Sad thing is most of them have not even read the book.

Achebe is a legend, you may disagree with his opinions but please do not disrespect him for his perspective on the war.

The problem with most of you is that you don't read. This is not the first time Achebe has had a view on Awo. He had a similar view in his book, "The trouble with Nigeria", written as far back as the early 1980s.

So you all should go and read so you can learn to respect true heroes. That book, "There was a country", is very rich and I recommend it to anyone who wants a broader perspective on issues in Nigeria.

seanet02: Nobody is putting a spin on it.
What people is telling you is that you should stop blaming Awolowo the Great for your starvation. If oju-iku your dumb ediotic leader have not been a m0ron, he would have prepare how to feed you.
You are fighting and want who you are fighting to feed you?
What nonsense.

Did Ojukwu ask Nigeria to feed Biafra? Hope you can distinguish between deliberate starvation policy and appeal for food aid?

dayokanu:

Let them continue to whine. I joined in 2006 and it was a daily dose of Ojuku, biafra, Awolowo and attacking Yorubas daily few Yorubas responded and most didnt even pay them any attention

It was around 2009 before Yorubas started attacking them in full force and It was last year when I joined fully

.....and it shall continue untill they bow down or bow out. yanmiri's incessant arrogance must be suppressed, through self-transformation or painful humiliation. yanmiri is a nobody in this country. you have declared biafra twice (1967 and 2012), so what are you still waiting in Nigeria for? Cut yourself off, everything east of the niger, the people, the land the oil and go.

ACM10:
Awolowo himself admitted to have masterminded the starvation policy in his 1983 interview. . . It is too late to put a spin on that.

"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.
No spin here. Just the fact.

The Nigerian government blockaded Biafra from importing weapons. Awolowo masterminded no starvation policy. Awolowo was not a Biafran. He was not the leader of Biafra. He was not the Biafran minister of agriculture. He was not responsible for Biafrans in any way shape or form. Biafra was supposedly a sovereign country with supposedly big minds who supposedly knew what it take to establish a sovereign and viable nation. If the blockade was causing starvation it should have been obvious to these great minds, Achebe included that maybe, just maybe Biafra was a pipe dream and should have led the people back to the safety of the Nigerian federation. What did the Biafran leaders do instead? They decided on a stalemate and watched as people they were supposed to be leading to freedom starved to death. Wrong choice.

That is the truth. You know it.

ACM10:
Did Ojukwu ask Nigeria to feed Biafra? Hope you can distinguish between deliberate starvation policy and appeal for food aid?

Deliberate starvation policy?
This gotta be a joke.
You should have stored enough food. You cant eat your cake and have it. You starved yourself. You dont go to war without having a guaranteed source of food or enough in your reserve.
You starved yourself.

ACM10:
Did Ojukwu ask Nigeria to feed Biafra? Hope you can distinguish between deliberate starvation policy and appeal for food aid?

Biafra was landlocked. A general should know how untenable this is. If you're blaming Awolowo for starvation because of the blockade, then you're basically saying Nigeria was responsible for feeding Biafra.

The "deliberate starvation policy" is from your own imagination.

Technocracy: Why on earth will nairaland enlist chinua achebe in their hall of shame,simply because he said the truth about your most reverd awo and revealing facts about the civil war,i had expected nairaland to bring it in the court of public opinion other than adopting ethnocentric bias,more so one of the cardinal principle of journalism is balance d reporting,which you have negated,i think its a privillege to ur management that nigerians patronise, adopt fairness and throw tribalism and brown paper pack to the bin if u want to remain the choice destination for conscious nigerians

It is understandable that many Southwesterners reacted with so much anger at what the author said about Chief Awolowo. However, what interests me more is Pa Achebe's honest indictment of himself: throughout the war he had two vehicles and drivers and ran out of fuel only once. He lived in all this comfort while those he described as his brothers and sisters were dropping dead left, right and centre as a result of hunger.What I find intiguing is that the book is far far cheaper to buy in the Southwest than in the Southeast from where the author hails. In the East, it is business first.

why are biafran soldiers, their officers and their mercenaries fed juicily while civilians were dry to the bone, where did biafran fighters get their food and meals from?

the civilians starved because soldiers diverted produce and foodstock dropped off for feeding and sustaining civilians. How is this Nigerian problem when biafran soldiers robbed their own people sustenance. their people were starving right in their face and they did nothing to share ....they just stuffed their own face. selfish murderers!

If Achebe has the right to write his memoir and say whatever BS he wants, then we also have the right to nominate him into the hall of shame.

SHAME on ACHEBE!! SHAAAAAAAME

demmy:

"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.
No spin here. Just the fact.

The Nigerian government blockaded Biafra from importing weapons. Awolowo masterminded no starvation policy. Awolowo was not a Biafran. He was not the leader of Biafra. He was not the Biafran minister of agriculture. He was not responsible for Biafrans in any way shape or form. Biafra was supposedly a sovereign country with supposedly big minds who supposedly knew what it take to establish a sovereign and viable nation. If the blockade was causing starvation it should have been obvious to these great minds, Achebe included that maybe, just maybe Biafra was a pipe dream and should have led the people back to the safety of the Nigerian federation. What did the Biafran leaders do instead? They decided on a stalemate and watched as people they were supposed to be leading to freedom starved to death. Wrong choice.

That is the truth. You know it.

seanet02: Deliberate starvation policy?
This gotta be a joke.
You should have stored enough food. You cant eat your cake and have it. You starved yourself. You dont go to war without having a guaranteed source of food or enough in your reserve.
You starved yourself.

demmy:

Biafra was landlocked. A general should know how untenable this is. If you're blaming Awolowo for starvation because of the blockade, then you're basically saying Nigeria was responsible for feeding Biafra.

The "deliberate starvation policy" is from your own imagination.

I don't want to go into back-and-forth debate with you guys on the topic of starvation policy. Awo himself admitted to it in his interview, but u choose to ignore that part. You can use any warped logic which suits you to support you argument. No nation has enough food to sustain them in a war. So telling me that Biafra should have stored enough food to sustain them in the war is ludicrous. You may go through our earlier debate with Katsumoto on the starvation policy. I don't like mindless repetition.

These Igbo folks have taken the Golden silence of the Yorubas for foolishness for too long, it is only normal they get a dose of the harsh reality they 've been disconnect from. Imagine Achebey accusing Awo of starvation in a war situation, why didn't the all knowing Biafrans get her supplies through her other neighbours? Why does it have to be Nigeria they so much detest?

ACM10:
I don't want to go into back-and-forth debate with you guys on the topic of starvation policy. Awo himself admitted to it in his interview, but u choose to ignore that part. You can use any warped logic which suits you to support you argument. No nation has enough food to sustain them in a war. So telling me that Biafra should have stored enough food to sustain them in the war is ludicrous. You may go through our earlier debate with Katsumoto on the starvation policy. I don't like mindless repetition.

Well we just have to agree to disagree.

Starvation yet none of the soldiers or politician nor Achebe nor Ojuku starved actually they looked better during the war than at anytime in their miserable lives on wheelchair

Standing5: These Igbo folks have taken the Golden silence of the Yorubas for foolishness for too long, it is only normal they get a dose of the harsh reality they 've been disconnect from. Imagine Achebey accusing Awo of starvation in a war situation, why didn't the all knowing Biafrans get her supplies through her other neighbours? Why does it have to be Nigeria they so much detest?

what do u mean by golden silent. U fools wont cease to amaze me. Tel me how sophiscated your pple are, silly bunch of egocentric idiots

There is nothing anybody can do, Achebe's name is already in inglorious Nairaland's Hall of Shame.

[quote
author=Tusky44]

And at the end we can still agree to disagree peacefully UNLIKE your
smelly gworo-chewing idiotic mallams and moham-mad followers in the
North who use dagger to kill like savages. You and your fellow smelly
mallams and shitlslams are very disgusting indeed.[/quote] Nyamri stop crying.

Unfortunately if it were an outsider(ghananian or south african) that has insulted chinua achebe,those criticising him will be ones to first defend him.
If nairaland can list the greatest afican literary giant on its hall of shame just because he expressed his opinion about AW0's role in the nigerian civil war in his memoir, then I can as well conclude that nairaland, the yoruba race and Nigeria is doomed and their will never be unity in nigeria.
The most unfortunate part of this is the fact that most those that listed his name have not even come across the book not to even open and read it,because
I am aware that he also praised awo in some areas for his leadership qualities and also profered solution to some of our problems as nigerians.

Nairaland you can't be promoting tribalism and accuse someone of tribalism.

Of all those that have brought honour to the name of nigeria,non can be compared with chinua achebe.I have been to ten non-english speaking countries in europe if there is any great thing or person they know from nigeria,it is chinua achebe and things fall apart.

It should also be noted that some yorubas share the same views about the war as ojukwu and chinua achebe and also some yorubas stil love him,respect him and still see him as their role model despite what he has written in his memoir.hence listing him in that list thinking you are insulting him is counter productive because you only succeeded in insulting nigeria our beloved country,the integrity of those detribalised nigerians yorubas included and also the literary world.

If nairaland would list achebe who's moral intergrity is unquestionable,who is a Role model to a lot of nigerians and africans including the yorubas then, I have lost all respect for nairaland and I will like to ask nairaland what will be the case of the likes of our old and present leaders who has brought us to this state which we are after our return to democracy.yes I say so because it was hoped that with democracy nigeiria will be better.but what do we have now?
Where is the place of the atikus,the danjumas,the babangidas,the shameless opposition leaders, the bribe collectors,the gullible nigerian followers,the thiefing governors,the money laudering first ladies(both states and federal),the corrupt businessmen,the thiefing contractor,bankers,private jet pastors,top civil servants,minister,governors,military and paramilitary leader,police.

Pls nairaland are they the ones we are to honour? I think nairaland has lost its moral authourity and with this I can now finally take my bow out of nairaland as beaf did.I have been off from commenting on niaraland for over months until I saw the hall of shame post.it has confirmed that nairaland has been overtaking by childish, immatured and tribal bigots.

I don't care if you hide this comment of mine but one thing you must know is that chinua achebe has made his mark in the world and his name has been stamped with Gold.it is left now to see how nairaland will make its own mark in nigerian not to even talk of the world.
Like a poster said,the likes of linda ikeji and bella naija are winning awards for didtinguishing themselves and contributing to the goals of the nigerian project,while nairaland which I assume to be the biggest site in nigeria is still in the back waters,and led by childish and tribal mods and members.

The operators of this site need to grow up. nairaland which is surpose to take the lead in uniting nigerians, sensitizing nigerians,promoting nigeria's image and her great people and educating nigerians and the outside world about nigeria ,need to have a rethink and also review their aims and objectives for creating this great site.

Pls don't mind my writting. Am typing with my mobile phone some of my spellings maybe correct.

^^^
you are talking nonsense as usual......
achebe until now was respected by every nigerian but he kinda crossed the line when he blamed awolowo for the genocide in biafra. there were several opportunities presented that could have averted the war but ojukwu simply wanted the war. ojukwu was a selfish man and he put his ego before his own people - too bad!

i have read achebe's book inside out and to say his account was biased is an understatement. he told several lies in the book - how the village mad man took the chalk from his teacher and lectured his class on the geography of nigeria. how his mum was nearly lynched by villagers because she plucked kolanut from the tree(a sacrilege in igbo land) and several other tales by moonlight!

It is becoming clearer that the owner of NL does not care much about Nigeria. He is rather after the traffic that his site attracts.
I don't really blame him, it is all about the money. Nigeria can e-burn for all Seun and his MOD's care.

manchy7531: Unfortunately is it were and outsider that has insulted chinua achebe,those criticising him will be ones to first defend him.
If nairaland can list the greatest afican literary gaint on its hall of shame just because he expressed his opinion about AW0's role in the nigerian civil war in his memoir, then I can as well conclude that nairaland, the yoruba race and Nigeria is doomed and their will never be unity nigeria.
The most unfortunate part of this is the fact that most those that listed his name have not even come across the book not to even open and read it.
I am aware that he also profer solution to some of our problems as nigerians.
because you cannot acuse him for promoting divison and you are take actions that also promote divsion.

Nairaland you can't be promoting tribalism and acuse someone of tribalism.

Of all those that have brought honour to the name of nigeria non compare to chinua achebe.I have been to ten non-english speaking countries in europe if there on great thing or person they know from nigeria it is chinua achebe and things fall apart.

It should also be noted that some yorubas share the same views about the war as ojukwu and chinua achebe.

If nairaland would list achebe who's moral intergrity is unquestionable,who is Ğoº°˚°ºϑ morning. Role model to a lot of nigerians and africans including the yorubas.

This listing him has become the case of niaraland then I have lost all respect for nairaland and I will like to ask nairaland if someone like achebe is listed what will be the case of the likes of our old leaders how has brought us to this state we are after our return to democracy.yes I say so because their was hoped that with democracy nigeiria will be better.but what do we have now?
Where is the place of the atikus,the danjumas,the babangidas,the shameless opposition leaders, the bribe collectors,the gulible nigerian followers,the thiefing governors,the money laudering first ladies(both states and federal),the corrupt businessmen,the thiefing contractor,bankers,pastors,top civil servants.

Pls nairaland are they the ones we are to honour? I think nairaland has lost its moral authourity and with this I can now finally take my bow out of nairaland as beaf did.I have been off from commenting on niaraland for over months until I saw the hall of shame post.it has confirmed that nairaland has been overtaking by childish, immatured and tribal bigots.

I don't care if you hide this comment of mine but one thing you must know is that chinua achebe has made his mark in the world and his name has been stamped with Gold.it is left now to see how nairaland will make its mark on nigerians not to even talk of the world.

Like a poster said about,the likes of linda ikeji and bella naija are winning awards for didtinguishing themselves,will nairaland which I assume to be the biggest site in nigeria is still in the back waters,and lead by childish and tribal mods and members.

The operators of this site need to grow up and nairaland which is surpose to take the lead in uniting,sensitizing,promoting and educating nigerians and the outside world about nigeria need to have a rethink and also review their aims and objectives for creating this great site.

Pls don't mind my writting. Am typing with my mobile phone some of my spellings maybe correct.

By the special grace ne Almighty God, it is ibos that will be doomed not Yorubas.
Na sanpona go severe the finger you used to type that rubbishhhhhh'

coogar: ^^^
you are talking nonsense as usual......
achebe until now was respected by every nigerian but he kinda crossed the line when he blamed awolowo for the genocide in biafra. there were several opportunities presented that could have averted the war but ojukwu simply wanted the war. ojukwu was a selfish man and he put his ego before his own people - too bad!

i have read achebe's book inside out and to say his account was biased is an understatement. he told several lies in the book - how the village mad man took the chalk from his teacher and lectured his class on the geography of nigeria. how his mum was nearly lynched by villagers because she plucked kolanut from the tree - a sacrilege in igbo land and several other tales by moonlight!

True. I personally considered Achebe a hero until he published lies as a memoir. Awolowo was not entirely blameless or was a god of a kind but it was a blatant lie and hatred carried too far to not only blame Awolowo for Igbo genocide but for doing it to advance Yoruba interests. This same man,Awolowo, tried all his best to prevent the war. He was not even around when events that culminated in the war started. There is no war where your enemy would be saddled with the responsibility of feeding you. Such would not be called war. It was the responsibility of Ojukwu, not Awo, to put the welfare of his people above any considerations. That a corridor to ferry food and other similar items was provided at all is more than enough to vindicate Awo and the war cabinet of Gowon.


At topic,
What exactly do they expect the owner of Nairaland to do? To gag the opinions of others? There was clear rule for nominations and Achebe was nominated. There was clear rule for shortlisting the top three, and Achebe ended up being among the top list. How is that the problem of Seun or any moderator? This is nothing but democracy in action. The choice of majority may patently be wrong but they have right to make that choice. Voting is in progress, vote for other candidate if you don't want Achebe to get the crown.

Prof Corruption:

[b]True. I personally considered Achebe a hero until he published lies as a memoir. Awolowo was not entirely blameless or was a god of a kind but it was a blatant lie and hatred carried too far to not only blame Awolowo for Igbo genocide but for doing it to advance Yoruba interests. This same man,Awolowo, tried all his best to prevent the war. [/b]He was not even around when events that culminated in the war started. There is no war where your enemy would be saddled with the responsibility of feeding you. Such would not be called war. It was the responsibility of Ojukwu, not Awo, to put the welfare of his people above any considerations. That a corridor to ferry food and other similar items was provided at all is more than enough to vindicate Awo and the war cabinet of Gowon.


At topic,
What exactly do they expect the owner of Nairaland to do? To gag the opinions of others? There was clear rule for nominations and Achebe was nominated. There was clear rule for shortlisting the top three, and Achebe ended up being among the top list. How is that the problem of Seun or any moderator? This is nothing but democracy in action. The choice of majority may patently be wrong but they have right to make that choice. Voting is in progress, vote for other candidate if you don't want Achebe to get the crown.

You are saying trash! Awolowo had a mission to capture power and he did it playing the tribal game effectively. However, it was not any different from the tactics used by leaders in other regions. And it is still the same tactics used to fool gullible Nigerians today.

Chinua has written a book, what I expect you all to do is to critically examine the contents of the book. You are not expected to agree with him but to insult him over his views is most disrespectful.

Geomac: Nyamri stop crying.

You slaves killed maybe 1000s of our people. Guess how many of yous die of just treatable diseases now. Poverty to the extreme. Death is synonymous to Northern Nigeria now. You slaves are finished. hahahahhahahah

Yoroslaves are stinkers. They destroy everythting with their stench.

ballabriggs:

You are saying trash! Awolowo had a mission to capture power and he did it playing the tribal game effectively. However, it was not any different from the tactics used by leaders in other regions. And it is still the same tactics used to fool gullible Nigerians today.

Chinua has written a book, what I expect you all to do is to critically examine the contents of the book. You are not expected to agree with him but to insult him over his views is most disrespectful.

So Awolowo did not go to Enugu to persuade Ojukwu against war? So Awolowo declared Biafra for Ojukwu knowing that war would ensue? So Awolowo asked Ojukwu not to surrender when all possibilities of victory were gone? So Awolowo asked Ojukwu to reject food corridor when Ojukwu knew he could not feed his people? It's a sheer waste of time engaging some of you.

Prof Corruption:

So Awolowo did not go to Enugu to persuade Ojukwu against war? So Awolowo declared Biafra for Ojukwu knowing that war would ensue? So Awolowo asked Ojukwu not to surrender when all possibilities of victory were gone? So Awolowo asked Ojukwu to reject food corridor when Ojukwu knew he could not feed his people? It's a sheer waste of time engaging some of you.

That is the problem with most of you. You do not sound like someone who has read the book. You just hear Awo's name being mentioned and you spring up. Did Achebe ever state that Awo never made such visits?

Go and read the book and read it properly with an open mind before typing your trash here. Achebe may have gotten some things wrong but one thing you cannot deny is the fact that Awo had an ambition and he went about it playing the tribal card. It is not different from what we see in today's politics.

ballabriggs:

That is the problem with most of you. You do not sound like someone who has read the book. You just hear Awo's name being mentioned and you spring up. Did Achebe ever state that Awo never made such visits?

Go and read the book and read it properly with an open mind before typing your trash here. Achebe may have gotten some things wrong but one thing you cannot deny is the fact that Awo had an ambition and he went about it playing the tribal card. It is not different from what we see in today's politics.

Read what book?? The same book with a trashy review, no??

Get a life!!

shymexx:

Read what book?? The same book with a trashy review, no??

Get a life!!

You sound dumb honestly! If a dullard like you does not read it many more people will read it and with an open mind. So you are inconsequential.

Go and get a life.

ballabriggs:

You are saying trash! Awolowo had a mission to capture power and he did it playing the tribal game effectively. However, it was not any different from the tactics used by leaders in other regions. And it is still the same tactics used to fool gullible Nigerians today.

Chinua has written a book, what I expect you all to do is to critically examine the contents of the book. You are not expected to agree with him but to insult him over his views is most disrespectful.

Y'all should just stop this examining contents of the book BS, Achebe's memoir is deeply flawed, he deserves his spot on the Hall of shame list and I sincerely hope he tops at the end of voting.

ballabriggs:
You are saying trash! Awolowo had a mission to capture power and he did it playing the tribal game effectively. However, it was not any different from the tactics used by leaders in other regions. And it is still the same tactics used to fool gullible Nigerians today.

Chinua has written a book, what I expect you all to do is to critically examine the contents of the book. You are not expected to agree with him but to insult him over his views is most disrespectful.

He had a mission to capture power, yet he voluntarily resigned after the civil war.... Most of dolts are just too stupid to use the brain cells God gave you - all you do is parrot the nonsense spewed by your overrated and tribalistic 'heroes'.

So, a book written by an unrepentant Biafran propagandist should be the "bible" for the civil war, no??

Again, get a freaking life!!

ballabriggs:

That is the problem with most of you. You do not sound like someone who has read the book. You just hear Awo's name being mentioned and you spring up. Did Achebe ever state that Awo never made such visits?

Go and read the book and read it properly with an open mind before typing your trash here. Achebe may have gotten some things wrong but one thing you cannot deny is the fact that Awo had an ambition and he went about it playing the tribal card. It is not different from what we see in today's politics.

Do you believe Awolowo deliberately tried to kill Igbos so he could become president?

gidiMonsta:

Y'all should just stop this examining contents of the book BS, Achebe's memoir is deeply flawed, he deserves his spot on the Hall of shame list and I sincerely hope tops at the end of voting.

Another m0r0n. A trash like you puts him on a so-called "Hall of Shame".

Achebe can do without m0r0ns like you.