₦airaland Forum

D4mn! Ojukwu could have been a hero; reverred by other southern regions now. Why did he have to be so greedy? He just believed that he could take it all.

Giving all these antecedents, it makes me even more angry that the ibos can point fingers at any region or group of people in the Nigerian project for their downfall.

Ibos, clearly are the orchestrers of Nigeria's misfortune, they caused our malaise of today. Awolowo and Akintola saw through these people and they warned up to beware of the "ibo alakuko" but the British and Azikwe, out of their greed brought this curse called Nigeria upon us.

Katsumoto: Yes, Gowon created states to undermine Ojukwu but that was after Ojukwu refused to accept decree 8 because it would have meant that Ojukwu could be replaced by Gowon.


Is Ojukwu a Hero or a Villain? by Max Siollun
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January is a key month in Nigeria’s history. This January marks the 41st anniversary of the end of the Nigerian civil war, and the 44th anniversary of the Aburi accords – the debate in Aburi in Ghana which nearly pre-empted the war. The pivotal figure in both events is Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Ojukwu is a man that evokes conflicting emotions. To some he is a born leader and a hero. To others he is an ambitious man that tried to break up his country. Where Ojukwu is concerned, no one is a neutral. The conflicting opinions on him are emblematic of his inconsistent personality and history. Ojukwu is an educated man that entered a profession that many Nigerians regarded at the time as a profession for the uneducated. He is a southerner born in the north who fought a three year long war against the north. He is a man who once led an attempt to secede from Nigeria, but later ran for President of Nigeria.

[size=12pt]A leader must be judged by what benefits or misfortune he has brought to his people. Has Ojukwu brought anything positive to his people? His record is grim. The “accomplishments” Ojukwu has brought his people include:

• Leading them in a brutal civil war they had no chance of winning, and which resulted in a million of them dying.
• Even when it became clear that his people were starving to death in massive numbers, he continued the war which was doomed from the start.
• He fled and left his people after the war.
• The civil war caused his people to be stereotyped as disloyal and led to an unwritten discrimination against them.
[/size]

Yet he is still revered. Ojukwu’s first official involvement in politics came after a group of young army Majors overthrew the democratic government in January 1966. Contrary to what has been written in some quarters, Ojukwu refused to cooperate with the Majors – including Major Nzeogwu. Ojukwu was appointed the Military Governor of the Eastern Region after the coup. This appointment was ironic as he had spent very little of his life in the east. Ojukwu was the most politically active of the four military governors. By mid-1966 the army was imploding and another army coup was staged by northern soldiers during which hundreds of Igbo soldiers (including Ironsi) were killed. A central plank of this coup was the elimination of Ojukwu. The ‘pointman’ who was to execute the coup in the eastern region was a young Lieutenant named Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (the older brother of Nigeria’s former President).

Aburi – Ojukwu’s Finest Hour

After being dragged to the brink of an abyss by two military coups in 1966, and pogroms which followed them, Ojukwu had refused to attend any meetings of the Supreme Military Council until the Ghanaian leader Lt-General Joseph Ankrah brokered a meeting in the neutral territory of Aburi in Ghana in January 1967. This was Ojukwu’s finest hour. Ojukwu prepared thoroughly and came armed with notes and secretaries. He managed to secure an agreement to devolve power from the federal government to the regions. This turned Nigeria into a confederation. In the words of one writer Ojukwu “secured the signatures of the SMC to documents which would have had the effect of turning Nigeria into little more than a customs union".

[size=12pt]The federal government attempted to implement the Aburi agreement in diluted form by enacting a modified Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree (Decree cool which turned Nigeria into a de facto confederation, but which did not incorporate ALL of the agreements reached at Aburi. Federal civil servants argued that to implement all of the Aburi agreements would lead to the dissolution of the federation. Ojukwu declined to accept the initial draft of the Decree and insisted on a full and complete implementation of the Aburi accords.

As the weaker party, could Ojukwu still have showed greater pragmatism to spare further suffering for his people? Even with its flaws, Decree 8 gave him 90% of what he wanted. The U.S. State Department was “impressed by extent to which Decree 8 appears to meet many of East's fundamental demands for much greater regional autonomy. While recognizing that it stops short of granting everything Ojukwu wants, Dept. considers Decree represents genuine effort by FMG and other Mil Govs to implement Aburi agreements and to retain Nigerian unity in form which least objectionable to East…..Consulate Enugu has reported that some prominent and moderate Easterners may incline toward above view".

WINNER TAKES ALL – NIGERIA’S MALAISE[/size]

In the “winner takes all” mentality that is so symptomatic of Nigerian politics, Ojukwu unrealistically held out for 100% of his demands and in the end, received 0%. His refusal to be tactically flexible by considering options other than secession, placed him and his people in a worse position than they started in. Rather than turning Nigeria into a confederation (which is what Decree 8 did), Ojukwu’s give no inch stance gave the federal government an opportunity to overrun the Eastern Region, carve the country into several states and concentrate massive powers in the central government. Forty years later many Nigerians now call for the restructuring of Nigeria, and for devolution of power to its regions. The opportunity to achieve this was squandered 45 years ago at Aburi.

Could Ojukwu have achieved his objectives – albeit at a later date, had he been more patient? The old adage is that “the best comes to those who wait”. Could he have accepted confederation in the short-term, then waited patiently until such time that the Eastern Region had enough weapons and infrastructure to sustain a fully independent state in the future?

WAS SECESSION A MISTAKE?

When armed confrontation with the federal government was imminent, Ojukwu knew that the Eastern Region had absolutely no chance of victory in an armed conflict with the federal government. Where did he obtain the confidence to secede nonetheless? It certainly was not from international opinion. Western diplomats warned him that they would not recognize a new state of Biafra. In a telegram from the US Department of State to the US Embassy in Nigeria dated March 24, 1967, the U.S. warned:

"East making serious mistake if it under assumption that international recognition of independent East would be easily obtained; our info clearly to contrary". This was the consistent US position as far back as July/August 1966. The US had previously noted that “Both US Ambassador Mathews and UKHICOM Cumming-Bruce have made strong representations in opposition to secession of any area of Nigeria. We consider such development would be major political and economic disaster for Nigerian people and severe setback to independent Africa."

Yet he declared secession, knowing full well that powerful countries would not recognize his new state, and that federal troops would invade immediately after secession. Ojukwu doubtless possessed outstanding leadership and motivational skills which he used admirably to pull his people solidly behind the war effort. However, exactly how did he possibly believe that the Eastern Region (armed only with a few elderly World War 2 era rifles) could succeed against an enemy armed with limitless mortars, machine guns, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, trucks and air force jets. One does not have to be a military strategist to see the folly of this decision. [size=12pt]


THE MID-WEST INVASION – A MISTAKE?

Under considerable military pressure from the federal army, in 1967 Ojukwu ordered Biafran soldiers to invade the Mid-West Region as a way to relieve military pressure on Biafra’s land, and to force the federal army onto the defensive. The invasion caught the federal government totally off guard and threatened a stunning military humiliation for it.


However, did the invasion of the Mid-West turn into a public relations disaster? The Military Governor of the Mid-West Lt-Colonel Ejoor had repeatedly stated that due to the multi-ethnic composition of his region, the "Mid-West will not be a battleground". Ejoor had even refused to let federal troops cross through his territory. Hence it was regarded as neutral demilitarised territory. However the invasion forced Ejoor off the fence he had been sitting on. He fled to Lagos, now firmly opposed to Biafra. Ojukwu had alienated a potential figure of friendly neutrality. The Mid-West was neutral until that invasion and may not have joined the war but for it.

Additionally, the invasion gave the rest of Nigeria the mistaken impression that Biafra's cause was not only about survival, but also about territorial conquest. It escalated the conflict and gave the federal army a free hand to start using heavy weapons, artillery and punishing air raids. Lt-Col Murtala Muhammed's 2nd division of the Nigerian army carried out massive reprisals against Igbos and murdered several hundred as punishment.

FLIGHT TO IVORY COAST

During the war, there was a widely held belief (propagated by Ojukwu and other Biafran leaders) that defeat for Biafra would be met by mass genocidal massacres by the federal government. If Ojukwu believed this, then his escape at the end of the war is deplorable. After over a million Igbos were killed (90% of whom were civilians), Ojukwu fled in the last days of the war when his people were at their lowest ebb, despite repeatedly promising throughout the war that he would never leave them to the mercy of the federal troops. If he believed that all his people would be massacred, then his flight to a exile abroad and refusal to stand side by side with them to finish a war he led them into, cannot be applauded.

http://www.pointblanknews.com/Special_Reports/os4390.html

Goddess12: My hometown is less than 10mins form Ikenne, If the the Jagunlabi had commited suicide, we won't be hearing it from you ibos on nairaland only, it really makes me think maybe this is how your leaders are put to death, not that i care about how your leaders die, just don't put Awolowo in your suicide mission.

we so fo omo alare ruwo wa. Ewesoo...

judging by the first few paragraphs alone, it is as clear as day that the okoros have caused more mayhem for the nation and are single handedly responsible for the demise of the current Nigerian state.

1. Azikure foisted Nigeria on all.

2. Nzeogwu annihilated leaders from other regions.

3. Ironsi imposed a unitary system

4. Ojuiku brought about the civil war that not only killed their useless good for death people but brought death to innocent Yorubas.

Do we need to be told who the real enemies are? The northerners are just brutish, uncivilised lots who wants to dominate as a result of insecurity but the ibos, these are the real demons right there. They are not only greedy but want to laud it over all.

Katsumoto: It was Nigerians that lost out with Awo, the most gifted administrator of any generation, not being able to rule Nigeria.

In any case, Awo was more interested in ruling Western Nigeria but since others (Zik and the British) conspired against his desire for a separate nation, he realised that the destiny of his people was tied to the destiny of other Nigerians. The progress that was made by Awo's AG has been regressed due to the unitary sc=tyle of government introduced by Ironsi, with his decree 34 of 1966.

See below for an assessment of all the regions by Lennox-Boyd, the colonial secretary in 1957.

5. In the West the grant of Regional self-government has on balance been
justified. The Action Group Government, led by the Premier, Chief Awolowo,
have proved reasonable and competent administrators and, although with the
steady run-down of the cadre of overseas officers there is bound to be some decline
in standards of administration, the advanced educational programme of the Region
should in time provide sufficient replacements. The Premier aspires to national
leadership and has to this end formed a close alliance with the principal Opposition
elements in the North and East.

6. In the East government has seriously run down. Dr. Azikiwe (" Zik ",
leader of the N.C.N.C. remains in power as the personification of Ibo tribalism,
but his chronic unwillingness to tolerate around him men of independence of mind
has brought into being a Regional Executive Council, almost all of whom are
nonentities. Some of the Federal Ministers drawn from his Party, notably
Dr. Mbadiwe, have recently lost their posts through constant but so far ineffective
warfare against his personal dictatorship of party affairs. His star may be on the
wane. At present he has no serious rival as leader of the Ibos, who are much the
largest race in the Region, and although it would be much healthier for Nigeria
if his hand were removed from the helm, the time has passed when Her Majesty's
Government could take any effective action to hasten this process. He must be
left to the disillusionment of his own people.

7. The vast Northern Region is still well behind the others in " progress."
Two-thirds of its 18 million people are strict Muslims, accepting the authority of
their Emirs. Educational progress is still slow and there is no prospect for a
generation of the Region being able to replace from its own resources the overseas
officers who have served them so well. The North fears and dislikes the more
educated Southerners and if they were not economically bound to the Federation
would be glad to be quit of it. The Emirs have for the most part recognised that
they must come to terms with democracy and support the party at present in power,
the N.P.C. The Premier, the Sardauna of Sokoto, is himself of a princely family.

wow, wow! What an educating thread courtesy of Katsumoto. Did he school the bastards or did he school them? But like a lamb being led to slaughter, they stagger foolishly into their den of death.

If this thread were to be represented as battleground, the number of lifeless ibos would be countless.

The cheek of a tribe with no history coming here with an affront to the great Yoruba nation? What arrant nonsense; what impunity! But shall we blame them for it all? No, we have our own bastard in the name of Femi Fani Kayode (more like koshide)who always points to his father's house with the left hand.

Well done to the Yoruba soldiers and to Katsumoto my NL hero.

Donalð Genes: my states is the worst where you have Exxonmoblil employing youruba ppl instead of us...but we just keeping trying to simmer down ..
2ndly,pls any of you from south south know if Total has finally shortlisted this year Indiqene employement as my brother submited His Cv(though strictly for Geoloqy,financial control and Engineering qraduates)...since last may,haven't heard anything from that angle since

but Yorubas are light years ahead of you in intelligence and administration. You should know that by now.

Donalð Genes: must you insult my president at any qiven lee way...why can't you just allow him rest @desola...qive him a break.....He is your president...so live with it!!

That he is my president as a result of mentally incapacitated majority does not mean I should also tow the line of idiocy and act in goat like manner. Jonathan is a waste of space and a shame to Nigeria and any past president in any given geographical location in the world. He is the worst of the retarded bunch and anything/anyone that comes from his region is a replica of him.

If his wife is said to be a graduate, yet speak in such uncouth and unguarded manner with a terrible command of the English language and still be made a permanent secretary. Is it any wonder why Chevron would refuse to employ even a phd or doctorate holder from that creek? Those people don't go to school, they buy their certificates!

Is it any wonder why Chevron is jittery? Given the ijaw number one citizen's antecedent in Nigeria, it comes as no surprise that they refuse to recruit an Ijaw indigene. They are all dunces! As expressed by Jonathan, having a degree does not equate to having common sense or any iota of intelligence.

I'm just saying.

These northerners need to be killed off!

Jarus: I wonder too o. How can a Kaduna boy claim he is not a northerner! Some people need lecturing that geographical expression (north) is different from ethnic grouping (Hausa, Fulani). Or is middle belt in his own compass?

You are trying to be clever but some of us see through your veil. You are not only referring to Kwarans as geographical northerners but asserting that they are northerners in culture, traditions and religion. Who died and made you the spokesperson for the Kwarans, anyway? You bloody divisionist who thrive on propaganda and subjugation. You are northerners; inferior set of barbaric baboons who were mistakenly amalgamated with civilised people. You lot belong to Niger republic blood suckers!

Jarus: What if we decide we want to go with the North? You will come and pull us back like you pulled Yorubas in Benin Republic abi?

Don't be silly! The loss of Yorubas to Benin was as a result of colonisation and and the greed between the British and French. That we were ripped off by those evil colonial master does not mean we would let the barbaric, senseless and inhuman hausas get away with it.

Ileke-IdI:
Jarus, no disrespect, but you need to learn your limit with this "I am a Yoruba from the North" story. Please. Okay.
We as in "you and yourself" right?

Thank you!

I suspect that he is an aboki who has mixed with Yorubas in his state and as a result learnt to speak fluent Yoruba and comes here to confuse the Yorubas. Bloody northerner!

Jarus: I am from Offa, born and bred there, an active 'youth voice' in the community, having written a number of articles on the politics of the town.

We are Yoruba, no controversy about that; we are northerners too, at least since 1914.

I'm particularly indifferent about where we end up, in the event of split. North or South, I'm ok.

I suspect that your mum is Hausa.

No full blooded Yoruba with their congnitive faculties in order would make such utterance. Don't care if you end up in the North? Only an aboki would make such a statement given the inhumane attrocities currently being perpetrated by the abokis.

Sheesh!

Rubbish! I couldn't make head or tail of his message other than requesting the north to tread softly.

He is saying the jonasatan is incompetent and was brought to power by crook but in the same vein, he is warning that the country that he must not be removed. Okay, so you are lamenting at the injustice meted out to the people but you don't want the root of the rot to be removed because he is your kinsman?

Furthermore, must you indict the Yorubas or throw back handed slur to make your point of forming alliance with the ibos to secede from Nigeria? Who told the arsewipe that Yorubas would go the way of the Hausas? To each his own and everyone would answer the name given to him by his father. Yorubas would not be partakers in the Nigerian project any longer this time and we have subtly shown that by sticking to our 'regional' party. We are not going to war but cleverly distinguishing ourselves from project Nigeria and that, I believe is the way to go. The ijaws and ibos can go to war while we sit back and watch but should you bring your shit to our doorsteps, you would then know that timidity is not stupidity.

Beaf, you? Talking about corruption? Wonders shall never cease?

Misplaced priorites, ssenseless initiative!

In this day and age where some cannot live with the so called southern infidels; where Lagosians have had it up to their throat with Easterners infilterating their lands, some stupid otueke fisherman is attempting to do away with state of origin? E no go better for am and all that support this rubbish. The earlier Naija breaks or practises real federalism the better. Imagine me answering the same state of origin an an aboki or ajokutamamumi? Ko le sele!

Bravo! Fashola you do very well o...

Series22: desola, if i b u, i must use otapiapia drink garri.. Dis insult 2 musshh o

By their names, you shall know them. I see you're 22 on the payroll. Hard work pays so do your best and who knows, fortunes might shine on you and beaf might have to watch his back soon.

ifihearam: I dey fall my hand to even reply u sef,abeg go fashion becos notin dey dat ur she goat brain.

For me to have a goat brain, your skull must occupy nothing more than the brain of that of a fish. Come on, you are afterall jonathan's arsewipe so that should say a lot about your cognitive faculties.

ifihearam: I have read severally that we have some foolish female nairalanders whose low level of reasoning is exposed when they cross over from the romance section to politics where grown ups and matured minded individuals are talking and the above write up is a proof. Please relocate with immediate alacrity to the romance section where ur mates with same low intellectual capabilities are.. Eedddiioot

oh, I see. Laptop no.40. You are a rookie, not worth the trouble. Run along now and call your oga beaf, I don't deal with scrums at the bottom of the barrel.

ifihearam: Which dirty work are you referring 2pls reason properly and tell me.

Please identify yourself. I need to know the laptop number you are before I decide whether to dignify your retort with a response or not. The lower down the rank you are, the useless it would be to bother with you at all.

I am hoping that you would return and inform me that you hold a number between 002 and 005. We all know that beaf is 001 so you can't be that.

Why e be say na Yoruba this moraeffing presido dey use do him dirty work?

Better job dey, like minister of this or minister of that but instead na mouthpiece e dey take the Yoruba people do.

Really happy for Ogun. Now, will Amosun wake up and get to work?

Sheesh!

shymmex: Ekiti people, speak for your Ekiti - and stop poking your nose in Lagos' affair.. We're different people!!

How are you so different? Dem no be Yoruba again?

bashr8: which group is known to be noisy and loud anywhere they are?

ibos.

asha 80: funny the yorubas i see around me here in anthony villge are alaye and area boy types that keep keep breaking each others heads because of chelsea and man u.

isn't that a shame? Just like the ones I see around me are the ones that stuff cocaine up their anus and get their heads chopped off in china and SA.

What are we gonna do about them, eh?

EzeUche: They must be insane to want to live in filthy Lagos.

I agree, they are demented and should be sectioned. They are not fit for purpose! So glad we could agree on something.

bashr8: not making sense your the one crying , you first jumped out and we gave it to you now your crying and hummiliated , you have been changing topic from one rubbish to the other yet continue to fail.

seriously? Boy, shut your pie hole! Me? Humiliated by an ibo? Not in this world. However, if it makes you sleep better to feel that way, then I can only oblige you.

bashr8: hahahha they get more ignorant. what is happening in yorubaland . show me any where in yorubaland worth to be called a city , show me any part of yorubaland you can compare with igboland , you people are still in stone age.

May I implore you to engage your brain for a minut second even though I know it is a near impossible task for you, being ibo and all.

Something tells me that if you have more cities and better educated people in your part of the world, you would feel better accomodated there and not encroach the "backward" SW, non? The deduction I can make is that your people must be insane as suggested by Ezeuche because I cannot comprehend the reason behind such evolved species would want to live in filth. Yes, it must be put down to insanity or that you guys are just your usual loudmouths who trade in lies for a living.

bashr8: funny people , something must be special about being an almajiro. if you cant take igbo heat and bashing then learn to shut your trap , the problem with you yorubas you talk to much and when we give it back to you ,you start crying igbos are this and that ,well just leanr to shut up simple.

Give what back exactly? What have you been giving back? You know that part of being a cry baby is synonymous to your people. You don't take defeat well. Judging from the responses on this thread, i'd say your people have received nothing less than a humiliating trashing and it was a well deserved one.

EzeUche: Any sane person would not live in that trash heap of a city Lagos.

I don't care if they are Yoruba, Hausa, Ibibio, Igbo, Idoma etc. Who would want to live in a city surrounded by filth.

That means your people must be insane!

ballabriggs: Some folks make a lot of noise. All these "millionaires" you are screaming, the fact that these Yoruba people are not "otimkpu's" does not make them less rich. You control the economy bla bla bla yet Dangote occupies over half of the Lagos port, so what noise are you making? These Yoruba people you see are very intelligent, they know what they always want. The fact they don't make noise and blow their horns does not make them stupid.

The truth is with a little more humility you Igbo gladiators would gain a lot of respect. Humility is key, let others blow your horns. Stop telling us how you built skyscrappers in Onitsha while erosion continues to take the land.

You should learn not to take those people so seriously. They have serious chips on their shoulders and deep insecurity issues. They have always been in competion with the Yorubas because they always see us as the ones to beat but the sorry part is that we pay them no mind. While they see Lagos as their final frontier, we see the space. Let the truth be said, we are not in the same category. The only reason why we even have this forum to discuss with them is due to the evil that was done by the British in 1914. We brought civilisation to them and they know it. Don't be fooled, an average ibo sees himself as inferior to the Yorubas and is always on the defensive whenever he is in the presence of one. It is this insecurity that makes them boast and want others to listen to them. They claim to have the most literate people but have you ever engaged an average ibo in conversation and see the stark difference? Isn't it intriguing also that they continue to flood the SW states despite their silly claims of having the most universities? Those universities are glorified secondary schools to be frank with you. Come on, only an ibo man would come up with Madonnna as a name for a university. Need I say more?

bashr8: thunder fire you, what country are you talking about ? we will continue to shove one nigeria down your throat and ass till u cant breath anymore olodo

If you like, shove one Nigeria or two Nigeria but remember that it is all to your own detriment. It might seem like you are winning now with your imaginary numbers but when it all goes tits up, you'll have to get your ghana must go and head to your land of the rising sun without taking your shanty shops with you. It all seems like a good idea now but it won't end well, I tell ya. It would only be wise for you all to look within and try to attract the other regions into yours, making it an economical giant like you claim to have made others. You lot would not only look better for it but gain respect from others rather than being treated with disdain, everywhere you go in Nigeria.