I will re-state what I previously said. If Ojukwu had seceeded with the Ibo speaking, and only the ibo speaking areas of nigeria, then Biafra would be a separate country today. The South-south may have a relatively large Ibo presence, but the oil regions were not Ibo.

Their were some Ijaw and Itsekiri cheifs, even then who professed a concern for "life" under Ojukwu.


A vast majority (if not all) of the oil producing parts of the delta aren't even populated by Ibos.

@Planner

I use God beg you, no use me toast babe. If you cannot see that I've already answered that question then rest.

Secondly, Britain Colonised Nigeria and after Independence they continued to annex the Nigerian economy, Shell discovered crude oil in Nigeria and was about to become the sole extractor of crude oil in Nigeria. Can you please explain to me why these people would collude to cook up a war in Nigeria? Their OWN Nigeria.
To achieve what?

See, there are some debates that are not meant for everybody. Why don't you check out the threads in the Romance section or Entertainment boards?

You and I know that there are Ibos in the Niger-Delta. You are not smart enough to con me into making such a fallacious statement that there are NO Ibos in the Niger-Delta.

You're still learning the ropes and so you can't use those beginners tricks on me.

What you said which am correcting is that a large part of the Niger-Delta today are Ibo-speaking. Do you know what a large part of something means?

If I had 10 oranges and I have you a large part of my total oranges, you know what that means.

It would have been no harm if you said there are some Ibo-speaking people in the Niger-Delta. Don't expect me to sit down and look when somebody blurts out those kinds of easily verifiable lies.

And don't draw me into discussion or arguments of how the oil is now being used and who is now owning the oil well.

If I made a mistake or told a lie somewhere. Correct me. I will check and if I was wrong I will say I was wrong but if I am right I will hold my ground. Don't used me to spin a conspiracy that there are no Ibos in the Niger-Delta or try to drag me into an argument which you have more knowledge so you can win. Let's stick to the issues.

Some facts to expose some of these liars here.

1. The Eastern Region was administered as a region, not states until 3 days before the Republic of Biafra was announced.

2. If Ojukwu wanted a Biafran Republic he would have done so when Ironsi (an Igbo man) was the head of state, he didn't need to wait until a counter coup took place.

3. If the story that the war had been planned 5 years before the war then where was Ojukwu then? Obviously, Ojukwu had nothing to do with government. Did Total and France show Ojukwu those slides 5 years before the war or 4 years after the war was planned in France?

4. The Republic of Biafra was declared 3 days after the Nigerian government carved out states like Rivers and Cross Rivers from the then Eastern Region.

5. The Eastern Region for about a year maintain an independent government because the head then (Ojukwu) maintained that the head of state should be Brigadier Ogundipe (the highest serving military officer at the time of the counter coup instead of a junior col in the Nigerian Army (professional integrity in the Army).

6. The issue of the Igbo speaking people in Niger Delta is an open secret, I don't bother about them as long as my brothers and sisters in Rivers, Cross Rivers & Delta continue to answer names like Emeka, Obi, Kalu, Odili, Udo(h) etc. You can never quarrel with your heritage.

7. That was something called Aburi accord? What is it? Why did all the parties agree to it but the Nigerian government refused to even abide by what it agreed to?

8. The lies of many even on this forum cannot change facts neither can they rewrite history.

You know what? Ojukwu is still alive. He's not like Hitler and Emperor Constantine that cannot be asked questions today. The man is alive you people should beg him, cry to him and appeal to him to reveal the truth about the Biafran War. And it's been nice chatting with you all.

denex:

You and I know that there are Ibos in the Niger-Delta. You are not smart enough to con me into making such a fallacious statement that there are NO Ibos in the Niger-Delta.

You're still learning the ropes and so you can't use those beginners tricks on me.

What you said which am correcting is that a large part of the Niger-Delta today are Ibo-speaking. Do you know what a large part of something means?

If I had 10 oranges and I have you a large part of my total oranges, you know what that means.

It would have been no harm if you said there are some Ibo-speaking people in the Niger-Delta. Don't expect me to sit down and look when somebody blurts out those kinds of easily verifiable lies.

And don't draw me into discussion or arguments of how the oil is now being used and who is now owning the oil well.

If I made a mistake or told a lie somewhere. Correct me. I will check and if I was wrong I will say I was wrong but if I am right I will hold my ground. Don't used me to spin a conspiracy that there are no Ibos in the Niger-Delta or try to drag me into an argument which you have more knowledge so you can win. Let's stick to the issues.

Denex there is nothing to find out from Ojukwu because the truth revolves arround our day to day life, we will rather ask you to change your history books.

Please do me a favour
When you go home today please do a research. Research the population of Imo+Abia+Igbo speaking in Rivers + Igbo Speaking in Delta+ Igbo speaking in Cross River. when you have found that out compare it with the populations of Each of Efik, Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Ibeno, Eket, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Okrika, kalagbari, Ogoni,Bini, Esan,and Afemai and the Yoruba in Ondo alone.

When you are done comparing the Igbo speaking in Niger-Delta with each of these Ethnic Nationalities in Niger-Delta, come back and tell me how wrong it is to say "A large part of Niger-Delta are Igbo speaking".

I hope you will be man enough to come back and defend this argument or admit that you were wrong afterall.

How convenient, we should go and ask Ojukwu just as you asked the President of France and the MD of Total abi?

We have not been chatting by the way. We have been fed lies and we are trying our best to expose such lies.

Why don't you attempt to answer question number 3 above so that you can see why your conspiracy theory remains a very wild one?

Why hate and at the same time attempt to deny it?

@Afam

I have decided to withdraw from carrying on about this matter. But I will answer your question 3.

First of all, I did not say Total showed Ojukwu any slides. The slides and archive videos I talked about were shown by Top Expatriate Management staff of Elf Acquitane to the Nigerian Management Staff of Elf Petroleum Nigeria, about the kind of atrocities that Total has committed in Nigeria.
They showed all these to explain to them why a caucus of Elf Acquitane was against a merger with Total in the Late 90's.

Back to the Ojukwu involvement, he caught their eye when they realised his stance against the Gowon Presidency. That was after the Murtala headed coup which installed Gowon, but before the Aburi Conference in Ghana.

So the French and some of their companies, spearheaded by Total had had a plan for secession for a long time. But they didn't know who would carry it out yet.

And believe me Afam, if by any way I enter government, I will ban TotalFinaElf from Nigeria till they issue a confession, apology and compensation for the losses of lives and property of the Ibos, I will ensure that all diplomatic ties with france are severed and all french companies are nationalised until the French Government presents a confession, issues a public apology by the French President and Compensates the living victims of the war, whether babies at the time or adults, with $1 million each.

Anyhow though, for now, I cease to discuss this matter. Afterall I've know about this for years and I don't go about shouting it.

But if the truth is not told, the Ibos will continue to hate the Hausa-Fulanis for trying to exterminate them just because they wanted freedom. The Hausa-Fulanis will continue to hate the Ibos for trying to use a confederate ideology to secede with the Niger-Delta Oil.

Let's not forget that the Eastern Nigeria was not all Ojukwu wanted to hold on to did not include any part of the midwest.

Back to the Ojukwu involvement, he caught their eye when they realised his stance against the Gowon Presidency. That was after the Murtala headed coup which installed Gowon, but before the Aburi Conference in Ghana.

So the French and some of their companies, spearheaded by Total had had a plan for secession for a long time. But they didn't know who would carry it out yet.

And believe me Afam, if by any way I enter government, I will ban TotalFinaElf from Nigeria till they issue a confession, apology and compensation for the losses of lives and property of the Ibos, I will ensure that all diplomatic ties with france are severed and all french companies are nationalised until the French Government presents a confession, issues a public apology by

the French President and Compensates the living victims of the war, whether babies at the time or adults, with $1 million each.

Anyhow though, for now, I cease to discuss this matter. Afterall I've know about this for years and I don't go about shouting it.

But if the truth is not told, the Ibos will continue to hate the Hausa-Fulanis for trying to exterminate them just because they wanted freedom. The Hausa-Fulanis will continue to hate the Ibos for trying to use a confederate ideology to secede with the Niger-Delta Oil.

Let's not forget that the Eastern Nigeria was not all Ojukwu wanted to hold on to did not include any part of the midwest.

This is nonsense. Keep the information to yourself. Nobody (especially the Igbos) wants this vicious lies and misinformation from you or any other person for that matter. As soon as you drop the topic the better for us all.

the French President and Compensates the living victims of the war, whether babies at the time or adults, with $1 million each.

Anyhow though, for now, I cease to discuss this matter. Afterall I've know about this for years and I don't go about shouting it.

But if the truth is not told, the Ibos will continue to hate the Hausa-Fulanis for trying to exterminate them just because they wanted freedom. The Hausa-Fulanis will continue to hate the Ibos for trying to use a confederate ideology to secede with the Niger-Delta Oil.

Let's not forget that the Eastern Nigeria was not all Ojukwu wanted to hold on to did not include any part of the midwest.

This is nonsense. Keep the information to yourself. Nobody (especially the Igbos) wants this vicious lies and misinformation from you or any other person for that matter. As soon as you drop the topic the better for us all.

Mister Planner, why don't you take your plans away from me? Why are you using your plans to chase me all over Nairaland.

denex:

@Afam

Back to the Ojukwu involvement, he caught their eye when they realised his stance against the Gowon Presidency. That was after the Murtala headed coup which installed Gowon, but before the Aburi Conference in Ghana.

So the French and some of their companies, spearheaded by Total had had a plan for secession for a long time. But they didn't know who would carry it out yet.

So if Ojukwu did not oppose Gowon because he insisted on fairplay in the military then the plot by France and Total will still be in the pipeline up till this day, is that correct?

denex:

And believe me Afam, if by any way I enter government, I will ban TotalFinaElf from Nigeria till they issue a confession, apology and compensation for the losses of lives and property of the Ibos, I will ensure that all diplomatic ties with france are severed and all french companies are nationalised until the French Government presents a confession, issues a public apology by the French President and Compensates the living victims of the war, whether babies at the time or adults, with $1 million each.

Anyhow though, for now, I cease to discuss this matter. Afterall I've know about this for years and I don't go about shouting it.

France and Total did not massacre innocent Igbos in the Northern parts of Nigeria so I fail to see why they should pay any compensation to the Igbos. Igbos do not believe in transfered aggression, they tackle problems as they come.

denex:

But if the truth is not told, the Ibos will continue to hate the Hausa-Fulanis for trying to exterminate them just because they wanted freedom. The Hausa-Fulanis will continue to hate the Ibos for trying to use a confederate ideology to secede with the Niger-Delta Oil.

Let's not forget that the Eastern Nigeria was not all Ojukwu wanted to hold on to did not include any part of the midwest.

I don't know where you got the information that the Igbos continue to hate the Hausa-Fulanis. The Igbos have put the war behind them and have made very meaningful progress in all spheres of life.

Still on Niger Delta crude oil when the world is embracing gas? Na wah ooo. Abi oil no dey Igbo land make I ask again?

All thess ones na late coming. Ojukwu (and all Igbos) lost the Biafran War. His people surrendered the Biafran flag to OBJ somewhere in their own territory.

But, in order not to make them feel too bad about the war, Gowon said ''No victor, No vanquished''. What else do the Igbos want now? Gowon should go kill his people and the rest of Nigeria for the Igbos mistakes?

If the Igbos did not consent to the war, how is it possible that Ojukwu alone orchestrated that war without the active participants of loyalists and others who stand to gain something from the war?

ono:

All thess ones na late coming. Ojukwu (and all Igbos) lost the Biafran War. His people surrendered the Biafran flag to OBJ somewhere in their own territory.

But, in order not to make them feel too bad about the war, Gowon said ''No victor, No vanquished''. What else do the Igbos want now? Gowon should go kill his people and the rest of Nigeria for the Igbos mistakes?

If the Igbos did not consent to the war, how is it possible that Ojukwu alone orchestrated that war without the active participants of loyalists and others who stand to gain something from the war?

Assuming everything quoted above is true, ARE THE NIGER DELTANS BETTER OFF WHEN COMPARED TO THE IGBOS ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT?

Afam,
Please don't take these things to heart for too long. I have read several of your posts on Nairaland and I respect many of your views (and you know that too).

But, on this one, if you remove ethnic sentiments, and put on your ''Objectivity Cloak'', you will agree with the views of Omaseye. The central theme of the Biafran War was the OIL in the NIGER DELTA. And since Ojukwu and other selfish Igbos, who could not get what they want at the time, lost the war, they come around again singing a new song in 2007.

Can you answer the simple question?

The question is based on the assumption that all the lies and misinformation being spread are accepted as truth. So answer the question unless the answer is not in your favour and you would rather want us to continue in an endless debate.

What more do Igbo haters like you want?

When will you guys keep arguing about things that you cannot affect.

All this jingoism, ethnic sentiment for the sake of what.

I have long since discovered that as a Yoruba man, I am as likely to be bleeped over by a fellow Yoruba as I am an Ibo.

So if any idiot comes to me to come and serve this or that cause, or respect the sacrifices of some dead people, the minimum price for my involvement will be I billion. Then it would be worth it.

I hate no Igbo person.

This ''Igbo Hater'' tag should be removed from me immediately. I have Igbo links. Lineage actually.

There are no assumptions. It's impossible that the whole of Nigeria armoury, at the time, would wake up one day and just go all out the annihilate the Igbos. Or what do you think? Something pushed them into doing just that.

Now you're just pulling the anti-semite card here.

My favourite person in the world is Ibo. I stated it here and I don't know how you want me to prove it. You want me to go to Enugu and start kissing babies?

Well, I've answered the question you asked already.

Have you heard that an armed robber has the right to ask people not to refer to him as an armed robber?

Your posts have shown that you hate the Igbos with a passion and it will be a shame if you are now trying state otherwise.

Meanwhile, there is a simple question begging for answer. Let us not deviate way too much.

Love the Igbos or hate them, you cannot ignore them, that is my take.

Enjoy!

Oh! I thought the question was directed at me.

The problem with other Nigerians especially the south-south people is that they are have inferiority complex and they immesely unhappy that despite what the igbo people went through. they have bounced back into relevance.

If you people, the Onos, denex of Nigeria will concentrate on developign their people i think they will not having being agitating. So you Ethnic jingoist, the difference between you people and hitler is that he is dead and you people are still alive to torment innocent people.

Cheers

PLANNER

The problem with other Nigerians especially the south-south people is that they are have inferiority complex and they immesely unhappy that despite what the igbo people went through. they have bounced back into relevance.

If you people,  the Onos, denex of Nigeria will concentrate on developign their people i think they will not having being agitating. So you Ethnic jingoist, the difference between you people and hitler is that  he is dead and you people are still alive to torment innocent people.

Cheers

I beg if na for south south we rather agitate than go to a personal battle. My question why did Ojukwu fail to tell ironsi that Igbo’s should go their separate ways after the coup that brought ironsi into power? No he won’t tell him. The Igbo’s are the head of the country.

To me Ojukwu called for the war because he felt Gowon was not the rightful person to benefit from the coup that brought him to power. It was not about the Igbo’s killed in the north, Yoruba’s, Edos, and other tribes where killed in the massacre also so why did he now take too personal. He went to aburi with a prepared agenda of what he wanted why Gowon did not becasue he strongly believe in peace.

Well I think all the biafrans here should go and read "sir I remain your loyal servant" written by the Oba of Benin. He was the secretary to Gowon at abury he shed more light on this issue there and even Gowon wrote the forward so people enlighten your heart not with sentiment of a course that is not justified and face the reality on ground the war could have been averted if not for Ojukwu personal ambition to lead.

TO ME OJUKWU CALLED FOR THE WAR BECAUSE HE FELT GOWON WAS NOT THE RIGHTFUL PERSON TO BENEFIT FROM THE COUP THAT BROUGHT HIM TO POWER. IT WAS NOT ABOUT THE IGBOS KILLED IN THE NORTH, YORUBAS EDOS, AND OTHER TRIBES WHERE KILLED IN THE MASACRE ALSO SO WHY DID HE NOW TAKE TOO PERSONAL. HE WENT TO ABURI WITH A PREPARED AGENDA OF WHAT HE WANTED WHY GOWON DID NOT BECASUE HE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN PEACE.

Make your point clear man do not depend on here say. What you are saying does not make any sense.

Ojukwu went to the war so he can be the leader of the igbo race

ono:

I hate no Igbo person.

This ''Igbo Hater'' tag should be removed from me immediately. I have Igbo links. Lineage actually.

There are no assumptions. It's impossible that the whole of Nigeria armoury, at the time, would wake up one day and just go all out the annihilate the Igbos. Or what do you think? Something pushed them into doing just that.

@Ono, your recent posts make you look like a flip-flopper; you're better off maintaining your pro-genocide stance against the Igbos so that people will not be confused.

Your question of what lead to the Biafran War will forever have multiple answers because, just like World War I, World War II or even the Rwandan War (a failed attempt by the Hutus to ethnically cleanse the Tutsis in the 90's), there is no single answer to the question of what lead to a war; for the most part it depends on who you ask, where you ask the person, how you ask, and when you ask. Typically, there are political, economic, religious, and geopolitical facets to any war. Hence, your question has no single agreeable answer because all possible answers are potentially subjective.

The Biafran War has been over for 40 years and all Igbos essentially started afresh beginning 1970 when they (a small fraction of those who survived the war) each got 20 pounds.

Afam:

Assuming everything quoted above is true, ARE THE NIGER DELTANS BETTER OFF WHEN COMPARED TO THE IGBOS ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT?

Be that as it may, @Afam's question is poignant and I rephrase:
Considering all aspects of development - infra-structure, education, health, economics, commerce, etc. - are the non-Igbos of the Niger-Delta (it's common knowledge that there is a significant population of Igbos in the Niger-Delta) better off today than the Igbos?

This question is important for the following reasons:
1. The aim by some actors (not all) on the Nigerian side during the Biafran War was to massively decimate the Igbo population (if not outright annihilation - a thought relished by Ono) so as to nullify any future influence that they, the Igbos, may have.
2. After the war, no where else in Nigeria did the Igbos experience more hostilities against them than in some parts of the Niger-Delta, particularly parts of present day Rivers and Bayelsa states.
3. During the war, prominent leaders from the Niger-Delta (Ken Saro-Wiwa, etc.) were hysterically anti-Igbo.
4. Before the war, the Igbos were the dominant players in the then Eastern Region (and arguably, the whole of the country), and the some non-Igbos in the then Eastern Region believed that a strong blow to the Igbos will turn the tide and make them the dominant players in the region. This question tests that hypothesis.
5. The answer(s) to the question will give some insight as to whether the dreams and aspirations of some of the detractors of the Igbos have come to pass.

Let's see if the pro-genocide and pro-discrimination Ono will answer this question.

I hate no Igbo person.

This ''Igbo Hater'' tag should be removed from me immediately. I have Igbo links. Lineage actually.

There are no assumptions. It's impossible that the whole of Nigeria armoury, at the time, would wake up one day and just go all out the annihilate the Igbos. Or what do you think? Something pushed them into doing just that.

May be what pushed the whole Nigeria against the Igbos should also push the whole Nigeria against your people for their current struggle.

I guess you have gotten over the yesterday dose.

Wow this Denex fellow is really dumb. The war did not start with Ojukwu, the war started with the coup, counter-coup and the subsequent massacre of Igbos. If you can connect TOTAL and France to these prior events, then you can connect them to the war. If you cannot, then please shut up. Ojukwu's declaration of seccession did not come out of nothing, it came about because Igbos were being killed while the Nigerian Government kept quiet. Unless TOTAL sponsored Ironsi's coup, sponsored the counter coup and then the subsequent Igbo massacre, how can you say they started the war?. . .What nonsense will someone not read on Nairaland?

OK let us make this easier, the Igbos were the problem

please people tell our lovers of peace to stop killing their fellow Nigerians when Mohamed is cartooned in Denmanrk.

Tell our lovers of peace to stop killing their compatriots over politics of middle east.

Please tell our lovers of peace to stop infringing on the fundamental human rights of other Nigerians as provided by the constitution.

Tell our lover of peace to stop sponsoring religous police and practing state religion as it is against our constitution.

Tell our lovers of peace to stop imposing their way of lives on other Nigerians who live near them as our constitution gives us the right to live where we like.

Tell our lovers of peace that one Nigeria is not only in revenue allocation, it also includes respecting the sanctity of the lives of fellow citizens and appreciating that we can only be one if we are a secular country.

Donzman:

The war did not start with Ojukwu, the war started with the coup, counter-coup and the subsequent massacre of Igbos. If you can connect TOTAL and France to these prior events, then you can connect them to the war.

Exactly. And we are forgetting that Biafra was not declared until 3 days after Gowon proceeded to create some states in the Eastern region all in the bid to weaken the structure there.

Someone stated we should go an read a book written by the secretary of Gowon with the forward written by Gowon to understand what happened at Aburi, what nonsense, what do you expect to read there? That Gowon went back on the agreement or what?

Well if the likes of Ono that clearly stated that he was not happy that all the Igbos were not killed could try to state that he is not an Igbo hater then I wonder what he is. Thank God for a forum like this, at least he is able to hide behind a computer to write this, many people still have the same dangerous mindset and it is a big shame.

You may want to ask yourself if a circumstantial war fought due to the prevailing conditions at the time would have permitted for a legal tender to be made available in the same year of the secession.

Do you realise the time, effort and number of deals that would have gone down before that currency was minted?

You think all that was not already put in place before they went on tour in Ghana?

Some say "O the intention for the minting of the Biafran Pound was that if the Confederacy had worked, blah blah blah.
Which Federal system in this world do the Federating units use different currencies.

Which Military Rule in this world is operating a Confederate system of government?

When Ojukwu was putting forward this Confederacy proposal, did his own advisers not tell him that he had rigmaroled the real intentions of the proposal so much the meanings were completely vague. Didn't his own advisers tell him this?

Please somebody tell me why a man who seceded due to prevailing circumstance had already MINTED currency for Biafra. And please nobody should come and "correct" me by saying the Biafran Pound was ISSUED in 1968. I'm talking about when the first Biafran Pounds were MINTED.

Then the Duns that keeps calling anti-Semitic should just shut up. If because I hate Emperor Ojukwu for first tricking the whole of Nigeria, then the Igbos into fighting his sponsors war, then you want to brand me as a hater, then the glue you sniffed last night has not cleared out of your brain yet. I doubt if you're even Ibo because we've seen a lot of liars come here to claim what they are not in order to cause divisions. All in all, I advise you to go to hell.

See what frustration is causing this man. You make statements that you cannot substantiate and when asked to do so you begin to curse.

Meanwhile, while we may go to hell I guess you are there already going by the way you bring in new wild and crazy allegations and of course you advice us to go and ask Ojukwu.

You need to gather some primary school children and feed them the lies you are spreading here, that way they won't ask you questions that will expose your lies.