Awolowo did what people do to enemies in a war. People kill their enemies with guns or with starvation. I understand that. What I do not understand is why it is a problem to say exactly what Awo did to the Igbos: he tried to exterminate the Igbo by hunger seeing that the guns were failing to do so.

Why are Yoruba angry about the truth said of their leader?
Is it not the same thing that we have been debating here on NL since eon that Awo was a monster to the Igbos during the war? What is different in what Achebe wrote?

Do you Yorubas want Igbos to have been starved by Awolowo and to keep quite about it? Igbo were starved by Awo's policy, fine by me, seen all is fair in war, but to ask me not to talk about it is a little bit insulting, no?

Only an oppressive person will spank a child and prevent the same child from crying out.

mekuslogan: Awolowo did what people do to enemies in a war. People kill their enemies with guns or with starvation. I understand that. What I do not understand is why it is a problem to say exactly what Awo did to the Igbos: he tried to exterminate the Igbo by hunger seeing that the guns were failing to do so.

Why are Yoruba angry about the truth said of their leader?
Is it not the same thing that we have been debating here on NL since eon that Awo was a monster to the Igbos during the war? What is different in what Achebe wrote?

Do you Yorubas want Igbos to have been starved by Awolowo and to keep quite about it? Igbo were starved by Awo's policy, fine by me, seen all is fair in war, but to ask me not to talk about it is a little bit insulting, no?

This is what happens when you crush a rebellion and declare no victor no vanquished and let the leaders of the rebellion go scot free. They tend to regroup years later to resume their subversive activities, much like what the old Biafran leaders are doing today.

Aigbofa:

This is what happens when you crush a rebellion and declare no victor no vanquished and let the leaders of the rebellion go scot free. They tend to regroup years later to resume their subversive activities, much like what the old Biafran leaders are doing today.

The cry that Awo was a monster would have been more strident were ''no victor no vanquished'' not declared. You wait until Ojukwu's book is out. Awo will be in the real hell that he deserves.
Did Awo starve Igbos? Is it okay to disallow a starved child from complaining about the starvation?

Ojukwu lived for 40 years after the war and wouldn't dare write any war memoir.(I guess he could have violated his probation) Now that he is dead, we should be expecting his book. Is he going to write it from the grave or Achebe will write it and slap Ojukwu's name on it?

mekuslogan:

The cry that Awo was a monster would have been more strident were ''no victor no vanquished'' not declared. You wait until Ojukwu's book is out. Awo will be in the real hell that he deserves.
Did Awo starve Igbos? Is it okay to disallow a starved child from complaining about the starvation?

Aigbofa: Ojukwu lived for 40 years after the war and wouldn't dare write any war memoir.(I guess he could have violated his probation) Now that he is dead, we should be expecting his book. Is he going to write it from the grave or Achebe will write it and slap Ojukwu's name on it?

Don't worry; his book was written whilst he was here with us and was meant by him to be release when he is gone.

Aigbofa: Ojukwu lived for 40 years after the war and wouldn't dare write any war memoir.(I guess he could have violated his probation) Now that he is dead, we should be expecting his book. Is he going to write it from the grave or Achebe will write it and slap Ojukwu's name on it?

Now please answer the question: did Awo starve Igbos? If so, what is wrong with people talking about it?

mekuslogan:

The cry that Awo was a monster would have been more strident were ''no victor no vanquished'' not declared. You wait until Ojukwu's book is out. Awo will be in the real hell that he deserves.
Did Awo starve Igbos? Is it okay to disallow a starved child from complaining about the starvation?

you look more to me like someone starved of right reasoning - what more will Ojukwu's book say? And why did the coward wait till after his death before a book on a selfish warfare that caused the lives of about 2 million igbos - even igbos surrender when he was in exile - a coward alive and dead

truth4meal: you look more to me like someone starved of right reasoning - what more will Ojukwu's book say? And why did the coward wait till after his death before a book on a selfish warfare that caused the lives of about 2 million igbos - even igbos surrender when he was in exile - a coward alive and dead

Forget about Ojukwu for once in your life. Did Awo starve Igbos? If so, what is wrong in an Igbo talking about it? Ojukwu's book will merely stamp, albeit with greater authority, what we already know about Awo. By then, Yoruba would be crying. Now they are shouting.

mekuslogan:

Forget about Ojukwu for once in your life. [b]Did Awo starve Igbos? [/b]If so, what is wrong in an Igbo talking about it? Ojukwu's book will merely stamp, albeit with greater authority, what we already know about Awo. By then, Yoruba would be crying. Now they are shouting.

Whose duty was it to feed the biafrans?

abes:

Whose duty was it to feed the biafrans?

It was okay to starve the Biafrans in a war. I have said that before and you should have read it in the first post, except that you are probably another illiterate Yoruba. But it is also okay for the starved to call their starver by his name: a genocidal monster. That is what we have been talking about here on NL and that is what Achebe officially confirmed.

mekuslogan:

[s]It was okay to starve the Biafrans in a war. I have said that before and you should have read it in the first post, except that you are probably another illiterate Yoruba. But it is also okay for the starved to call their starver by his name: a genocidal monster. That is what we have been talking about here on NL and that is what Achebe officially confirmed[/s].

Whose duty is it to feed Biafrans, Nigerian government or Biafran government?

abes:

Whose duty is it to feed Biafrans, Nigerian government or Biafran government?

Do you know about the war? Biafra was not asking to be fed by Nigeria, that would have been poisonous food, of course. Nigeria never fed Biafra one day. Go check your history. Biafra was asking that the boarder be not closed so food supplies can come in. Now you (AWO) close the boarder and starve me and you do not want me to talk about the starvation? You kidding me, right?

mekuslogan:

Do you know about the war? Biafra was not asking to be fed by Nigeria, that would have been poisonous food, of course. Nigeria never fed Biafra one day. Go check your history. Biafra was asking that the boarder be not closed so food supplies can come in. Now you (AWO) close the boarder and starve me and you do not want me to talk about the starvation? You kidding me, right?

What about the border biafra shared with Cameroon, did Awolowo close it too?

abes:

What about the border biafra shared with Cameroon, did Awolowo close it too?

Yes he did, working with Gowon

mekuslogan:

Yes he did, working with Gowon

How? with a neutral reference pls.

abes:

How? with a neutral reference pls.

You would have to do the work of referencing. However, when Biafra lost Calabar and the non-Igbo speaking parts of Biafra, the boarders were taken over by Nigeria which gave Awo the opportunity to carry out his long-time devilish plans to exterminate the Igbo. Hey, it is okay, we survived it and now must talk about it, whether you Yorubas like it or not. So Achebe was right.

mekuslogan: Awolowo did what people do to enemies in a war. People kill their enemies with guns or with starvation. I understand that. What I do not understand is why it is a problem to say exactly what Awo did to the Igbos: he tried to exterminate the Igbo by hunger seeing that the guns were failing to do so.

Why are Yoruba angry about the truth said of their leader?
Is it not the same thing that we have been debating here on NL since eon that Awo was a monster to the Igbos during the war? What is different in what Achebe wrote?

Do you Yorubas want Igbos to have been starved by Awolowo and to keep quite about it? Igbo were starved by Awo's policy, fine by me, seen all is fair in war, but to ask me not to talk about it is a little bit insulting, no?

now that the truth is out, watch'u gonna do?

This enmity, hatred, and outright mutually destructive and uncivilized relationship between the Ndigbo and Yoruba people defies logic and is rooted in more than Awo vs Achebe imbroglio.

Would knowledgeable historians be kind enough to point out the real genesis of this affair?

mekuslogan:

You would have to do the work of referencing. However, when Biafra lost Calabar and the non-Igbo speaking parts of Biafra, the boarders were taken over by Nigeria which gave Awo the opportunity to carry out his long-time devilish plans to exterminate the Igbo. Hey, it is okay, we survived it and now must talk about it, whether you Yorubas like it or not. So Achebe was right.

No reference, I'll assume you are right. Don't you think Ojukwu should have surrendered to save Biafrans from starvation that moment when defeat was imminent?

So if you are fighting an enemy, the most sensible thing in your opinion is to leave their borders open so they can bring in arms and friendly combatants freely and to ensure they always have an escape route?

Abobie, You will make a great general someday.

mekuslogan: Awolowo did what people do to enemies in a war. People kill their enemies with guns or with starvation. I understand that. What I do not understand is why it is a problem to say exactly what Awo did to the Igbos: he tried to exterminate the Igbo by hunger seeing that the guns were failing to do so.

Why are Yoruba angry about the truth said of their leader?
Is it not the same thing that we have been debating here on NL since eon that Awo was a monster to the Igbos during the war? What is different in what Achebe wrote?

Do you Yorubas want Igbos to have been starved by Awolowo and to keep quite about it? Igbo were starved by Awo's policy, fine by me, seen all is fair in war, but to ask me not to talk about it is a little bit insulting, no?

now that the truth is out, watch'u gonna do? go to war?

yes awolowo starved the ibos, cos' the ibos will not keep their mouth where their yansh is. I think you guys have not learnt your lessons, still trying to cause trouble where there is none.

demmie1: yes awolowo starved the ibos, cos' the ibos will not keep their mouth where their yansh is. I think you guys have not learnt your lessons, still trying to cause trouble where there is none.

And he died a shamefull death by reaching out to this:

demmie1:
now that the truth is out, watch'u gonna do? go to war?

It is for you Yorubas to shut up and accept the truth. And no, the truth did not just come out from Achebe, we know it already. Google nairaland on this topic. Achebe only just officially confirmed it.

How far is it true that Ojuku did a runner,
that he too all his belongings,( almost49 suitcases)
that he took some food supplies


The guy na ARIKU-YERI

While ‘They’ Think They Are Making Nigeria Ungovernable: FG secures N4.89trn investment commitmentsBreaking News: Bankole, Nafada have no case to answer – Court »
Yorubas are the Problem with Nigeria – By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi
Via Elombah.com. Wed, 05/27/2009 – 11:01

By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Prospective Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

In sum, the Yoruba political leadership, as mentioned by Balarabe Musa, has shown itself over the years to be incapable of rising above narrow tribal interests and reciprocating goodwill from other sections of the country by treating other groups with respect. Practically every crisis in Nigeria since independence has its roots in this attitude.

i. The Yoruba elite and area-boy politics;
ii. Igbo marginalisation and the responsible limits of retribution; and
iii. The Yoruba Factor and “Area-boy” Politics.

See also The Adulteress’ Diary by Lamido Sanusi

My views on the Yoruba political leadership have been thoroughly articulated in some of my writings, prime among which was ” Afenifere: Syllabus of Errors” published by This Day (The Sunday Newspaper) on Sept 27, 1998. There was also an earlier publication in the weekly Trust entitled ” The Igbo, the Yoruba and History” (Aug. 21, 1998).
In sum, the Yoruba political leadership, as mentioned by Balarabe Musa, has shown itself over the years to be incapable of rising above narrow tribal interests and reciprocating goodwill from other sections of the country by treating other groups with respect. Practically every crisis in Nigeria since independence has its roots in this attitude.
The Yoruba elite were the first, in 1962, to attempt a violent overthrow of an elected government in this country. In 1966, it was the violence in the West which provided an avenue for the putsch of 15th January. After Chief Awolowo lost to Shagari in 1983 elections, it was the discontent and bad publicity in the South-West which led to the Buhari intervention.
When Buhari jailed UPN governors like Ige and Onabanjo, the South-Western press castigated that good government and provided the right mood for IBB to take over power. As soon as IBB cleared UPN governors of charges against them in a politically motivated retrial, he became the darling of the South-West. When IBB annulled the primaries in which Adamu Ciroma and Shehu Yar Adua emerged as presidential candidates in the NRC and SDP, he was hailed by the South-West. When the same man annulled the June 12, 1993 elections in which Abiola was the front-runner, the South-West now became defenders of democracy.

When it seemed Sani Abacha was sympathetic to Abiola, the South-West supported his take-over. He was in fact invited by a prominent NADECO member to take over in a published letter shortly before the event. Even though Abiola had won the elections in the North, the North was blamed for its annulment. When Abdulsalam Abubakar started his transition, the Yoruba political leadership through NADECO presented a memorandum on a Government of National Unity that showed complete disrespect for the intelligence and liberties of other Nigerians.
Subsequently, they formed a tribal party which failed to meet minimum requirements for registration, but was registered all the same to avoid the violence that was bound to follow non-registration, given the area-boy mentality of South-West politicians. Having rejected an Obasanjo candidacy and challenged the election as a fraud in court, we now find a leading member of the AD in the government, a daughter of an Afenifere leader as Minister of State, and Awolowo´s daughter as Ambassador, all appointed by a man who won the election through fraud.

Meanwhile, nothing has been negotiated for the children of Abiola, the focus of Yoruba political activity. In return for these favours, the AD solidly voted for Evan Enwerem as Senate President. This is a man who participated in the two-million- man March for Abacha´s self-succession. He also is reputed to have hosted a meeting of governors during IBB´s transition, demanding that June 12 elections should never be de-annulled and threatening that the East would go to war if this was done. When Ibrahim Salisu Buhari was accused of swearing to a false affidavit, the Yoruba political elite correctly took up the gauntlet for his resignation.

When an AD governor, Bola Tinubu, swears to a false affidavit that he attended an Ivy League University which he did not attend, we hear excuses.

For so many years, the Yoruba have inundated this country with stories of being marginalised and of a civil service dominated by northerners through quota system. The Federal Character Commission has recently released a report which shows that the South-West accounts for 27.8% of civil servants in the range GL08 to GL14 and a full 29.5% of GL 15 and above. One zone out of six zones controls a full 30% of the civil service leaving the other five zones to share the remaining 70%. We find the same story in the economy, in academia, in parastatals.

Yet in spite of being so dominant, the Yoruba complained and complained of marginalization. Of recent, in recognition of the trauma which hit the South-West after June 12, the rest of the country forced everyone out of the race to ensure that a South-Westerner emerged, often against the best advice of political activists.

Instead of leading a path of reconciliation and strong appreciation, the Yoruba have embarked on short-sighted triumphalism, threatening other “nationalities” that they ( who after all lost the election) will protect Obasanjo ( who was forced on them). No less a person than Bola Ige has made such utterances.

To further show that they were in charge, they led a cult into the Hausa area of Sagamu, murdered a Hausa woman and nothing happened. In the violence that followed, they killed several Hausa residents, with Yoruba leaders like Segun Osoba, reminding Nigerians of the need to respect the culture of their host communities. This would have continued were it not for the people of Kano who showed that they could also create their own Oro who would only be appeased through the shedding of innocent Yoruba blood.

I say all this, to support Balarabe Musa´s statement, that the greatest problem to nation-building in Nigeria are the Yoruba Bourgeoisie. I say this also to underscore my point that until they change this attitude, no conference can solve the problems of Nigeria. We cannot move forward if the leadership of one of the largest ethnic groups continues to operate, not like statesmen, but like common area boys.

iii.The Igbo Factor and the Reasonable Limits of Retribution.

The Igbo people of Nigeria have made a mark in the history of this nation. They led the first successful military coup which eliminated the Military and Political leaders of other regions while letting off Igbo leaders. Nwafor Orizu, then Senate President, in consultation with President Azikiwe, subverted the constitution and handed over power to Aguiyi-Ironsi. Subsequent developments, including attempts at humiliating other peoples, led to the counter-coup and later the civil war. The Igbos themselves must acknowledge that they have a large part of the blame for shattering the unity of this country.

Having said that, this nation must realise that Igbos have more than paid for their foolishness. They have been defeated in war, rendered paupers by monetary policy fiat, their properties declared abandoned and confiscated, kept out of strategic public sector appointments and deprived of public services. The rest of the country forced them to remain in Nigeria and has continued to deny them equity.

The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have conspired to keep the Igbo out of the scheme of things. In the recent transition when the Igbo solidly supported the PDP in the hope of an Ekwueme presidency, the North and South-West treated this as a Biafra agenda. Every rule set for the primaries, every gentleman´s agreement was set aside to ensure that Obasanjo, not Ekwueme emerged as the candidate. Things went as far as getting the Federal Government to hurriedly gazette a pardon. Now, with this government, the marginalistion of the Igbo is more complete than ever before. The Igbos have taken all these quietly because, they reason, they brought it upon themselves. But the nation is sitting on a time-bomb.

After the First World War, the victors treated Germany with the same contempt Nigeria is treating Igbos. Two decades later, there was a Second World War, far costlier than the first. Germany was again defeated, but this time, they won a more honourable peace. Our present political leaders have no sense of History. There is a new Igbo man, who was not born in 1966 and neither knows nor cares about Nzeogwu and Ojukwu. There are Igbo men on the street who were never Biafrans. They were born Nigerians, are Nigerians, but suffer because of actions of earlier generations. They will soon decide that it is better to fight their own war, and may be find an honourable peace, than to remain in this contemptible state in perpetuity.

The Northern Bourgeoisie and the Yoruba Bourgeoisie have exacted their pound of flesh from the Igbos. For one Sardauna, one Tafawa Balewa, one Akintola and one Okotie-Eboh, hundreds of thousands have died and suffered.

If this issue is not addressed immediately, no conference will solve Nigeria´s problems.

By Sanusi Lamido SanusiBeing Excerpts from A Paper Presented At The “National Conference On The 1999 Constitution” Jointly Organised By The Network For Justice And The Vision Trust Foundation, At The Arewa House, Kaduna From 11th –12th September, 1999.

Read the full essay here:

http://www.waado.org/nigerdelta/Essays/BalaUsman/Sanusi_Restruct uring.html

See also The Adulteress’ Diary by Lamido Sanusi

So the dying squeaks of a frustrated old bigot become the embers to set alight years of latent tribalist feeling....

No wonder awoalowoa died a shameful death by committing suicide. In Igboland he should have been thrown into the evil forest and the same person is being celebrated in the mediocre yoorobaland. What a people with no quality role models just like the Igbos and Hausas.

Chinua Achebe is both senile &
mentally debilitated.He refused to tell
us:
-That it was d action of Igbo boys in d
military who killed top politicians of all
d other regions & killing non of theirs (Zik d president, Okpara their Premier),
that eventually led to d war
- That all d Fed.allocatns to SE was well
kept by Awo & released to them after
d war (about £1M/month)
-That many prominent Igbo like Zik etc never supported them
-That d £20 policy were 4 those who
could not provide their passbook or
last statement of a/s. or are u saying
that Ojukwu, Zik, Achebe Ojukwu
Transp.Co etc only got £20 each? -That Igbo had actually won the war &
had their govt well established wt their
own currency when they remained in
their territory, but badly lost d battle
when they encroached the West. Are
BeninCity/Warri/Ore etc part of Iboland? Yet they wanted Awo supply
them with
Gari,Amala,Ikokore,Rice,Chicken &
Ammunitions in d name of friendship -
animals.

Dotman01: Chinua Achebe is both senile &
mentally debilitated.He refused to tell
us:
-That it was d action of Igbo boys in d
military who killed top politicians of all
d other regions & killing non of theirs (Zik d president, Okpara their Premier),
that eventually led to d war
- That all d Fed.allocatns to SE was well
kept by Awo & released to them after
d war (about £1M/month)
-That many prominent Igbo like Zik etc never supported them
-That d £20 policy were 4 those who
could not provide their passbook or
last statement of a/s. or are u saying
that Ojukwu, Zik, Achebe Ojukwu
Transp.Co etc only got £20 each? -That Igbo had actually won the war &
had their govt well established wt their
own currency when they remained in
their territory, but badly lost d battle
when they encroached the West. Are
BeninCity/Warri/Ore etc part of Iboland? Yet they wanted Awo supply
them with
Gari,Amala,Ikokore,Rice,Chicken &
Ammunitions in d name of friendship -
animals.

Monkey, once again I ask you, have you ever read the book. No yorugba man here has ever read it and those your poor leaders can't even afford it. You people talk rubbish about a man who is greater that the entirety of yorugba nation. Bunch of fools.

Here are the names and tribes of the plotters of January 15, 1966 military coup. 1. Maj. Adewale Ademoyega (Yoruba) author of "Why We Struck". 2. Capt. G. Adeleke (Yoruba). 3. Lt. Fola Oyewole (Yoruba) author of "The Reluctant Rebel". 4. Lt. R. Egbiko (Ishan). 5. Lt. Tijani Kastina (Hausa Fulani). 6. Lt O. Olafemiyan(Yoruba). 7. Capt Gibson Jalo (Bali). 8. Capt. J. Swanton (Middle Belt). 9. Lt. Hope Haris Eghagha (Urhobo). 10. Lt. Dag Warribor (Ijaw). 11. 2nd Lt. Saleh Dambo (Hausa). 12. 2nd Lt. John Atom Kpera (Tiv). 13. Maj. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu (Delta Igbo). 14. Ifeajuna (Igbo). From the list above how can someone termed the coup Igbo coup.