I'll Always Like To Be Nigerian -Ojukwu
By Oguwike Nwachuku , Editor, Sunday and Emmanuel Nzomiwu Reporter, Enugu

Ikemba Nnewi and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has said he would always like to be a Nigerian despite all odds.

He said, notwithstanding the situation he and his Igbo kinsmen find themselves in the country, Nigeria would always be his first choice of country in Africa.

Ojukwu spoke in an interview with Sunday Independent at his Enugu private residence where he also took a swipe at the style of governance of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua which, he said, suggests the President was not prepared for the task ahead.

Reviewing the journey so far in Nigeria, particularly as she marks her golden jubilee next year, Ojukwu said "whatever anybody says, the mere fact that we are together, as we talk now, is clearly indicative that whatever it is that is Nigeria, is being successful".

His words: "I must say this and let me say this and get it off my back: give me a hundred thousand chances, I will opt to be a Nigerian, no matter what - whether years back or years ahead - because I don't know what years ahead will bring. I am very, very, not just proud, happy to be Nigerian and I look very much forward to remaining Nigerian.

"I will also like to put unto Nigeria an Ojukwu mark. It's only natural. I don't want to pause, which is common. I am 75 now. I want when I look back, and I am no longer around here, there will be marks of having been here. That is my ambition. Nigeria, it is not by accident that we are what we are. Big, central, of all populations in Africa.

"Sometimes, I spend my time thinking that I don't know what will happen if all people of Igbo descent gathered here; then I say, why Igbo? Because I keep asking myself: at what time did they actually become Igbo? And I say again: what will happen if we Nigerians were not where we are? One thing is clear: Africa will not be the same. That is quite clear. Everything that happens in Africa has evidence of Nigeria. "Is it population? Is it size and what is it? Even the economy, we are not doing badly. I say this: the only thing that is missing is that I am not standing up. But please understand that at every stage of my own being, with pride I say, God bless Nigeria."

Without prejudice to the fact that he led a war of secession 42 years ago, Ojukwu added that the Nigerian project ab initio, is an Igbo project.

Emphasising on the journey so far, the retired Army General said: "I have my own views about Nigeria different from others, and the first thing is that I don't know how you feel about that, but I think everybody else from Nigeria seems to have come from here, from there and all over the place. But I come from one tribe that is clearly indigenous to Nigeria, Ndi-Igbo, clearly.

"We have nowhere else; we are Nigerians and that is the end of it. We are not from here or from there. But the first thing I want people to bear in mind, every other person, (is that) you can trace origin. Next, Nigeria, I think, being an Onye Igbo (Igboman), everyday I wake up and look at it and Ndigbo are relevant to everything.

"Yes, we are here, we have been here, because we are here, we are Nigerians and I say that the journey so far has been exciting, exhilarating, but it has not in anyway been futile. Oh no, we have learnt a lot in the course of the journey. And we hope that people who have come in contact with us have also learnt a lot."

He accused Yar'Adua of inability to confront head-on all the problems facing Nigeria at the moment, pointing to the problems in the power sector, lack of infrastructure to sustain economic and social development in the country and the Niger Delta crisis as key areas the present government has failed woefully.

Asked whether he was satisfied with President Yar'Adua's style of governance, the Ikemba Nnewi said: "I was going to ask you even before you finished: has he started governing? I will like to know because clearly by profession, you know more than I do. Has he started?"

When reminded that Nigerians are grumbling and are now comparing Yar'Adua with Obasanjo, he stated: "It is the nicest thing for all Nigerians to do. I have told you that he has not started, but if this is what he has for Nigeria, then I will say, fellow country men and women, I volunteer my services, it won't be long for another election, then vote for me."

Ojukwu, who led the defunct Republic of Biafra, also said former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his estranged Deputy, Atiku Abubakar, owe it as a duty to let Nigerians know what they discussed in the meeting they held not long ago at Otta, Ogun State, saying it's important to do for Nigerians to know which way to go.

On Atiku's visit to Obasanjo, the APGA candidate in 2007 presidential election said: "The history of Nigeria cannot be written by peeping tongues, not just by guess work.

"Really, all said and done, they are the only two people who will tell us - Obasanjo and Atiku.

On court judgments voiding most of the elections conducted in 2007, he said the courts merely said the election was not organised, but failed to say anything about the future.

He expressed his unalloyed support for the agitations in the Niger Delta region as well as the agitation for the creation of more States in the South East geo-political, saying it would give the people a bigger share of the Nigerian cake.

The retired soldier did not spare a jab to dismissed Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Brigadier-General Oluwole Rotimi (rtd.) over his statement that he defeated the rag-tag Biafran army of Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Madueke.

Hear him: "The point I will like to make first is that wherever you have a gathering, (and there's) a collection of people, you can always be certain that not all of them are sane. That is one. And therefore, I am not seeking to apologise or receive apology from a lot of people or a number of people that can rightly be considered as coming from the lunatic fringe.

"First thing, I think it is sorry that really certain people get to high positions in most countries, but then that is the essence of democracy. I know Ojo, I salute him, I won't say more about him, and he knows what I feel about him. But who is the other person? I keep forgetting. Who is he?"

Reminded that his name is Oluwole Rotimi, Ojukwu added: "That's alright, I know him. The only thing I can ask you, the favour you can do me, is to ask Wole about me. Whatever he is, I think I have left a bit of myself on him. I know him that well. It is not a thing that we will be talking about here. But let me make it very clear that when you look at the whole of Nigeria today and all the servants that Nigeria is proud of, certainly, Ojo Maduekwe is the most accomplished. I hope that I have made the point."

confused idiot

tamme:

confused idiot

WTF is Ojukwu
Isnt Ojukwu a Nigerian name??

All of you making these comment about Ojukwu are idiotic and tribalistic lunes. MOTHER FUCKERS. You have listen to Ojukwu  before judging him. That guy is 20times smarter than Sick Yaradua and Ugly Obj put together. His brain power is unmatchable with any person that ever ruled nigeria. You just have to watch obj in his BBC interview to appreicate how Dumb he is. I believe in One Nigeria an i am IGBO. Ojukwu leading the Biafran seccession at the time may have been justified because of massacre of Igbos in the North by illetrate animals but in my opinion, there could have been better ways to have sustainabe peace in Nigeria without a Bloody War. But in Retrospect looking at how  far we have come,  and all the tribalistic crap and lack of developmet of nigeria that still persist, the billions looted, an outside observer and even the British probabaly regret their action for supporting nigeria at the time because all these people from the north still remain pests and parasite to the nation with no single contributionto the country both in brian power and economy development.
Yaradua has to step up and if he cannot lead the nation, he shoud quit. You cannot paralize millions of people because you are sick and incompetent. He should have put his nation first knowing that his health and other things wil not allow him to become an effective leader. It goes to show how selfish some nigerians are and the extent they can go for power even at the detriment of ordinary Nigerians.
Let  us wake up and  build the nigeria of the 21ST century, devoid of morons that come to bash people who actually recognise that nigeria is currently dysfuntional and being led by a sick and tribalistic block head who have not made any positive impact on the people since he took office.
I believe in Nigeria and i believe we can do better if we have good leaders, Great Nationalist and people with clear vision and goal for the country.

will you shut up! Ojukwu is a joke to other tribes in Nigeria, he was the fool that said igbos and the eastern region shld leave Nigeria 1967
2007 the anti Nigerian was running to be president, after the election in 2007 the idiot said igbos shld leave Nigeria
now the idiot in 2009 said hes happy to be Nigerian

say whatever you want to saybecause your igbo, OJUKWU IS A Joke to Nigerians, Ugly coward, selfish idiot

lol pure opportunist. can't knock the hustle

Ojukwu maybe a joke to Ordinary Nigerians, but he represents the will and strength of an Extra ordinary people called the IGBOS. If you are  smart enough, you wiill ask yourself why igbos still feel dissatisfied with nigeria, why the Niger Delta is agitated with nigeria and are willing to fight for what belongs to them. It is a question of equity for all and Marginaliztion. If people in Niger Delta had their place which actually supplies the bulk of nigerian weath developed, if they feel a sense of belonging to the coutry they feed, do you think they will be agitating and making moves to even leave nigeria?? The same goes for Igbos. If Igbo land was developed after the war as Gowon promised but grossy failed to deliver, if political appointments were made equally, if the federal roads and infrastructure in igbland were developed, do you think igbos will allow groups like MASSOB to emerge.??It is because Nigerian leaders have no brains to understand what stems up things like these. Fortunately for the igbos, upon all the odds against them and everything being done to them to pull them back, it  has not prevented them from individually building themselves up.
TO rule a complex country liKe nigeria, we need a leader  that cares for all the people equally and will put the general development of the country first INSTEAD OF  dancing to the tune of tribal bigotry. FYI, IGBOS are the most de-triblized people you can ever meet or deal with.[quote][/quote]

he represents idiocy

Strenght 10 wrote

Ojukwu maybe a joke to Ordinary Nigerians, but he represents the will and strength of an Extra ordinary people called the IGBOS. If you are smart enough, you wiill ask yourself why igbos still feel dissatisfied with nigeria, why the Niger Delta is agitated with nigeria and are willing to fight for what belongs to them. It is a question of equity for all and Marginaliztion.

I have never in my entire live met a tribe or group or a person that is satisfy with Nigeria , except some few minority who had the opportunity of looting the treasury. Nobody is satisfy: the Jukuns are not, nor Igbira, nor Igala , nor Ijaw, nor Tivs, nor Yoruba , Igbo. Even the Hausas who dominate power are not satisfy. Nobody is happy.

I got pissed off when this Massob mafia try to relate everything back to the Biafran war. The real victim of project Nigeria are the poor people of Niger delta

Ojukwu is a bad joke

Ojukwu is a bad joke

bilymuse withdraw that statement!!

if u are lookin for a jokia and , u are the biggest joker here in nigeria and nairaland

And make no mistake about it, u idot will live to visualise that!!

as for massob-mafia u love to called; heyyyy heyyyy u just heard from the horse mouth, he love to reimain a nigerian; so what next, hmm nigerians still waiting when those aboki-vampires will start to speak!!

and finally dnt u dare worri about niger-delta, de no send yall, hmm wenti de label una living fools again, backward parasites!

hes an idiot? a confused idiot

Wat can be more two-faced than running for president in the same "Nigeria" he once told you igbos to leave in the same year

he became the joke of the nation 2007, he votes didnt even reach up to a million

a greedy ass criminal

you people see, i said igbo believe in nigeria as the yorubas join republic of benin. even ojukwu agree with me. all it remain is for igbo senator to follow thier leader and help yoruba,bayelsa and bendle join the republic of benin so that igbo can continue to love nigeria.

Ojukwu is now a Renowned Comedian! ! ~ Heavy joker.

@@ comments

yall having a laugh!!!

walahi beni!!

Ikeyman00 wrote

Ojukwu is a bad joke
bilymuse withdraw that statement!!

Ojukwi is not only a bad joke, but a useless old man. Time without number he has held several meetings with Massob, and Uwazurike is a constant caller at Ojukwu house. The Federal government are not loosing sleep over Massob, because they knew about Ojukwu involvement. So far Ojukwu is involved its going to fail, because Ojukwu is a failure.

The selfish coward ran away at the end of Biafra war , taking with him millions of Biafra Hard currency for his own personal comfort in exile. He has never sacrifice anything for anybody, and unworthy to be called a leader. The fool does not care about anybody, all he care about is himself.

These entire blabbing imbeciles should have concern themselves on providing answers to certain issue such as were massacred innocent Igbo people in then northern region of Nigeria part of Nigerian army?

Did the succession of Head of States follow the military parlance of Nigeria army during missing of C-in-C in July, 1966?

When did the declaration sovereign nation amount to war? In the wildest of you imaginary stupor, could any single region in Nigeria take on Biafra in military contest and survive to tell tales about the battles?

Nigeria is cesspit today and devoid of any meaningful progress due to the expressed cowardice of your forebears. If your forebears were men enough to stand up against tyranny like Ojukwu did, Nigeria would have been a wonderful place today. It would be a domain were equity reigns and freedom runs amok. Yet the malfeasants have the audacious liberty to insult a man who warned about erosion of discipline in Nigerian army as far back as1966.

Dede,

What do you make of a secession warlord who came later to contest for the Presidency of an entity he warred against when he lost he called on people to secede then now coming to claim he is a Nigerian

That sounds like a confused man to me. I dont know about you.

He's welcome!!!! . I'm a Senior Nigerian while Ojukwu is a freshman Nigerian.

yeye !! fool tryin to make a print!

too late ojukwu stand still

How old is that guy called Ojukwu?

he want the igbos to remain in nigeria, while the yoruba, bayelsa and bendle join Benin Republic

@post
tele tele nko?
Sit there dey talk as if he get choice

Dede1:

These entire blabbing imbeciles should have concern themselves on providing answers to certain issue such as were massacred innocent Igbo people in then northern region of Nigeria part of Nigerian army?

Did the succession of Head of States follow the military parlance of Nigeria army during missing of C-in-C in July, 1966?

When did the declaration sovereign nation amount to war? In the wildest of you imaginary stupor, could any single region in Nigeria take on Biafra in military contest and survive to tell tales about the battles?

Nigeria is cesspit today and devoid of any meaningful progress due to the expressed cowardice of your forebears. If your forebears were men enough to stand up against tyranny like Ojukwu did, Nigeria would have been a wonderful place today. It would be a domain were equity reigns and freedom runs amok. Yet the malfeasants have the audacious liberty to insult a man who warned about erosion of discipline in Nigerian army as far back as1966.

See grammar

Once you've found your own voice, the choice to expand your influence, to increase your contribution, is the choice to inspire others to find their voice. Ojukwu did just that - to inspire Nigerians to find their voice, but the retarded soldiers and politicians from other regions could not muster courage due to their cowardice and imbecility which they have transfered to the children today .

Only recenlty, I saw some prominent Yorubas here saying "we made a mistake, we would have used Biafran war as opportunity to declare our own republic" But what stopped them from doing so? Information has it that cowardice was the main reason. But here you are insulting the bravest soldier in Nigeria (Ojukwu) who did what no other soldier could do in Nigeria.

Even the MEND, and other Militant Groups in Niger Delta challenged just "Task Force" (a fraction of Federal Troops) for only four days, but they had to declare a unilateral ceasefire after a minor bombardment.

Courageous and curious minds like Ojukwus' is needed to change the way foolish children and useless adults reason.

@ tamme

You are a high functioning idiot. How dare you cast aspersion on the person of Ojukwu. Who among the clowns from your backyard state (AK) can compare to him. Well, you happen to be a true representation of your people (cowards) ,so I am not surprised. For your information I was born and bred in uyo, Ikot ekpene road to be precise. So, I have first hand information about what I am saying. This is a man that stood up to the injustice meted out to his people. Who among your leaders can confront the present arrangement of things where the Northern oligarchs are feasting on your oil. Shame on you and your kins that it took Ekwueme an Igboman to get you the 13% derivation which you presently enjoy. Well, what should we expect from a state that produces people like Sam Edem. As a result of your cowardice, your youth go about kidnapping expatriates instead of facing the oligarchs. Can you and your leaders stand the sound of a gunshot for a day without scampering to safety let alone a three year war. Fool, unam ikot

@ Tamme

Out of the 20 Nominees in the Vanguard/Silverbird's Nigeria's Greatest Living Legends in which only 5 people will be selected; Five Nominees are from one state - Anambra?

These 5 people are Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Chinua Achebe, Emeka Anyaoku, Philip Emeagwali and Professor Dora Akunyili.

Other nominees from other states include:
Kanu Nwankwo - Abia;
Olusegun Obasanjo and Wole Soyinka - Ogun;
Anthony Enahoro  and Cardinal Okogie - Edo;
Pat Utomi and David Dafinone - Delta;
Sunny Ade, Akintola Williams and  Enoch Adeboye - Osun;
Balarabe Musa - Kaduna;
Gani Fawehinmi - Ondo;
Aliko Dango - Kano;
Hakeem Olajuwon - Lagos
and General Gowon - Plateau.

If eventually, maybe 4 or 5 people from Anambra become Nigeria's Greatest living legends. Will it be that Anambra should be seen as Nigeria's greatest state? as the State also produced other legends likes of Zik, Professor Chike Obi, Cardinal Arinze et al??

Did U see the name of anybody from Akwa ibom or Cross River State there when Anambra state alone has five nominees. Your state can only produce people like Etim Esin and Sam Edem. Monkey


When the freeborns are talking , the slaves shouldn't talk. Ebat ibat iyak e ke sin isobo. Tamme, keep shut. You r not qualified to speak on this issue. I guess you are Ambassador Sam Edem's son. Ifot, Nkirikid, uben, ekpo

:-x

yeye woman like above der

@Bilymuse, Tamme and others that thinks like you.
I am sure if you are married, there are people that will take a good look at your spouse and thinks that your wife or husband is the ugliest thing on earth but to you as the husband or wife, he or she is your princess or prince charming and that is the way the world is.

To Nigerians like you, Ikemba is a joke or any unprintable thing one can imagine, but to the very people that matters or counts (Ndigbo) he is their IKEMBA, HERO and DIKE DI ORA NMA. You just have to deal with it, that a one man's joke is another man hero. FACT!!!!!! Ans stop beating yourself up over nothing. But one thing you will never call Ojukwu is corrupt, thief, looter. How many Nigerians can match that?

bilymuse:

Ikeyman00 wrote
Ojukwi is not only a bad joke, but a useless old man. Time without number he has held several meetings with Massob, and Uwazurike is a constant caller at Ojukwu house. The Federal government are not loosing sleep over Massob, because they knew about Ojukwu involvement. So far Ojukwu is involved its going to fail, because Ojukwu is a failure.

The selfish coward ran away at the end of Biafra war , taking with him millions of Biafra Hard currency for his own personal comfort in exile. He has never sacrifice anything for anybody, and unworthy to be called a leader.  The fool does not care about anybody, all he care about is himself.

When a person tell a story from a book he never set his eye on let alone read, a blind man can see it. You are telling a story you knew next to nothing about.
Biafran hard currency?
Ojukwu spent his enter inheritance in the defence of his own people (I was an eye witness).
Remember is father Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu was one of the world richest men in his time. You might not like Ojukwu but saying useless stuff like that is beyong hatred.