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Soyinka And Biafra by StFunmi(f): 2:34am On Mar 06, 2009 |
Why did Wole Soyinka support Biafra and languished in jail for 22 months their cause?. Why didn't he start a movt then in the west to secede from Nigeria?. Did Gowon jail Soyinka because he was afraid he'll turn to BecomeRich and ask Yorubas to exit from that useless union called Nigeria?
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Re: Soyinka And Biafra by naijaking1: 3:34am On Mar 06, 2009 |
Wole Soyinka, Gani, and a few others represent the conscience and soul of Africa. To see "wrong" and call it despite personal safety is my example of hero. 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by adconline(m): 6:13am On Mar 06, 2009 |
Read his Memoir " You Must Set Forth At Dawn" he dedicated a whole chapter to Nigerian civil war 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by FBS: 8:46am On Mar 06, 2009 |
do we have men like this in Nigeria and indeed the whole world? 1 Like |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by DRANOEL(m): 12:02pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
cowards have their say,soldiers have their day! have you guys ever heard the saying,talk is cheap? the civil war was what it is because the section of the country thats acts rather than talk was on the side of the federal forces, yes the middle belters wether people accept it or not,it is these people who determine what happens. we have had southern activist and paper warriors but thats all they are. or did you ever hear a gideon orkar demonstrating or complaining? no,he took the gun and as long as these middle belters are satisfied with the way nigeria is,theres going to be no break up period! so my friends soyinka can write as many books as he wants,gani can demonstrate as many times as he wants nothing will happen! but when another ojukwu or orkar enters the foray you are bond to see results. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by naijaking1: 3:15pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
DRANOEL:Are you saying those patriots who are not in the army, but have the guts to challange evil when they see one are cowards simply because they don't carry guns? If you're, then you need to brush up on your World history. 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by KnowAll(m): 3:33pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
The Biafra war is a mis-adventure of rich spoilt brat dragging his whole tribe into an unjust war that could not been won. You have to remember Ojukwu's father was one of the richest men in Nigeria in the 60's. If Ojukwu was a poor soldier he would have planned a coup to topple Gowon, but the moeny he had at his disposal blinded him from to the reality of the situation. Look at Kaduna Nzeogwu he was not from a wealthy home that is why he went for the top job which is the Head of state, same thing Gideon Orka. The Igbos should not see Ojukwu as a hero but as a dreamer and adventurer not any diffrent from those rich men in the states that are prepared to pay $20 million dollars to travel to space. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by youngies(m): 3:50pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
@knowall If not that you have revealed that you are an adult in another thread I would have called you a minor. Again, if many Nigerian will be like you our problems would have been half solved. You are not pretending to show all who you truly are - AN IGBO HATER! Keep it up. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by KnowAll(m): 4:00pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
@Yougies my comment here has nothing to do with my comment in any other thread, even a blind man knows Ojukwu's war was a misadventure which rich peolpe get their kicks from. If u are still doing follow follow in 2009 then na u sabi. I do not hate anybody God forbid me to hate another human being. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by youngies(m): 4:13pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
hahaha. . .Mr. knowall Your after-thought statement is laughable to say the least. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Your heart is filled with conjectures, stereotypes and hate especially for the Igbo people, no matter how hard you try you can't hide it. You may not be aware of this before, but now that people are pointing it out for you. I guess you should purge yourself of this malice and start doing something useful, say shaving the hairs on your armpits, it is bushy |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by KnowAll(m): 4:19pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
@Youngies It is only narrow minded people like u that beleif one has hatred for a whole tribe, for what, why should I hate anybody. I was only saying the Igbos should embrace some of things that happened in the past no matter how despicable the thing might be . Is like the jews denying the holocuse did not happen. Ok u don win there was no biafra war |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by onyengbu1(m): 4:19pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
what you said on this thread is only complementing what you said on the other. I remember you saying that 'igbos should embrace their kwashiokor past, ' on that thread. mister, you are an IGBO HATER. Quit covering your hatred with Ojukwu comments because you and I know well that no igbo man is considering ojukwu as a leader (though not that he doesnt deserve it) because tribal leaders is not igbo style. Ojukwu did not drag anybody to war, igbos were persecuted to the point they cant bear it. Any other person who had been the SE governor at that time would have been the one to declare the war. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by KnowAll(m): 4:30pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
@onye ngbu mister, you are an IGBO HATER. Nigerians cannot take simple constructive and historical facts without calling u names, there is no reason for me to hate anybody even u sleep with my wife, God forbid. But being the just man I am, and I will not distort any historical events, but if thats what will make u happy, ok u won the war abi, biko |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by youngies(m): 4:47pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
@knowall You are a colourless clown |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by naijaking1: 5:57pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
KnowAll:Why is it difficult to have you focus on the topic: the bravery of people like Soyinka who was willing to be jailed for what he believed in. How many people; Igbos, Hausa, and Yorubas can stand up for their principles today? 1 Like |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by asha80(m): 6:27pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
@knowall I have told you i like you because you are not a closet tribalist |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by StFunmi(f): 6:43pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
The Biafra war is a mis-adventure of rich spoilt brat dragging his whole tribe into an unjust war that could not been won. You have to remember Ojukwu's father was one of the richest men in Nigeria in the 60's. If Ojukwu was a poor soldier he would have planned a coup to topple Gowon, but the moeny he had at his disposal blinded him from to the reality of the situation. Look at Kaduna Nzeogwu he was not from a wealthy home that is why he went for the top job which is the Head of state, same thing Gideon Orka. The Igbos should not see Ojukwu as a hero but as a dreamer and adventurer not any diffrent from those rich men in the states that are prepared to pay $20 million dollars to travel to space.Was Soyinka that nearly died for it also a rich spoilt brat? |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by RichyBlacK(m): 6:50pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
naijaking1: You forgot to add Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to that list of prominent Yorubas who saw the injustices of the Nigerian state. 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by tpia: 6:51pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
I wonder why people keep assuming Soyinka, Fela et all, are from poor families? just an observation. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by RichyBlacK(m): 6:56pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
tpia: Where did you get the impression that any poster on this thread implied that Fela was from a poor family? |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by tpia: 6:58pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
RichyBlacK: from the Wole Soyinka reference. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by StFunmi(f): 7:02pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
I don't care how much money Soyinka or Fela's mother had, it was not like Ojukwu's father. Ojukwu's father was the first multimillionaire in Nigeria who owned a multinational company, president of a bank (ACB) and Nigerian stock exchange and that may contribute to Just Good's assertion. He may or may not be a spoilt brat. I can still give him some credit tho after all he graduated from lincoln and had his masters degree from oxford university with all those money trailing him and stayed in the service for a while. Few spoilt male children of the rich and mighty these days will do that. Again, I never implied anywhere that Wole Soyinka or Fela were from poor families but they certainly weren't as rich as Ojukwu's father. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by RichyBlacK(m): 7:04pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
KnowAll: @KnowAll, Let me ask you a few questions, since it seems you know some history: 1. Was there a well-orchestrated pogrom targeted at Igbos in 1966? 2. Was this pogrom before or after Biafra was declared? 3. Is it not more likely that the attempted Biafran secession was driven by the events surrounding the state-sanctioned mass killings of thousands rather than the dreams and ambition of one man? 4. How do you explain the targeted mass killings of Igbos across the country (masterminded by elements within the Nigerian military and members of government)? |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by RichyBlacK(m): 7:07pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
tpia: That's Wole Soyinka, not Fela. Everybody knows that the Kuti family were aristocrats of sorts in Nigeria. I recall reading, in primary school, that Fela's mom was the first Nigerian woman to drive a car. 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by RichyBlacK(m): 7:12pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
St.Funmi: Excellent observation. The fact is that some people want to revise history by making it seem as if Biafra came about because of one man's ambition, when there were other much more important reasons for the declaration. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by Becomrrich: 7:17pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
A nation is brought into being through the political - and inclusive - will of its citizens, not through mere naming."--- Prof Soyinka-- at chief awolowo lecture. this statement tell you, what a nation is. and Nigeria is not a nation, It is a mere name. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by Dede1(m): 7:18pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
Based on the free liberty of the contributors to the forum, there are Nigerians that could be simply classified as educated dolts who are unashamed of their ignorance and how they flaunt it. I would like for DRANOEL and Knowall to make their ethnicity public so that benefit of doubt could be given them. Until now, I did not know that Nigeria history is a piece of gold bar. How could someone who had been breastfed by his or her mother refer to the indigenes of Middle Belt region as brave? In 1962 up to 64, there was political riot in that particular area and the Premier of northern region was bent on the teaching the inhabitants of that section of jungle a serious political lesson. The Ahamdu Bello had his wishes on the steam roller but one young Major Chris Anauforo stood on his way. The Sarduana of Sokoto had the 1st Brigade commander and zonal police commanders in his back pocket. NPC leaders had ordered the riot police to deal ruthlessly with the supporters of Tarka’s United Middle Belt Congress. The order was also relayed to commander of Race Squadron, Jos. Instead of arresting the Tarka’s United Middle Belt Congress supporters, Major Anuforo arrested the supporters of Nigerian Peoples Congress and ordered the release of UMBC supporters already in police net. This action infuriated the Premier who sought the transfer of the Major Anuforo out of Jos. One wonders where the so-called brave Middle Belts soldiers were hiding when Bello was steam rolling their people. The civil war showed that cowards actually die many time before their death. And for the idiotic Knowall, did you think the northern region would have been able to take eastern region in any warfare? Even with numerical superiority on the side of Nigeria, Biafra would have had her way with the jungle if not for massive support from Britain, USSR, Egypt, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Arab league Nations. Please Ndigbo as we remember the brevity showed by Soyinka, we must not forget one Lt. Col. Ayo Ariyo, a Sandhurst trained officer, the second in command to Col Adekunle in Calaber in 1967 who relinquished his commission into Nigerian army instead of fighting against the Biafrans. 1 Like |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by RichyBlacK(m): 7:58pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
Dede1, Thanks for the historical narrative. What I've observed about many Nigerians who support the oppression of the Nigerian state is that they wholly subscribe to the "winner is right" mindset. Hence, revising historical facts in favor of the Nigerian state is done to create the impression that the "winner was right". Today, because Nigeria learned nothing from the Biafran War, many of the problems surrounding that war are still in play: 1. Government-supported targeted killings of members of certain ethnic nationalities in many parts of Nigeria, especially the mass killings of Southerners (particularly Igbos) in the Northern region. 2. Failure of the state to protect her citizens. 3. Failure of the state (judicial arm) to prosecute and convict those responsible for mass killings 4. Entrenched idea of an ethnic hierarchy in government, leading to the deliberate marginalization of certain ethnic groups, e.g. the Igbos and Ijaws 5. Government-sanctioned programs designed to perpetuate the idea that Igbos are of minimal consequence in various aspects of the Nigerian enterprise, e.g. the 2006 Nigerian census. |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by Ibime(m): 8:05pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
That Ransome-Kuti family was something else. I remember Beko Ransome Kuti was the Health Minister and he used to drive around in one broken down Range Rover going around the country preaching about AIDS. He also organised nationwide innoculation program for us in 1990. Do they still do free innoculations in Naija? Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehimni and Mr Soyinka are true patriots. I throway salute for them! 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by mustafar1: 8:41pm On Mar 06, 2009 |
Ibime: Olikoye Ransome-kuti was health minister. Beko Ransome-kuti was an activist as well, his activism was enough to piss Abacha off and he got thrown in jail. 2 Likes |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by naijaking1: 3:19am On Mar 07, 2009 |
I wonder when the real book of Nigerian heros will be written. The Mary Slessors, the Akanu ibiams, the Aminu Kanos, The Col. Anuforos, and Ariyos, the The Fajuyis, of course Soyinka, Ransome-Kutis, Gani. They all have one thing in common: not being fully appreciated by our evil federal government. The good guys always loose saying is 100% true in Nigeria, unlike in other countries. 1 Like |
Re: Soyinka And Biafra by Nobody: 8:47am On Mar 07, 2009 |
That Ransome-Kuti family was something else. they got it from their mama and papa read ake by wole soyinka. the kuti's were a big force in the fight for independence etal. i think i remeber the mum's name as beere. she started a big push for women to get their children educated , mobilized the women against the district officer etal thats only a small part of ake - if you can, read it. wole soyinka's otlook as a child was something else
i have noticed in that people from disadvantaged backgrounds often like to claim achievers as their own. during my IT, i rode in a staff bus used by junior staff. i remeber one morning when some dude was blathering about how dangote started as a wharf rat, how nelson mandela was born in the ghetto - basically claiming that poverty produces great leader/successes etal. wole soyinka was most definetely not from a poor background. his dad was the village headmaster, and in some ways, WS got live a kind of above the law lifestyle that was tempered by his mother judicous use of the rod. gani was also from a well to do family - i think. . .though i seem to remeber reading that his father passed on while he was studying in the uk - and he entered his baptism of fire. tai solarin came from a regular background, if i remember properly. (my mum stocked the house with bios and auto bios of famous nigerians back in the day) |
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