IgbereTV reports that former Nigerian Head of State and elder statesman, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has said that Nigeria’s foremost young literary expert, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche was distorting Nigeria’s history by her narration of the happenings of the infamous Biafra war that happened 50 years ago.

The Nigerian civil war (also known as the Biafran War} was a Civil war in Nigeria fought between the government of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra.

Biafra, represented the nationalistic aspirations of the Biafran people, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern dominated federal government.

Chimamanda, in her book “Half of a Yellow Sun”, depicted the Nigerian forces as brutal and unforgiving as they ravaged through homes, burning down houses while shooting and manhandling unharmed civilians. The award winning book was also made into a Box Office Hollywood movie, earning millions of dollars in cinemas across the world.

In an exclusive interview to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Nigeria’s first and only civil war which lasted for 3 years from 1967-1970 and resulted in the death and displacement of millions of civilians, mostly of Igbo extraction, Gen. Gowon stated that Chimamanda’s narration of the war was not entirely correct.

In her book”Half of a Yellow Sun”, Chimamanda had depicted Nigerian forces as brutal and menacing, prosecuting the war with no respect for human rights or lives. As at the time of the war, Gen.Yakubu Gowon was head of state.

In his words: “Amanda and others like her are very wrong in their description of the events that happened during the civil war. She wasn’t born at the time, so she cannot claim to be speaking authoritatively on the subject matter. Our soldiers then were extremely disciplined, there is what we call ‘Code of conduct’ in the army and rules of engagement guiding the military.

“A very key part of those rules states that; you cannot shoot or harm in any way, an unarmed civilian or even an unarmed enemy soldier for that matter. How then can she claim that her forebears were brutalized and tortured by the same forces that were sent to maintain order and ensure we remain a united nation and not a divided entity?

“People her age weren’t even born during the war, she probably heard stories passed down and adulterated, and then based all her conclusions of the happenings of that period on hear-say,” he emphasized.

Gen. Gowon then went further to explain how the 3-year war was fought, and why he declared ‘No victor, no vanquished’

“We didn’t prosecute the war as though we were fighting our enemies, we fought the war as a last resort. We first started by using the police as a first respondent, but when the situation got out of hand and the rebel forces started taking over government establishments in the east, we had to take action to ensure and guarantee the future of this country,” he said.

When asked about why the war started, he stated that the war began as a result of different understanding of the Aburi Accord.

“The disagreement came from the different interpretation of the Aburi Accord, which lead to a lot of political disagreement and differences. When Ojukwu came and said ‘On Aburi Accord we stand’, I said no, ‘on Aburi you fall’. The civil war happened because of the different interpretations both parties—Nigeria & Biafra had on the Aburi Accord, despite all our efforts to come to a common ground, unfortunately, the war broke out.

“The civil war we had to reluctantly go into, came about as a result of various disagreement on many issues going back into Nigeria’s history, to the time of the first military intervention. Various political attempts were made to solve the problem, like the signing of the Aburi Accord and the problems that arose from the interpretation of what Aburi really meant.

“Ojukwu said, ‘on Aburi we stand, and I said no, on Aburi you will fall…’, that was probably the beginning of the war, because they were trying to interpret it the way they wanted and were trying to force the rest of us to accept it their way and we were saying that we also have our own way of resolving the issue.

“When the war eventually ended, my administration made giant steps to rebuild the war torn Biafran side. We didn’t take any prisoners of war, neither was any soldier from the Biafran side tried or prosecuted. We created a program to reabsorb them, we began rebuilding schools, hospitals and homes for the displaced people.

“After seeing the effect of the war on the people, and the pains it brought, I decided to put in place measures that will ensure our country doesn’t disintegrate into a situation like that again. We created Unity schools across the country, divided the big states into smaller states so that no one state could hold so much power again.

“Then we created the National Youth Service Corps, to take young people from one part the country to another in the hope of fostering unity, creating friendships and building relationships that will help nation building.

“If you look around today, you will see so much good being done by youth corpers across the country,” he ended.


http://igberetvnews.com/1212373/gowon-chimamanda-adichie-others-distorting-nigerias-history/

General Gowon, with all due respect Sir, go and sit down!

Chimamanda wasn't born during the war doesn't mean she can't tell what happened then. The atrocities you and your cohorts committed then is evergreen in our memories. We will pass them down to our children. It's in soft and hard copies.

You didn't prosecute the war as though you were fighting your enemies, yet you killed over 3 Million innocent people.

She dont hv sense

Kestolove:
She dont hv sense

You are wrong. It is that lying pig Gowon that doesn't have sense

So how far have we gone between 1966 and now, compared to other nations in same category as at 1966?...

Kestolove:
She dont hv sense

This is one of the reasons they stopped teaching History in secondary schools.
She don't have sense because she documented a true life event

Indomie children!!

Assuming (but not conceding) that Chimamanda's account is wrong because she wasn't born at that time; what about the account of Chinua Achiebe in his book THERE WAS A COUNTRY?

Yakubu Gowon and his cohorts are trying everything possible for young Nigerians not to know the truth.

Nigeria forces especially the air force that attack and bomb civilians. ....markets, schools and Red cross centres were bombed.....even foot soldiers kill any living animals and cut down any standing trees. .make Gowon forget this matter ooo

Stop dis una 2nd civil war on nairaland...neither gowon nor chimamanda is in nairaland to explain in detail to u guys...pls,give peace a chance.

We created Unity schools across the country, divided the big states into smaller states so that no one state could hold so much power again.



Gowon divided igboland and gave it to Niger Delta to stop Igbo's from uniting





But Gowon is a lair how about the unarmed Igbo civilians that were massacred in asaba by his soldiers?

Africankel:
Assuming (but not conceding) that Chimamanda's account is wrong because she wasn't born at that time; what about the account of Chinua Achiebe in his book THERE WAS A COUNTRY?

Yakubu Gowon and his cohorts are trying everything possible for young Nigerians not to know the truth.

Was Achebe unbiassed?
Achebe was the propagandist of the Biafra regime
The Biafran forces were no saints neither were the Nigerians let us be honest and fair

It is not a competition so there is no point for me enumerating the well documented atrocities on BOTH SIDES

Achebe and Chimamanda are motivated by the need to keep the Biafra story alive which is a legitimate thing to do however their accounts by any measure are one sided . There are two sides to this story. Quite wisely the Nigerian sides have kept quiet because there is no point dredging up stuff if there is a genuine need to heal and reconcile.

As we have seen on Nairaland repeating both sides ad infinitum will change NOTHING.
It will achieve nothing.

That is the nature of war and people should learn from that

If we go to war today even greater numbers will die.

donbachi:
Stop dis una 2nd civil war on nairaland...neither gowon nor chimamanda is in nairaland to explain in detail to u guys...pls,give peace a chance.

History must be set straight.

0monnak0da:

Was Achebe unbiassed?
Achebe was the propagandist of the Biafra regime
The Biafran forces were no saints neither were the Nigerians let us be honest and fair

It is not a competition so there is no point for me enumerating the well documented atrocities on BOTH SIDES

Achebe and Chimamanda are motivated by the need to keep the Biafra story alive which is a legitimate thing to do however their accounts by any measure are one sided . There are two sides to this story. Quite wisely the Nigerian sides have kept quiet because there is no point dredging up stuff if there is a genuine need to heal and reconcile.

As we have seen on Nairaland repeating both sides ad infinitum will change NOTHING.
It will achieve nothing.

That is the nature of war and people should learn from that

If we go to war today even greater numbers will die.

What you are saying has no bearing to this conversation.

Gowon is saying the federal forces were saints.

We say he is lying.

You trying to draw the Biafran side into it by saying they committed atrocities too is not what Gowon said, but your bitter mind trying to justify the atrocities.

The only part that pains me more is that instead of it told thought in our schools as history, it has become a forbidden topic

SLAP44:


History must be set straight.

if we kill our selves today,who will make it straight.

0monnak0da:



If we go to war today even greater numbers will die.

You have no way of knowing that. The outcome of any future event is is something you cannot predict.

donbachi:
if we kill our selves today,who will make it straight.

No, if we tell the truth today, perhaps it can correct the upcoming generations on both sides of the divide.

So Gowon should stop lying.

With all due respect Sir,....


JUST SHUT UP.


Atrocities were committed on both sides. More so by the Nigerian side because the war was fought on the Biafran soil. History is not only what you experienced.

Pls who do foolish Igbo really want to blame for this death, is it Awo or Gowon ?

Davash222:
General Gowon, with all due respect Sir, go and sit down!

Chimamanda wasn't born during the war doesn't mean she can't tell what happened then. The atrocities you and your cohorts committed then is evergreen in our memories. We will pass it down to our children. It's in soft and hard copies.

You didn't prosecute the war as though we were fighting your enemies, yet you killed over 3 Million innocent people.

Useless Gowon again , a man that has never stood for anything

Shameless Gowon....

Only in Nigeria would a character like Gowon be impudent enough to keep talking after playing a starring role in the malady/malaise called Nigeria.

When a man at Gowon's age can lie so glibly, then you wouldnt be needing a brain surgeon to diagnose the morbidity of this geographical entity...

SLAP44:


You have no way of know that. The outcome of any future event is is something you cannot predict.

That is my opinion so stop trying to play smart
Human beings since they have walked this earth have speculated on future events based on available facts and I am sure you do the same so please stop trying to play Professor Solomon
If you have anything sensible to say say it
My view is if there is any similar war in Biafra more people will die than last time .
So because we do not know for certain we should not talk.
Is there any area in human life where people do not make predictions
Guy STFU

Gowon the murderous corrupt greedy foool

SLAP44:


What you are saying has no bearing to this conversation.

Gowon is saying the federal forces were saints.

We say he is lying.

You trying to draw the Biafran side into it by saying they committed atrocities too is not what Gowon said, but your bitter mind trying to justify the atrocities.

Where did Gowon say anyone was a saint

0monnak0da:

That is my opinion so stop trying to play smart
Human beings since they have walked this earth have speculated on future events based on available facts and I am sure you do the same so please stop trying to play Professor Solomon
If you have anything sensible to say say it
My view is if there is any similar war in Biafra more people will die than last time .

Your opinions can also be very very wrong and you equally know it. No need of me glorifying your ignorance, I will let it slide so I don't say much.

0monnak0da:

Was Achebe unbiassed?
Achebe was the propagandist of the Biafra regime
The Biafran forces were no saints neither were the Nigerians let us be honest and fair

It is not a competition so there is no point for me enumerating the well documented atrocities on BOTH SIDES

Achebe and Chimamanda are motivated by the need to keep the Biafra story alive which is a legitimate thing to do however their accounts by any measure are one sided . There are two sides to this story. Quite wisely the Nigerian sides have kept quiet because there is no point dredging up stuff if there is a genuine need to heal and reconcile.

As we have seen on Nairaland repeating both sides ad infinitum will change NOTHING.
It will achieve nothing.

That is the nature of war and people should learn from that

If we go to war today even greater numbers will die.

tell us the story from the Nigerian angle since Achebe and Amanda were biased

To be fair, logically and honest I think Gowon is one of the best leader that rule Nigeria ��.

F.uck U Gowon!

Whatever Chimamanda said in that book is even a watered down version of what my Parents and Granny told me...

What of Frederick Forsyth? He wrote about the Biafran war. He is an outsider. And he captured the brutality of the Nigeri8 army outrightly. Why did Steve jobs turn Atheist? WAS IT NOT ON ACCOUNT OF THE TELEVISED ATROCITIES SHOWN When the war was raging?

Gowon infact needs the Hague. Let him not use born again to cover his sins

0monnak0da:

Where did Gowon say anyone was a saint

Where did Gowon blame even one person on the federal side in the entire article?

SLAP44:


Where did Gowon blame even one person on the federal side in the entire article?

I am not going to play the game of

Who can ask the most stupid question


You said Gowon said his soldiers were saints

Evidence please ?? If you have none then get lost

nijabazaar:
F.uck U Gowon!

Whatever Chimamanda said in that book is even a watered down version of what my Parents and Granny told me...

There are no parents and grannies on the Nigeria side