naijaking1:

Mallam, I dey aiki now, but a quick search showed up an interview conducted by Rudolf Okonkwo, where Ojukwu "diplomatically" called Awo funny after his discussion and 'agreement' after he had release Awo from Calabar prison:

OJUKWU: We’ve said this over and over again, so many times, and people don’t understand; they don’t want to actually. If you remember, I released Awolowo from jail. Even that, some people are beginning to contest as well. Awo was in jail in Calabar. Gowon knows and the whole of the federal establishment knows that at no point was Gowon in charge of the East. The East took orders from me. Now, how could Gowon have released Awolowo who was in Calabar? Because of the fact that I released him, it created quite a lot of rapport between Awo and myself and I know that before he went back to Ikenne, I set up a hotline between Ikenne and my bedroom in Enugu. He tried like an elder statesman to find a solution. Awolowo is a funny one. Don’t forget that the political purpose of the coup, the Ifeajuna coup that began all this, was to hand power over to Awo. We young men respected him a great deal. He was a hero. I thought he was a hero and certainly I received him when I was governor. We talked and he was very vehement when he saw our complaints and he said that if the Igbos were forced out by Nigeria that he would take the Yorubas out also. I don’t know what anybody makes of that statement but it is simple. Whether he did or didn’t, it is too late. There is nothing you can do about it. So, he said this and I must have made some appropriate responses too. But it didn’t quite work out the way that we both thought. Awolowo, evidently, had a constant review of the Yoruba situation and took different path. That’s it. I don’t blame him for it. I have never done.


http://saharareporters.com/column/my-last-interview-dim-chukwuemeka-ojukwu-rudolf-okonkwo

While Ojukwu was restrained in calling Awolowo the funny one in this article, his aides(like Achuzie, et al) and other Igbo politicians were not so restrained, they called him a traitor, a coward, and all sorts of names(rightly or wrongly). They stated that for the second time in his life he had place his tribal interest above the nations long term interest.

As a major in the classics, some people even postulated that what Ojukwu meant when he said that Awo was the best president Nigeria never had, was that Ojukwu was indirectly saying "Thank God that such a traitor as Awo never had an opportunity to rule the country"
Everybody knows Ojukwu played with words, and he even tried to re-state his adoration for Awo as an ode, but his friends all over the World knew what he meant.

So while we adore, Awo, Ojukwu, Sarduana, Zik, and others, lets honestly do it in the true contex of their speeches.

This is what you have to provide 'context'? Are you serious?

You are still pontificating aimlessly. Where are the quotes from Ojukwu to fully show that Ojukwu was just being pleasant and not to be taken seriously with the excerpt in his book?

You either provide the quotes or you admit you were wrong.

^^^

OMG! Are you pretending to have missed the sarcasm in Ojukwu's comment? Either you are dumb or you are playing dumb. Someone made a conflicting remarks of your hero. Yet it did not ring bell to your ear. Ojukwu simply played on your tribesmen emotion to sell his book.

Katsumoto:

This is what you have to provide 'context'? Are you serious?

You are still pontificating aimlessly. Where are the quotes from Ojukwu to fully show that Ojukwu was just being pleasant and not to be taken seriously with the excerpt in his book?

You either provide the quotes or you admit you were wrong.

This one no good for you
First Ojukwu has never been on record saying things about his enemies the way we do it here on N/L, so you'll never find where he used such words as 'traitor, criminal, etc' to describe even his worst foes like Gowon. So, if you're not impressed by his reference to Awo as "funny Awo" and the context of that speech, it's up to you, but we know better.

If you're not satisfied with the speeches, tones, and body languages of his aids after these Awo encounters, that's up to you too. However, serious minded history scholars will evaluate every thing surrounding a particular speech, becuase even the weather breeds different meanings into any important speech.

No "pontification" here please, all I have been saying is that you can't use only one of Ojukwus many speeches about Awo, especially the one about his funeral to paint a general picture of Ojukwus assessmnt of the man, when in fact other Ojukwus speeches with slightly different evaluation score exist.

Using Ojukwu's speech to a dead Awo, and ignoring his earlier description and assessment of the man is not only painting the wrong historical picture, but may even bother on fraud.

Ethnic bias has caused such an immense amount of mental rot on some posters that they cannot even read a straightforward comment praising Obafemi Awolowo without "interpreting" it as some sort of veiled insult. Whatever you or I may think of Emeka Ojukwu, he was recognized as an eloquent, well-educated man, and a plain spoken one too. If he called Obafemi Awolowo a "hero" and the "best president Nigeria never had", his meaning should be clear to all but the most dense, hate-filled bigots who cannot stomach the thought that a leading Igbo icon had such high praise for a Yoruba man. It is the most damning evidence that Awolowo's supposed ethnic enmity or rivalry with Igbo politicians is a horrible and baseless lie. When Ojukwu--who is the primary source of information for many of Awolowo's accusers--was asked, he didn't charge Awolowo with the starvation of babies or the genocide of millions because he knew that Awolowo was not responsible for Ojukwu's decisions to refuse food and determination to prolong a conflict he had little hope of winning. The facts may hurt people's pride, but that will never stop them from being true. I would be interested to read any charges from Ojukwu that blamed Awolowo for the way he prosecuted the war in the way that some other biased observers (most recently Chinua Achebe) have.

Regarding the topic, Obafemi Awolowo was a man of impeccable discipline and uncommon intelligence. Nigeria would have been immeasurably improved if he had the opportunity to serve at the central government level, but the former western region and current Yoruba-speaking states were the main beneficiaries of his efforts and they remain forever grateful for his visionary leadership. I learn new things about this accomplished man all the time. Insa Nolte's recent biography is an excellent source of background information about his political development: http://www.amazon.com/Obafemi-Awolowo-Making-Remo-Nationalist/dp/1592217567

With recent revelations like Damola Awolokun's review of CIA documents on the Nigerian civil war, I know it's only a matter of time before Nigerians learn the full truth about that war and the myriad lies that have been told in its wake. Anyone who has a conscience should be able to read the statements and eulogy Ojukwu gave Awolowo and draw an unbiased conclusion. I know that the hardcore tribal warriors won't be swayed either way but I do hope my saner readers will do their research and recognize what a transformational leader this country would have had in Awolowo.

ngozievergreen:

who told u igbos do not support regionalism.
That they prefer outright secession does it mean they don't support it?
.
And leave ironsi out of this, ironsi has died, 43 yrs ago for that matter.
Wonder what has prevented all of u from reverting to what ever is the ideal.
Hausa/Fulani//MB/Yoruba/Ijaw have all ruled the nation, yet nobody changed to regionalism, y would u want to blame ironsi that died 43 yrs ago for the absence of regionalism.
U ppl are not serious yet.
OBJ ruled naija twice but he didn't do it, is he not Yoruba?

It's good to know that Ibos will support Regional Governments - I think it is the first step to independent countries coming out of Nigeria.

I mentioned Ironsi so that the truth of history is not lost because he is directly responsible. You can argue that it is not the job of another person to fix your screw-up: they may or may not - but it doesn't make it any more correct for you who screwed-up! Ironsi destroyed Nigeria's working regional governments for unitary government at a time Ibos were in prime position at all top levels of government bureaucracy and companies obviously because he knew Ibos would benefit the most when all policies is dictated from a central position by a fellow Ibo! The next day after announcing decree 34, Ojukwu announced to the world that on the basis of seniority, Ibos from the East would be transferred to the north to do what? Of course, to become heads of government bureaucracy, not as messengers but in fact to consign the Hausas who were quite disadvantaged educationally to more servitude as messengers!

When the bottom fell-out from the coup charade, and the supposed victims gained ascendancy, is it justified to expect them to hand on a platter to you what you took from them, by force even when there were dissenting opinions and riots? Think about this and be honest! Yes, OBJ ruled as president but you should know that OBJ's worldview is that of a military man with a unitary view of command structure, he knew nothing else all his life, how would you expect a grown lion to feed on vegetables? Also, the socio-politico-economics situation when OBJ became president in 1999 was so bad, the last thing that would be on the mind of any sensible leader is further division! He did great by unifying the country and improving our image in the reckoning of the world after it had been so battered by IBB and Abacha and there is no way, you would expect that he would break Nigeria into regions! In any case, now is the time for Ibos to support regionalism, the first step to Biafra and independent states from other parts of Nigeria! Godspeed to all of YOU!

The truth is Chief Obafemi Awolowo was an Enigma and a Colossus to Nigerian Politics, one of his books, "Path to Nigerian Freedom, Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution" still remains relevant till date, and guess what, he wrote that book while in Calabar Prison!

While Surfing, I stumbled on this piece about the sage, Chief Awolowo;

The Many Myths and Mystics of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo
By

Francis Adewale

fadewale@spokanecity.org




“If only Awolowo would relax, and have a glass of sherry with us sometimes!”

-Anonymous Englishman quoted in 1955 book by John Gunther titled “Inside Africa”



My good friend Fred Igbeare recently wrote an article published by the Times of Nigeria online on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo titled “Awo: What Legacy?” He asked “What would Nigeria be like today if the whole country had come under Awo’s free education policy?” He concluded that Chief Obafemi Awolowo is so controversial that he drew fervent reactions from foes and friends alike.



In this piece, we shall attempt to dissect Chief Awolowo’s life from the lens of an American who visited with him sometimes in the 1950s and wrote his encounter with the legend in his book titled “Inside Africa.” That American is John Gunther, and the book, now out of print was published by Harper & Brothers in 1955. We will endeavor to critically examine how his life, politics and courage impacted Nigeria then and now.



Gunther started out in his book by comparing Chief Obafemi Awolowo to his chief political rival Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik) at page 773 of the book:

... the leader of the Action Group, and Zik’s chief political rival, Obafemi Awolowo (pronounced A-wa-luwa), has an altogether different quality. He is not a demagogue, but and intellectual. There has never been a breath of scandal about him. He is a man with a good deal of reserve, conscientious, precise, and somewhat stiff-backed. I heard an Englishman say, with genuine regret, “if only Awolowo would relax, and have a glass of sherry with us sometimes!” His intellectual arrogance is marked, although he seemed reasonable enough when we talked to him.



In today’s Nigeria, corruption is not only endemic but it has become the directive principles of state policy. An erstwhile Nigeria military ruler-General Abacha was reported to have stolen $4 billion USD all of which were traced to foreign assets. When Gunther wrote about Chief Awolowo, he was then the premier of Western Region of Nigeria. Since that time Chief Awolowo rose to the position of the vice head of government and minister of finance during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was also the chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria. At the end of each of his tenure, in all the above listed position, his administration was probed, investigated and re-probed by countless commission of enquiries, military tribunals and investigating journalist. Some of his lieutenants and associates went to jail for corruption at the end of such probe but the commission of enquiry or military tribunals usually come back with a clean bill of health for him, his policies and administration. So we can repeat with certainty what Gunther wrote about him in the 1950s that “there has never been a breath of scandal about him.”



We cannot say that about many of his associates however, some of whom wined and dined with the military, stole billions out of the treasury. Some were caught with their hands in the jar. Some served deserved prison jail sentence and come out of prison to continue looting the country. I believe Awolowo’s penchant for probity and uprightness contributed in no small measure to the many myths and mystics about him. Every time Nigerians look at the present crop of charlatans ruling our dear country, we long for Papa Awo. We imagined what could have been.



We however need to point out that Papa Awo was definitely not like Caesar’s wife, “above board”, many rumors of his alleged “conflict of interest” with Western Nigerian land allocations and business abound. But they remained what they were, legends and rumors and when we look at the unabashed stealing going on in our country by current crop of Nigeria politicians it is easy to see why many Nigerians will overlook alleged conflict of interest by Papa Awo. Many Nigerians long for a politician who would not relax until his people are freed of oppression. We all long for a politician who would refuse to have a glass of sherry with oil company executives polluting our shores and farmlands. If that is intellectual arrogance we need to breed more of it. Now that we have seen what “intellectual prostitution” brings on our polity, I believe we would opt for the former.



GENESIS OF ETHNIC POLITICS IN NIGERIA?



Gunther wrote the following about Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the birth of his political party- the Action Group:



The Action Group, which has its principal strength in the Yoruba West, is a newer party than Zik’s, and grew out of a semi-religious group, the Egbe Omo Odudua, founded by Awolowo to give voice to Yoruba nationalist and tribal aspirations. In theory at least it would like to remain on friendly relations with the British, when and if they go. But many of its members are extremist, and Awolowo himself was a prime mover for fixing 1956 as the target date for independence. Recently an Action Group member, commenting on the troubles in Kenya, went so far as to say that Mau Mau in spite of its horrors might “still be the way out of Nigeria’s bondage.”



Why did Awolowo started out on an ethnic platform? The mystery will always remains with us. Why a so called intellectual giant should reduce himself to a Yoruba irredentist by giving voice to “Yoruba nationalist and tribal aspirations” will forever remain a puzzle for us. Each time I read about the very beginnings of Awolowo’s politics I shudder. Is Nigeria not worth fighting for.



Gunther gave us a tepid explanation for this when he quoted Chief Awolowo in his book at page 747 as saying the followings:



““West and East Nigeria are as different as Ireland from Germany. The North is as different from either as China.”



Thanks to the likes of Awolowo, Nigeria remain divided in 2007 as it was in the 1950s even though Germany and Ireland are now part of a united European Union with a commonwealth economic and political behemoth that has brought Ireland out of economic doldrums to one of the most industrialized nation on earth. The allusion to China is in itself laughable. The geographical nexus of the three regions at that time render Awolowo’s metaphor incongruent. This is atypical of Nigeria’s ethnically jaundiced politician from all the regions. They sowed the seeds of discord that has held Nigeria in bondage to date.



Yes. Nigeria is complex, full of bewildering variety of peoples and languages within a limited area. But, thanks to Nigerian politicians, the lack of homogeneity noticed by Gunther in the 1950s remain with us today. And this lack of homogeneity remains the overriding political and national problem. It is now a curse, an albatross hanging over the neck of this great country. Many have wrongly called it “tribalism’ or ethnic prejudice, but I believe the proper word for it is sectionalism. I called it sectionalism because many of the so-called tribes and tongue tugging at different parts of Nigeria, trying desperately to pull it apart have little or nothing in common until the Europeans arrived on the continent. In fact, there were no homogenous group called the Yorubas until the Europeans asked their neighbors to the north what they called the people to the south of them. The same thing with the East, where every village is as fiercely independent of each other and jealously guard it’s border from the next neighboring village. The closest thing to a united northern Nigeria is the Sokoto caliphate, which contained within it’s borders over 120 different “tribes and tongue” with nothing in common other than it’s oppressive and repressive subjugation by the Fulanis.



Most of these ethnic groups like the Jukuns, the Tivs, the Hausas, the Kanuris were fighting each other with passion before the colonialist came. Same thing applies in the West where they were having internecine civil wars raiding and pillaging villages for slaves for the trans Atlantic slave trade. The East was even more amorphous. Majority of the inhabitants could barely understand each other. The colonialist and Christian missionaries forced Hausa language on the North and encouraged the West to develop the language of metropolitan old Oyo on the West. The word Yoruba itself is etymologically derived from Hausa language. So where did Awolowo got the idea that the West is homogenous from.



One can see the crass opportunism in Nigerian politician use of “tribalism” to divide and rule Nigeria, as the colonialist did. Incase anyone thinks Awo’s inglorious contribution to the demise of Nigeria unity is underserved, read the following at page 773 of Gunther’s book:



Awolowo has a tidier mind and more planning capacity than Zik. Awolowo, people say, seized the Nigerian nationalist movement away from Zik, by organizing his own party in the West. Before this, Zik had a claim to be leader everywhere. Overnight, there were two parties, which is a healthy enough sign of democratic evolution if they are not too rigidly regional. The Action Group uses scabrous language in attacking Zik’s East. One of its newspapers recently characterized the Eastern Assembly as a home “of terrorism, gangsterism, blackmail, shameless lying, and mob politics.” At one juncture, when they were quarrelling ferociously, Awolowo and Zik sued each other for libel for considerable sums; the two awards more or less canceled each other out. Then, after the crisis in 1953, the two began to work together again, each keeping his own sphere of influence, with Awolowo stronger in the West, Zik in the East. But in 1954 and later came other bitter quarrels, and split venomously once more.



Welcome primordial ethnic prejudice. I hope folks who think that ethnic’s politics in Nigeria is only a recent creation will now see where it started from. So when in 2002, Chief Bola Ige, one of the ardent followers of Awo, exclaim that the Yoruba race is far more superior than any other ethnic group in Nigeria, we can understand where that is coming from. It has been a miracle that the kind of ethnic holocaust witnessed in Rwanda has not happened in Nigeria, given all these very inflammatory words by Nigerian politicians.



CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO CONTRIBUTIONS TO NIGERIA INDEPENDENCE



Having said that, we need to acknowledge and perhaps acclaim the contributions of many Nigerian nationalist politicians like Chief Awolowo, to the struggle for independence in Nigeria despite their effete ethnic chauvinism. John Gunther wrote the followings about Awolowo and his party member reaction to his attendance at a dinner party hosted by the colonial Governor General:



..at this particular time, a severe constitutional crisis was at its peak. The African ministers representing one important political party, the Action Group, had adopted a non-fraternization policy, and would not accept hospitality from the Governor, although their Northern colleagues did. They were perfectly willing to talk business with Sir John McPherson in Government House, but they would not accept “hospitality” from him, not even a glass of water. There was nothing particularly personal in this. Macpherson was widely liked as an individual. But Government House symbolizes the Crown, and both West and East were at that time boycotting the Crown as a matter of principle. (Page 750).



We can only wish that Chief Awolowo and his co-nationalist like Dr. Azikiwe, Sir Tafawa Balewa and the Sardauna of Sokoto- Ahmadu Bello had come together and reasoned together. What makes Abraham Lincoln a legend in America today, is due largely to his desire to fight for freedom not only for Chicagoans or the North but for all of America. Our politician in Nigeria knows nothing about consensus and consequently they lost the big picture and lost Nigeria in the labyrinth of their short sighted parochial mind. One of my friends had tried to explain Awo’s appeal to ethnicity to advanced his political agenda on the grounds that Awo never imagined that all the regions will be granted independence at the same time. “In short,” my friend concluded “Awo never thought the North will ever be ready for independence, he therefore opted to rule a part of the whole and thus mortgaged the whole for a part.” My instant retort, is what happened subsequently after October 1, 1960? Why did he not changed? Why did he allowed himself to be anointed the Leader of Yoruba at the height of Nigerian civil war? Why did he promised to lead a breakaway Nigerian if East succeeded in it’s secession? How can you run for the presidency of a nation, when your world view is that some of it’s people are more inferior to another within the same polity! What was going on in his mind in the 1940s when he came back from Great Britain to join Nigeria politics?



I found something else startling about Awolowo, reading Gunther’s book. Let me quote the first paragraph of page 774 of the book:



Awolowo was born in a small Yoruba village in 1909; he was poorest of the poor, and is entirely self-made. This is unusual in Nigeria; an intelligent youngster, if destitute, will in the normal course of events be taken in by some family. Awolowo, on his own, managed to get a British education at a mission school in Ibadan, and then made his way to London, where he studied law. He is a barrister of the Inner Temple. Returning to Nigeria he became an advisor to the trade unions. He did not take a strong political line against the British until about 1948. Awolowo is an extremely cultivated and intelligent man. He speaks, of course perfect English. His book Path to Nigerian Freedom was well received by intellectuals in London. He has a world sense somewhat unusual among Africans (if only because few Africans ever have opportunity to acquire it) and recently visited India and Egypt; Jawaharlal Nehru made a great impression on him-and vice versa. In 1954 he became Premier of the Western Region, which means that he is in effect prime minister. [italics mine]



Setting aside Gunther’s racial prejudice for the time being, it is interesting to learn here for the first time that Awolowo did not take a strong political line against the British until about 1948. Does this explain his distaste for the NCNC politics? Did he form his world views after he came back from India and Egypt? What impact did his membership of West African Student Union (WASU) in Britain whilst studying for law had on him? Most importantly why did he start out in politics by establishing a quasi ethnic outfit by the name: “Egbe Omo Odudua?” These are question I have tried to understand from many books on contemporary Nigerian politics without avail. If indeed Awolowo is as intellectual as widely claimed why did he not have a more Pan-Nigeria outlook when he started politics. Why the acerbic attack on Zik and other Eastern Nigerian born politicians in the West Assembly?



THE BEAUTIFUL MIND OF CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO



We can write volumes and tomes about Awolowo sectionalist mind, but one thing we cannot begrudge him is his monumental contribution to discipline, vision and forthright administration:



We met Awolowo in odd circumstances, on a lonely road out in the bush, driving back to Lagos from Ibadan. We had missed him in Ibadan, and were pursuing him to his home village, by name Ikenne. To catch Awolowo at Ikenne, we had to be there by 5P.M., since he was proceeding elsewhere. The British said, “He will not wait for you-get there on time.” But we were delayed, and when we finally reached the outskirts of Ikenne at about seven we had given up hope of seeing Awolowo. It was becoming dark, and soft, steamy rain came down. Then a shiningly bright new American car appeared suddenly over the crest of the red road, like a metallic apparition charging out of tropical dusk. In it was Awolowo. Our chauffeur recognized him as we slithered past. We stopped. He had been waiting for us but could wait no longer. So we stood out there in the rainy twilight talking. We became conscious of a strange buzz and stir-the sound of myriads of insects. It became darker, and the shafts of light from the two cars made furrows into the green mask of jungle. Rain fell harder, and Awolowo stepped into our car, saying “I can give you a quarter of an hour.” We could still hear the solid, strident call of insects. It was a strange place to have a conference.



Herein lies much of mysticism about Awolowo, he is as diverse an African as you could find in any African university campus, full of ideas and serenity, and yet with an ethnically prejudiced bent. But at least there is no ounce of inferiority complex in his bone! Let’s continue the excerpts from Gunther’s book:



“Awolowo is of medium height, with a studious look; he wore Nigerian robes, and a dark red and gold turban. His manner is suave, considered, and aware. I asked him if Nigeria would, after independence, become a republic. He thought not. The Nigerian chiefs would not like the word “republic.” He went on, “We have to consider our princes. They do not resemble princes elsewhere. They fight for independence with us.” He discussed briefly constitutional anomalies within the Commonwealth. I asked him what his principal grievances against the Britain were, considering the British record of accomplishment in Nigeria. He replied, first, that it was morally wrong for one nation to govern another; second, that British administration was carried out by incompetent, inferior officials, third that the British did not have the true interests of the country at heart. “In fourteen months, under the present government, we have done more for Nigeria than the British did in 120 years.”



The question is can the present corps of Nigerian politician say the same thing, 40 years after independence from Britain? Chief Awolowo was right on all counts against the British rule in Nigeria but the same thing cannot be said about the ethnically jaundiced Nigerian politicians and military rulers who took over from the British. We can all agree that it was morally wrong for military to rule Nigerian for over 40 years out of almost 47 years of independence. Governments, which like the colonial rulers is without any accountability. A government of subjugation, with little or no voice for the people of Nigeria. We can also safely conclude that Nigerian government since the colonialist left in October 1960 has been carried out by incompetent nincompoops, inferior civil servants, and politicians who have little or no interest of the country at heart. Can we in all seriousness argue against this judgment given the massive corruption by Nigerian “militricians” who have stolen the country blind. It is quite an irony that in late 2004 and 2005 we have to sought the help of the same British to recover stolen corrupt funds stashed away by the military ruler, General Abacha and Governor Alamiesigha of Bayelsa in of all places-British banks!



Francis Adewale

Spokane, WA

United States

http://www.gamji.com/article6000/NEWS7193.htm

tomakint:

Gunther wrote the following about Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the birth of his political party-

“Awolowo is of medium height, with a studious look; he wore Nigerian robes, and a dark red and gold turban. His manner is suave, considered, and aware. I asked him if Nigeria would, after independence, become a republic. He thought not. The Nigerian chiefs would not like the word “republic.” He went on, “We have to consider our princes. They do not resemble princes elsewhere. They fight for independence with us.” He discussed briefly constitutional anomalies within the Commonwealth. I asked him what his principal grievances against the Britain were, considering the British record of accomplishment in Nigeria. He replied, first, that it was morally wrong for one nation to govern another; second, that British administration was carried out by incompetent, inferior officials, third that the British did not have the true interests of the country at heart. “In fourteen months, under the present government, we have done more for Nigeria than the British did in 120 years.”
http://www.gamji.com/article6000/NEWS7193.htm

I am truly ignorant on this. Can someone enlighten me please? Are we sure this Gunther guy was not mistaking someone for Awolowo?
1.Was awo fond of wearing dark red and gold turban?
2. Was Awo at any time opposed to republics and in favor of aristocracy?
3. What princes was the writer referring to , who fought for independence with politicians and needed to be considered?

nagoma:


I am truly ignorant on this. Can someone enlighten me please? Are we sure this Gunther guy was not mistaking someone for Awolowo?
1.Was awo fond of wearing dark red and gold turban?
2. Was Awo at any time opposed to republics and in favor of aristocracy?
3. What princes was the writer referring to , who fought for independence with politicians and needed to be considered?

Sounds like a reference to the sarduana right?
However apart from the questionable description s above, other references to Awo was on the money.
Ican give the English man a pass for poor description of our attire.

I have no respect for the author of the post I'm quoting, since he's one of those dishonest ethnic impersonators who have almost ruined this site. I will try to correct some of the more glaring lies in the ill-conceived article above.

tomakint: Some of his lieutenants and associates went to jail for corruption at the end of such probe but the commission of enquiry or military tribunals usually come back with a clean bill of health for him, his policies and administration. So we can repeat with certainty what Gunther wrote about him in the 1950s that “there has never been a breath of scandal about him.”

We cannot say that about many of his associates however, some of whom wined and dined with the military, stole billions out of the treasury. Some were caught with their hands in the jar. Some served deserved prison jail sentence and come out of prison to continue looting the country. I believe Awolowo’s penchant for probity and uprightness contributed in no small measure to the many myths and mystics about him. Every time Nigerians look at the present crop of charlatans ruling our dear country, we long for Papa Awo. We imagined what could have been.

These are the typical worthless accusations made by mediocre minds and charlatans. If "Francis Adewale" (a ridiculous pseudonym--what else has this fictional character written outside of his denigration of Awolowo?) thinks it is important to reference these allegedly corrupt associates of Awolowo, shouldn't it be important to name them? Instead, we have a full article of rambling gossip with not one single corrupt 'associate' identified by name.

We however need to point out that Papa Awo was definitely not like Caesar’s wife, “above board”, many rumors of his alleged “conflict of interest” with Western Nigerian land allocations and business abound.

Another puerile accusation. Earlier, this writer points out that Awolowo was investigated numerous times and was cleared, but then goes on to reference "rumors" about unspecified "conflicts of interest." The attempt to smear Awolowo with the taint of corruption through unnamed associates or vague rumors is obvious and juvenile. Anyone with a critical mind would see through it immediately.

Why did Awolowo started out on an ethnic platform? The mystery will always remains with us. Why a so called intellectual giant should reduce himself to a Yoruba irredentist by giving voice to “Yoruba nationalist and tribal aspirations” will forever remain a puzzle for us. Each time I read about the very beginnings of Awolowo’s politics I shudder. Is Nigeria not worth fighting for.

Another ignorant accusation that shows the author's lack of knowledge about Awolowo's political goals and cultural stance. First, Awolowo was leader of the Nigerian Youth Movement's Western regional branch in Ibadan in 1940, co-founder of the Nigerian Produce Traders Association and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (1943), all before the founding of Egbe Omo Oduduwa in London in 1945. Egbe Omo Oduduwa was also explicitly a cultural organization and not a political party (ie The Action Group), so the writer fails to establish his point. More interestingly, the Ibibio Federal Union was formed in 1928, and the Ibo Federal Union (later Ibo State Union) had been in existence since the 1930s. It was the existence of these other pan-ethnic unions that in part inspired the merging of other Yoruba groups into Egbe Omo Oduduwa.

Thanks to the likes of Awolowo, Nigeria remain divided in 2007 as it was in the 1950s even though Germany and Ireland are now part of a united European Union with a commonwealth economic and political behemoth that has brought Ireland out of economic doldrums to one of the most industrialized nation on earth. The allusion to China is in itself laughable. The geographical nexus of the three regions at that time render Awolowo’s metaphor incongruent. This is atypical of Nigeria’s ethnically jaundiced politician from all the regions. They sowed the seeds of discord that has held Nigeria in bondage to date.

Here's where the fictional penman starts to show his true colors. Of course, Awolowo cannot be held responsible for the division in Nigeria by any thoughtful observer.

Welcome primordial ethnic prejudice. I hope folks who think that ethnic’s politics in Nigeria is only a recent creation will now see where it started from. So when in 2002, Chief Bola Ige, one of the ardent followers of Awo, exclaim that the Yoruba race is far more superior than any other ethnic group in Nigeria, we can understand where that is coming from. It has been a miracle that the kind of ethnic holocaust witnessed in Rwanda has not happened in Nigeria, given all these very inflammatory words by Nigerian politicians.

It would be wonderful if this character could quote Bola Ige rather than slandering him as an ethnic supremacist. It is obvious why he doesn't; this is undoubtedly a fraudulent quote.

One of my friends had tried to explain Awo’s appeal to ethnicity to advanced his political agenda on the grounds that Awo never imagined that all the regions will be granted independence at the same time. “In short,” my friend concluded “Awo never thought the North will ever be ready for independence, he therefore opted to rule a part of the whole and thus mortgaged the whole for a part.” My instant retort, is what happened subsequently after October 1, 1960? Why did he not changed? Why did he allowed himself to be anointed the Leader of Yoruba at the height of Nigerian civil war? Why did he promised to lead a breakaway Nigerian if East succeeded in it’s secession? How can you run for the presidency of a nation, when your world view is that some of it’s people are more inferior to another within the same polity! What was going on in his mind in the 1940s when he came back from Great Britain to join Nigeria politics?

More of the same nonsense. Awolowo campaigned with the Action Group in the North throughout the 1950s (with Time Magazine and various Nigerian publications reporting on this at the time) and had a substantial following in the areas that form the current Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states. He was not anointed leader of the Yoruba during the Civil War--he was unanimously considered the most influential politician in the Western region throughout his politically active life. He also did not "promise to lead a breakaway Nigerian if East succeeded in its secession", whatever that was supposed to mean. It is on record that he led reconciliation meetings to Biafra and publicly urged Ojukwu and his council to remain part of Nigeria until the start of the war.

Setting aside Gunther’s racial prejudice for the time being, it is interesting to learn here for the first time that Awolowo did not take a strong political line against the British until about 1948. Does this explain his distaste for the NCNC politics?

Again, his is demonstrably untrue since Awolowo was a leading member of the Nigerian Youth Movement and active trade unionist and reporter a decade before his return to Nigeria after law school. The author confuses his activities as the head of a new political party (the Action Group) with Awolowo's political activism, which dated back to the 1930s.

I don't often take the time to respond to every slander against Nigeria's best and brightest, but this thread was full of lies and the persistence of Biafra-era propaganda against Obafemi Awolowo needs to be corrected and completely settled. If people are interested in a genuine debate about the man's successes and flaws, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would listen. Flimsy propaganda pieces that can't even explain the basic details of his life, career and political outlook correctly have to be torn apart and dismissed, as I just did with this piece.

@ TerraCotta

You did well. Not more I can add to that.

nagoma:


I am truly ignorant on this. Can someone enlighten me please? Are we sure this Gunther guy was not mistaking someone for Awolowo?
1.Was awo fond of wearing dark red and gold turban?

No. He would have not worn a turban, so this conversation is somewhat suspicious.

2. Was Awo at any time opposed to republics and in favor of aristocracy?

No, he favored a republic throughout his political career. He explained his basic framework for a federal republic in Path to Nigerian Freedom (published in 1947). He did advocate for traditional authorities to have a role (as in the British parliamentary system's House of Lords and the Ooni Aderemi's role as ceremonial governor of the Western Region), but they were not a substitute for electoral politics or democracy, as Awolowo and Akintola showed as premiers of the same region.

3. What princes was the writer referring to , who fought for independence with politicians and needed to be considered?

Who knows? Ooni Aderemi did advocate for independent as an Action Group patron, and Awolowo was a part of traditional Remo politics through his wife's family (as detailed in the recent biography I mentioned earlier). The quote doesn't give us much information though so this is purely speculative. It wouldn't make any sense to portray Awolowo as a feudalist though.

Slight edit--I don't recall whether he explicitly called for a republic in "Path to Nigerian Freedom". It may have been an evolving political idea that came to fruition by the time he published "The People's Republic". Given his support for some type of integration of traditional government with democracy, he may not have been a strict republican.

Katsumoto: @ TerraCotta

You did well. Not more I can add to that.

Thanks. You did a hell of a job disassembling the same type of nonsense in the Awolowo/GEJ thread so I thought I'd relieve the burden here

I support a united Nigeria in a regional government structure. In fact you can call whatever is achieved any name but that structure should bring regional groups and kinsmen under their own government in which they will be self-governing, control their resources, and without any ambiguous arrangement care for all socio-economic developments of their citizens including levying taxes, developing education, security etc.
The central government in Abuja can be in control of foreign affairs, military and monetary policies/central banking system.Whatever structure is evolved or form of government adopted by each region is subject to their own constitution.
Regions will pay taxes to the central government in specified terms say 25% of all value added tax or stated in clearly agreed terms.

TerraCotta:

Thanks. You did a hell of a job disassembling the same type of nonsense in the Awolowo/GEJ thread so I thought I'd relieve the burden here

So sweet!
Awolowo solidarity union--Nairaland Branch.
Are you accepting applications?

naijaking1:

So sweet!
Awolowo solidarity union--Nairaland Branch.
Are you accepting applications?

Yup--all you have to do is shun myths and baseless rumours, pick up a few books, read and understand Nigerian political history and economy, and I'm fairly confident you'd be an Awolowo admirer too.

TerraCotta:

Yup--all you have to do is shun myths and baseless rumours, pick up a few books, read and understand Nigerian political history and economy, and I'm fairly confident you'd be an Awolowo admirer too.

Very true

Also add

To stop trying to use the body language of a subject when the speech is in a book.

Or is it possible to read the body language of a writer from what is written in a book?

mandarin: I support a united Nigeria in a regional government structure. In fact you can call whatever is achieved any name but that structure should bring regional groups and kinsmen under their own government in which they will be self-governing, control their resources, and without any ambiguous arrangement care for all socio-economic developments of their citizens including levying taxes, developing education, security etc.
The central government in Abuja can be in control of foreign affairs, military and monetary policies/central banking system.Whatever structure is evolved or form of government adopted by each region is subject to their own constitution.
Regions will pay taxes to the central government in specified terms say 25% of all value added tax or stated in clearly agreed terms.

How do you propose to manage minority groups

TerraCotta:

Yup--all you have to do is shun myths and baseless rumours, pick up a few books, read and understand Nigerian political history and economy, and I'm fairly confident you'd be an Awolowo admirer too.

My brother you are not accepting applications now? Well you reserve a position in your exclusive club for me?

TerraCotta:

Yup--all you have to do is shun myths and baseless rumours, pick up a few books, read and understand Nigerian political history and economy, and I'm fairly confident you'd be an Awolowo admirer too.

I took you up on your offer, and I found this quote by Awo, and I am not impressed:

“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 were 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. … So I decided to stop sending the food there. In the process, the civilians would suffer, but the soldiers suffered most. –Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

I couldn't believe what I was reading. SMH

ndu_chucks:

I took you up on your offer, and I found this quote by Awo, and I am not impressed:




I couldn't believe what I was reading. SMH

Here you are again. Alhaji, what's wrong with that statement?

Prof Corruption:

Here you are again. Alhaji, what's wrong with that statement?

He was asked to look up a good book, to see what he'll "admire" about Awo.
Unfortunately, the Alhaji just vomited while looking for a reason to admire Awo!!!
See all the tuo-shinkafi and fura-d'nunu the guy consumed this morning just flowing out of his mouth like no man's business.
Alhaji, sorryo-o.
I'll give you some tissue paper!

ndu_chucks:

I took you up on your offer, and I found this quote by Awo, and I am not impressed:




I couldn't believe what I was reading. SMH

Do you expect to have continued the supply of food only for it to be taken by the soldiers thereby making the war drag?

ndu_chucks:

I took you up on your offer, and I found this quote by Awo, and I am not impressed:

I couldn't believe what I was reading. SMH

Ok Alhaji. What is the real issue? You have to be honest now.

What election are you trying to influence?

Does this have anything to do with the election in Anambra?

Your fixation with Awo this week is not coincidental.

Katsumoto:

Ok Alhaji. What is the real issue? You have to be honest now.

What election are you trying to influence?

Does this have anything to do with the election in Anambra?

Your fixation with Awo this week is not coincidental.

Please educate me on how anyone's 'fixation' on Awo can affect elections in Anambra. Please be frank.

CyberG:

It's good to know that Ibos will support Regional Governments - I think it is the first step to independent countries coming out of Nigeria.

I mentioned Ironsi so that the truth of history is not lost because he is directly responsible. You can argue that it is not the job of another person to fix your screw-up: they may or may not - but it doesn't make it any more correct for you who screwed-up! Ironsi destroyed Nigeria's working regional governments for unitary government at a time Ibos were in prime position at all top levels of government bureaucracy and companies obviously because he knew Ibos would benefit the most when all policies is dictated from a central position by a fellow Ibo! The next day after announcing decree 34, Ojukwu announced to the world that on the basis of seniority, Ibos from the East would be transferred to the north to do what? Of course, to become heads of government bureaucracy, not as messengers but in fact to consign the Hausas who were quite disadvantaged educationally to more servitude as messengers!

When the bottom fell-out from the coup charade, and the supposed victims gained ascendancy, is it justified to expect them to hand on a platter to you what you took from them, by force even when there were dissenting opinions and riots? Think about this and be honest! Yes, OBJ ruled as president but you should know that OBJ's worldview is that of a military man with a unitary view of command structure, he knew nothing else all his life, how would you expect a grown lion to feed on vegetables? Also, the socio-politico-economics situation when OBJ became president in 1999 was so bad, the last thing that would be on the mind of any sensible leader is further division! He did great by unifying the country and improving our image in the reckoning of the world after it had been so battered by IBB and Abacha and there is no way, you would expect that he would break Nigeria into regions! In any case, now is the time for Ibos to support regionalism, the first step to Biafra and independent states from other parts of Nigeria! Godspeed to all of YOU!

Ngwa, I think u shd clap for your self, for saying that Ironsi who is already dead has prevented Nigeria from going back to the unitary system; for 43 blessed years.
He must be a powerful man, even in death.
.
What do u mean by Obj didn't know anything else in his life aside military? So what else did Ironsi know all his own life?
Moreover, the political scene Ironsi entered was. much worse than whatever Obj met.
So, he could have created that good change, other than those disastrous changes he made in his second regime.
unless u want to tell me that his northern slavemasters who installed him couldn't have allowed him.
.
Again, bfr the war, there was no time igbos didnt lead in all sectors, even in other regions, be it during regional or unitary govt, so, scrap that idea of ironsi creating the unitary system for the Igbo man.
It was during regionalism that Zik won the premier of ur region, i wonder if an igbo will win that in this non - regional dispensation.
For the westerners, the regional govt was good under awolowo but hell. under Akintola, this means that its naive attributing progress or lack of it to a system of govt.
An Igbo man wouldn't even care abt which system, except the govt in question is going to impede his ability to become successful, and so far, they have soared high in both systems.

tm-tech:
Ai jafafa ara aiye lo ma muni ranti ara orun


Instead of making their remarkable positive impacts so that we can continue to remember them for their Good deeds, they continue to reflect on the works and hide behind the shadow of baba obafemi...........this out going generation na serious flop....
I hope we will do better.....

Men, you touch my spirit with that proverb. Its as if someone hit all my joints.

Ola Johnson:
Do you expect to have continued the supply of food only for it to be taken by the soldiers thereby making the war drag?

We are talking about admiration not strategy.
Why do you think that politicians and soldiers have been convicted for crimes against humanity. Not because they didn't have a good war strategy, but because they didn't obey the rules of the game which is to avoid as much civilian casualties as possible.

omonnakoda:
How do you propose to manage minority groups

Once stability is achieved among major groups ,minorities can meet to form their own regions.Mind you, I mean it must evolve which will make them have whatever system they prefer to adopt in the ensuing regions and call themselves names to be called. What do I mean? minorities in Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Gombe as far as southern Borno can form lets say Confederacy of small states/counties/councils/autonomous kingdoms/emirates of Nok(please strictly for an illustration) in which internal autonomy of each group ,can be maintained while they chose their own internal political future.
The beauty of this is that it will be their own design and project and all will work to make it work. We can as ,a result have 10 region/states or 100.what matters is whatever region/state that evolve will fend for itself and share its tax revenue with Central government. To me this is a simple thing and the secret lies in the efforts of the three majority groups to evolve into self governing states/regions.
So Ijaw nation can evolve with so much oil and gas and rich today while a Tiv nation will be a world class agricultural region/state and both will be successful. Anyone that is accustomed to the history of the united states will know that its a federal union of states which were admitted into the union as strong and weak states just as we have Maine, so also we have mighty California and Texas.
For as long as we are sitting at one town called Abuja to share proceeds corruption will be rife and the national cake mentality will continue to grow as wildfire.
The number of states/regions we will have is insignificant as people will be brought together by some common objectives and the earlier we start the better. Imagine if all 50 states in the United states will have to go to Washington D.c to get monthly allocation? that country wont be existing by now! Even any family of five where income is shared taking cognizance of disproportionate contribution and needs will lead to serious strife, now imagine country of over 120 million people?
The truth is those political cum economic stakeholders are the ones taking Nigeria to bondage because they are afraid of change.

Katsumoto: 5. In the West the grant of Regional self-government has on balance been justified. The Action Group Government, led by the Premier, Chief Awolowo, have proved reasonable and competent administrators and, although with the steady run-down of the cadre of overseas officers there is bound to be some decline in standards of administration, the advanced educational programme of the Region should in time provide sufficient replacements. The Premier aspires to national leadership and has to this end formed a close alliance with the principal Opposition elements in the North and East.

6. In the East government has seriously run down. Dr. Azikiwe (" Zik ", leader of the N.C.N.C. remains in power as the personification of Ibo tribalism, but his chronic unwillingness to tolerate around him men of independence of mind has brought into being a Regional Executive Council, almost all of whom are nonentities. Some of the Federal Ministers drawn from his Party, notably Dr. Mbadiwe, have recently lost their posts through constant but so far ineffective warfare against his personal dictatorship of party affairs. His star may be on the wane. At present he has no serious rival as leader of the Ibos, who are much the largest race in the Region, and although it would be much healthier for Nigeria if his hand were removed from the helm, the time has passed when Her Majesty's
Government could take any effective action to hasten this process. He must be left to the disillusionment of his own people.

7. The vast Northern Region is still well behind the others in " progress." Two-thirds of its 18 million people are strict Muslims, accepting the authority of their Emirs. Educational progress is still slow and there is no prospect for a generation of the Region being able to replace from its own resources the overseas officers who have served them so well. The North fears and dislikes the more educated Southerners and if they were not economically bound to the Federation would be glad to be quit of it. The Emirs have for the most part recognised that they must come to terms with democracy and support the party at present in power, the N.P.C. The Premier, the Sardauna of Sokoto, is himself of a princely family.

A Memorendum on Nigeria's Constitutional Conference (1957-1958) and Background to the Willink Commission
By Alan Lennox-Boyd, Secretary of State for the Colonies (1954-1959), United Kingdom

From the independent British. Gospel

I've been caught up in other issues but I didn't want to forget about this discussion and especially the quote on starvation in Biafra. The belief that Awolowo sanctioned starvation in order to punish Biafrans is one of the more disturbing and malicious lies told about the man, and I’ve pulled together some less well-known material to clarify the origins of the lie and the surprising effectiveness of its use as propaganda. This will be a detailed response—if you’re looking for snappy chatter and juvenile insults, you may want to hit snooze now.

The most important evidence to absolve Awolowo, Gowon and the British government of the charge that they deliberately starved Biafrans comes from eyewitnesses—medical personnel, journalists and other observers in Biafra at the time. As Awolowo and other contemporary observers noted, the food and supplies sent to Biafra were systematically looted and hoarded by an elite cabal. Their decision to stop sending food was triggered by their realization that ordinary Biafrans would not be fed. Ojukwu's first-hand testimony on this is the most crucial of all. Even more importantly, when it became clear that there were massive humanitarian needs in Biafra, their government refused help from Britain and turned down Nigeria’s suggestion to turn a blind eye to relief flights that contravened the blockade.

Let's start with Awolowo's quote. As is the usual practice of dishonest characters, the poster above selectively edits the passage to fit an agenda. I think it’s crucial to read the full portion so I’ll reproduce it here with some particularly important sections highlighted.

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 won’t 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.

To summarize his position: Awolowo supported the sending of relief supplies to Biafra until his visit to the war front. He saw victims of kwashiorkor, despite the considerable resources spent in supplying food to those who needed it in the region. Awolowo's justification for the Nigerian government's decision to end food supplies was that corrupt high-level officials, military personnel and the social elite had succeeded in hoarding food and looting supplies meant for ordinary Biafran citizens, who were undeniably suffering from the prolonged war. Importantly, as Awolowo specifies, there was much less evidence of kwashiorkor affecting the wealthy elite of Biafran society, including Ojukwu and his inner circle. This is my understanding based on the visual images of the period and the material I’ve read about the war. This group, in Awolowo's claim, had access to the hoarded supplies, contraband goods and other smuggling channels. I’m open to being corrected if readers have evidence to the contrary.

There is no dispute then, that Nigeria (and by extension, Gowon and Awolowo) had provided food and other relief supplies for noncombatants in Biafra at the beginning of the war. What changed? Gowon, the journalist John De St Jorre, the British government, and the recently declassified American intelligence documents have all repeated the same allegations that Awolowo made in the quote above, as did several other third-parties and independent observers (including Mark Press, the public relations outfit initially hired to promote Biafran propaganda that later turned dissident). We have the good fortune of being able to refer to Ojukwu's thoughts on the issue.

In the detailed Biafran political manifesto called the Ahiara Declaration a few months before the end of the war, Ojukwu himself accuses high-ranking officials, military personnel and the social elite of Biafra of hoarding food, looting supplies and more unspecified corruption. Sounds familiar, right? In order not to paraphrase him, I include his full quote on the issue below (with relevant sections highlighted again):

"We say that Nigerians are corrupt and take bribes, but here in our country we have among us some members of the Police and the Judiciary who are corrupt and who “eat” bribe. We accuse Nigerians of inordinate love of money, ostentatious living and irresponsibility, but here, even while we are engaged in a war of national survival, even while the very life of our nation hangs in the balance, we see some public servants who throw huge parties to entertain their friends; who kill cows to christen their babies. We have members of the Armed Forces who carry on “attack” trade instead of fighting the enemy. We have traders who hoard essential goods and inflate prices thereby increasing the people’s hardship. We have “money-mongers” who aspire to build hundreds of plots on land as yet unreclaimed from the enemy; who plan to buy scores of lorries and buses and to become agents for those very foreign businessmen who have brought their country to grief. We have some civil servants who think of themselves as masters rather than servants of the people. We see doctors who stay idle in their villages while their countrymen and women suffer and die."

"The Ahiara Declaration: The Principles of the Biafran Revolution", Emeka Ojukwu (June, 1969)

This passage has implications for many of the myths, rumors and lies that have circulated about the civil war since its end. It is clear, for instance, that there were profiteering cabals that hoarded money in anticipation for the end of the war, some of whom would go on to claim the 20 pounds in compensation that the government gave to survivors. The focus here is on the accusation of starvation, so we’ll return to that topic.

As I mentioned earlier, we have other sources apart from Ojukwu’s eyewitness testimony that corrupt officials and military men hijacked Biafran relief supplies, as Awolowo and others alleged. An important and overlooked nuance is that Biafra had long lacked adequate sources of protein internally and that a small number of children were already demonstrating signs of protein deficiency before the start of the war. An article written by an American nurse (Evelyn Shellenberger) who worked in Biafra during the height of the war is also instructive:

Protein deficiency is not new to Biafra. During 1966, a normal year in Biafra as far as food supply was concerned, we saw a hundred cases of severe protein deficiency at the Abiriba Joint Hospital. In a study of the serum albumen level in normal Biafran children, we found that the average serum albumen is approximately one gram lower than in the average American child. Thus children in prewar Biafra were already living in a borderline state of protein nutrition with a few showing overt signs of protein deficiency. Why? Biafra has no adequate indigenous supply of protein food. Before the war with Nigeria, the main protein foods-meat, beans, peanuts, and fish-were imported. The meat, beans, and peanuts came from the northern region of Nigeria.

From “Staving off Starvation” by Evelyn Shellenberger in The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 69, No. 3 (Mar., 1969).

This is a relatively small point, but it demonstrates clearly that there were existing problems with adequate nutrition and that the Eastern region was dependent on imports to feed its population. The blockade worsened the problem of malnutrition in Biafra, but it did not cause them.

Another important point was raised by an eyewitness to the propaganda surrounding the starvation issue. Nwokocha Nkpa, a sociologist at UNN, wrote an article seven years after the war on the rumors of poisoned food supplies that led Ojukwu and Biafra to reject Nigerian relief efforts. This article proposes some extraordinarily enlightening information which, sadly, has been suppressed and ignored by many commentators since the war. I will quote from the article in some detail since it’s important to read about the events exactly as Nkpa describes them. Nkpa says:

Even in official circles, comprised of the well-educated leaders of Biafra, rumors of "poisoned food" were current. John de St. Jorre (1972:246) noted that an offer made by the leaders of the Nigerian Federal Government whereby planes that were illegally carrying food and relief materials to Biafra should first land in Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, to receive official clearance, and then proceed legally to Biafra to discharge their cargos, was turned down by Biafran leaders on the ground that the food would have been poisoned .

He establishes here that the Nigerian side even offered to let illegal food relief fly to Biafra on the condition that they were inspected for arms and other contraband. This request was rejected by Ojukwu and his team on the pretext that they would be poisoned. Looking back over 45 years, it may be difficult for contemporary readers to understand how starving people could have been deceived by the propaganda that their relief supplies meant to end starvation would be poisoned. Nkpa lived and taught in Biafra throughout the war so his firsthand perspective is important. We can turn to an important example from him to see that within Biafra, there was an extraordinary level of paranoia about the security of food from the very beginning of the war.

One wedge-driving rumor that started to circulate on the campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (then renamed University of Biafra) during the second week of June 1967 was that members of the Efik and Ibibio linguistic groups who were employees of the University of Nigeria were not joining the Biafran civil defence organization on the campus and therefore were in sympathy with the Nigerian Federal Government.

By the last week of June, which was also the last week of the academic year, this rumor had undergone the process of leveling and sharpening and produced a version that shocked and saddened the University community, namely, that the breakfast which was prepared for over 3,000 students had been poisoned by the cooks who belong to the Efik and Ibibio linguistic groups. On that Monday morning, June 26, 1967, to the surprise of the cooks and the waiters, several students who had gone to the dining hall to have their breakfast
started to stream out of the dining hall without taking their breakfast.

Others who were still on their way turned back upon being informed of the "poisoned breakfast." By 8:30 A.M. the action of the students and the rumor had spread not only on the campus but also in the city of Nsukka. Because of this rumor, as could be guessed, the food that had been prepared for these students was destroyed. The writer, who is Igbo, invited two Igbo students that day to discuss the "poisoned breakfast." I asked them how it could be possible for the cooks to poison the breakfast in view of the fact that the student body of the university at that time was made up of only members of the Igbo, Efik, and Ibibio speaking people. Would the Efik and Ibibio cooks want students from their own tribes to die? The reply from these two students was that the Efik and Ibibio students had already been given advance information about the plan to put poison in the food and were advised not to eat their breakfast that morning. They went on to say that those Efik and Ibibio students who came to the dining hall that morning never intended to eat the food, but rather to deceive the Igbo-speaking students who were to be exterminated by the poison.”

This early series of rumors and misunderstandings only set the stage for the much broader tragedy of kwashiorkor in the later stages of the war. Nkpa’s testimony again here is indispensable for understanding the Biafran government's decision to reject Nigerian and British aid even after the kwashiorkor epidemic worsened, when it became clearer to the world that a humanitarian tragedy was in the offing:

After the International Red Cross personnel in Biafra had made the gravity of the famine in Biafra known to the world, Britain, one of the countries that was then supplying arms to the Nigerian Federal Government, offered to send some food and drugs to Biafra in June 1968 to help save the lives of the starving population. But the Biafran government turned down the offer. Radio Biafra, commenting on this offer, compared it to the practice of first fattening a goat by feeding it well, and then slaughtering it for food. The Biafran government rejected this offer of food and drugs on the ground that she would not accept relief from a country that was supplying arms to her enemy. A few days after the radio announcement of the rejection of the relief, there began to circulate a rumor that the reason for the rejection of the offer was that the food was poisoned in order to exterminate all the Biafrans. At the early stage of this rumor it was narrated that the Nigerian Federal Government had approached the British Government to ask for advice as how to effect an immediate end to the war, and the British government had then advised that the easiest method would be to send poisoned food to Biafra. At this
stage of the rumor, details were given of the date of arrival in and departure from Biafra of the "sympathetic British national" who travelled by way of Lisbon, Portugal, to leak this news to the Biafran government.

But as this rumor circulated, it underwent the process of leveling, sharpening, and assimilation. The final message was, "I heard that the British had planned to poison us by sending us poisoned food."

To a starving person, food is his immediate need. When a nation is threatened by famine and its government rejects a food offer, it would be more comforting to the common man to believe that the same British government that was supplying arms to his enemies now plans to send him poisoned food than to believe the official reason given for the rejection of the offer.”

From “Rumors of Mass Poisoning in Biafra” by Nwokocha K. U. Nkpa in The Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 3, 1977.

We are indebted to honest writers like Nkpo, who recorded their experiences dispassionately so we have something more substantial to rely on when reading about the history of this period than propaganda. There are several other sources I'd like to refer to that I rarely see mentioned in these types of discussions, but I'll end it here for now. It is the most heartbreaking and demoralizing exercise to read through the documents about this needless war, and to see the images and videos of dying children who had no role in initiating or prolonging the conflict. My sympathies are also with the laypeople of Biafra like Nwokocha Nkpa, who were deliberately misled by elites that have slandered Awolowo, the Nigerian and the British governments as the architects of their misfortune. Over and over, the evidence shows that Biafran authorities rejected repeated offers to help from Britain and even the back-door offers for relief agencies to break the blockade, as long as they agreed to inspections in Lagos.

As a fellow Nigerian and a human being with my own connections to victims of this war, I’ve assembled the quotes and references above to correct the ignorant and prejudiced views about hunger during the civil war and the roles of various participants in either rejecting or hoarding food. There is certainly enough material to vindicate Awolowo's position that food and relief supplies were systematically hijacked by Biafran soldiers and hoarded by the Biafran elite. There is also unquestionable evidence that the Biafran government rejected British and Nigerian offers of humanitarian aid after the kwashiorkor epidemic became well-known. Ojukwu addressed this same issue elsewhere in the Ahiara Declaration, but I'm leaving that portion out in order not lengthen this post even more. I can reproduce it if there's any interest. I welcome corrections, amendments and other feedback but as usual will ignore any comments that don’t address this topic in a civil and constructive manner.

TerraCotta

That was very detailed and to the point. Very nice