Former World Bank MD Was A Cook In The Biafran Army

By  Christopher Isiguzo, Charles Onyekamo   and Onyebuchi Ezeigbo 

She was just a teenager at the time. And given the nature of forced conscriptions into the war at the time, young male adults were forced into the war, while young female adults were forced into the kitchen - those to cook for those fighting the war. One of those in the kitchen then was the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

In her superlative tribute for late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the finance minister recounted how she became a cook for the Biafran soldiers during the war.

Describing Odumegwu-Ojukwu as her hero and the hero of all Nigerians, she said: “During the war, my father was a Brigadier in the Biafran army. I was also a teenager at the time. As I said in a tribute recently, I was cooking for the Biafran soldiers at the war front. So Ojukwu was my hero and he was the hero of all Nigerians, and we want his soul to rest in peace.” She asked: “Have you ever seen someone who received this kind of tributes from all over the country, even from outside the shores of this nation?”

Okonjo-Iweala noted that the death and burial of the former Biafran warlord and leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had united Nigeria, describing the requiem service preceding his burial as a sober and uplifting occasion.

The minister told journalists shortly after the internment of the remains of Odumegwu-Ojukwu at the weekend at Umudim community in Nnewi, Anambra State that he was a man who in death united the whole country, noting that although when he was alive, he seemed “like a divisive figure”.

According to her, “But that’s not the case; he has actually brought everybody together. Look at the calibre of the personalities who attended the ceremony - from the speaker of the House of Representatives to the president, the First Lady.  So we want to thank the Ojukwu family for having given us a great hero.”

Asked if there was any lesson people could learn from the life of Ikemba Nnewi, the minister declared: “Nigerians can learn to be principled, to be resilient, to believe in their country, to be patriotic, to be courageous, stand for what you believe in.

“This was a man who stood for what he believed in. And like the priest said in Enugu during the funeral at Okpara Square, no one has come out to say that Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu ever stole one naira from public funds. That's the best example you could ever have. Let it be said of all of us when we depart that we never stole one naira.”

Reminded that Nigerians do not seem to have pointed out any of Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s faults, she retorted: “There is no human being who doesn't have any fault. I don't think I am qualified to even talk about whatever must have been his faults, right now. But I am sure that if he were here today, he was a great man and great people admit their faults.”

It is a tribute to his greatness that three days after his burial, the echo of his funeral has continued to reverberate in his Nnewi, Anambra State country home.

It was a carnival of sorts yesterday as different groups, traditional dancers and live bands from far and near Igboland thronged the compound of the fallen Igbo leader to pay their last respect. The mausoleum where the late Ikemba Nnewi rests is being guarded by four members of the Lower Niger congress (LNC) clad in red vests with the photograph of Odumegwu-Ojukwu emblazoned on it. One of the guards who identified himself as Austin Onyekasi said they were guarding the mausoleum as a mark of honour because “Ojukwu was our father”.

Security was generally relaxed to enable kinsmen and folks continue with the traditional seven-day funeral rites in Igboland. This differs from the day of his burial when security buffer zones were created some two kilometres to his compound.

But it was also a day APGA world-wide paid its last respect to their fallen leader.

National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, described yesterday as a very solemn moment for the party having accepted that their leader had really departed to the great beyond, and condoled with the family.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, he said, remained the leader of the party even in death since no replacement could better fit into his shoes.

Rather, he said, the party could only appoint a deputy leader whose political sagacity and courage must be well known to perform the late Ikemba’s duties within the physical realm. Such person he insisted would be known by his activities and would naturally be accepted by the Igbo people.

While alive, he said, Odumegwu-Ojukwu installed two governors in Peter Obi of Anambra State and Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State respectively and reiterated the desire of the apostles he left behind to keep his dreams and legacies alive, adding that his demise could never diminish his influence and that his name is eternal with the party.

“Anybody who loves Ojukwu must love the institution he left behind. He nurtured APGA. That is the political party he left behind. Even if he had left us, the need to stay together under APGA is important,” he said.

Umeh stressed that the party would not suffer any setback on account of the death of its national leader, adding that APGA had established a firm root in Nigerian politics that could not be easily erased.

“There is no leadership vacuum in APGA. The party is well situated right now. We have a firm leadership and team that worked with Ojukwu for the past eight years,” he said.

The APGA chieftain noted that Odumegwu-Ojukwu while alive was a man who feared no one and who took decisions forthrightly without minding whose ox was gored so long as it upheld justice, equity and fairness.

[b]Those present to pay their respects yesterday included former Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu; Chairman, Petroleum Task Force Committee, Nuhu Ribadu, who described Odumegwu-Ojukwu as the creator of modern Nigeria whose ideals on justice, equity and fairness the country’s leaders must not allow to die with him; [/b]and Governor Obi of Anambra State.

Others included Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State, Hon. Chuma Nzeribe and former APGA governorship candidate in Imo State, Chief Martins Agbaso, as well as representatives of the party in the United States of America, Europe and Asia among others.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/i-was-a-cook-to-the-biafran-soldiers-says-okonjo-iweala/110683/#.T1SMoC_X-00.facebook

Hehehehe!!!

Look at what Ojukwu's death is causing.

Everyone, from Tinubu to Fasola to Northern leaders to Dokubo to Jonathan to the powerful NOI, is confessing either their role in, or a positive justification for  the war. Igbos are getting there.

Interesting. Good to know.

Biafran daughter

What's so special about that? She shld tell us the kinda meal she was cooking na. . .

Delta Igbos organized a special occasion to mourn/celebrate his death.

will it reduce the price of fuel

LWKMD. Abeg, see comments.

her father was a brigadier of the biafra army

And so What! how does this reduce the price of fuel?

Sounds like bare faced lies to me. . . .

Okonjo Iweala according to her profile was born on the 13th of June 1954, and would have been barely 13 years of age as at when the Biafran beatdown war started on the 6th of July 1967. . .

How did a thirteen year old become a war time cook?!

Or did Ojukwus Biafra use child labour during the war?!

Okija_juju:

Sounds like bare faced lies to me. . . .

Okonjo Iweala according to her profile was born on the 13th of June 1954, and would have been barely 13 years of age as at when the Biafran beatdown war started on the 6th of July 1967. . .

How did a thirteen year old become a war time cook?!

Or did Ojukwus Biafra use child labour during the war?!

If you were not an illiterate, you would have seen this in quote

I was also a teenager at the time

This is big, because this woman has international connections. For she to openly admit her role in Biafra, and that of her father, is a form of statement. More people will do the same.
Each time this happens, one more nail goes into the coffins of the Okija_jujus of the North.    

Onlytruth:

This is big, because this woman has international connections. For she to openly admit her role in Biafra, and that of her father, is a form of statement. More people will do the same.
Each time this happens, one more nail goes into the coffins of the Okija_jujus of the North.    

Precisely.

And BTW, Okija juju = Ndu Chuks= onye hausa/fulani

Nchara:

If you were not an illiterate, you would have seen this in quote

I dunno how 'young' u are: Since you claim to be Igbo, u ought to know that 13yr old whether boys or girls were committed one way or the other during the Biafran war. It was total commitment for and from all in a war of survival. You will not understand, it it beyond you. So, go to bed and keep quite. I wonder if u have any gainful employment outside Niaraland, Nonsense!

Nchara:

Precisely.

And BTW, Okija juju = Ndu Chuks= onye hausa/fulani

Onlytruth:

This is big, because this woman has international connections. For she to openly admit her role in Biafra, and that of her father, is a form of statement. More people will do the same.
Each time this happens, one more nail goes into the coffins of the Okija_jujus of the North.    

True talk

Reggie2:

I dunno how 'young' u are: Since you claim to be Igbo, u ought to know that 13yr old whether boys or girls were committed one way or the other during the Biafran war. It was total commitment for and from all in a war of survival. You will not understand, it it beyond you. So, go to bed and keep quite. I wonder if u have any gainful employment outside Niaraland, Nonsense!

Is this supposed to be for me or did you hit the wrong button? If for me, can you go back and read the posts more carefully? Thanks.

Okija_juju:

Sounds like bare faced lies to me. . . .

Okonjo Iweala according to her profile was born on the 13th of June 1954, and would have been barely 13 years of age as at when the Biafran beatdown war started on the 6th of July 1967. . .

How did a thirteen year old become a war time cook?!

Or did Ojukwus Biafra use child labour during the war?!

^^^^^^^
inserted the wrong quote b4

I dunno how 'young' u are: Since you claim to be Igbo, u ought to know that 13yr old whether boys or girls were committed one way or the other during the Biafran war. It was total commitment for and from all in a war of survival. You will not understand, it it beyond you. So, go to bed and keep quite. I wonder if u have any gainful employment outside Niaraland, Nonsense!

now we know,

Nchara:

Precisely.

And BTW, Okija juju = Ndu Chuks= onye hausa/fulani

Onlytruth:

This is big, because this woman has international connections. For she to openly admit her role in Biafra, and that of her father, is a form of statement. More people will do the same.
Each time this happens, one more nail goes into the coffins of the Okija_jujus of the North.    

Gbam!
True daughter of the soil , nwa di ana.

So she was a teenager at 13, plus she became a cook 4 dem soldiers. Nice one ma'am.

good to know

And given the nature of forced conscriptions into the war at the time, young male adults were forced into the war, while young female adults were forced into the kitchen - those to cook for those fighting the war. One of those in the kitchen then was the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Shame on the biafra leaders for forcing 11 and 12 year old girls into the kitchen to cook for them - that is if the story is true

Nchara:

Precisely.

And BTW, Okija juju = Ndu Chuks= onye hausa/fulani

You people need to get a life and stop hallucinating about ndu_chucks.  There is only ONE ndu_chucks on NL. Nchara, egbe ndi Israeli piafuka gi isi, ewu ofe mmanu.  

Madam, the madam Put

nice 2 know , lol

to you asking what she cooked, cocoyam, iji, ofe onugbu, ogbono, ofe ujuju, okro vegetable with tinko, bonga fish and mangala.
enjoyed with hot akpu and poundo.
you did good madam.

this one na woman talk! can OBJ confirm this?

I think this is a lie!!

I was a Biafran child during the Biafran War and only men and teenage boys were forced to join the army, I never saw a woman talk less of a teenage girl in the army or being forced to join.

I am sure that those members that were in the Biafran army would confirm that they were no teenage girl cooks in the Biafran Army.

No wonder she's good at cooking the books so boldfacedly.

This woman might have cooked concontion for GEJ, may God save naija ooo!!!

i for like chop her Oha soup, oh

Okija_juju:

Sounds like bare faced lies to me. . . .

Okonjo Iweala according to her profile was born on the 13th of June 1954, and would have been barely 13 years of age as at when the Biafran beatdown war started on the 6th of July 1967. . .

How did a thirteen year old become a war time cook?!

Or did Ojukwus Biafra use child labour during the war?!

Your comment makes you sound younger than a 13 YEAR OLD  .
So you have no idea then what the word: teenager means? I was only 4 years older than her and still enrolled and saw combat, So what is cookig for a 13 year old well grounded girl from a good family?
You can see how difficult times can make the future of children, as her experience must have help to becoe what she became and her father just my own father taking the lead and not hidding on the roof top