrike mercenaries that was intent on exterminating the igbo race. Didnt adekunle openly tell the world that they shoot at 'anything that moves'. My mother has lived throughout her life with the trauma of haven seen an airstrike that was directed towards a market place tear her best friend into pieces of meat,she saw many family members and friends die in that market that day. How do you expect her to show love for this country,or even raise children that would love this country? Most igbo people still bear the scars of the biafran war,to most of us,the war was a war of survival.

Nigeria cannot just wish away the biafra question,they might have refused to teach about it in schools,but in most igbo homes,the pictures tell us the stories. Achebe is doing nigeria a favour bringing this issue to the fore.

ok we had u he bringi d issue den wat is a war thr most colatrall damage so wat Bleep biafaran boys want again abeg if dnt want 2 b in 9ja again carry ur wahala go jere mtsw. Is war wat d u expect hw many did u kill 2 is jast dat u fail d war daz u remain a victim.

akinmax: Time past , time and time again,The yorouba nation has been waiting patiently for a reference point to unleash their animosity on this ungrateful people ,who always abuse their hospitality and peacefullness , the cloud is gathering, It may be long, quick or sudden, but I bet you Boko haram strategy to kill will be a child play in comparison to this.If at this time in history of our country , one children book writer is vomiting garbage,what this means is adding more salt to a wound - a trigger effect to already over heated politics.The noting is always true about the Ibo folks, they always look for trouble, anywhere they are, they hate decorum ,its in their DNA.

go and hug transformer.fool!

vedaxcool: I think the whole issue started from the coup orchestrated by igbos in which they killed Northern leaders that in fact fouled the air thereby creating the scenario which culminated into a war. And I believe the first generation of leaders failed in certain areas they would have done better. But Awo using the food tactic despite wrong brought the war to a swift conclusion. The problem is both Nigeria and Biafra did condemnable wrongs, as the Biafrans killed innocents and also invaded places that they shouldn't have. We wonder whether you ibos plan to apologize for that? My point, we the youths need to stop thinking the way our elders did. Or else we will end up in the same place they at. I believe Nigeria is a complete set, the Ibos one of the greatest tribe of resourceful entrepreneurs, the yorubas intellectuals, the Hausas great politicians, and the list go on and on, I am neither from any of the three tribes but I feel that Nigeria can be a better place to live if we believe we can make a difference and leave the ethnocentric bigotry in the dustbins thereby working for our collective good. The truth is that our leaders use all sort of distraction to keep us from realiazing the great damage they do to us every time when they plunder our collective treasures.

1914 almagamation was a scam.

shymexx:

Bwahahahahahaaha!!

It was a war between Northerners and Igbos - Biafrans dragged other in by invading their regions... Basically, most Yoruba recruits into the Nigerian army joined the war, after civilians in Lagos were bombed - and your soldiers invaded Ore...

Ojukwu was a prick!! A smarter tactician wouldn't have invaded the 'neutral' regions, he would've cut off the access to Igboland via River Nigeria; created a buffer zone around Western Igbos; and focus on sea access via Calabar, Akwa Ibom, or Rivers... He was just cocky and stupid... Yet rather than surrender when it became obvious the darn war was unwinnable, he turned it into a propaganda war, and kept all the food to himself and his Biafran soldiers... Thus, leaving the civilians to starve to death...

Where was pseudo-PanAfricanist Nnamdi Azikwe during the war?? His cousin Ifeajuna caused the darn war in the first place...

You're lucky Nigeria didn't carpet bombed Biafra the war US Army did Vietnam... If they had dropped 10 million bombs on your heads, you won't be crying about a blockade - it was a war, don't go to war, if you're not prepared for the outcome...

Chief Obafemi Awolowo is my hero!!!

I love that book.You under estimate the power of that book.Igbos now know the true enemy.U will one day beg for Nigeria to split and we will say no!

About midwest invasion.Were was Gowon durring th war?

Banjo that was leading that invasion towards lagos because that was where Gowon and literaly Nigeria was .Banjo was mearnt to be in charge of the West.The campaign was mearnt to stop Gowon at Dodan Barracks with a yoruba man col Banjo incharge

U some much love the death of Children and defenceless civilian in that war!

I am sorry, Achebe, I never meant to hurt u; I never meant to make you cry, but tonite, I am cleaning out my closet" - Eminem, anyone?
Dat old man needs to go sit down somewhere

Yujin:
Well, if as intelligent as you are, you failed to understand that Banjo(a Yoruba) was asked to lead such an important expedition (capturing the capital and chasing the northern soldiers out of it) which would have necessitated a truce, I wonder what will convince you that the Igbos where never against the west. Awolowo succumbed to the threat from the north
and got a position that enabled him fulfil his original desire.

Dude, I have analyzed the ill-conceived push towards Lagos several times and each time come to the conclusion that it was a very foolish move.

Firstly, the plan was to reach Lagos via Benin/Ore making the way through Yoruba territories into Lagos. This in itself is very foolish as the path is a long stretch of land which the force led by Banjo could not have maintained control of as it was too small. They would eventually have been cut into small pieces along the path surrounded and obliterated. A more sensible plan was to land in Lagos through the sea with a light force and head towards Gowon's location since he was their target (interestingly enough even Obasanjo suggested this to Banjo when he asked Obasanjo for a free pass to Lagos). There was also talk of "element of surprise" but you cannot surprise your enemy by making your way over a stretch of land well over 500 miles.

Secondly, the move was not sensitive towards the Yorubas. Ojukwu should not have been making such a move at a time when he was supposed to be building a firm relationship with the Yorubas as allies in the war effort.

Thirdly, Banjo lost control of the force he was leading in Benin. They were lacking in discipline, morale and very unruly. There were reports of atrocities and looting committed by these men masquerading as soldiers. Now imagine the kind of bad press and propaganda that followed - the Yorubas had heard reports of what these "soldiers" did in Benin and they were matching towards Lagos. Which Yoruba man would want them on his land? Having realized that he could not achieve his target, Banjo decided to ask Obasanjo through Wole Soyinka for a free pass. He did not get it, and he ended up losing his life for accepting such a foolhardy mission.

samkoro:
I love that book.You under estimate the power of that book.Igbos now know the true enemy.U will one day beg for Nigeria to split and we will say no!

About midwest invasion.Were was Gowon durring th war?

Banjo that was leading that invasion towards lagos because that was where Gowon and literaly Nigeria was .Banjo was mearnt to be in charge of the West.The campaign was mearnt to stop Gowon at Dodan Barracks with a yoruba man col Banjo incharge

U some much love the death of Children and defenceless civilian in that war!

But why didn't Ojukwu ask for food instead of more arms to prosecute an unwinnable war?? It was a war, mate...

And if you hate me for being Yoruba, that's your problem, brother... I'm not scared of anyone - and I'll always be proud of my tribe...

FYI, Awolowo is from my subgroup, and so is Wole Soyinka - and I'm proud of them...

Dipwater:

U are a fuctard if awo is ur hero

Awolowo is my HERO!!!!

I am not an Igbo man, by any stretch of the word/term, but i have chosen to adopt and understand their position. It's not easy to understand or adopt the position of a defeated people. From where I am standing , the Igbos weren't merely defeated, their defeat was the culmination of what began with the kick starting of the progroms in the north.
Some of us are jumping on the bandwagon, to condemn Achebe, without bothering to understand what the term "genocide" really means. According the definition out there, whether we admit it or not, a genocide was committed against the Igbo nation. We cannot move forward as a nation, until we acknowledge that scandalous part of our history. Come to think of it, the bulk of the guys later who ruined this country are direct beneficiaries of the genocide committed against the Igbos.
Once again, for the records, I am not an Igbo man.

The haters (of truth) can now begin their attacks!

Drunk: Did Ojukwu ever make known his true motives for wanting to cede from Nigeria and the reason for going to war with his country? At the peak of the suicide mission genocide he started, why did he flee and not die for the 'just' course he charted? To me, he should be held responsible for being selfish and self serving in promoting his vague agenda and criminal thirst for power that put those naive soldiers at risk or took them to their early grave. Some of the soldiers need not bother asking questions on the purpose of the then war but was only obeying orders. Why did Ojukwu himself not release the memoirs? I respect Achebe so much not to insult him but I feel he's bias in his view and opinion.

onomeasike: I believe that those Biafran soldiers and the descendants of those biafran soldiers who ambushed and steal food meant for the vulnerable group are still alive.knowing the psychology of an average uniformed man even in present day nigeria,those women and children would have been derided as 'bloody civilians' who dont need the food as much as they the soldiers do.They must have been feeling wise in their eyes everytime they loot the food meant for the children.Those igbos who participated in these dastardly act should take the blame,they should apologise for stealing food meant for their wives and children.
What beats my imagination is how a war can be won by just 2 simple policies-
1)change the currency and
2) stop food from reaching the soldiers

how ojukwu(despite his oxford education in history and military trainning) and his war advisers failed to pre-empt this baffles me

incidentally,just like Osama was trained in america and later attacked americans,achebe was trained in yorubaland and even during the war,was residing in yorubaland enjoying the hospitality of the yoruba he is attacking today.
achebe hopes to make a great fortune from the sale of his book despite it would be pirated by some igbo boys,he smiles to the bank.he will be remembered as a (con)artist,an invalid cripple reference who became a bilionaire in his 80's selling falsehood and acrimony.If he would be given a state burial like ojukwu is better left to be imagined.I feel sad that achebe did not see anything wrong in the conduct of those savage biafran soldiers hijacking food meant for children.

Are u sure u have something to say, or u feel u must say somethg?