aryzgreat:

F00l! u were quick to buy awolowo's lies, please tell me why ojukwu went to court over Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu's properties scattered in Lagos dat were hijacked by Lagos? Ojukwu went to court over his father's properties ur lazy a55hole fathers wanted to take over and he won!

Yes he won and been d self centered person he was, he converted all d properties meant for him and his siblings for himself. Bianca I̶̲̥̅̊S̤̥̈̊ facing hell with her inlaws №ω over d properties. Ojukwu has alway been a self centered person U̶̲̥̅̊ know.

The sun rises from d east, even the 3 wise men(in d bible) come from the east. All the glory of wot "here" can be, belongs to the Ibo. Speak the truth, my beloved Achebe.

nyabingi:

[size=16pt]WOW I CANT WAIT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT YOUR KINSMEN ARE JUST NOISE MAKING COWARDS, LET ME MAKE IT KNOWN TO YOU THAT EVERY IGBO MARKET PLACE IN LAGOS HAD ANTICIPATED A DAY LIKE THAT AND WE ARE WELL PREPARED, SO LETS JUST WAIT TILL THAT DAY THEN WE'LL KNOW WHO RULLY OWNS LAGOS...ASK YOUR BROTHER WHO CLAIM TO BE OMONILES WHAT WE DO TO THEM EVEN IN THEIR SO CALLED SOIL...SMELLY INDIAN HEMP AND OGOGORO DRINKING OWAMBE COWARDS!![/size]

Really!still wonder why U̶̲̥̅̊ guys came back †̥ d Yoruba land that U̶̲̥̅̊ hate soi much. U̶̲̥̅̊ still earn Ųя living from here. Don't U̶̲̥̅̊ realize that without yoruba money U̶̲̥̅̊ can't survive. Pls just go back as U̶̲̥̅̊ said, remember †̥ take Ųя merchandise as well

Can we please stop this back and forth, and take time out to celebrate the great Christopher Okigbo??

Christopher Okigbo was a genius and arguably the best writer to ever come out of Nigeria...

He was a real African who believed in Africa, and worshipped the gods of his ancestor... He lived and died for what he believed in...

Christopher Ifekandu Okigbo (1930–1967) was a Nigerian poet, who died fighting for the independence of Biafra. He is today widely acknowledged as the outstanding postcolonial English-language African poet and one of the major modernist writers of the twentieth century.

Okigbo was born on August 16, 1930, in the town of Ojoto, about ten miles from the city of Onitsha in Anambra State. His father was a teacher in Catholic missionary schools during the heyday of British colonial rule in Nigeria, and Okigbo spent his early years moving from station to station. Despite his father's devout Christianity, Okigbo felt a special affinity to his maternal grandfather, a priest of Idoto, an Igbo deity personified in the river of the same name that flowed through his village. Later in life, Okigbo came to believe that his grandfather's soul was reincarnated in him, and the "water goddess" figures prominently in his work. Heavensgate (1962) opens with the compelling lines:
Before you, mother Idoto, naked I stand,
while in "Distances" (1964) he celebrates his final aesthetic and psychic return to his indigenous religious roots:
I am the sole witness to my homecoming.
Another influential figure in Okigbo's early years was his older brother Pius Okigbo, who would later become the renowned economist and first Nigerian Ambassador to the European Economic Commission (EU).

Okigbo graduated from Government College Umuahia (in present Abia State, Nigeria) two years after Chinua Achebe, another noted Nigerian writer, having earned himself a reputation as both a voracious reader and a versatile athlete. The following year, he was accepted to University College in Ibadan. Originally intending to study Medicine, he switched to Classics in his second year. In college, he also earned a reputation as a gifted pianist, accompanying Wole Soyinka in his first public appearance as a singer. It is believed that Okigbo also wrote original music at that time, though none of this has survived.

Upon graduating in 1956, he held a succession of jobs in various locations throughout the country, while making his first forays into poetry. He worked at the Nigerian Tobacco Company, United Africa Company, the Fiditi Grammar School (where he taught Latin), and finally as Assistant Librarian at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, where he helped to found the African Authors Association.

During those years, he began publishing his work in various journals, notably Black Orpheus, a literary journal intended to bring together the best works of African and African American writers. While his poetry can be read in part as powerful expression of postcolonial African nationalism, he was adamantly opposed to Negritude, which he denounced as a romantic pursuit of the "mystique of blackness" for its own sake; he similarly rejected the conception of a commonality of experience between Africans and black Americans, a stark philosophical contrast to the editorial policy of Black Orpheus. It was on precisely these grounds that he rejected the first prize in African poetry awarded to him at the 1965 Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar, declaring that there is no such thing as a Negro or black poet.

In 1963, he left Nsukka to assume the position of West African Representative of Cambridge University Press at Ibadan, a position affording the opportunity to travel frequently to the United Kingdom, where he attracted further attention. At Ibadan, he became an active member of the Mbari literary club, and completed, composed or published the works of his mature years, including "Limits" (1964), "Silences" (1962–65), "Lament of the Masks" (commemorating the centenary of the birth of W. B. Yeats in the forms of a Yoruba praise poem, 1964), "Dance of the Painted Maidens" (commemorating the 1964 birth of his daughter, Obiageli or Ibrahimat, whom he regarded as a reincarnation of his mother) and his final highly prophetic sequence, "Path of Thunder" (1965–67), which was published posthumously in 1971 with his magnum opus, Labyrinths, which incorporates the poems from the earlier collections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Okigbo

Please, let's celebrate Christopher Okigbo!!!!!

Biafra memoirs shud b taught in all d secondary sch in Ibo land.Our children shud knw dat d country we are hate us therefore we shud neva feel luv 4 dis blood sucking nation.Our children shud knw our worst enemy inorder 2 intensify our vengence on dem.D death of 2million pple will never b in vain.The yorubas! I hate u till death bt dis time..we'll unleash biological war.

This achebe's book is the best thing to have happened to ndiigbo since 1970. Now the new generation of igbos gets to know the true nature of the country they have been living in.

pazienza:

Exactly. How can i show love to a country that was built on the blood of two million of my people,its easy for other nigerians to shout 'one nigeria',but not the igboman. Achebe spoke the mind of most igbos.

Nigeria cannot just sweep the biafra question under the carpet,never!

Ojukwu attacked Awolowo deffended is that a crime? So u people want us to leave our ogun and lagos undefended? You people should have blame Ojukwu who know how to start war, but know not how to win. The blood of the 2million is on ojukwu cos he lead them to their death.

Awolowo made a mistake he should have poison the food instead of not given them. Then will we accept that awo is a wicked man.

onomeasike: I believe that those Biafran soldiers and the descendants of those biafran soldiers who ambushed and steal food meant for the vulnerable group are still alive.knowing the psychology of an average uniformed man even in present day nigeria,those women and children would have been derided as 'bloody civilians' who dont need the food as much as they the soldiers do.They must have been feeling wise in their eyes everytime they loot the food meant for the children.Those igbos who participated in these dastardly act should take the blame,they should apologise for stealing food meant for their wives and children.
What beats my imagination is how a war can be won by just 2 simple policies-
1)change the currency and
2) stop food from reaching the soldiers

how ojukwu(despite his oxford education in history and military trainning) and his war advisers failed to pre-empt this baffles me

incidentally,just like Osama was trained in america and later attacked americans,achebe was trained in yorubaland and even during the war,was residing in yorubaland enjoying the hospitality of the yoruba he is attacking today.
achebe hopes to make a great fortune from the sale of his book despite it would be pirated by some igbo boys,he smiles to the bank.he will be remembered as a (con)artist,an invalid cripple reference who became a bilionaire in his 80's selling falsehood and acrimony.If he would be given a state burial like ojukwu is better left to be imagined.I feel sad that achebe did not see anything wrong in the conduct of those savage biafran soldiers hijacking food meant for children.

Save your energy and tell us that Achebe lied. If ojukwu was wrong to stand firm on aburi accord, why are yoruba elders and leaders calling for true federalism and confederation few weeks ago the same reason ojukwu declared biafra? Truth is always bitter. Achebe have said the simple truth and even CPC have confirmed it.i am sure you are suffering from excess consumption of amala.

akinmax: Time past , time and time again,The yorouba nation has been waiting patiently for a reference point to unleash their animosity on this ungrateful people ,who always abuse their hospitality and peacefullness , the cloud is gathering, It may be long, quick or sudden, but I bet you Boko haram strategy to kill will be a child play in comparison to this.If at this time in history of our country , one children book writer is vomiting garbage,what this means is adding more salt to a wound - a trigger effect to already over heated politics.The noting is always true about the Ibo folks, they always look for trouble, anywhere they are, they hate decorum ,its in their DNA.

How very true. A cockroach does not know how much its loathed until it is squashed under the feet. Onyiaras.

shymexx: You guys need to defuse this madness before it consumes everyone... It was a war, and you're allowed to use everything at your disposal... Achebe is an elder statesman and he should know better than to exacerbate a bitter past in Nigerian history maliciously in a way that might end up consuming generations unborn... Perhaps, he's trying to show his bitter hatred for the late sage... However, why now? And why the sensational rhetoric and the revisionist agenda?? Every student of Nigerian history knows the truth, and Awolowo did what he had to do to end the hopeless war - and save the country... I would've done the same thing if I were to be in his shoes... You've to be prepared to go to war - and it's asinine to expect your enemy to feed you during wartime... Fait accompli! - time to move on, and be prepared for war next time...

It's great to talk about history because: "History is a clock people use to tell their historical culture and political time of the day. It's a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography. The history tells them where they have been, where they are and what they are. But most importantly history tells a people where they still must go and what they still must be." However, it becomes problematic when statesmen of Achebe's calibre starts peddling lies and half-truths... Awolowo was power hungry; so was Ojukwu(Achebe's first cousin) who wanted Biafra to himself and other parts of Southern Nigeria; so was Nnamdi Azikwe who wanted to become the premier of the Western region(despite not being from the region) and had to go back to the Eastern region to marginalise the minority groups there; and so was Ahmadu Bello who wanted to sink his Qu'ran in the Atlantic ocean and continue where his ancestors left off... All your founding fathers were power hungry TRIBALISTS... Singling out Awolowo is just stupid IMO!!

I'm going to buy the book... But I hope he also critiqued Ojukwu, Nnamdi Azikwe, Gowon et al with the same venom about the roles they all played in the events that led to the war, their roles during the war, and what they did after the war... Failure to do that would show how bigoted he really is.... And I hope he also included the indiscriminate bombings of Lagos civilians by the Biafrans and their white mercenaries who wrecked havoc on Nigerians - and how Biafran soldiers wanted weapons instead of food...

Where do the Northerners stand in all this madness?? The war was between them and Igbos - how come Igbos are not confronting them Scared much??

Only evil doers are afraid of the truth. Achebe have said the simple truth, just prove him wrong and stop going in cycle. Ojukwu never declared war. Ojukwu declared Biafra while Gowon declared war. As you said all is fair in war, that's the assumption of a hypocrites like you. while do we have war crimes? I am sure you are suffering from excess consumption of amala.

lollyefisi: hereby reproduces an excerpt from a recording on Chief Obafemi Awolowo's account of the Nigerian Civil War ....
 
During the 1983 elections, Chief Awolowo was hosted to a town hall interview in Abeokuta, where in addition to other pertinent topics of the day, he spoke on his role in the civil war, the 20-pound policy, starvation as a weapon, change of currency, abandoned property etc. It's a Collectors' item.
Acknowledgement: Thanks to Dr Olu Ogunremi who made the audio cassette tape available to Nigerian Village Square(an online platform)
 
Question: Chief Awolowo, your stand on the civil war, however unpopular it may have been to the Biafran people or Ibo people, helped to shorten the war. Today, you’re being cast as the sole enemy of the Ibo people because of that stand, by among others, some of the people who as members of the federal military government at that time, were party to that decision and are today, in some cases, inheritors of power in one Nigeria which that decision of yours helped to save. How do you feel being cast in this role, and what steps are you taking to endear yourself once again to that large chunk of Nigerians who feels embittered.
 
Awolowo: As far as I know, the Ibo masses are friendly to me, towards me. In fact, whenever I visit Iboland, either Anambra or Imo, and there’s no campaigning for elections on, the Ibo people receive me warmly and affectionately. But there are some elements in Iboland who believe that they can maintain their popularity only by denigrating me, and so they keep on telling lies against me. Ojukwu is one of them. I don’t want to mention the names of the others because they are still redeemable, but ….Ojukwu is irredeemable so I mention his name, and my attitude to these lies is one of indifference, I must confess to you.
 
I’ve learnt to rely completely on the providence and vindication of Almighty God in some of these things. I’ve tried to explain myself in the past, but these liars persist. Ojukwu had only recently told the same lie against me. What’s the point in correcting lies when people are determined to persist in telling lies against you, what’s the point. I know that someday the Ibos, the masses of the Ibo people will realize who their friends are, and who their real enemies are. And the day that happens woe betide those enemies. The Ibos will deal with them very roughly, very roughly.
 
That has happened in my life. I have a nickname now, if you see my letterhead you’ll find something on top, you’ll find a fish done on the letterhead. Some people put Lion on theirs, some people put Tiger, but mine is Fish. And Fish represents my zodiac sign, those of you who read the stars and so on in the newspapers; you’ll find out that there’s a zodiac sign known as pieces, in Latin pieces mean Fish.
 
So I put pieces on top, that’s my zodiac sign being born on the 6th of March,….er well, the year doesn’t matter, it’s the day that matter. And then on top of it I write Eebudola. All of you know the meaning of that. You know I don’t want to tell a long story but………………Awolowo school, omo Awolowo, the…… started in Urobo land, in mid-west in those days. They were ridiculing my schools, I was building schools –brick and cement, to dpc level, block to dpc level and mud thereafter. And so the big shots in the place..”ah what kind of school is this? is this Awolowo school? Useless school” and when they saw the children..”ah this Awolowo children, they can’t read and write, Awolowo children” that’s how it started, with ridicule, and it became blessing, and now they say “Awolowo children, they are good people” no more ridicule about it, that’s how it started, so the Eebu becomes honor, the abuse became honor.
 
And so when I look back to all my life, treasonable felony, jail, all the abuses that were heaped on me, to Coker Inquiry, all sorts, and I see what has happened to the people who led, who led all these denigration campaign, where are they today? Those that are alive are what I call Homo Mortuus- dead living, oku eniyan, that’s what they are, those that their lives have gone.
 
So when I look back, I come to the conclusion that all these abuses which have been heaped on me all my life for doing nothing, for doing good, they have become honor, and so Eebudola is one of my nicknames. So I’ve cultivated an attitude of indifference, I’ve done no evil to the Ibos.
 
During the war I saw to it that the revenue which was due to the Iboland- South Eastern states they call it, at that time..east central state, I kept it, I saved the money for them. And when they ….was librated I handed over the money to them- millions. If I’d decided to do so, I could have kept the money away from them and then when they took over I saw to it that subvention was given to them at the rate of 990,000 pounds every month. I didn’t go to the executive council to ask for support, or for approval because I knew if I went to the executive council at that time the subvention would not be approved because there were more enemies in the executive council for the Ibos than friends. And since I wasn’t going to take a percentage from what I was going to give them, and I knew I was doing what was right, I wanted the state to survive, I kept on giving the subvention - 990,000 almost a million, every month, and I did that for other states of course- South eastern state, North central state, Kwara and so on.
 
But I did that for the Ibos, and when the war was over, I saw to it that the ACB got three and a half million pounds to start with. This was distributed  immediately and I gave another sum of money. The attitude of the experts, officials at the time of the ACB was that ACB should be closed down, and I held the view you couldn’t close the ACB down because that is the bank that gives finance to the Ibo traders, and if you close it down they’ll find it difficult to revive or to survive. So it was given. I did the same thing for the Cooperative Bank of Eastern Nigeria, to rehabilitate all these places, and I saw to it as commissioner for finance that no obstacle was placed in the way of the ministry of economic planning in planning for rehabilitation of the war affected areas.
 
TWENTY POUNDS POLICY
 
That’s what I did, and the case of the money they said was not given back to them, you know during the war all the pounds were looted, they printed Biafran currency notes, which they circulated, at the close of the war some people wanted their Biafran notes to be exchanged for them. Of course I couldn’t do that, if I did that the whole country would be bankrupt. We didn’t know about Biafran notes and we didn’t know on what basis they have printed them, so we refused the Biafran note, but I laid down the principle that all those who had savings in the banks on the eve of the declaration of the Biafran war or Biafra, will get their money back if they could satisfy us that they had the savings there, or the money there. Unfortunately, all the banks’s books had been burnt, and many of the people who had savings there didn’t have their saving books or their last statement of account, so a panel had to be set up.
 
I didn’t take part in setting up the panel, it was done by the Central bank and the pertinent officials of the ministry of finance, to look into the matter, and they went carefully into the matter, they took some months to do so, and then make some recommendation which I approved. Go to the archives, all I did was approve, I didn’t write anything more than that, I don’t even remember the name of any of them who took part. So I did everything in this world to assist our Ibo brothers and sisters during and after the war.
 
And anyone who goes back to look at my broadcast in August 1967, which dealt with post-war reconstruction would see what I said there.
 
STARVATION POLICY
 
Then, but above all, the ending of the war itself that I’m accused of, accused of starving the Ibos, I did nothing of the sort. You know, shortly after the liberation of these places, Calabar, Enugu and Port Harcort, I decided to pay a visit. There are certain things which I knew which you don’t know, which I don’t want to say here now, when I write my reminisces in the future I will do so. Some of the soldiers were not truthful with us, they didn’t tell us correct stories and so on.
 
I wanted to be there and see things for myself, bear in mind that Gowon himself did not go there at that time, it was after the war was over that he dorn himself up in various military dresses- Air force dress, Army dress and so on, and went to the war torn areas. But I went and some people tried to frighten me out of my goal by saying that Adekunle was my enemy and he was going to see to it that I never return from the place, so I went.
 
But when I went what did I see? I saw the kwashiorkor victims. If you see a kwashiorkor victim you’ll never like war to be waged. Terrible sight, in Enugu, in Port Harcourt, not many in Calabar, but mainly in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Then I enquired what happened to the food we are sending to the civilians. We were sending food through the Red cross, and CARITAS to them, but what happen was that the vehicles carrying the food were always ambushed by the soldiers. That’s what I discovered, and the food would then be taken to the soldiers to feed them, and so they were able to continue to fight. And I said that was a very dangerous policy, we didn’t intend the food for soldiers. But who will go behind the line to stop the soldiers from ambushing the vehicles that were carrying the food? And as long as soldiers were fed, the war will continue, and who’ll continue to suffer? and those who didn’t go to the place to see things as I did, you remember that all the big guns, all the soldiers in the Biafran army looked all well fed after the war, its only the mass of the people that suffered kwashiorkor.
 
You wont hear of a single lawyer, a single doctor, a single architect, who suffered from kwashiorkor? None of their children either, so they waylaid the foods, they ambush the vehicles and took the foods to their friends and to their collaborators and to their children and the masses were suffering. So I decided to stop sending the food there. In the process the civilians would suffer, but the soldiers will suffer most.
 
CHANGE OF CURRENCY
 
And it is on record that Ojukwu admitted that two things defeated him in this war, that’s as at the day he left Biafra. He said one, the change of currency, he said that was the first thing that defeated him, and we did that to prevent Ojukwu taking the money which his soldiers has stolen from our Central bank for sale abroad to buy arms. We discovered he looted our Central bank in Benin, he looted the one in Port Harcourt, looted the one in Calabar and he was taking the currency notes abroad to sell to earn foreign exchange to buy arms.
 
So I decided to change the currency, and for your benefit, it can now be told the whole world, only Gowon knew the day before, the day before the change took place. I decided, only three of us knew before then- Isong now governor of Cross River, Attah and myself. It was a closely guarded secret, if any commissioner at the time say that he knew about it, he’s only boosting his own ego. Because once you tell someone, he’ll tell another person. So we refused to tell them and we changed the currency notes. So Ojukwu said the change in currency defeated him, and starvation of his soldiers also defeated him.
 
These were the two things that defeated Ojukwu. And, he reminds me, when you saw Ojukwu’s picture after the war, did he look like someone who’s not well fed? But he has been taking the food which we send to civilians, and so we stopped the food.
 
 
 
ABANDONED PROPERTY
 
And then finally, I saw to it that the houses owned by the Ibos in Lagos and on this side, were kept for them. I had an estate agent friend who told me that one of them collected half a million pounds rent which has been kept for him. All his rent were collected, but since we didn’t seize their houses, he came back and collected half a million pounds.
 
So that is the position. I’m a friend of the Ibos and the mass of the Ibos are my friends, but there are certain elements who want to continue to deceive the Ibos by telling lies against me, and one day, they’ll discover and then that day will be terrible for those who have been telling the lies.

A lot of inconsistent in this parable of a wicked man. Achebe has told us the truth about you now and we know better. In your grave, just remember, ON ABURI WE STAND.

confusion247:
Only evil doers are afraid of the truth. Achebe have said the simple truth, just prove him wrong and stop going in cycle. Ojukwu never declared war. Ojukwu declared Biafra while Gowon declared war. As you said all is fair in war, that's the assumption of a hypocrites like you. while do we have war crimes? I am sure you are suffering from excess consumption of amala.

War crimes are always committed by only losers of a war. You cannot charge anyone on Nigeria's side for war crime because they won. War is not childs play and the cost can be great. That is why you need to be prepared before starting one. I personally think Nigeria was very magnanimous for not charging (and pursuing) Ojukwu and all those that helped him including Achebe (propaganda chief aka Joseph Goebels) for war crimes for causing the death of over 2 Million Nigerians (including that of the so called biafrans)through a needless war.

I think Gowon was very naive for not pursuing the war criminals and for declaring 'No Winner, No Vanquished' after the war. If he had not been so naive, we wont be having these stupid conversations!

shymexx: You guys need to defuse this madness before it consumes everyone... It was a war, and you're allowed to use everything at your disposal... Achebe is an elder statesman and he should know better than to exacerbate a bitter past in Nigerian history maliciously in a way that might end up consuming generations unborn... Perhaps, he's trying to show his bitter hatred for the late sage... However, why now? And why the sensational rhetoric and the revisionist agenda?? Every student of Nigerian history knows the truth, and Awolowo did what he had to do to end the hopeless war - and save the country... I would've done the same thing if I were to be in his shoes... You've to be prepared to go to war - and it's asinine to expect your enemy to feed you during wartime... Fait accompli! - time to move on, and be prepared for war next time...

It's great to talk about history because: "History is a clock people use to tell their historical culture and political time of the day. It's a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography. The history tells them where they have been, where they are and what they are. But most importantly history tells a people where they still must go and what they still must be." However, it becomes problematic when statesmen of Achebe's calibre starts peddling lies and half-truths... Awolowo was power hungry; so was Ojukwu(Achebe's first cousin) who wanted Biafra to himself and other parts of Southern Nigeria; so was Nnamdi Azikwe who wanted to become the premier of the Western region(despite not being from the region) and had to go back to the Eastern region to marginalise the minority groups there; and so was Ahmadu Bello who wanted to sink his Qu'ran in the Atlantic ocean and continue where his ancestors left off... All your founding fathers were power hungry TRIBALISTS... Singling out Awolowo is just stupid IMO!!

I'm going to buy the book... But I hope he also critiqued Ojukwu, Nnamdi Azikwe, Gowon et al with the same venom about the roles they all played in the events that led to the war, their roles during the war, and what they did after the war... Failure to do that would show how bigoted he really is.... And I hope he also included the indiscriminate bombings of Lagos civilians by the Biafrans and their white mercenaries who wrecked havoc on Nigerians - and how Biafran soldiers wanted weapons instead of food...

Where do the Northerners stand in all this madness?? The war was between them and Igbos - how come Igbos are not confronting them Scared much??

The war was between the igbos and Nigeria, not igbos and north. What Achebe said was that Awolowo was the person and brain behind the genocide against the igbos with two policies. I know you won't understand because excess consumption of amala have covered your sense of reasoning and calling evil evil. It is also in history that the same Awolowo later begged his masters whom he served so well during the genocide to allow him rule for just one hour, his masters later killed Abiola, his wife kudirat, dele giwa, pa Rewane etc. Those who miraculously escaped the killing squad went to exile. As for Gowon, soon and very soon fulani herdesmen will visit him as they are visiting his people.

pluto04:

War crimes is only for losers of a war. You cannot charge anyone on Nigeria's side for war crime because they won. War is not childs play. I personally think Nigeria was very magnanimous for not charging (and pursuing) Ojukwu and all those that helped him including Achebe (propaganda chief aka Joseph Goebels) for war crimes by causing the death of over 2 Million Nigerians (including that of the so called biafrans)through a needless war.

I think Gowon was very naive by not pursuing the war criminals and declaring 'No Winner, No Vanquished'. If he had not been so naive, we wont be having these stupid conversations!

This is the most ridiculous description of war crimes i have ever come across. Today the truth is out and many people have started to panic. Needless war indeed as you said if only gowon have implemented Aburi Accord. Few weeks ago yoruba leaders and elders called true federalism and confederation many years after aburi accord called for it. Today history have vindicated Ojukwu by that communique from yoruba elders and leaders. On Aburi We stand.

shymexx: You guys need to defuse this madness before it consumes everyone... It was a war, and you're allowed to use everything at your disposal... Achebe is an elder statesman and he should know better than to exacerbate a bitter past in Nigerian history maliciously in a way that might end up consuming generations unborn... Perhaps, he's trying to show his bitter hatred for the late sage... However, why now? And why the sensational rhetoric and the revisionist agenda?? Every student of Nigerian history knows the truth, and Awolowo did what he had to do to end the hopeless war - and save the country... I would've done the same thing if I were to be in his shoes... You've to be prepared to go to war - and it's asinine to expect your enemy to feed you during wartime... Fait accompli! - time to move on, and be prepared for war next time...

It's great to talk about history because: "History is a clock people use to tell their historical culture and political time of the day. It's a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography. The history tells them where they have been, where they are and what they are. But most importantly history tells a people where they still must go and what they still must be." However, it becomes problematic when statesmen of Achebe's calibre starts peddling lies and half-truths... Awolowo was power hungry; so was Ojukwu(Achebe's first cousin) who wanted Biafra to himself and other parts of Southern Nigeria; so was Nnamdi Azikwe who wanted to become the premier of the Western region(despite not being from the region) and had to go back to the Eastern region to marginalise the minority groups there; and so was Ahmadu Bello who wanted to sink his Qu'ran in the Atlantic ocean and continue where his ancestors left off... All your founding fathers were power hungry TRIBALISTS... Singling out Awolowo is just stupid IMO!!

I'm going to buy the book... But I hope he also critiqued Ojukwu, Nnamdi Azikwe, Gowon et al with the same venom about the roles they all played in the events that led to the war, their roles during the war, and what they did after the war... Failure to do that would show how bigoted he really is.... And I hope he also included the indiscriminate bombings of Lagos civilians by the Biafrans and their white mercenaries who wrecked havoc on Nigerians - and how Biafran soldiers wanted weapons instead of food...

Where do the Northerners stand in all this madness?? The war was between them and Igbos - how come Igbos are not confronting them Scared much??

i dont think its about being scared, why most people of igbo descent have problems with yorubas and blame yorubas is because of awolowos action, before and after. awolowo after ojukwu rescued him from jail made a promise to the igbos to side with them if a war erupts, but goes back on his words when the north promises him a future as the president. Betrayal is hard to forgive. and the north could never have won the war without yorubas and etc. Then his actions after the war as nigerian finance minister and holding all igbos wealth and properties, and only giving them 2opounds and keeping the rest in yoruba land, to leave them imporvished for life. That was theft and evil in everyway possible. So my friend know the truth and let it set you free. am sure azukiwe,gowon bello etc all were tribalistic and power hungry, but awolowo took it too far.

pufectskin: The starvation policy and change of currency strategy were brilliant! In fact Awolowo was BRILLIANT. Igbos/Ojukwu's army were relying on arms and physical power to win; awolowo helped naija win d war by using his brain more than anything else. Trust d yorubas; always intelligent (dat's dey don't like to fight...violence is not in their dna but if u bring ur drama to them, dey will show who d boss is; by using their intelligence as usual).

Peace out dudes!

I wonder why they never showed this intelligent during the time of Abiola, kudirat, dele giwa, pa Alfred rewane etc. haahaahaahaahaahaa

kettykin: I can uderstand igbos hating yorubas somuch and I can understand yorubas hating igbos so much to the extenþ of using food as a weapon of warfare but what I understand is this 2 groups choosing to live in one country nigeria despite the difference . Why can't they just. Organise referendum and let these 2 groups go their way

Despite all this hatred, no tribe in Nigeria wants the igbos to go. Very shameful. At the mare mention of Biafra every other tribe starts to panic.

mimifonwon:

i dont think its about being scared, why most people of igbo descent have problems with yorubas and blame yorubas is because of awolowos action, before and after. awolowo after ojukwu rescued him from jail made a promise to the igbos to side with them if a war erupts, but goes back on his words when the north promises him a future as the president. Betrayal is hard to forgive. and the north could never have won the war without yorubas and etc. Then his actions after the war as nigerian finance minister and holding all igbos wealth and properties, and only giving them 2opounds and keeping the rest in yoruba land, to leave them imporvished for life. That was theft and evil in everyway possible. So my friend know the truth and let it set you free. am sure azukiwe,gowon bello etc all were tribalistic and power hungry, but awolowo took it too far.

May GOD continue to Bless you for saying the truth without fear or favor.

Blueboy0402: It has been 42 years since the war ended and Nigeria is still in search of peace and unity. I have read the comments on this thread and I'm apalled by the chaos this has generated. Now I know that there are some people who are determined to re-write history. For so long we (Yoruba/Igbo) have been waging senseless "war" against ourselves yet the "enemy" is out there trying to lord over us and force their religion down our throat. We hate with bitter odium in a bid to undo one another yet the blood sucker is out there sacrificing our (Yoruba/Igbo) brothers and sisters to their god.

Awo, Ojukwu et al all played different roles before, during and after the war. Awo is not god, he is mere flesh and blood and in a war situation it is expected that he protect the interest of his people (Yoruba). Ojukwu also displayed his loyalty to his people (Igbo). Why then do we continue to brood over their mistakes? If we have so much energy to dispence why dont we channel it on our common enemy? Prof Achebe's "There was a country" is his personal acount of what transpired during that era. I do not think it is meant to soil the name of Awo.

You are a true son of Your father but what you see here is evidence that Nigeria is not one and can never be. 42 years after that war, we are still talking of uniting the nation and moving forward.

Since you Igbo don't want to be appeased easily and would rather bang on about 3million this and Awo that.
I'll tell you and your generation something Gowon refused to do earlier.
You were vanquished, destroyed defeated starved during the civil war, the Nigerian army defeated the biafran army igbo people were made to pay for their betrayal, they killed northern leaders and spared their tribesmen. They were slaughtered . Awo was a tactful leader knew how to break their spirit .
Are you all happy now

shymexx:

But why didn't Ojukwu ask for food instead of more arms to prosecute an unwinnable war?? It was a war, mate...

And if you hate me for being Yoruba, that's your problem, brother... I'm not scared of anyone - and I'll always be proud of my tribe...

FYI, Awolowo is from my subgroup, and so is Wole Soyinka - and I'm proud of them...

I think is better you understand a thread first before you comment on it. Achebe was talking of Awolowo and his actions during the war and not about yorubas.

sweet_gala: Since you Igbo don't want to be appeased easily and would rather bang on about 3million this and Awo that.
I'll tell you and your generation something Gowon refused to do earlier.
You were vanquished, destroyed defeated starved during the civil war, the Nigerian army defeated the biafran army igbo people were made to pay for their betrayal, they killed northern leaders and spared their tribesmen. They were slaughtered . Awo was a tactful leader knew how to break their spirit .
Are you all happy now

you are right only that you didn't tell us more about Gowon, his people and fulani herdsmen, you also didn't tell us more about the death of dele giwa, abiola and his wife, even pa Alfred Rewane etc. Please can you tell us more about the ethnic cleansing or religious war going on in northern Nigeria by boko haram.

THE IGBO NATION HAS TO CALL THIS OLD MAN TO ORDER, WHAT DOES HE GAIN BY OPENNING OLD WOUNDS. YES AWOLOWO WAS TACTICALLY INVOLVED IN THE WAR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT BROUGHT THE WAR TO AN END BUT CLAIMED CASUALTIES...IT WAS A WAR POEPLE NOT LUDO GAME AND PLEASE DEAL WITH IT!

THE SAME THING THE IGBO NAIRALANDERS ARE BLAMING AWOLOWO FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER IS WHAT IGBOS THEMSELVES HAVE MASTERED IN THE CURRENT POLOTICAL LANDSCAPE OF NAIGERIA AND THAT IS WHY THEY CAN HARDLY PRODUCE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IS CRITICAL IN POLITICS, WHO WANTS TO STAY WIH THE OBVIOUSLY LESS LEGITIMATE AND LOSING SIDE ABI?

PLEASE LET LATE PA AWOLOWO REST IN HIS GRAVE, IF IGBOS CANNOT UNDERSTAND WAR TIME STRATEGY, THEY SHOULD PLEASE STOP DISTURBING OUR PEACE WITH TACTLESS BOOKS.......NEXT!!!!

JomoGbomo2: CHINUA ACHEBE and other Ndigbo, GROW UP and Move on, you declared a war not family reunion, so don't expect to be fed by your enemy.

The war is over, lets stop whining over what has happened based on our common over zealousness. Lets move on and grow together.

Point of correction please, Ojukwu declared biafra, Gowon declared war. This country can never move forward unless justice is done.

lollyefisi: hereby reproduces an excerpt from a recording on Chief Obafemi Awolowo's account of the Nigerian Civil War ....
But I did that for the Ibos, and when the war was over, I saw to it that the ACB got three and a half million pounds to start with. This was distributed  immediately and I gave another sum of money. The attitude of the experts, officials at the time of the ACB was that ACB should be closed down, and I held the view you couldn’t close the ACB down because that is the bank that gives finance to the Ibo traders, and if you close it down they’ll find it difficult to revive or to survive. So it was given. I did the same thing for the Cooperative Bank of Eastern Nigeria, to rehabilitate all these places, and I saw to it as commissioner for finance that no obstacle was placed in the way of the ministry of economic planning in planning for rehabilitation of the war affected areas.
 

What happens to the 26 million pound deposits at ACB before the war? You stole a man's 26 million and later gave him 3.5 million and expect him to congratulate you? Very generous!
My family has 246 thousand pounds in both ACB/Barclays and received only 20 pounds back.

We had about 11 thousand Nigerian pounds in cash and they quickly change the currency into Naira and refused to change it to Naira.
Lagos, Rivers state and Bendel state officially without a shame hold on to people properties many years after the war.

Lagos state govt went all the way to the supreme court contesting for abandoned property while states like Kano through Abubakar Rimi was readily helping the original owners to get back their properties.
Its funny that they are not saying that Achebe lied but he shouldn't say things that will break Nigeria as if Nigeria is not broken already.
Fashakin is speaking not for CPC, as the issue got nothing to do with politicking, before Igbos start jumping upon CPC or Buhari.

i only see one thing-the indigbo just made doubters like me certain. how i wish they could learn from the owus of yoruba group.
however, i hope they do their homework before coming to this.

lee007: THE IGBO NATION HAS TO CALL THIS OLD MAN TO ORDER, WHAT DOES HE GAIN BY OPENNING OLD WOUNDS. YES AWOLOWO WAS TACTICALLY INVOLVED IN THE WAR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT BROUGHT THE WAR TO AN END BUT CLAIMED CASUALTIES...IT WAS A WAR POEPLE NOT LUDO GAME AND PLEASE DEAL WITH IT!

THE SAME THING THE IGBO NAIRALANDERS ARE BLAMING AWOLOWO FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER IS WHAT IGBOS THEMSELVES HAVE MASTERED IN THE CURRENT POLOTICAL LANDSCAPE OF NAIGERIA AND THAT IS WHY THEY CAN HARDLY PRODUCE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IS CRITICAL IN POLITICS, WHO WANTS TO STAY WIH THE OBVIOUSLY LESS LEGITIMATE AND LOSING SIDE ABI?

PLEASE LET LATE PA AWOLOWO REST IN HIS GRAVE, IF IGBOS CANNOT UNDERSTAND WAR TIME STRATEGY, THEY SHOULD PLEASE STOP DISTURBING OUR PEACE WITH TACTLESS BOOKS.......NEXT!!!!

It is very shameful that you don't and have never heard anything about war crimes. What's more important producing a president or doing justice. Jonathan is president today and we all have seen how he is enjoying that sit. I am sure igbos prefer BIAFRA to being a president of a country where injustice reigns supreme.

I love the truth, and Achebe spoke the truth. The problem with Nigeria is our age long tradition of covering the truth and pretending things will somehow end well, well, I have news for you guys, the truth will always wash up somehow and mar the little peace foisted on the truth.

If we have up to 100 Acbebe s in the country, things will turn out right for us, say what you know in a transparent, bold write up and shame the devil. Without this bare all approach, this nation will always be operating on a fake foundation.

confusion247:
It is very shameful that you don't and have never heard anything about war crimes. What's more important producing a president or doing justice. Jonathan is president today and we all have seen how he is enjoying that sit. I am sure igbos prefer BIAFRA to being a president of a country where injustice reigns supreme.

WELL I KNOW NA YESTERDAY DEM BORN ME SO, I DONT KNOW ABOUT WAR CRIME BUT I KNOW BETTER THAN BALMING ANOTHER MAN FOR YOUR LESS TACTICAL DECISIONS AND GREED OF YOUR LEADER OJUKWU, ITS CALLED IRRESPONSIBILITY! IF THAT WAR HAD GONE FUTHER THAN 1970, WHO KNOWS WHERE YOU WOULD BE TODAY- MR WAR CRIME PROFESSOR...ABEG GO FACE THE HAUSA FULANI STILL DEALING WITH THE WHOLE COUNTRY AT THE MOMENT, TO US IN THE WEST AWO IA AN HERO A BIG BIG ONE FOR THAT MATTER....WHAT HAS OJUKWU LEFT YOU WITH?...COMPLAINING AS USUAL?

lee007: THE IGBO NATION HAS TO CALL THIS OLD MAN TO ORDER, WHAT DOES HE GAIN BY OPENNING OLD WOUNDS. YES AWOLOWO WAS TACTICALLY INVOLVED IN THE WAR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT BROUGHT THE WAR TO AN END BUT CLAIMED CASUALTIES...IT WAS A WAR POEPLE NOT LUDO GAME AND PLEASE DEAL WITH IT!

THE SAME THING THE IGBO NAIRALANDERS ARE BLAMING AWOLOWO FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER IS WHAT IGBOS THEMSELVES HAVE MASTERED IN THE CURRENT POLOTICAL LANDSCAPE OF NAIGERIA AND THAT IS WHY THEY CAN HARDLY PRODUCE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IS CRITICAL IN POLITICS, WHO WANTS TO STAY WIH THE OBVIOUSLY LESS LEGITIMATE AND LOSING SIDE ABI?

PLEASE LET LATE PA AWOLOWO REST IN HIS GRAVE, IF IGBOS CANNOT UNDERSTAND WAR TIME STRATEGY, THEY SHOULD PLEASE STOP DISTURBING OUR PEACE WITH TACTLESS BOOKS.......NEXT!!!!

How can a man who took his own life rest in peace. He should be exhumed and reburied in the evil forest.

lee007: THE IGBO NATION HAS TO CALL THIS OLD MAN TO ORDER, WHAT DOES HE GAIN BY OPENNING OLD WOUNDS. YES AWOLOWO WAS TACTICALLY INVOLVED IN THE WAR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT BROUGHT THE WAR TO AN END BUT CLAIMED CASUALTIES...IT WAS A WAR POEPLE NOT LUDO GAME AND PLEASE DEAL WITH IT!

THE SAME THING THE IGBO NAIRALANDERS ARE BLAMING AWOLOWO FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER IS WHAT IGBOS THEMSELVES HAVE MASTERED IN THE CURRENT POLOTICAL LANDSCAPE OF NAIGERIA AND THAT IS WHY THEY CAN HARDLY PRODUCE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IS CRITICAL IN POLITICS, WHO WANTS TO STAY WIH THE OBVIOUSLY LESS LEGITIMATE AND LOSING SIDE ABI?

PLEASE LET LATE PA AWOLOWO REST IN HIS GRAVE, IF IGBOS CANNOT UNDERSTAND WAR TIME STRATEGY, THEY SHOULD PLEASE STOP DISTURBING OUR PEACE WITH TACTLESS BOOKS.......NEXT!!!!

Pa Awolowo should be allowed to rest in his grave, yes.
But the truth should be said for true forgiveness to reign. What will it benefit Acbebe if he dies without passing down the whole knowledge he has access to. The man has made himself a hero by his recent stands in the nation.