Letters to The Guardian

Ojukwu's warning was timely and symbolic

SIR: Hearing, understanding, interpreting, and translation are functions of ideological disposition and inclination. Hence, it is not surprising that the Senate President, David Mark, was the first person to criticise Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for warning that he would lead another civil war if the court ruled against the anticipated 2010 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
While the reaction of David Mark could not be a surprise to all who know his political antecedent, interest and tendency, I felt disappointed with the severally quoted comment of the elder statesman and former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon. My thinking is that all well-meaning Nigerians know that our current rulers promote injustice and electoral fraud, on the altar of politics. I have not seen or heard General Gowon fighting for the electoral reform beyond his praise for Ghana's electoral transparency about two or three years ago. His counter-warning to Chief Ojukwu has revealed that he is less concerned about electoral justice in Nigeria. Not long ago, he allowed himself to be used for the deceptive re-branding programme, when he was made the chairman of the inauguration ceremony.

Chief Raph Uwechue has commented that the Biafran war demonstrated the passion that Chief Ojukwu had and still has for the Igbo, after all is said and done (i.e. notwithstanding human error or imperfection) . One can also note that Chief Ojukwu's recent warning was timely in the Anambra context. You could see there were reports of jubilation when the court deferred judgement, with the application that the people were not ready for anything short of the 2010 gubernatorial election in Anambra State. The warning also symbolised distrust of the Nigerian power holders who use all the forces entrusted to them to truncate electoral transparency.

The Biafran war (1967-1970) was undesirable and avoidable, but it remains a child of certain circumstance. In the present dispensation, it is not only Chief Ojukwu who is clamouring for electoral justice, and I remain convinced that the Nigerian federal power holders are playing with fire. Electoral fraud is volatile. It is a time bomb that will explode any time anywhere in this country unless our rulers purge themselves of egocentric ambitions.

Pius Abioje,
University of Ilorin,
Kwara State
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/letters/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=131109&ptitle=Ojukwu's warning was timely and symbolic

The rest of them are far too short-sighted to see beyond their noses.

In defence and praise of Ojukwu
By Ayodale Eko 08084951442
Friday, November 13, 2009

Map of Nigeria
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On Monday, November 2, 2009, the revered Ikemba Nnewi and ex-Biafran war lord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated the obvious by warning that the people of Anambra State will rise against any attempt to force Andy Uba on the state after the Supreme Court had ruled that his election was null and void. Ojukwu’s home truth was given prominence by virtually all the newspapers in the country with varying editorial slant in headline casting. His utterances gained such prestige because of the eternal import of the message and the personality of the bearer. In fact, Ojukwu spoke the minds of many people.

According to Daily Sun, which I relied for all the quotations, Ojukwu, who was reacting to reports in some national dailies that plans had been perfected to return Uba to Government House Awka, insisted that the people would resist such attempt with the last drop of their blood.

[b]The Ikemba, who said that he deliberately kept-off the Anambra political intrigues, warned that no country has had two civil wars without suffering from its severe effects. This fact is incontestable.
According to Ojukwu, “In my mind what we are playing at is not anything short of playing with the possibilities of another civil war. I say this because whenever the term civil war is used everybody remembers me. Well, I am still alive. I don’t want to be part of a second civil war but sadly I see us playing this children’s game, ‘koso’ with our affairs in Anambra State.”

“To understand what I am trying to say, we should understand that a pillar upon which our justice stands is that the constitution is supreme. Nothing beats validity of the constitution of the land. We must bear in mind that we set up the courts and they go through and sort out their various litigations. We have at all times to remember that the fundamental issue is that you cannot get something out of nothing.”

“If there is no cause then you cannot get a verdict. Having said that, and I think we should bear it in mind that the Supreme Court has made it clear that the election that produced Uba was an exercise in futility. The Appeal Court is in no way superior to the Supreme Court. Therefore, if there should not have been an election, there cannot be anything coming out of it.”

“We are just going round in circles, looking and watching like a bulldog. There is an incumbent governor, who has not fulfilled his term. I know I intend to get passionate when this is being discussed. I make no apologies about this; the Anambra people are looking to me and I am sure that most of them have already known that if we have to fight again I will be the commander-in-chief.”
“So let me make it clear. Today, I am before you and I am begging, please don’t push us to the path of war again. I make it quite clear that whatever we are playing with, we must know the consequences and the full consequences are that we are stepping with our eyes wide open into another bloody conflict. I will not sit down and allow Anambra State to be used as a balloon ball for children to kick around. No, we have our rights. We are a people. I will certainly to the end support justice for Anambra State.
“My own concept of peace is a peace under law and therefore what does the law say? The law makes it quite plain that the Supreme Court is supreme.

Certainly what Ojukwu said on the emerging political situation in Anambra State is the home truth, coming from an elder statesman, and cannot in any way be misconstrued as an invitation to anarchy as being portrayed by some mischievous characters. I am deeply worried that many Nigerians don’t read any more. And when they read, they do not understand because they read with biased mind. That is why they cannot understand the difference between a timely counsel and a threat. Ojukwu’s text does not in any way suggest a threat to another civil war; rather it charts a course for peace in his home state.

I have taken pains to quote the Ikemba copiously so that those Nigerians suffering from Igbo-phobia would stop making up their minds whenever Igbo interest is at stake. If an Igboman fights for his rights, he is seen as precipitating another Biafra. It is even worse when Ojukwu speaks. If Ojukwu expressed his anger over the continued rape of democracy by the lawless PDP in his home state, it is interpreted as a call for arms for another Biafra.

We cannot continue to exist as a nation without the memories of the Nigerian Civil War. We cannot continue to silence the Biafran side of the conflict as if Nigeria did not fight with Biafra-the breakaway former Eastern Region- for three years. The more we try to obliterate the reality and historicity of Biafra through unorthodox ways like the re-naming of Bight of Biafra in Nigerian map to Bight of Bonny, the more we make people conscious of Biafra and its possibility in future. Biafra was a product of gross injustice and such injustices are still extant.

The more the Nigerian state continues to marginalize the Igbos, with only five states whereas others geo-political zones have six states and one zone has seven, the more we make people see the necessity of another Biafra.
What the PDP has done and still wants to do in Anambra State is capable of igniting a civil war. Only a fool should rule that out. Nobody should therefore blame the Ikemba if PDP’s abracadabra, either through the Appeal Court or through Soludo’s illegal imposition, precipitates a serious conflict in the state that would spread to other parts of the country. It is the PDP that is overheating the polity with its greed to capture every state in Nigeria by force. It is that greed that would lead to another civil war and not innocuous words uttered by Ikemba.

I don’t know why many Nigerians suffer from collective amnesia. Don’t they remember that the Western Region political crisis of the 1960s was the forerunner of series of events that later crystallized into the civil war? The January 15, 1966 and July 27, 1966 coups were all symptoms of the Western Region political malaise.
Today, Igbos are blamed for the war because they were the vanquished. And because of that erroneous standpoint, some ignorant Igbos carried that psychological disposition and speak ill of Ojukwu whenever civil war issue is mentioned in the country as if he was the cause and the reason why Biafra did not succeed.
[/b]
Let it be said without fear or contradiction that Ojukwu was and still remains the foremost Igbo leader and emancipator. He is neither the cause of the Biafran war nor the cause of its failure. Igbos would still fight for any cause that Ojukwu believes in or is involved. He saved the Igbos in the three years of the brutal genocidal civil war. He deserves our collective respect, honour and admiration for his heroic exploits.
I detest the unwarranted media attacks on Ojukwu by fellow Igbos, especially those of Anambra descent, for his recent timely advice to a drifting nation. Those Igbos, who are renegades, should cover themselves in shame for insulting the Igbo leader and liberator.

There is no doubt that all right-thinking Igbos-men, women and youths-are solidly behind Ojukwu and what he said concerning Anambra State. Ojukwu spoke their minds. Instead of fear and panic, let the courts do the right thing and let PDP and INEC also do the right thing. War is a continuation of politics by the other means especially when the sanctity of the ballot box is no longer guaranteed. And Ojukwu being a veteran of both fields actually knew what he is saying. Instead of condemning him, he should be praised for stating the obvious fact. Ojukwu is well versed in letters of the English language and the law; let those not so versed read him with extreme caution before misinterpreting or quoting him out of context. We need more Ojukwus to move this country forward and not those who thrive in injustice and exploitation of the masses.

Any Igbo deriding Ojukwu for his recent good advice to the nation is doing so at his own peril. That Igbo is, indeed, not a true son of Igboland for he knew neither where the rain started beating him nor where it stopped.

I make no apologies about this; the Anambra people are looking to me and I am sure that most of them have already known that if we have to fight again I will be the commander-in-chief.”
“So let me make it clear. Today, I am before you and I am begging, please don’t push us to the path of war again. I make it quite clear that whatever we are playing with, we must know the consequences and the full consequences are that we are stepping with our eyes wide open into another bloody conflict. I will not sit down and allow Anambra State to be used as a balloon ball for children to kick around. No, we have our rights. We are a people. I will certainly to the end support justice for Anambra State.
“My own concept of peace is a peace under law and therefore what does the law say? The law makes it quite plain that the Supreme Court is supreme.

Please, listen! A man is talking!! Ojukwu is speaking!!!

In other to propagate news, ill ones come first. Our tabloids needed to make good sales, thus propagation of the war-part statement was necessary to push for greater turnover.

I will never forget the talk by Chiamanda on 'Single Story'.

^^^^
OJUKWU will live long . . . . .He is a gift of immense proportion to ndi Igbo and Nigeria as a whole.

You noise makers should just accept this, you all are dying for Yoruba support. Without the Yorubas you are nothing in Nigeria. Just say the magic word and we will think about it.

Yoruba Support is nothing but a Death Sentence.
Is like Jews asking Hitler for Support.