Why did Wole Soyinka support Biafra and languished in jail for 22 months their cause?. Why didn't he start a movt then in the west to secede from Nigeria?. Did Gowon jail Soyinka because he was afraid he'll turn to BecomeRich and ask Yorubas to exit from that useless union called Nigeria?

Soyinka's return to Biafra  
Prof. Wole Soyinka and Gen. Yakubu GowonForty years ago, Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka travelled to Nigeria's secessionist Biafra region to try and calm growing tensions. The visit saw him thrown in jail, forced to spend 22 months in solitary confinement. Now he has returned to meet those who ordered his detention.

Outside the airport there is a line of black cars waiting, their tinted windows making their occupants invisible. As we come through baggage reclaim there is a mad scrum and in the middle of it is Wole Soyinka, Nigeria's Nobel Prize-winning author.

I am surrounded by large men in dark glasses who demand I get into a car. As we are not far from the dangerous Delta region of the River Niger, the thought of kidnapping flashes briefly through my mind.

Mr. Soyinka climbs into a land cruiser, I am led to the car behind and we speed off with hazard lights flashing and sirens blazing.

It is the beginning of Wole Soyinka's return to Biafra.

Persecution

Wole Soyinka, affectionately known as "the prof" by many Nigerians, has been collected from Benin City Airport by a group known as the Sea Dogs. Further investigation reveals that they are part of a fraternity set up in 1952 with Soyinka as one of seven founding members - hence the honour of a motorcade.

We are now heading for Asaba and the first stop on an emotional journey back to the civil conflict of 1967.

Back then Nigeria teetered on the brink of civil war.

The people of the east, referring to themselves as Biafrans, felt that they had suffered discrimination and persecution at the hands of the Nigerian Federation and their leader Odumegwu Ojukwu declared his intention to create an independent state.

Violent conflict seemed inevitable, and a group of Nigerian intellectuals then resident in London argued that someone should travel to Biafra to speak to Ojukwu and attempt to head off hostilities.

It fell to Wole Soyinka to undertake that dangerous mission to a jittery and volatile region. He met with Ojukwu and later returned to Lagos.

Suspicious of his motives, the federal government imprisoned Soyinka on suspicion of his involvement in the sale of military aircraft to the east. He was to spend 26 months in jail, all but four of them in solitary confinement.

Now he has returned to see both Ojukwu and back in the west, Gen Yakuba Gowon, the former leader of the Nigerian Federation who authorised his detention without trial.

Wooden guns

We arrive in Asaba and the Sea Dogs drop us in the lavish palace of Professor Edozien, and from there across the River Niger, where in 1967 Soyinka had slipped through a loosely observed blockade into Biafra.

In the feverish marketplace of Onitsha, the town on the eastern bank, he remembers his first visit well.

"There came this group of very young vigilantes with wooden guns," Soyinka says.

"They handled those wooden guns as if they were real guns. It was a kind of portent of what was to come, of a people unprepared for war but with absolute faith."

Soyinka was arrested at wooden gunpoint and taken to Enugu, the capital of the self-proclaimed state of Biafra. Here he waited for the opportunity to speak with Ojukwu.

When it came, Ojukwu was polite but firm. At the time, he said he was representing the people, and it was they themselves who had pressed for secession.

Forty years on, he is blind and infirm yet fiercely unrepentant.

Soyinka guides him to a chair and he reiterates his position.

"If you want Nigeria, I do not think it is impossible - but you will just have to train yourselves into really believing the equality of citizenship," he says.

"If you are not prepared for it, forget Nigeria."

We revisit the Presidential hotel where Soyinka stayed. He remembers the size of the rats in those days and feels that, unlike the rest of Enugu, the hotel seems to have taken a turn for the better.

We still choose to stay overnight somewhere else, leaving behind the long shadows of the past and the distant memories of oversized rodents.

Civil war

Returning to Lagos, Soyinka is concerned that Gen Gowon will pull out of the interview. They have met before, but Gowon seemed nervous - understandably so, face to face with the Nobel Prize winner he slung in jail.

But confirmation comes through: Gowon will meet us at his house. As we enter, he points out that Soyinka is spot on time in a country not famous for punctuality.

"We civilians have to teach you bloody soldiers about discipline," jokes Soyinka.

They talk through the background to the Biafran war and Gowon acknowledges the suffering that was experienced on both sides.

"No victor, no vanquished" was his theme at the end of the war and he is keen for Soyinka to know that he was serious in his intention to ensure that no-one felt excluded from Nigeria.

Soyinka points out that there were some terrible atrocities committed by federal troops. Gowon accepts that this happened, although he says he was not aware at the time.

After all the horrors of the civil war, Nigerians need to forgive, he says.

Finally, Soyinka is ready to challenge him about his imprisonment.

"Ah yes," exclaims Gowon. "You were my house guest."

Soyinka tells him of the solitary confinement, the hardship, and Gowon seems genuinely surprised. "I had no idea," he says.

Soyinka breaks the sombre mood with a flash of humour: "Let me tell you publicly, if the boot had been on the other foot, I would have slung your arse in jail much earlier."

As we leave, the two men embrace and there is a palpable sense of forgiveness and relief in the air.

Wole Soyinka's return journey is complete, a journey not only back to Biafra, but also back to confront those whose actions 40 years ago placed him in solitary confinement.

It is where some of his finest poems were written.

The ghosts of Biafra can be found in the pages of his work, scribbled on scraps of paper as the terrible history of the civil war was itself being written.

Wole Soyinka, Gani, and a few others represent the conscience and soul of Africa. To see "wrong" and call it despite personal safety is my example of hero.

Read his Memoir " You Must Set Forth At Dawn" he dedicated a whole chapter to Nigerian civil war

do we have men like this in Nigeria and indeed the whole world?

cowards have their say,soldiers have their day!

have you guys ever heard the saying,talk is cheap?

the civil war was what it is because the section of the country thats acts rather than talk was on the side of the federal forces, yes the middle belters wether people accept it or not,it is these people who determine what happens. we have had southern activist and paper warriors but thats all they are. or did you ever hear a gideon orkar demonstrating or complaining? no,he took the gun and as long as these middle belters are satisfied with the way nigeria is,theres going to be no break up period! so my friends soyinka can write as many books as he wants,gani can demonstrate as many times as he wants nothing will happen! but when another ojukwu or orkar enters the foray you are bond to see results.

DRANOEL:

cowards have their say,soldiers have their day!

have you guys ever heard the saying,talk is cheap?

the civil war was what it is because the section of the country thats acts rather than talk was on the side of the federal forces, yes the middle belters wether people accept it or not,it is these people who determine what happens. we have had southern activist and paper warriors but thats all they are. or did you ever hear a gideon orkar demonstrating or complaining? no,he took the gun and as long as these middle belters are satisfied with the way nigeria is,theres going to be no break up period! so my friends soyinka can write as many books as he wants,gani can demonstrate as many times as he wants nothing will happen! but when another ojukwu or orkar enters the foray you are bond to see results.

Are you saying those patriots who are not in the army, but have the guts to challange evil when they see one are cowards simply because they don't carry guns? If you're, then you need to brush up on your World history.

@knowall

If not that you have revealed that you are an adult in another thread I would have called you a minor. Again, if many Nigerian will be like you our problems would have been half solved. You are not pretending to show all who you truly are - AN IGBO HATER!

Keep it up.

@Yougies

my comment here has nothing to do with my comment in any other thread, even a blind man knows Ojukwu's war was a misadventure which rich peolpe get their kicks from. If u are still doing follow follow in 2009 then na u sabi. I do not hate anybody God forbid me to hate another human being.

hahaha. . .Mr. knowall

Your after-thought statement is laughable to say the least. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Your heart is filled with conjectures, stereotypes and hate especially for the Igbo people, no matter how hard you try you can't hide it.

You may not be aware of this before, but now that people are pointing it out for you. I guess you should purge yourself of this malice and start doing something useful, say shaving the hairs on your armpits, it is bushy

@Youngies

It is only narrow minded people like u that beleif one has hatred for a whole tribe, for what, why should I hate anybody. I was only saying the Igbos should embrace some of things that happened in the past no matter how despicable the thing might be . Is like the jews denying the holocuse did not happen. Ok u don win there was no biafra war

what you said on this thread is only complementing what you said on the other.

I remember you saying that 'igbos should embrace their kwashiokor past, ' on that thread.

mister, you are an IGBO HATER.

Quit covering your hatred with Ojukwu comments because you and I know well that no igbo man is considering ojukwu as a leader (though not that he doesnt deserve it) because tribal leaders is not igbo style.

Ojukwu did not drag anybody to war, igbos were persecuted to the point they cant bear it. Any other person who had been the SE governor at that time would have been the one to declare the war.

@onye ngbu

mister, you are an IGBO HATER.

Nigerians cannot take simple constructive and historical facts without calling u names, there is no reason for me to hate anybody even u sleep with my wife, God forbid. But being the just man I am, and I will not distort any historical events, but if thats what will make u happy, ok u won the war abi, biko

@knowall

You are a colourless clown

KnowAll:

@onye ngbu

mister, you are an IGBO HATER.

Nigerians cannot take simple constructive and historical facts without calling u names, there is no reason for me to hate anybody even u sleep with my wife, God forbid. But being the just man I am, and I will not distort any historical events, but if thats what will make u happy, ok u won the war abi, biko

Why is it difficult to have you focus on the topic: the bravery of people like Soyinka who was willing to be jailed for what he believed in. How many people; Igbos, Hausa, and Yorubas can stand up for their principles today?

@knowall

I have told you i like you because you are not a closet tribalist

The Biafra war is a mis-adventure of rich spoilt brat dragging his whole tribe into an unjust war that could not been won. You have to remember Ojukwu's father was one of the richest men in Nigeria in the 60's. If Ojukwu was a poor soldier he would have planned a coup to topple Gowon, but the moeny he had at his disposal blinded him from to the reality of the situation. Look at Kaduna Nzeogwu he was not from a wealthy home that is why he went for the top job which is the Head of state, same thing Gideon Orka. The Igbos should not see Ojukwu as a hero but as a dreamer and adventurer not any diffrent from those rich men in the states that are prepared to pay $20 million dollars to travel to space.

Was Soyinka that nearly died for it also a rich spoilt brat?

naijaking1:
Wole Soyinka, Gani, and a few others represent the conscience and soul of Africa. To see "wrong" and call it despite personal safety is my example of hero.

You forgot to add Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to that list of prominent Yorubas who saw the injustices of the Nigerian state.

I wonder why people keep assuming Soyinka, Fela et all, are from poor families?

just an observation.

tpia:

I wonder why people keep assuming Soyinka, Fela et all, are from poor families?

just an observation.

Where did you get the impression that any poster on this thread implied that Fela was from a poor family?

RichyBlacK:

Where did you get the impression that any poster on this thread implied that Fela was from a poor family?

from the Wole Soyinka reference.

I don't care how much money Soyinka or Fela's mother had, it was not like Ojukwu's father. Ojukwu's father was the first  multimillionaire in Nigeria  who owned a multinational company, president of a bank (ACB) and Nigerian stock exchange and that may contribute to Just Good's assertion. He may or may not be a spoilt brat.  I can still give him some credit tho after all he graduated from  lincoln and had his masters degree from oxford university with all those money trailing him and stayed in the service for a while. Few spoilt  male children of the rich and mighty these days will do that.

Again, I never implied anywhere that Wole Soyinka or Fela were from poor families but they certainly weren't as rich as Ojukwu's father.

KnowAll:

@onye ngbu

mister, you are an IGBO HATER.

Nigerians cannot take simple constructive and historical facts without calling u names, there is no reason for me to hate anybody even u sleep with my wife,  God forbid. But being the just man I am, and I will not distort any historical events, but if thats what will make u happy, ok u won the war abi,  biko  

@KnowAll,

Let me ask you a few questions, since it seems you know some history:

1. Was there a well-orchestrated pogrom targeted at Igbos in 1966?
2. Was this pogrom before or after Biafra was declared?
3. Is it not more likely that the attempted Biafran secession was driven by the events surrounding the state-sanctioned mass killings of thousands rather than the dreams and ambition of one man?
4. How do you explain the targeted mass killings of Igbos across the country (masterminded by elements within the Nigerian military and members of government)?

tpia:

from the Wole Soyinka reference.

That's Wole Soyinka, not Fela. Everybody knows that the Kuti family were aristocrats of sorts in Nigeria. I recall reading, in primary school, that Fela's mom was the first Nigerian woman to drive a car.

St.Funmi:

I don't care how much money Soyinka or Fela's mother had, it was not like Ojukwu's father. Ojukwu's father was the first  multimillionaire in Nigeria  who owned a multinational company, president of a bank (ACB) and Nigerian stock exchange and that may contribute to Just Good's assertion. He may or may not be a spoilt brat.  I can still give him some credit tho after all he graduated from  lincoln and had his masters degree from oxford university with all those money trailing him and stayed in the service for a while. Few spoilt  male children of the rich and mighty these days will do that.

Again, I never implied anywhere that Wole Soyinka or Fela was from poor families.

Excellent observation.

The fact is that some people want to revise history by making it seem as if Biafra came about because of one man's ambition, when there were other much more important reasons for the declaration.

A nation is brought into being through the political - and inclusive - will of its citizens, not through mere naming."

--- Prof Soyinka-- at chief awolowo lecture.


this statement tell you, what a nation is. and Nigeria is not a nation, It is a mere name.

Based on the free liberty of the contributors to the forum, there are Nigerians that could be simply classified as educated dolts who are unashamed of their ignorance and how they flaunt it.

I would like for DRANOEL and Knowall to make their ethnicity public so that benefit of doubt could be given them.

Until now, I did not know that Nigeria history is a piece of gold bar. How could someone who had been breastfed by his or her mother refer to the indigenes of Middle Belt region as brave? In 1962 up to 64, there was political riot in that particular area and the Premier of northern region was bent on the teaching the inhabitants of that section of jungle a serious political lesson. The Ahamdu Bello had his wishes on the steam roller but one young Major Chris Anauforo stood on his way.

The Sarduana of Sokoto had the 1st Brigade commander and zonal police commanders in his back pocket. NPC leaders had ordered the riot police to deal ruthlessly with the supporters of Tarka’s United Middle Belt Congress. The order was also relayed to commander of Race Squadron, Jos. Instead of arresting the Tarka’s United Middle Belt Congress supporters, Major Anuforo arrested the supporters of Nigerian Peoples Congress and ordered the release of UMBC supporters already in police net. This action infuriated the Premier who sought the transfer of the Major Anuforo out of Jos.

One wonders where the so-called brave Middle Belts soldiers were hiding when Bello was steam rolling their people. The civil war showed that cowards actually die many time before their death.

And for the idiotic Knowall, did you think the northern region would have been able to take eastern region in any warfare? Even with numerical superiority on the side of Nigeria, Biafra would have had her way with the jungle if not for massive support from Britain, USSR, Egypt, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Arab league Nations.

Please Ndigbo as we remember the brevity showed by Soyinka, we must not forget one Lt. Col. Ayo Ariyo, a Sandhurst trained officer, the second in command to Col Adekunle in Calaber in 1967 who relinquished his commission into Nigerian army instead of fighting against the Biafrans.

Dede1,

Thanks for the historical narrative.

What I've observed about many Nigerians who support the oppression of the Nigerian state is that they wholly subscribe to the "winner is right" mindset. Hence, revising historical facts in favor of the Nigerian state is done to create the impression that the "winner was right".

Today, because Nigeria learned nothing from the Biafran War, many of the problems surrounding that war are still in play:

1. Government-supported targeted killings of members of certain ethnic nationalities in many parts of Nigeria, especially the mass killings of Southerners (particularly Igbos) in the Northern region.
2. Failure of the state to protect her citizens.
3. Failure of the state (judicial arm) to prosecute and convict those responsible for mass killings
4. Entrenched idea of an ethnic hierarchy in government, leading to the deliberate marginalization of certain ethnic groups, e.g. the Igbos and Ijaws
5. Government-sanctioned programs designed to perpetuate the idea that Igbos are of minimal consequence in various aspects of the Nigerian enterprise, e.g. the 2006 Nigerian census.

That Ransome-Kuti family was something else.

I remember Beko Ransome Kuti was the Health Minister and he used to drive around in one broken down Range Rover going around the country preaching about AIDS. He also organised nationwide innoculation program for us in 1990.

Do they still do free innoculations in Naija?

Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehimni and Mr Soyinka are true patriots. I throway salute for them!

Ibime:

That Ransome-Kuti family was something else.

I remember Beko Ransome Kuti was the Health Minister and he used to drive around in one broken down Range Rover going around the country preaching about AIDS. He also organised nationwide innoculation program for us in 1990.

Do they still do free innoculations in Naija?

Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehimni and Mr Soyinka are true patriots. I throway salute for them!

Olikoye Ransome-kuti was health minister. Beko Ransome-kuti was an activist as well, his activism was enough to piss Abacha off and he got thrown in jail.

I wonder when the real book of Nigerian heros will be written. The Mary Slessors, the Akanu ibiams, the Aminu Kanos, The Col. Anuforos, and Ariyos, the The Fajuyis, of course Soyinka, Ransome-Kutis, Gani. They all have one thing in common: not being fully appreciated by our evil federal government. The good guys always loose saying is 100% true in Nigeria, unlike in other countries.

That Ransome-Kuti family was something else.

I remember Beko Ransome Kuti was the Health Minister and he used to drive around in one broken down Range Rover going around the country preaching about AIDS. He also organised nationwide innoculation program for us in 1990.

they got it from their mama and papa

read ake by wole soyinka.

the kuti's were a big force in the fight for independence etal. i think i remeber the mum's name as beere. she started a big push for women to get their children educated , mobilized the women against the district officer etal

thats only a small part of ake - if you can, read it. wole soyinka's otlook as a child was something else

I wonder why people keep assuming Soyinka, Fela et all, are from poor families?

just an observation.

i have noticed in that people from disadvantaged backgrounds often like to claim achievers as their own. during my IT, i rode in a staff bus used by junior staff. i remeber one morning when some dude was blathering about how dangote started as a wharf rat, how nelson mandela was born in the ghetto - basically claiming that poverty produces great leader/successes etal.

wole soyinka was most definetely not from a poor background. his dad was the village headmaster, and in some ways, WS got live a kind of above the law lifestyle that was tempered by his mother judicous use of the rod. gani was also from a well to do family - i think. . .though i seem to remeber reading that his father passed on while he was studying in the uk - and he entered his baptism of fire.

tai solarin came from a regular background, if i remember properly. (my mum stocked the house with bios and auto bios of famous nigerians back in the day)