– He stood firm when others ran, compromised and did back room deals with their oppressors. He was a great and a proud warrior.



Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was not an ordinary person or one of the run of the mill leaders that we often eulogise after death in Nigeria. He was much more than that. I had read and heard so much about him throughout my youth and in various history books including the bestseller written by Fredrick Forsythe, his old English public school friend and biographer, titled ”Emeka” and another book titled ”The Dogs of War” which was later converted into a Hollywood blockbuster.




Yet it was only in the late eighties and early nineties that I got to know this man intimately. It was at that time that I approached him to do us the honour of being an Honorary member of the old September Club, which was the the leading ”newbreed” political club and association of that day. Anyone that was anything in those days was a member of that great club and the day that Ojukwu came to address us and have a long discussion with us was indeed a remarkable day. It was a day of revelation and truth and a real eye-opener. We were all thrilled at his eloquence, his passion, his memory for detail and his determination to fight his corner and maintain his cause. I fell in love with him on that day as tears silently came to my eyes when he narrated the plight of the igbo in 1966,1967 and throughout the civil war. I will never forget that day. He inspired us all as he spoke and waived his big white horn (a symbol of his position and authority amongst the Igbo) which he held with such tenacity.





Yet it was in the privacy of his Villaska Lodge family home in Lagos, which was located on the then Queens Drive, Ikoyi, where he had kindly invited me for tea, that I became utterly enthralled with him. It was almost an obsession. I remember telling him that day that my only ambition in life after leaving Harrow (the famous British public school that I had had the privilage of attending) and Cambridge University was to join the army just as he had done after he left Epsom College and Oxford but that my father simply refused to allow it. I wondered how he had managed to pull it off given the fact that we came from similar backgrounds. He told me that unlike the Yoruba the Igbo were republican in nature and very independent-minded and that an Igbo father could not easily dictate to a son what his career should or should not be. For a brief moment I was overwhelmed and I wished that I had been born an Igbo. How different things would have been.





This is the effect that Ojukwu had on me. He was a man that inspired such loyalty and courage by his very presence. He was a man that risked everything for the lives and liberty of his people. He stood firm when others ran, compromised and did back room deals with their oppressors. He was a great and a proud warrior. A true son of Africa. The strength and pride of the Igbo race.



Today I re-echo the beautiful words of King David when he heard about the death of his old adversary King Saul and in a similar way I proclaim – tell it not in the north, tell it not in the south, tell it not in the east and tell it not in the west….”for how are the mighty fallen”. Ojukwu has fallen yet he lives. He is buried, yet what he stood for, the Aburi declaration included, is not buried with him. Those ideals shall live and endure forever and shall be manifested in our lifetime no matter how hard the Nigerian state seeks to deny or resist them. The right to self-determination, the freedom to live in peace with our values and cultural identity unmolested and intact even in a multi-religious and multi-cultural state, the right to be free from genocide, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution and tribal bigotry and oppression and the right to live in a country where all people are equal regardless of their state of origin, religious persuasion or ethnic identity are ideals that Ojukwu symbolised and fought for during the civil war and indeed throughout his life. These values and principles live and are not dead and buried with him.




To Dim Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, whose exemplary life has given me and millions of others in my generation more purpose, strength and determination to continue the struggle than he can possibly imagine.
I have only the following to say. You stood firm and fought hard for your people when it mattered the most. Nothing else counts. A product of Epsom College, Oxford University and the illustrious and wealthy Ojukwu family from eastern Nigeria. The father of Biafra. A man of strength, vision and courage. What an extraordinary and noble heritage. We knew your father and your father’s father. They also made their mark. They were also great and powerful men. Yet you were the star that eclipsed all stars in the Nigerian firmament. Unlike many of those who have hail you only in death, you were man enough to stand up and say ”no more” and ”never again” when your people were faced with genocide and mass murder. During the civil war the Biafrans fought like great men and lions simply because they were led by a great man and a great lion. We shall continue the fight for liberation where you stopped. The battle has passed to the next generation.




The threats of continuous threats of death, destruction, assassination, incarceration, detention, jail, persecution, misrepresentation and the manipulations and activities of the powers that be and the princes and principalities in the highest places in our land cannot stop or intimidate us for ”our weapons are not carnal but are mighty through God in the pulling down of strongholds”. May God bless and protect your precious and gallant soul as you join your ancestors in the great halls of Valhalla where the brave shall live forever. May God watch over your dear wife Bianca and your beautiful children and may your name never be erased from the annals of Nigerian history. Rest in peace, great and proud warrior.




http://africanheraldexpress.com/blog7/2012/03/07/for-ojukwu-i-wished-i-were-born-igbo-by-femi-fani-kayode/#comment-95053

This FFK guy. . . disgusts me

ekt_bear:

This FFK guy. . . disgusts me

Makes me wanna throw up.

It is very refreshing and indeed inspiring to see that there are Yoruba men who take Ojukwu as their hero and idol.
I know MANY Igbo men who take Awo as theirs (Jan 1966 coup plotters being the leaders of such men), as well as other great Yoruba men like Fela, and the rest of the Ransome Kuti family, the Great professor Wole Soyinka, and other Yoruba sons who fought for Biafra.
Some of us Nigerians even have people like Nelson Mandela, Thomas Sankara, and Jerry Rawlings as our heroes. It only makes us better humans when we choose lofty men as role models. Tribalism is really petty and for small minds when issues of role models and heroes take center stage.
A lot of Northern Nigerian men missed great opportunities to become heroes and legends when they abused the opportunity of the July 1966 coup.
They allowed pettiness to deny them of greatness.

Well, YOU ARE WELCOME bro Fani Kayode!
You are my brother in Ojukwu!  

same as his NL brothers that why they jump into igbo threads like no tomorrow WOW is it that bad

Onlytruth:



Well, YOU ARE WELCOME bro Fani Kayode!
You are my brother in Ojukwu!  

You people are always free to pick up and recycling our trash,

Y'all can keep that worthless piece of shiitt,

lmao

Da infamous:

same as his NL brothers that why they jump into igbo threads like no tomorrow WOW is it that bad

My brother most of Nairaland Yorubas aren't really their brightest. That is really the sad truth.
Apart from ekt-bear who disappoints me sometimes by playing low life alongside certified thugs, I don't even see the rest as intelligent enough to engage an average Igbo on Nairaland.  

Onlytruth:

My brother most of Nairaland Yorubas aren't really their brightest. That is really the sad truth.
Apart from ekt-bear who disappoints me sometimes by playing low life alongside certified thugs, I don't even see the rest as intelligent enough to engage an average Igbo on Nairaland.  

Unfortunately for you, this is the apex of your intelligence and stone age backwardness, everybody dey talk and these cave people too dey talk



www.nairaland.com/attachments/485746_Enugu1b_jpgef4c88db369c0ebd6c4e60fc0b05a846

Eko Ile:



Unfortunately for you, this is the apex of your intelligence and stone age backwardness, everybody dey talk and these cave people too dey talk



www.nairaland.com/attachments/485746_Enugu1b_jpgef4c88db369c0ebd6c4e60fc0b05a846

You pig you supposed to even be happy that we posted it on NL who need dirty ugly backward wiskers like yorobe tribe see below collapsed buildings and a dirty town washed away by floods

Let me just say that sometimes I dream that a Yoruba son will rise to demonstrate the type of Ojukwu's courage/vision/toughness.
Tunde Idiagbon did a little of that (though some say he wasn't really Yoruba), OBJ is a coward (I never took him serious because he carefully avoided all tough wars and faced only weak opponents). Idiagbon was nevertheless a hero to MANY Igbo sons. Let's say for example that an Idiagbon decided to face off with the Hausa/Fulani in Nigeria, why won't I an Igbo son adopt him as my hero and sing his praises to high heavens? 

I don't know how some are struggling with this. 

Onlytruth:

Let me just say that sometimes I dream that a Yoruba son will rise to demonstrate the type of Ojukwu's courage/vision/toughness.

Dropping shakabula for battlefield, dumping your own men and running like a sissy coward must be the new definition for courage and vision

The only vision he saw was free toto for I.C,



Only in AGIPAland,


lmao

Onlytruth:

Let me just say that sometimes I dream that a Yoruba son will rise to demonstrate the type of Ojukwu's courage/vision/toughness.
Tunde Idiagbon did a little of that (though some say he wasn't really Yoruba), OBJ is a coward (I never took him serious because he carefully avoided all tough wars and faced only weak opponents). Idiagbon was nevertheless a hero to MANY Igbo sons. Let's say for example that an Idiagbon decided to face off with the Hausa/Fulani in Nigeria, why won't I an Igbo son adopt him as my hero and sing his praises to high heavens? 

I don't know how some are struggling with this. 

This post makes you look like, and identifies you as, a staunch bigot. In one fell swoop you slap Yorubas across the face and call them cowards, then you try to soften the salvo by hauling praises at them while spitting in their face at the same time.

Ojukwu was a great man, that is undeniable, to do otherwise is to just exhibit plain stupidity. Now, whether he's an hero or not thats up to each individual to decide and I can't speak for anybody, nor would I denigrate whatever position anyone decides to take on this man who has entrenched himself in the annals of the WORLD'S history.

I do not see what the brouhaha is, Fani-Kayode idolizes the man, let him be. After all, Awo is a hero to some but is also vilified by many. Nigerians never cease to amaze me. Tolerance is key. Everyone should learn it.

Eko Ile:


Dropping shakabula for battlefield, dumping your own men and running like a sissy coward must be the new definition for courage and vision

The only vision he saw was free toto for I.C,



Only in AGIPAland,


lmao

This stinking low life is about to inflict him/herself with incurable madness because Femi Fani-kayode wrote the simple truth about the only Dim Ikemba of Nnewi, olodo.

Dede1:


This stinking low life is about to inflict him/herself with incurable madness because Femi Fani-kayode wrote the simple truth about the only Dim Ikemba of Nnewi, olodo.

Old man, abeg no trip over ya oxygen tank o,


No be fight now, I say you people are free to pick up and recycle our trash including FFK if his life and the rubbish he writes go make your AGIPA life better,

kingoflag:

This post makes you look like, and identifies you as, a staunch bigot. In one fell swoop you slap Yorubas across the face and call them cowards, then you try to soften the salvo by hauling praises at them while spitting in their face at the same time.

Ojukwu was a great man, that is undeniable, to do otherwise is to just exhibit plain stupidity. Now, whether he's an hero or not thats up to each individual to decide and I can't speak for anybody, nor would I denigrate whatever position anyone decides to take on this man who has entrenched himself in the annals of the WORLD'S history.

I do not see what the brouhaha is, Fani-Kayode idolizes the man, let him be. After all, Awo is a hero to some but is also vilified by many. Nigerians never cease to amaze me. Tolerance is key. Everyone should learn it.

It is a good scene to read words in sentences strung together by a seemingly grown kingoflag.

Eko Ile:


Old man, abeg no trip over ya oxygen tank o,


No be fight now, I say you people are free to pick up and recycle our trash including FFK if his life and the rubbish he writes go make your AGIPA life better,

You shall remain ever young and die the moment you see middle age, agbaya.

Dede1:

You shall remain ever young and die the moment you see middle age, agbaya.

Back to sender and everybody inside ya family,

Tell the Ibos what they want and they are all yours to be fuc'kd. First, it was Asari and now FFK. . . .all it took GEJ to get 98% of their votes is "Azikwe" he added to his middle name. How a single statement throw them into trance with multiple or.gasm is what I can't comprehend.

Little wonder Ojukwu gave IBB "Ikechukwu" cos he understands how retarded his people are. Pitiable!

Osiris.212:

Tell the Ibos what they want and they are all yours to be fuc'kd. First, it was Asari and now FFK. . . .all it took GEJ to get 98% of their votes is  "Azikwe" he added to his middle name. How a single statement throw them into trance with multiple  or.gasm is what I can't comprehend.

Little wonder Ojukwu gave IBB "Ikechukwu" cos he understands how slow his people are. Pitiable!

And who is following Fani Kayode to make him king of Igboland?
The man spoke the simple truth. Why is that such a big deal to you?

The funny thing is that an average Igbo can count at least TWO MAJOR anti Igbo policies by Awolowo: (1) starvation as weapon of war; (2) 20 pounds policy after the war; yet there are still Igbos who call him hero.
What did Ojukwu do wrong to an average Yoruba that would make him hate Ojukwu in the first place? NOTHING.
So, you see, only those with serious prejudice or tribal hatred towards his people Ndigbo, would extend such hate to him.
I will make a simple prophetic statement now.
If you cannot celebrate a distant hero, believe me, you can NEVER celebrate a local one.
Ojukwu remains the most celebrated Nigerian today. FACT.
Now, go figure why. 

Osiris.212:

Tell the Ibos what they want and they are all yours to be fuc'kd. First, it was Asari and now FFK. . . .all it took GEJ to get 98% of their votes is "Azikwe" he added to his middle name. How a single statement throw them into trance with multiple or.gasm is what I can't comprehend.

Little wonder Ojukwu gave IBB "Ikechukwu" cos he understands how slow his people are. Pitiable!

They are too weak, too shallow, too emotional and sentimental,

Onlytruth:


Ojukwu remains the most celebrated in iboland today. FACT.
Now, go figure why. 

Fixed

And this is the point I leave the thread for now, . .

Once more, YOU ARE WELCOME bro Fani Kayode!
You are my brother in Ojukwu!

Signing off,
Yours truly

Onlytruth, ndu di n'eziokwu 1 of Igboland, Eze Ndigbo Nairaland.

. . . @topic,

FFK says he wished. . .    well, his birth is irreversible but that of his children can still be planned so they are born Igbo and should name them Ojukwu.

Ezeigbo, can you find some fine girl from your village for FaniKayode to marry and have igbo pikin with?

RFK, aka Fani Power was flogged and jeered mercilessly by soldiers in front of his whole family, including his young son FFK. I sometimes wonder if FFK ever recovered from the trauma. Even among Nigerian politicians, dude is one glib talker

Eze! My question to you and all those willing to answer is, why is the Ibos easily fooled by mere political staement?

Onlytruth:

And who is following Fani Kayode to make him king of Igboland?
The man spoke the simple truth. Why is that such a big deal to you?

The funny thing is that an average Igbo can count at least TWO MAJOR anti Igbo policies by Awolowo: (1) starvation as weapon of war; (2) 20 pounds policy after the war; yet there are still Igbos who call him hero.
What did Ojukwu do wrong to an average Yoruba that would make him hate Ojukwu in the first place? NOTHING.
So, you see, only those with serious prejudice or tribal hatred towards his people Ndigbo, would extend such hate to him.
I will make a simple prophetic statement now.
If you cannot celebrate a distant hero, believe me, you can NEVER celebrate a local one.
Ojukwu remains the most celebrated Nigerian today. FACT.
Now, go figure why.

For the bigots in the house, my joy is that Great Ojukwu is being vindicated even at death so rant on for all i care. The Great Sage envisaged the contraption we are in today when other local champions were licking mallam's a.r.s.e. Little wonder the brightest of them all whom i respect dearly, Wole Soyinka was in Awka to pay his respect.

Most erudite Yorubas, and the real intelligentsia like Soyinka et al are class apart in their world view. Ojukwu was, and will remain a hero to all those who believe in justice, fairness and equity. The truth that he stood for will forever stare us in the face and poke us in the eyes until we do something about it.

Yesterday Igbos were massacre and their land pillaged; their friends and neighbours were turn against them by crafty tongued pretenders who stole for themselves their land and resources to enrich themselves.

Today, while Igbo and other southern minority tribes still suffer casualty here and there; the old foes know no peace neither! The country witnessed no stability. Today Beroms are murdered in their sleep, Tivs are sacked in their land by the hausa/fulani invaders and fundamentalist. Yorubas risk losing their ancestral land in Kwara, Kogi. The Efik, Ibiobios are denied federal development (ports) in other to undermine the Igbos. The Ijaws want their oil back from those pretentious thieves and collaborators. The hausa/fulani have lost their only priced asset - power! And recently they have turned their guns against themselves and the world in the name of religious fanaticism, for which they are now despised! What a country!

All this could have been avoided if Nigeria had listened to the eloquent voice of wisdom from the young Ojukwu - to live together we have to move apart slightly!

I think Fani-Kayode is just a chancer (my opinion)

By the way, Onlytruth, take no offense, but I think you're unnecessarily sentimental and easily deceived.

Yoruba singing praise of igbos because he thinks an igbo man is in power.
They have no principles. They just follow whichever way the wind is blowing.
Stand up for yourselves for once!
Slave mentality.

and i tell thee northerners today and i tell thee westerners i also tell thee easterners to open eyes and tell thyselves the simple truth, what can thee see in this dip bloody sea? is this really the way thou wanna live or is this thy only option?  and whose fault was this and who did what?  whose should ve done what? who refused to do what? is this the best thou should be given? up on the mountains in jos blood is flowing like a stream. in the moutains of kabang and the mountains of lamurde the deads are angry cos the bridge to cross and go to lokuwa has flooded and washed away by their blood and the people pretend they dont see it. oh yelwa old sweet neighborhood angwa samiya mai zaki da jibilo why have you allowed the wicked to turn you to a slaughter house?  now the only kogi that you drink from to quench your thirst has flooded with a sea of blood just like many kogis and the mountains or hills which you walk up to and feel  some fresh air and view the beauty of nature has scared you away cos you refused to see need to protect and defend the innocents. oh yelwa old sweet neighborhood maybe you have gone blind to see that what you licking is no more the old sweet mayinzuma ask vendi and koji you im sure they tell you it is blood that is in the bowl.

Ejiné:

I think Fani-Kayode is just a chancer (my opinion)  

I share your sentiment on Fani kayode, I place him in the same category with  the likes of Tinubu, Bode George, and El Rufia of this world.
He should be trusted like a fox!