Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,195,601 members, 7,958,843 topics. Date: Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 05:06 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation (4128 Views)
Was Awo Guilty Of War Crimes? / Ojukwu's Interview Just Before Biafra (VIDEO) / Ojukwu's Siblings Give Bianca Quit Notice From His Residence (2) (3) (4)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (Reply) (Go Down)
Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by kunlekunle: 4:26am On Dec 29, 2012 |
"Dear Reader: I have excerpted below an unpublished response (by one Mr. Lanre Banjo) to an article titled "Igbo Leaders Vow Never to Fight for Yorubas, Fear Another Betrayal" in a March issue of "The Nigerian Times" published by Dr. Chika A. Onyeani of New York. The full article was recently brought to my attention, and it is one of those revelatory articles which I simply cannot but share with you, my beloved Netters ! My focus here is not on the views of the author, (Banjo) but on the recorded conversation between Awo and Ojukwu. This excerpt obviously can not be all of their conversation, but the authenticity and information that this short piece provides is there for us to judge. ----- stuff deleted ------ Enjoy it. Bolaji Aluko ------------------------------- Begin Excerpt ------------------------ ......... ........[STUFF DELETED]. ......... ... Here is the true account of what took place as taken from scripts of the discussion between Papa and Chief Ojukwu (the Ikemba). The discussion was taped by the Ikemba and the recorder was captured after Enugu fell. On Saturday, May 6, 1967, at 5.15 pm, a meeting began to take place, at the State House, Enugu, between the then Excellency, Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu (the Ikemba) and a delegation of the National Conciliation Committee (Committee) led by the most Honorable Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The Committee was represented by Professor Samuel Aluko, Chief Mariere, Chief J.I. Onyia, while the Eastern Region was represented by Lt. Col Imo, Lt. Col Effiong, Lt. Col. Kurubo, Mr. C.O Mojekwu, Mr. N.U. Akpan, Professor Eni Njoku, Dr. Nwakanma Okoro, Dr. P.N.C. Okigbo, Mr. C.A. Onyegbale and Mr. Ndem with the Ikemba presiding over the meeting. The names are listed for the purpose of verification of facts presented herein below with those of them who may still be alive.............. ....... Papa: The main concern of these delegates is to ensure that Nigeria does not disintegrate, and I would like to see Nigeria bound together by any bond because it is better than breaking the whole place up because each unit will be the loser for it. The economy of the country is so integrated that it is too late in the day to try and sever them without risking the death of one or both of them. So we have come, therefore, to appeal to you to let Eastern representatives attend the meeting of the Committee (ON-GOING NATIONAL CONCILIATION MEETING) I do not want to put myself in a position where I will be treated as an advocate of the Eastern cause. Let the Eastern delegates go there, make their case and then as a member of the Committee I will get up and say I support this entirely. If at the meeting the East and West present what they want for a new Nigeria whether temporarily or permanently, and the North says "no, we are not going to have it", I will go out and address a World Press Conference and send our case to that body and say this is what we have done and the North has turned it down. I will then take any step that is necessary to bring into effect what we want. The North needed to be in a position of being presented with the United front of the South. Ikemba: I started off this struggle in July with 120 rifles to defend the entirety of the East. I took my stand knowing fully well that by doing so, whilst carving my name in history, I was signing also my death warrant. But I took it because I believe that this stand is vital to the survival of the South. I appealed for settlement quietly because I understood that this was a naked struggle for power and that the only time we can sit down and decide the future of Nigeria on basis of equality will always be equality of arms. Quietly, I built up. If you do not know it, I am proud, and my officers are proud, that here in the East we possess the biggest army in Black Africa. I am no longer speaking as an underdog, I am speaking from a position of power. The only way for the South to present a united front is for the South to meet and hammer out that united front. It is a point which must be cleared first before proceeding to make a statement of whatever it is. That is why to my mind, at the present stage of the crisis the ideal thing is for the Southern people to meet in any platform and discuss and hammer out any difference they might have because I will have nothing to do with the North. Then going further, it would then mean that to do this the South to meet; because if we wait for their permission, we will wait for ever. On the specific question of whether there is a possibility of contract with the North, the answer is at the battle field. Papa: I do appreciate the points you have made, especially the suggestion the South could take the bull by the horns, convene a meeting of its leaders and work out its salvation. Well, I must say that a number of factors have been overlooked in this regard. I would be quite willing to attend any meeting convened by the leaders of the South in the South, but it must be realized that we in the West are in a very difficult position. All the members of the bodyguard of the Military Governor of the Western Region were Northerners; there were over 36,000 soldiers in the whole of the West, most of whom were Northerners, and all of them carry arms..... I led a delegation to Lt. Col. Gowon on the 7th and at that interview I made it clear on behalf of the West that if the soldiers of Northern origin were not removed from the West we would not attend any further meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee. He said he would do something, of course he did not. We passed our resolution (THAT THE NORTHERN SOLDIERS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE WEST) and Col. Adebayo did very well and give us certain Yoruba officers with whom to go and deliver the petition to Lt. Col. Gowon. I did give him an ultimatum up to the 15th of May to remove these Northern soldiers from the West. Of course, he agreed to remove them by the 31st of May but the time we returned to Ibadan Northern soldiers had taken up arms and wanted to kill me, to kill Adebayo and all others. Just now Adebayo does not sleep in his house. Somebody told me that he has not been sleeping in his house. I know why they put two policemen with two rifles in front of my house the other day. Of course, I rang up and said I wanted them removed. There were policemen in front of Sardauna's house but they did not save him. The populace, of course, turned against the Northern soldiers. I don't know why Adebayo should issue the release that soldiers should not be taunted. But this is the way we have been doing our quiet fighting. You are remote from the West; you have advantages which we do not possess. We cannot rush without rushing to our death at the same time. We are not cowards in the West but we have to move cautiously, because if we do not do that you might not have us alive; you would only have monuments all over the place. And I may say in this connection of Southern solidarity -- I am sorry to go into what has happened in the past -- in 1953 there was an understanding between the banned NCNC and the banned Action Group; we entered into an agreement, which I hope we will use sometime, to the effect that if the North remained intransigent we would declare a Southern Dominion. This was signed by myself and Zik and I still stand by it; but we prefer that you should send your delegates to this meeting, so that we should, known to everyone, enter into negotiations among ourselves and present a common front to the North. Then nobody can accuse us of conspiracy or trying to divide the country into two parts. I want you to look at it from our point of view. If there were no Northern soldiers in the West the position would be different. And even if by the time I return home the Northern soldiers have gone I still do not want to be accused of perfidy. The issue at hand is not enough for us to say that we do not like the North. That is a negative approach. I think a positive approach will be for us to meet. Unity will last only if it is based on common understanding among us and the basis will start at this meeting. As I said before, I want you to give me a chance of meeting your people regularly. Let us reolve our differences and get what we want and quickly too. Ikemba: If the reason is to get a platform for a meeting between the Southern leaders, I agree very much that we should try and find a platform and here we seem to be presented with a fait accompli. The Southern leaders are here now, so the main thing is to go on and discuss. Papa: It will be something near fraud for us to sit down here and discuss in terms of the South especially as this delegation was sent here by a body consisting of the Northern delegation.... Ikemba: Now coming to the wider question of the East attending, if it is a Reconciliation COmmittee then it must be reconciling warring parties. A Reconciliation Committee can not have the parties within, somehow, it does not work, unless, of course, they have already agreed on the major issues, because reconciliation is to stay in the middle of the warring parties. And one thing is so clear in the Nigerian situation: certainly the North and the East are warring. For any Reconciliation Committee to do justice to the East, it should not have Easterners and Northerners in it. That is one point. How does the Reconciliation Committee expect us to go to Lagos ? Can you, Sir, imagine Sir Kashim Ibrahim coming to the East to meet and discuss ? The critical point of the Eastern stand is that the East cannot go to any place where there are Northern troops. That tells his own story. The North has made it abundantly clear that no association if they are not controlling the central machinery, is acceptable to them. Even in the face of the resolutions of the South, the Emirs, feudalist Emirs, had the audacity to dictate to the South; first that they will not allow the Northern troops to leave the West until they are satisfied that the West has got sufficient troops. Papa: You have talked about Easterners and Northerners trying to go to the same meeting and bringing about reconciliation because they are the two warring parties. I do not think the fight is between the East and the North alone. It affects all other parts of the country save that there is no quarrel between the East and the West and Mid-West. The fight involves all of us. The West at this moment, has its own complaints against the North. The fact that we went there particularly so soon after my withdrawal from the Ad Hoc Constitutional Committee, which I observed was set up by the Federal Government to wage war against the East instead of trying to put things in check, must assure you that we are resolved to find a solution to this. You have also spoken about Lagos or anywhere in the West as unsafe for the Easterners to hold a meeting. Nobody can tell when life will be lost, but I think, speaking the minds of entire people of Western Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria, that if anybody can at this stage take the life of an Ibo man or an Easterner, or if any outstanding Eastern loses his life by the act of someone else, the whole of the Western Region and the Mid-Western Region will take it as the end of Nigeria. I can give that assurance on behalf of Western Nigeria and Lagos." [End of all the Awo-Ojukwu quotations in the excerpt - Mr. Lanre Banjo continues:] This meeting was concluded on Sunday, 7th of May at about 2.15 pm with the hope to reconvene and with the Ikemba maintaining that the South must first meet. Before I go further, it would be noted that the Ikemba's view was maintained due to hindsight (sic: LACK OF FORESIGHT). First, Papa has just been released from prison for a charge of treasonable felony. Secondly, he was in Enugu representing the Nigerian National Conciliation Committee. How could Ikemba expect him to chage and focus on Southern plan of pulling out of Nigeria ? Papa was more principled than that. Even prior to his meeting with the Ikemba, he had been falsely accused of having teamed up with the Ikemba in his campaign against the Federal Military Government by being in regular touch with him by phone calls and personal visits to Enugu, to perfect their joint plans. That he had been sending Professor Aluko and others to Enugu for illegal guerrilla training. Given this situation, a sudden change to discuss how the South will unite against the North will definitely confirm the dreadful and blatant accusations already levelled against him............." 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Nobody: 4:48am On Dec 29, 2012 |
Comment reserved |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Ikengawo: 4:58am On Dec 29, 2012 |
....smh 1 Like |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by ATMC(f): 5:25am On Dec 29, 2012 |
@op, you said ojukwu did d recording, he probably was saying all he was saying just to get awo to talk since d stuff's being recorded...so you don't have d real talk |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Ikengawo: 5:27am On Dec 29, 2012 |
Ojukwu didn't record. These aren't his accounts. |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by channel190(m): 5:28am On Dec 29, 2012 |
the best time for division was far gone, except if...the could be a peaceful break up which is impossible. Obj have cemented that fact by decentralizing the power bloc of the arm forces, no body can fully make use of them for division process, whereas they would never agree to each others interest. Is a doom on nigeria, section 9 of the 1999 constitution have also cemented the creation of states. That is to say, the northerners will continue to lead in any votes, and will l always have the greater number of army spread across nigeria even EAST, |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Ikengawo: 5:31am On Dec 29, 2012 |
And now ACN is using Fashola's name and success to link to CPC so that all can be under Buhari and you want to tell me the north is ruling because of the amount of states it has? Every change the west gets it betrays the rest of the south and leaves all of us under northern dominion. every. single. chance. and the westerners that fight against it Soyinka Fela are jailed, beaten and killed by other northerners, but no region outside of the north has had more of it's leaders jailed and murdered by northerners yet they're still talking about Igbos. Wonders 2 Likes |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Nobody: 6:38am On Dec 29, 2012 |
Ikengawo: Ikengawo: Either youre being unbelievably deceptive or youre just as uneducated as I suppose you are and have a problem comprehending the english language. I'll say both. The same paragraph you quoted basically has Chief Awolowo assuring the Easterners of their safety if they ventured to the West, Mid-West or Lagos to attend any dialogue with the North so that war could be avoided. So, what dont you understand about it and why are you shaking your head like a lizard? Dude, you need to get rid of your unnecessary hate so you can start seeing things for what they are, only then will you be able to think rationally. 6 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by geeez: 6:52am On Dec 29, 2012 |
[b]Obviously Awolowo was a brilliant politician with all the tact required to lead a bloodless revolution which Oju Iku failed to see. How can you, for the love of Christ, start a battle you so badly lack the capabilities to sustain? Oju Iku demonstrated cowardice by fearing to meet in the west and despite being a military officer, he failed to understand the art of war. I wonder how someone will call an Awolowo who requested that his security be withdrawn, a coward. Didn't Oju Iku himself flee, dispossessing innocent women and children of their planned flight to safety? That is cowardice at its worst - running from a battle you initiated and taking advantage of the weak And let it be clear to all you ranting folks, that the Yorubas have never been and never will be subservient to the north. The Yoruba is the only nation in Nigeria with a distinct identity, the only region that has been vocal and bold even in the face of imprisonment and death in modern Nigeria, the only race that has proved that it cannot and will not stand a day of mediocrity in governance, the only people with a clearly defined ideology of what they want from a united or divided Nigeria irrespective of their religious differences. Obviously a united south will be place in a better position to deal with the north but what Oju Iku failed to realize is that wars are not won on the battlefields but in meeting rooms. [/b] 9 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by channel190(m): 6:52am On Dec 29, 2012 |
Ikengawo: And now ACN is using Fashola's name and success to link to CPC so that all can be under Buhari and you want to tell me the north is ruling because of the amount of states it has?do u believe Ojukwu has no house of his own? Fought hard for the ibo with all he has...awolowo deceived his own people and did not punish the east by advising Gowon not to pay salaries nor give aLlocations to the east during the times of war...he did not know ibos can survive in any condition...now who dey having the hardest pill? Northerner will continue to have the highest say...westerner will continue to be in power tussle while ibos will be thinking of what best to do with their money. Rochas is a wise governor, watch wat is going to happen after the northern president of 2015 |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Ikengawo: 2:44pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
This thread is awfully quiet now that Achebe as been proven right. |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by T9ksy(m): 3:43pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Ikengawo: This thread is awfully quiet now that Achebe as been proven right. And, how if i may ask, has that bigoted senile old fo.ol been proven, right Only you and his fellow bitter and severally bitten (by the last civil war) kinsmen thinks his pile of junk called book, is the "Gospel truth". 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Nobody: 4:21pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Ikengawo: And now ACN is using Fashola's name and success to link to CPC so that all can be under Buhari and you want to tell me the north is ruling because of the amount of states it has? If Yoruba leaders are jailed by northerners, why is it your headache? Frankly, you only get attention from Yorubas because of your unending cry about Biafra. 1 Like |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by dayokanu(m): 5:33pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
channel 190: I'd never fantasied politics section, but not when u talk in ignorance. Only cowards do that real warlords fight to the end. Name one respected warlord who fled warfront |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by T9ksy(m): 5:51pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
channel 190: I'd never fantasied politics section, but not when u talk in ignorance. Yeah, you quite right when you wrote "He ran away"...........like a mofo sis.sy but as per calling off the war, he did no such thing. In Madiebo's (GOC of the biafran army) book, he stated how oju-iku unambiguously told gen. effiong, minutes before he deserted his people to their fate and impending doom, "to keep it up". I wonder what he expected Effiong to keep up? prolly his man.hood or could it be the dumb and gratuitous war dayokanu: Oju-iku -the late (& good riddance too), ikemba of Nnewi. 1 Like |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Collins93304: 5:56pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Yes oooooooooooh, we lost the war but we gained Lagos. ONE NEJIRA. You all stop by my store to buy some water because I know you all must be very thirsty from running your oilly mouths all day. |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by T9ksy(m): 6:05pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Collins93304: Yes oooooooooooh, we lost the war but we gained Lagos. ONE NEJIRA. You all stop by my store to buy some water because I know you all must be very thirsty from running your oilly mouths all day. @ bolded...............yeah right........like you lot also gained P.Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, Miaduguri ati bebelo? 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by dayokanu(m): 6:13pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by AndreUweh(m): 6:32pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
d |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by lagcity(m): 7:49pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Ikengawo: And now ACN is using Fashola's name and success to link to CPC so that all can be under Buhari and you want to tell me the north is ruling because of the amount of states it has?Yoruba cant betray you, we are not brothers in the first place. an anambra man can betray IMO man, osun man can betray ekiti man. Ogun can't betray anambra. 3 Likes |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by dayokanu(m): 7:50pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
lagcity: Imagine a Russian or Iranian claiming an American betrayed him Or Israeli claiming that Palestinian betrayed them 2 Likes |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by lagcity(m): 7:53pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
dayokanu: Is it not ironic that the same Ojuku who was bragging about war when they brought war to his backyard he fled to Abidjan There is a YouTube video of ojukwu telling ibos not to ever think of war again. Nuff said, the first one was a mistake by igbos but they can't admit it. 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by lagcity(m): 7:58pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
Collins93304: Yes oooooooooooh, we lost the war but we gained Lagos. ONE NEJIRA. You all stop by my store to buy some water because I know you all must be very thirsty from running your oilly mouths all day.Where is your store so that I can get my Yoruba paws on you? The news headline will read: Yoruba man punches okoro to death, fellow okoros threatens to declare biafra on January 5, yet again. You ppl are loud for nothing. November 5 my black nyash 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by Olaolufred(m): 9:54pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
dayokanu:. It is an unfortunate war. However, the young man with all youthful exuberances who bullied the older folks like achebe into an unplanned war remained their hero. While they live their deliverance in the hand of others.(At least they thought Yoruba would have co-operated with them not on mutual term but on theirs). Every man has a right to his decision but you can not force others to go your own way. However, the young officer discarded the voice of reason only to come back later saying it is someone else. Bible said, who is the man who wants to build a house, who would not first take account of its cost? Even catholics knows this story, not to mention the pentecostals. |
Re: Awo-ojukwu Enugu Conversation by koruji(m): 11:32pm On Dec 29, 2012 |
The source of the tragedy of Biafra is clear from your comments. In reading that piece you did not see how Pa Awo demonstrated the "reality" of the situation in the West? I guess bravery in your world is starting a war that you are sure to lose, especially when the negotiating route has not been exhausted? You did not see how Ojukwu boasted about his "biggest" army - even as he admitted he was not ready? Someone that started with 120 rifles was claiming to have the biggest army in Black Africa and negotiating from a position of power only a year or so later? Did what the sage foresaw not end up happening to the "brave" Ojukwu? As is very clear from the thinking always displayed by Biafrans on this forum, Ojukwu overrated his capabilities. Perhaps he was an actual believer or merely a boaster it is not easy to know, but either way such approach to matters of life and death is dangerous. As I have said before - many of you "Biafran" descendants have learnt no lessons - and you just proved it once 1 Like 1 Share |
North Is Back To Restore The Nation - Buhari / BIAFRA Is Trending Everywhere / Muhammadu Buhari Is Not Poor - Will Ross, BBC News
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 93 |