BREAKING,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Seven Lies The Nigerian Media Have Been Telling Against Ojukwu For 50 Years.
The Nigerian media, particularly those of the North and west, have consistently propagated a series of lies against late Biafran Warlord, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, for the last 50 years since the end of the war. Some of these lies have assumed a life of their own. Im here to debunk 7 of these lies so that people may know the truth
1) That Ojukwu lost no family member in the war:
Contrary to popular belief that Ojukwu lost no relations to the war, Ojukwu lost his own brother. Ojukwus younger brother, Tom Bigger, died while fighting in the Nsukka sector of the war
2)That Ojukwu never visited the war front:
Not only did Ojukwu visit the front several times, he even personally led "operation Igwuruta" that cleared Nigerian forces from Oguta.
3)That Ojukwu forced the minorities of the Eastern Region into Biafra without Consultation:
Before Ojukwu declared Biafra, he convened the "Eastern Nigeria Consultative Forum", a body that comprised all the chiefs, provincial heads and trade union leaders of the 20 provinces that made up the old Eastern Region. They met in Enugu and voted overwhelmingly for the Eastern Region to become an independent country and mandated Ojukwu to declare Biafra. When you compare this to Nigeria which Lugard created in 1914 without even giving notice to anybody, you begin to understand the hypocrisy.
4) That Ojukwu was not senior to Gowon:
Gowon was commissioned an officer in 1956 while Ojukwu was in 1957. However, Ojukwu joined the civil service in 1955. When Ojukwu was commissioned in 1957, his commission date was backdated to 1955 to reflect when he joined the civil service. This made Ojukwu to become senior to Gowon.
5)That Ojukwu dressed like a woman to escape Biafra:
Ojukwu left Biafra via Uli Airport. Why would Ojukwu disguise himself as a woman to go an Airport in an area still under his control? Does that make any sense? Besides, people like NU Akpan, AA Madiebo and Philip Effiong have all written in their books how they escorted Ojukwu in a convoy to the Airport.
6) That Ojukwu was a coward for fleeing Biafra: The Oxford dictionary defines a coward as "a person who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things". Had Ojukwu wanted, he could have used his position to negotiate a top position in Gowon's government. Had Ojukwu wanted, he could taken his father millions and retired to any country in the world. Instead, Ojukwu fought a 3 year war of independence against impossible odds, against a much larger and better equiped enemy. In the end when he could not continue, he exited the scene as the alternative would have been to wait to be killed. Ojukwus bravery is in his will to declare the independence of an oppressed people and fight with for 3 years. Anyone who thinks he is a coward for not "staying back to be killed" is someone who is ignorant
7) That Ojukwu caused the war/declared war:
Ojukwu did not cause the war and he never declared any war. Contrary to the lie(s) peddled against Ojukwu, Ojukwu actually tried to prevent war. While Igbos were being killed all over Nigeria, Ojukwu appealed for c⁶ an agreement. Despite Ojukwus best efforts to prevent war, Gowon still went ahead to break the Aburi agreement they signed, which left Ojukwu with no option than to declare Biafra. Throughout the war, Ojukwu travelled out for several peace meetings brokered by the international community, none of which Gowon bothered to attend. It was Gowon that caused the war by breaking the agreement they signed and it was he who declared war.

2. Ojukwu didn't visit the war front. Why did he fled with his own sons while he pushed the son of other biafrans to war front?

3. Issue of minorities have been over flogged.... Go to this thread https://www.nairaland.com/5838192/attrocities-biafran-soldiers-during-civil

An example of abuses against Biafran minorities concerns that of the Ikun people, who were suspected of collaboration. This led to detentions, looting and raping by Biafran troops in Ikunland. Many males were rounded up and ‘disappeared’, while others were shot to death.

The Ikun are minuscule in numbers and the Biafran felt particularly threatened by the larger ethnic groups from Calabar, Ogoja and Rivers provinces where the pre-war agitation for states of their own to be carved out of the Eastern Region had been particularly strong.

One of the most publicised war crimes committed by the Biafrans occurred when Federal troops landed in Calabar in October 1967. About 167 civilians in detention were lined up and executed by Biafran soldiers. The Nigerian Consulate in New York published details of this atrocity as an informational advertisement in the New York Times as part of the propaganda war with the Biafrans, whose own propaganda machinery at home, and operating internationally under the auspices of the Geneva-based Markpress public relations firm, always had the edge over the Federal side.

When the Biafran occupiers began to lose ground, their paranoia increased. Each set back on the battlefield was blamed on saboteurs, and in the desperate circumstances of continual retreat, the policies of the Biafrans turned to draconian, inhumane solutions. The murder of non-Igbos intensified. In Abudu, over 300 bodies were found in the Ossiomo River and on 20 September 1967, many non-Igbos were slaughtered at Boji-Boji Agbor. And at Asaba, Ibusa and Agbor non-Igbos were taken into custody by Biafran soldiers and transported in two lorries to a rubber plantation along the Uromi-Agbor Road where they were put to death.

5. It was reported General Ojukwu fled on one of the last planes out of the enclave, disguised as a priest and on a stretcher. - The New York Times

6.

Had Ojukwu wanted, he could have used his position to negotiate a top position in Gowon's government. Had Ojukwu wanted,

which reward is more than Niger Delta oil. You seem to forget why the war happened in the first place

7. The war was a chain of reaction which Ojukwu and top igbo elders knew about. Look at it, Top northern and western leaders were killed by igbos soldiers, Ironsi was the head of state ( by miracle), he appointed Ojukwu as Eastern governor (miracle again). Ojukwu and Ironsi knew there would be responds to their bloody coup so they banked on it when it happened Northern pogrom) to secede from Nigeria taking Niger Deltan oil as throphy for themselves only. Remember Biafran army attacked first by invading mid West and west both Benin city and Ore

you can't rewrite history besides how many people are on nairaland

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MinorityOpinion:
2. Ojukwu didn't visit the war front. Why did he fled with his own sons while he pushed the son of other biafrans to war front?

3. Issue of minorities have been over flogged.... Go to this thread https://www.nairaland.com/5838192/attrocities-biafran-soldiers-during-civil







5. It was reported General Ojukwu fled on one of the last planes out of the enclave, disguised as a priest and on a stretcher. - The New York Times

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Ojukwu represented us well.. Igbos don't lick ass