oluamid:

Take your own advice about studying.


I'm not going to go into the politics of who was right and who was wrong, but if Ojukwu was the saviour of the Igbo as you seem to think, then he could easily have shelved his secessionist plans to save Igbo lives. But no, he had to fight out a battle of wills against Gowon who to all intents and purpose had a larger army, equipment and was more prepared for war, thereby causing the death of the Igbos he was trying to save in the first place. Ironic, isn't it?

Its one thing to rule but its another to lead. Ojukwu should have been able to sacrifice his own life for the "motherland" as he so easily inspired many to. He ought to "lead" from the frontlines not the comfort of his government house. Immediately the war got to his front steps, he ran away.

Therein lies my problem with the man.

But Ojukwu did shelve secessionist plans. He shelved it for one year (the killing of easterners started with operation Araba in June 1966,Ojukwu did not declare Biafra until the end of May 1967).One thing about Ojukwu which many may not know is that while Murutla and co were killing Igbo officers in Kaduna, Ibadan,Lagos and Kano. Ojukwu actually protected the northern soldiers in Enugu garrison. Ojukwu gave instructions that they should not be touched and even gave them a safe passage to Enugu train station where they boarded trains and left for the North to the consternation of a vengeful Igbo population who wanted to go into the barracks and kill all of them. Remarkably,two soldiers of note who got on that train and escaped due Ojukwus benevolence were Yaradua and Adekunle. Both men would return months later during the war to commit war crimes. Yaradua led troops that captured a part of Onitsha and went ahead to execute 300 worshippers who had sort refuge in a church there. Adekunle openly bragged about his 'shoot anything that moves' so I won't go into that. 40,000 easterners were massacred mainly in North,how many did you want Ojukwu to wait to be killed before he did something to save his people? Why didn't you ask Gowon why he rushed to war instead of abiding by the Aburi accord he signed or why he didn't return to the negotiating table?Only a coward runs away from a fight because his opponent has a bigger stature.Nigerian soldiers may have been better equipped but that wasn't why they won the war. They won because of the massive support they got from Britain,Russia and the Arab league not what they had at they start of the war. Ojukwu was head of state,it was not his business to lead battle from the war front. When Enugu was about to fall,he transfared the capital to Umuahia and left. I don't know if you wanted him to stay back and be slaughtered,would that be brave or stupid? Ojukwu was one of the greatest men to come out of Africa and I'm indeed lucky that I met him 4 times before he died.

individually i have many heros but collectivelly as a Nigerian i can't find any

GENERAL SANI ABACHA. GREAT SON OF AFRICA

zendy:

But Ojukwu did shelve secessionist plans. He shelved it for one year (the killing of easterners started with operation Araba in June 1966,Ojukwu did not declare Biafra until the end of May 1967).

Shelve secessionist plans for one year? Really? When was the secession announced and when did the war start?

zendy:

One thing about Ojukwu which many may not know is that while Murutla and co were killing Igbo officers in Kaduna, Ibadan,Lagos and Kano. Ojukwu actually protected the northern soldiers in Enugu garrison. Ojukwu gave instructions that they should not be touched and even gave them a safe passage to Enugu train station where they boarded trains and left for the North to the consternation of a vengeful Igbo population who wanted to go into the barracks and kill all of them..

I hope you didn't forget that non-easterners were also given an ultimatum to vacate the east. I'm just being practical here not emotional. Yes, Igbos were being murdered in the north, let me also agree with you that Ojukwu protected non-eastern soldiers in the east(though this is not entirely true), but then, when it was sure there would be a war if the east seceded and more Igbos will die what should have been Ojukwu's reaction? Go ahead with it?

zendy:

Remarkably,two soldiers of note who got on that train and escaped due Ojukwus benevolence were Yaradua and Adekunle. Both men would return months later during the war to commit war crimes. Yaradua led troops that captured a part of Onitsha and went ahead to execute 300 worshippers who had sort refuge in a church there. Adekunle openly bragged about his 'shoot anything that moves' so I won't go into that.

As painful as it sounds, it was a war, what do you expect? People die in wars. A a matter of fact civilians bear the brunt of wars (this is not to justify Adekunle and Yar'aduas' action though).

zendy:

40,000 easterners were massacred mainly in North,how many did you want Ojukwu to wait to be killed before he did something to save his people? Why didn't you ask Gowon why he rushed to war instead of abiding by the Aburi accord he signed or why he didn't return to the negotiating table?

Like I said in the post you quoted, I'm not going to go into the politics of who was wrong and who was right. That's not what this thread is about.

zendy:

Only a coward runs away from a fight because his opponent has a bigger stature.

Really? Can you justify this statement to the millions who died? The children? I'm shocked!

Cowardise is not running away from certain death. You don't plan to fight modern wars with machetes and catapults. It will be a huge massacre.

zendy: Nigerian soldiers may have been better equipped but that wasn't why they won the war. They won because of the massive support they got from Britain,Russia and the Arab league not what they had at they start of the war. Ojukwu was head of state,it was not his business to lead battle from the war front. When Enugu was about to fall,he transfared the capital to Umuahia and left. I don't know if you wanted him to stay back and be slaughtered,would that be brave or silly? Ojukwu was one of the greatest men to come out of Africa and I'm indeed lucky that I met him 4 times before he died.

Whether or not the FG army had help from outside is moot, the most important thing is that the FG was more prepared for the war and would definitely win it. People lost their lives in the war, people whose only crime was that they were born Igbo and were not opportune to be in the top brass or decision making process.

I don't believe that some people were meant to die and some were not. What makes Ojukwu better than the millions who lost their lives? In my opinion, nothing.

I won't begrudge you your hero worship of the man, just don't expect the rest of us to do so too. And I still maintain my position that all our so-called founding fathers (Awolowo, Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano and the rest), Ojukwu inclusive, are tribalists and narrow-minded individuals who took decisions based on their own selfish interests and personal ambitions.

My past heroes are : obafemi awolowo ,moshood abiola and rtd general yakubu gowon.

My present ones are: FASHOLA, TB Joshua, and ofcos myself

Past.. Mary slessor who stopped d killin of twins nd aki nd pawpaw who can wil alwz make me lafff lik hahahahahahaha hohohohohoho kokokokokoko

PAST: Tafawa Balawe (d golden voice)
PRESENT: Wale Soyinka

oluamid:


Shelve secessionist plans for one year? Really? When was the secession announced and when did the war start?




I hope you didn't forget that non-easterners were also given an ultimatum to vacate the east. I'm just being practical here not emotional. Yes, Igbos were being murdered in the north, let me also agree with you that Ojukwu protected non-eastern soldiers in the east(though this is not entirely true), but then, when it was sure there would be a war if the east seceded and more Igbos will die what should have been Ojukwu's reaction? Go ahead with it?




As painful as it sounds, it was a war, what do you expect? People die in wars. A a matter of fact civilians bear the brunt of wars (this is not to justify Adekunle and Yar'aduas' action though).



Like I said in the post you quoted, I'm not going to go into the politics of who was wrong and who was right. That's not what this thread is about.



Really? Can you justify this statement to the millions who died? The children? I'm shocked!

Cowardise is not running away from certain death. You don't plan to fight modern wars with machetes and catapults. It will be a huge massacre.




Whether or not the FG army had help from outside is moot, the most important thing is that the FG was more prepared for the war and would definitely win it. People lost their lives in the war, people whose only crime was that they were born Igbo and were not opportune to be in the top brass or decision making process.

I don't believe that some people were meant to die and some were not. What makes Ojukwu better than the millions who lost their lives? In my opinion, nothing.

I won't begrudge you your hero worship of the man, just don't expect the rest of us to do so too. And I still maintain my position that all our so-called founding fathers (Awolowo, Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano and the rest), Ojukwu inclusive, are tribalists and narrow-minded individuals who took decisions based on their own selfish interests and personal ambitions.

You don't understand the Republican nature of the Igbos. The point to note here is that Ojukwu sensibly sought after peace before declaring Biafra. You can only criticise Ojukwu for leading his people in a war which they mandated him to wage ,even if ill prepared,if you can criticise Gowon for usurping a position he had no legitimate right to and for starting a war when he could have renegotiated. My brother,there are few things in life worth dying for and one of those things is freedom even at the cost of millions of lives. Our fore-fathers fought much better equipped white imperialists all over Africa with spears,catapult,arrows and stones and even though they lost,they kept their dignity. The Biafran war was no different when the only option to fighting was to accept northern domination. The very things Ojukwu fought for such as self determination,sovereignty and the right of choice are today enshrined in the constitution of most democracies. Just as Awlolowo is a Hero to Yorubas but vilified in Igboland,so too do I expect Ojukwu to be "persona non grata" in other places. Our heroes our heroes for different reasons. Even Shekau is somebodys Hero.

zendy:

You don't understand the Republican nature of the Igbos. The point to note here is that Ojukwu sensibly sought after peace before declaring Biafra. You can only criticise Ojukwu for leading his people in a war which they mandated him to wage ,even if ill prepared,if you can criticise Gowon for usurping a position he had no legitimate right to and for starting a war when he could have renegotiated. My brother,there are few things in life worth dying for and one of those things is freedom even at the cost of millions of lives. Our fore-fathers fought much better equipped white imperialists all over Africa with spears,catapult,arrows and stones and even though they lost,they kept their dignity. The Biafran war was no different when the only option to fighting was to accept northern domination. The very things Ojukwu fought for such as self determination,sovereignty and the right of choice are today enshrined in the constitution of most democracies. Just as Awlolowo is a Hero to Yorubas but vilified in Igboland,so too do I expect Ojukwu to be "persona non grata" in other places. Our heroes our heroes for different reasons. Even Shekau is somebodys Hero.

Sorry I have to divert from the argument. There's no point continuing with it.

As a person I prefer to see issues from a nationalistic point of view rather than an ethnic or tribal one. its very difficult but it is not impossible. I'd rather 10 Nigerians die in order to save 5 million.

When you talk of freedom I can only laugh. Freedom from what? Freedom to exchange one set of masters for another? Take the creation of states for instance, one would think the creation of states will mean that each part of the country will be developed as necessary since it is a "son of the soil" that will be governor. But what do we have? The same circle of misrule.

Secession is never the answer to Nigeria's problems.


Have a great day.

Dora Akunyili Mehn How I dearly miss that woman.

oluamid:

Sorry I have to divert from the argument. There's no point continuing with it.

As a person I prefer to see issues from a nationalistic point of view rather than an ethnic or tribal one. its very difficult but it is not impossible. I'd rather 10 Nigerians die in order to save 5 million.

When you talk of freedom I can only laugh. Freedom from what? Freedom to exchange one set of masters for another? Take the creation of states for instance, one would think the creation of states will mean that each part of the country will be developed as necessary since it is a "son of the soil" that will be governor. But what do we have? The same circle of misrule.

Secession is never the answer to Nigeria's problems.




Have a great day.

Yes I agree there's no point arguing any more,we see things too different. At least,you now know why Ojukwu is revered amongst the Igbos and why he is my Hero. He chose the cause of his people above the cause of the 'British invented organisation' called Nigeria.

Have a great day too

zendy:

Yes I agree there's no point arguing any more,we see things too different. At least,you now know why Ojukwu is revered amongst the Igbos and why he is my Hero. His chose the cause of his people above the cause of the 'British invented organisation' called Nigeria.

Have a great day too

You did a god nbthat guy ....what he has forgotten that first I am an Igbo man before Nigerian . Nigerian is a man made name but Igbo is given to us by lord

How can they understand that Ojukwu did the unthinkable by waging a war against all tribes


5hats is heroism

THIS ARE D CONFIRMED HEROES OF NIGERIA

Chief Anthony Enahoro
Oba femi Awolowo

diarisgoduoooooo

xp17: patience Jonathan , for using her engrish to kill
shekua

[quote author=quid post=26767837][/quote]


Yes! Him exactly.

petnuel:
Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi 4 his political sagacity. Honour, principles n selfless service 2 a ppl f Rivas who blindly dont just care

Gbam

National Heroes:

Early Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe

Dr Adadevoh

Prof Wole Soyinka

Gen Olusegun Obasanjo


Sectionalist Heroes:

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (later)

Dr Obafemi Awolowo

Tafawa Balewa

omotolatoyosi:
Fela anikulapo's mum nd efunsetan aniwura

Happy Birthday to you,
Wishing you LLNP.
And the best of everything your heart desires....




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dayleke:



Happy Birthday to you,
Wishing you LLNP.
And the best of everything your heart desires....




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omotolatoyosi:
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