₦airaland Forum

zendy:
There are so much convoluted,diluted and distorted stories about Ojukwu out there. Many people don't know anything about the man except that he led the short lived breakaway republic of Biafra and that later he fled into exile at the end of the war. This thread is to enlighten people on certain aspects about the man Ojukwu because, love him or hate him, Ojukwu is an indelible part of our history. Note: I didn't make this thread for it to be turned into a tribal-bashing- circus.

Languages:- Ojukwu is one of the few people who could speak the three main languages of Hausa,Igbo and Yoruba fluently. Ojukwu was born in the north to Igbo parents but grew up in Lagos as a young boy. Ojukwu would later work in East as a district officer, in the north as commander of Kano Garrison and in Lagos as Quarter- master general.In all, Ojukwu was fluent in 5 languages, Igbo-Hausa-Yoruba-English-French.

Affluence:- Ojukwus father, Sir Louis Ojukwu was one of the richest men in Africa. Ojukwus father made his money by taking advantage of the post world war 2 economic boom to make shrewd investments. His Business empire spanned shipping,banking,import and export,manufacturing,transportation and properties. He sat as chairman of John Holt west Africa, African continental Bank,Nigerian stock exchange and Ojukwu transport company. Ojukwu transport company was one of the major reasons Igbos fanned out across Nigeria using it to travel outside Igbo land and some of Ojukwus earliest drivers were the late chief Ilodibe (Ekene dili Chukwu) and Izuchukwu (Izuchukwu Trans) who all later became transport magnets themselves. It is estimated that in today's money, Ojukwus father would have been worth about 10 Billion American Dollars. People who say that Ojukwu declared Biafra to enrich himself make me laugh

Humbleness:- Despite Ojukwus fathers wealth, despite Ojukwus first class education at Epson college,Surrey and Oxford University. Ojukwu shunned his fathers wealth, rejected the plush position his father offered him in his organisation and joined the civil service as an assistant district officer when he returned from England in 1955. This enraged Ojukwus father who felt his son deserved better and when he tried to remove his son as a civil servant, Ojukwu did worse by joining the army as a common recruit! How many of us would have done such a thing if we had rich fathers?Imagine Dangotes son joining the Army as a private. After this,Ojukwus father wouldn't talk to him for a long time.

Army:- Ojukwu was the first graduate to join the Nigerian army. He was also the first indigenous Qaurter-Master General of the Nigerian army. Ojukwu would later serve as an instructor at NMTC Kaduna where he taught future military leaders like Murtala Mohammed,Obasunjo and Ike Nwachukwu military tactics.

Seniority with Gowon :- It has often been a subject of debate about who is senior between Gowon and Ojukwu. Gowon stated recently while celebrating his 80th Birthday that he was commissioned as an officer in 1956 while Ojukwu was commissioned in 1957 making him Ojukwus senior in the army. This is true,however it should be noted that an Army officer is still a civil servant. Ojukwu joined the civil service as a graduate in 1955. When Ojukwu joined the Army and was subsequently commissioned 1957 after undergoing officers training abroad,the government backdated his commission date to 1955 to reflect the year he joined the civil service and that is how Ojukwu gained seniority over Gowon. The government just saw his joining the military as transferring from one Government department to another. To this day, the Government still recognises Ojukwu as senior to Gowon while the Army might recognise Gowon as senior to Ojukwu.

One Nigeria:- Believe it or not, Ojukwu used to be a staunch believer of one Nigeria. "When we were British subjects,we saw our selves as one but as soon as Britain granted us independence and left, everything unravelled fast,everybody suddenly remembered that they were Hausa,Yoruba,Igbo etc. We could never see our selves as Nigerians and it became increasingly clear to the discerning mind the one Nigeria was a mirage"

Beard:- Ojukwu started growing his trademark beard the day he was appointed Military Goveror of Eastern Nigeria. Before then, Ojukwu was always clean shaven.

Secession:- Contrary to popular opinion, Ojukwu did not get up one day and declare Biafra, neither did he start the war. counterThe -coup of July 1966 of which the president-Elect Buhari was a ring leader saw the massacre of mostly easterners all over Nigeria. An estimated 30,000 men,women and children were butchered in wave after wave of remorseless violence. There are two things Ojukwu did to show he still believed in Nigeria. After the first wave of killings,Ojukwu asked many of those who fled home to the east to return to the north and even encouraged those who were planning to return to stay put. Ojukwu even escorted the returnees to the border between the north and eastern region as they went back,sadly many of them were killed in the next wave of violence. The second thing Ojukwu did was that even though he was besieged by his people who asked him to pull the Eastern region out of Nigeria, Ojukwu resisted and went to Aburi,Ghana to negotiate with Gowon on how to keep Nigeria one. Ojukwu and Gowon reached an agreement called the Aburi accord which both men signed in front the president of Ghana. Sadly,Gowon returned to Ghana and repudiated the agreement and to make matters worse, Gowon went ahead to create States without the permission of any body. With the the failure of Gowon to stop the killings, his abandonment of the Aburi agreement, the eastern Nigerian consultative assembly (a body which comprised of traditional rulers and district heads that adviced Ojukwu on how the east should be run) gave Ojukwu the mandate make Eastern Nigeria self Governing. Ojukwu the declared Biafra. Even then,Gowon could have returned to negotiation table.Instead,what he did was to rally troops and attacked,starting the war. If anybody caused the war, it was Gowon.

The war:- It should be noted that Ojukwu went on numerous peace missions during the war to end the crisis but to no avail. What type of Warmonger does this? Despite being outgunned and out manned,Biafra fought gallantly almost 3 years

End of the war and exile :-Contrary to what some people say on Nairaland, Ojukwu did not dress up as a woman to leave Biafra. He also did not abandon his people in the middle of the war to save his skin. I urge people to read the following books to get the true idea of how the war ended and how Ojukwu left Biafra. 'The struggle for secession' by NU Akpan and 'Nigeria and Biafra: My story' by General Effiong ( in Biafra,the 2 most high ranking officials after Ojukwu were both from the south-South. Effiong was deputy and Akpan was secretary to the Biafran Government) Ojukwu was adviced by his commanders after the fall of Owerri that the war had become hopeless. Ojukwu convened a meeting of his Government where it was decided that Ojukwu and top members of his Government and their families would fly out of Biafra. Ojukwu would hand over to his deputy General Effiong. Ojukwu later went to Uli airport with the contingent that was to travel with him. Ojukwu even inspected a guard of honour. NU Akpan what was on the flight stated that Ojukwu was the last one to enter the plane. Two days later, Biafra collapsed and Effiong surrendered to Obasunjo. Some people call Ojukwu a coward for leaving at all but ask the same people what would have been the point Ojukwu staying back to be slaughtered when the war had virtually ended and had been lost? People become martyrs for a cause that is still alive, not a cause that is dead. Ojukwu spent his entire fortune financing the war and flew into exile virtually a penniless man. He would later raise a loan start business and by the time he returned from exile 12 years later, had become a successful international business man. Ojukwu often said that he did what did to protect his people and he had no regrets. Former minister of Health, Professor ABC Nwosu once said that if Ojukwu had not declared Biafra,he would have killed by his people because only a deranged human being can be shouting one Nigeria as 40,000 of his brethren are being killed.

Ojukwu always slept with his boots on during the war. " three things a Soldier never loses are his sense of purpose, his weapon and his boots

BuddahMonk:
The same reason why Emeka Ojukwu failed was the same reason why Thomas Sankara failed.

Leaders like Gowon without sense lasted for 9 years because Nigeria got the money but didnt know what to do with it so the British that got the ideas but dont have the money to finance them used them as conduit pipes to loot, even Obasanjo got a second chance a rules a combined 12years while Robert Mugabe is being painted black because he want his people to be liberated.

Africa wont develop

koladebrainiac:
you said no political bashing but you included Buhari... please citation needed on the ur part that says Buhari was the ring leader who led the massacre during that time..please let me know>>>

zendy:
There are so much convoluted,diluted and distorted stories about Ojukwu out there. Many people don't know anything about the man except that he led the short lived breakaway republic of Biafra and that later he fled into exile at the end of the war. This thread is to enlighten people on certain aspects about the man Ojukwu because, love him or hate him, Ojukwu is an indelible part of our history. Note: I didn't make this thread for it to be turned into a tribal-bashing- circus.

Languages:- Ojukwu is one of the few people who could speak the three main languages of Hausa,Igbo and Yoruba fluently. Ojukwu was born in the north to Igbo parents but grew up in Lagos as a young boy. Ojukwu would later work in East as a district officer, in the north as commander of Kano Garrison and in Lagos as Quarter- master general.In all, Ojukwu was fluent in 5 languages, Igbo-Hausa-Yoruba-English-French.

Affluence:- Ojukwus father, Sir Louis Ojukwu was one of the richest men in Africa. Ojukwus father made his money by taking advantage of the post world war 2 economic boom to make shrewd investments. His Business empire spanned shipping,banking,import and export,manufacturing,transportation and properties. He sat as chairman of John Holt west Africa, African continental Bank,Nigerian stock exchange and Ojukwu transport company. Ojukwu transport company was one of the major reasons Igbos fanned out across Nigeria using it to travel outside Igbo land and some of Ojukwus earliest drivers were the late chief Ilodibe (Ekene dili Chukwu) and Izuchukwu (Izuchukwu Trans) who all later became transport magnets themselves. It is estimated that in today's money, Ojukwus father would have been worth about 10 Billion American Dollars. People who say that Ojukwu declared Biafra to enrich himself make me laugh

Humbleness:- Despite Ojukwus fathers wealth, despite Ojukwus first class education at Epson college,Surrey and Oxford University. Ojukwu shunned his fathers wealth, rejected the plush position his father offered him in his organisation and joined the civil service as an assistant district officer when he returned from England in 1955. This enraged Ojukwus father who felt his son deserved better and when he tried to remove his son as a civil servant, Ojukwu did worse by joining the army as a common recruit! How many of us would have done such a thing if we had rich fathers?Imagine Dangotes son joining the Army as a private. After this,Ojukwus father wouldn't talk to him for a long time.

Army:- Ojukwu was the first graduate to join the Nigerian army. He was also the first indigenous Qaurter-Master General of the Nigerian army. Ojukwu would later serve as an instructor at NMTC Kaduna where he taught future military leaders like Murtala Mohammed,Obasunjo and Ike Nwachukwu military tactics.

Seniority with Gowon :- It has often been a subject of debate about who is senior between Gowon and Ojukwu. Gowon stated recently while celebrating his 80th Birthday that he was commissioned as an officer in 1956 while Ojukwu was commissioned in 1957 making him Ojukwus senior in the army. This is true,however it should be noted that an Army officer is still a civil servant. Ojukwu joined the civil service as a graduate in 1955. When Ojukwu joined the Army and was subsequently commissioned 1957 after undergoing officers training abroad,the government backdated his commission date to 1955 to reflect the year he joined the civil service and that is how Ojukwu gained seniority over Gowon. The government just saw his joining the military as transferring from one Government department to another. To this day, the Government still recognises Ojukwu as senior to Gowon while the Army might recognise Gowon as senior to Ojukwu.

One Nigeria:- Believe it or not, Ojukwu used to be a staunch believer of one Nigeria. "When we were British subjects,we saw our selves as one but as soon as Britain granted us independence and left, everything unravelled fast,everybody suddenly remembered that they were Hausa,Yoruba,Igbo etc. We could never see our selves as Nigerians and it became increasingly clear to the discerning mind the one Nigeria was a mirage"

Beard:- Ojukwu started growing his trademark beard the day he was appointed Military Goveror of Eastern Nigeria. Before then, Ojukwu was always clean shaven.

Secession:- Contrary to popular opinion, Ojukwu did not get up one day and declare Biafra, neither did he start the war. The counter-coup of July 1966 of which the president-Elect Buhari was a ring leader saw the massacre of mostly easterners all over Nigeria. An estimated 30,000 men,women and children were butchered in wave after wave of remorseless violence. There are two things Ojukwu did to show he still believed in Nigeria. After the first wave of killings,Ojukwu asked many of those who fled home to the east to return to the north and even encouraged those who were planning to return to stay put. Ojukwu even escorted the returnees to the border between the north and eastern region as they went back,sadly many of them were killed in the next wave of violence. The second thing Ojukwu did was that even though he was besieged by his people who asked him to pull the Eastern region out of Nigeria, Ojukwu resisted and went to Aburi,Ghana to negotiate with Gowon on how to keep Nigeria one. Ojukwu and Gowon reached an agreement called the Aburi accord which both men signed in front the president of Ghana. Sadly,Gowon returned to Lagos and repudiated the agreement and to make matters worse, Gowon went ahead to create States without the permission of any body. With the the failure of Gowon to stop the killings, his abandonment of the Aburi agreement, the eastern Nigerian consultative assembly (a body which comprised of traditional rulers and district heads that adviced Ojukwu on how the east should be run) gave Ojukwu the mandate make Eastern Nigeria self Governing. Ojukwu the declared Biafra. Even then,Gowon could have returned to negotiation table.Instead,what he did was to rally troops and attacked,starting the war. If anybody caused the war, it was Gowon.

The war:- It should be noted that Ojukwu went on numerous peace missions during the war to end the crisis but to no avail. What type of Warmonger does this? Despite being outgunned and out manned,Biafra fought gallantly almost 3 years

End of the war and exile :-Contrary to what some people say on Nairaland, Ojukwu did not dress up as a woman to leave Biafra. He also did not abandon his people in the middle of the war to save his skin. I urge people to read the following books to get the true idea of how the war ended and how Ojukwu left Biafra. 'The struggle for secession' by NU Akpan and 'Nigeria and Biafra: My story' by General Effiong ( in Biafra,the 2 most high ranking officials after Ojukwu were both from the south-South. Effiong was deputy and Akpan was secretary to the Biafran Government) Ojukwu was adviced by his commanders after the fall of Owerri that the war had become hopeless. Ojukwu convened a meeting of his Government where it was decided that Ojukwu and top members of his Government and their families would fly out of Biafra. Ojukwu would hand over to his deputy General Effiong. Ojukwu later went to Uli airport with the contingent that was to travel with him. Ojukwu even inspected a guard of honour. NU Akpan what was on the flight stated that Ojukwu was the last one to enter the plane. Two days later, Biafra collapsed and Effiong surrendered to Obasunjo. Some people call Ojukwu a coward for leaving at all but ask the same people what would have been the point Ojukwu staying back to be slaughtered when the war had virtually ended and had been lost? People become martyrs for a cause that is still alive, not a cause that is dead. Ojukwu spent his entire fortune financing the war and flew into exile virtually a penniless man. He would later raise a loan start business and by the time he returned from exile 12 years later, had become a successful international business man. Ojukwu often said that he did what did to protect his people and he had no regrets. Former minister of Health, Professor ABC Nwosu once said that if Ojukwu had not declared Biafra,he would have killed by his people because only a deranged human being can be shouting one Nigeria as 40,000 of his brethren are being killed.

Ojukwu always slept with his boots on during the war. " three things a Soldier never loses are his sense of purpose, his weapon and his boots

zendy:
There are so much convoluted,diluted and distorted stories about Ojukwu out there. Many people don't know anything about the man except that he led the short lived breakaway republic of Biafra and that later he fled into exile at the end of the war. This thread is to enlighten people on certain aspects about the man Ojukwu because, love him or hate him, Ojukwu is an indelible part of our history. Note: I didn't make this thread for it to be turned into a tribal-bashing- circus.

Languages:- Ojukwu is one of the few people who could speak the three main languages of Hausa,Igbo and Yoruba fluently. Ojukwu was born in the north to Igbo parents but grew up in Lagos as a young boy. Ojukwu would later work in East as a district officer, in the north as commander of Kano Garrison and in Lagos as Quarter- master general.In all, Ojukwu was fluent in 5 languages, Igbo-Hausa-Yoruba-English-French.

Affluence:- Ojukwus father, Sir Louis Ojukwu was one of the richest men in Africa. Ojukwus father made his money by taking advantage of the post world war 2 economic boom to make shrewd investments. His Business empire spanned shipping,banking,import and export,manufacturing,transportation and properties. He sat as chairman of John Holt west Africa, African continental Bank,Nigerian stock exchange and Ojukwu transport company. Ojukwu transport company was one of the major reasons Igbos fanned out across Nigeria using it to travel outside Igbo land and some of Ojukwus earliest drivers were the late chief Ilodibe (Ekene dili Chukwu) and Izuchukwu (Izuchukwu Trans) who all later became transport magnets themselves. It is estimated that in today's money, Ojukwus father would have been worth about 10 Billion American Dollars. People who say that Ojukwu declared Biafra to enrich himself make me laugh

Humbleness:- Despite Ojukwus fathers wealth, despite Ojukwus first class education at Epson college,Surrey and Oxford University. Ojukwu shunned his fathers wealth, rejected the plush position his father offered him in his organisation and joined the civil service as an assistant district officer when he returned from England in 1955. This enraged Ojukwus father who felt his son deserved better and when he tried to remove his son as a civil servant, Ojukwu did worse by joining the army as a common recruit! How many of us would have done such a thing if we had rich fathers?Imagine Dangotes son joining the Army as a private. After this,Ojukwus father wouldn't talk to him for a long time.

Army:- Ojukwu was the first graduate to join the Nigerian army. He was also the first indigenous Qaurter-Master General of the Nigerian army. Ojukwu would later serve as an instructor at NMTC Kaduna where he taught future military leaders like Murtala Mohammed,Obasunjo and Ike Nwachukwu military tactics.

Seniority with Gowon :- It has often been a subject of debate about who is senior between Gowon and Ojukwu. Gowon stated recently while celebrating his 80th Birthday that he was commissioned as an officer in 1956 while Ojukwu was commissioned in 1957 making him Ojukwus senior in the army. This is true,however it should be noted that an Army officer is still a civil servant. Ojukwu joined the civil service as a graduate in 1955. When Ojukwu joined the Army and was subsequently commissioned 1957 after undergoing officers training abroad,the government backdated his commission date to 1955 to reflect the year he joined the civil service and that is how Ojukwu gained seniority over Gowon. The government just saw his joining the military as transferring from one Government department to another. To this day, the Government still recognises Ojukwu as senior to Gowon while the Army might recognise Gowon as senior to Ojukwu.

One Nigeria:- Believe it or not, Ojukwu used to be a staunch believer of one Nigeria. "When we were British subjects,we saw our selves as one but as soon as Britain granted us independence and left, everything unravelled fast,everybody suddenly remembered that they were Hausa,Yoruba,Igbo etc. We could never see our selves as Nigerians and it became increasingly clear to the discerning mind the one Nigeria was a mirage"

Beard:- Ojukwu started growing his trademark beard the day he was appointed Military Goveror of Eastern Nigeria. Before then, Ojukwu was always clean shaven.

Secession:- Contrary to popular opinion, Ojukwu did not get up one day and declare Biafra, neither did he start the war. The counter-coup of July 1966 of which the president-Elect Buhari was a ring leader saw the massacre of mostly easterners all over Nigeria. An estimated 30,000 men,women and children were butchered in wave after wave of remorseless violence. There are two things Ojukwu did to show he still believed in Nigeria. After the first wave of killings,Ojukwu asked many of those who fled home to the east to return to the north and even encouraged those who were planning to return to stay put. Ojukwu even escorted the returnees to the border between the north and eastern region as they went back,sadly many of them were killed in the next wave of violence. The second thing Ojukwu did was that even though he was besieged by his people who asked him to pull the Eastern region out of Nigeria, Ojukwu resisted and went to Aburi,Ghana to negotiate with Gowon on how to keep Nigeria one. Ojukwu and Gowon reached an agreement called the Aburi accord which both men signed in front the president of Ghana. Sadly,Gowon returned to Lagos and repudiated the agreement and to make matters worse, Gowon went ahead to create States without the permission of any body. With the the failure of Gowon to stop the killings, his abandonment of the Aburi agreement, the eastern Nigerian consultative assembly (a body which comprised of traditional rulers and district heads that adviced Ojukwu on how the east should be run) gave Ojukwu the mandate make Eastern Nigeria self Governing. Ojukwu the declared Biafra. Even then,Gowon could have returned to negotiation table.Instead,what he did was to rally troops and attacked,starting the war. If anybody caused the war, it was Gowon.

The war:- It should be noted that Ojukwu went on numerous peace missions during the war to end the crisis but to no avail. What type of Warmonger does this? Despite being outgunned and out manned,Biafra fought gallantly almost 3 years

End of the war and exile :-Contrary to what some people say on Nairaland, Ojukwu did not dress up as a woman to leave Biafra. He also did not abandon his people in the middle of the war to save his skin. I urge people to read the following books to get the true idea of how the war ended and how Ojukwu left Biafra. 'The struggle for secession' by NU Akpan and 'Nigeria and Biafra: My story' by General Effiong ( in Biafra,the 2 most high ranking officials after Ojukwu were both from the south-South. Effiong was deputy and Akpan was secretary to the Biafran Government) Ojukwu was adviced by his commanders after the fall of Owerri that the war had become hopeless. Ojukwu convened a meeting of his Government where it was decided that Ojukwu and top members of his Government and their families would fly out of Biafra. Ojukwu would hand over to his deputy General Effiong. Ojukwu later went to Uli airport with the contingent that was to travel with him. Ojukwu even inspected a guard of honour. NU Akpan what was on the flight stated that Ojukwu was the last one to enter the plane. Two days later, Biafra collapsed and Effiong surrendered to Obasunjo. Some people call Ojukwu a coward for leaving at all but ask the same people what would have been the point Ojukwu staying back to be slaughtered when the war had virtually ended and had been lost? People become martyrs for a cause that is still alive, not a cause that is dead. Ojukwu spent his entire fortune financing the war and flew into exile virtually a penniless man. He would later raise a loan start business and by the time he returned from exile 12 years later, had become a successful international business man. Ojukwu often said that he did what did to protect his people and he had no regrets. Former minister of Health, Professor ABC Nwosu once said that if Ojukwu had not declared Biafra,he would have killed by his people because only a deranged human being can be shouting one Nigeria as 40,000 of his brethren are being killed.

Ojukwu always slept with his boots on during the war. " three things a Soldier never loses are his sense of purpose, his weapon and his boots

eliment:
all these write up just to defend a coward who fled in woman attire while his people were being slaughtered by a yoruba soldier. Smh

tpiadotcom:
why is the boot info important?

eliment:
all these write up just to defend a coward who fled in woman attire while his people were being slaughtered by a yoruba soldier. Smh

tpiadotcom:
why is the boot info important?

Ojukwu: In The Eyes Of The People
Published by The Tide Newspapers | Feb. 3rd 2012 |

The first week of February 2012 in Nigeria will witness, amongst many other significant events, the burial of late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (1933-2011), the Biafran Warlord. Ojukwu undisputed occupies a central position in the history of Nigeria throughout the period of the four exact years from 15 January 1966 when Nigeria’s first coup d’etat occurred to 15 January, 1970 when Nigerians unfortunate Civil War ended. It is estimated that over two million Nigerians lost their lives in the 30 month brutal war that broke out on July 6, 1967. Although, there was no Nuremberg Trials in Nigeria at the end of the war, Ojukwu has been on trial since the end of the war, mainly on the pages of newspapers, news magazines and books. The trial is likely to continue for another century.

Ojukwu means different things to different persons till he breathed the last on November 26, 2011.

Amanyanabo Opubo Daminabo dug into his archive to extract some of the opinions expressed about late Chief Ojukwu between 1970 when the Biafrans surrendered to the Federal Government under “No victor, no vanquished” arrangement and 1983 when Nigeria experienced a civil rule. Compiled in 1983, these divergent views extracted from the Appendix of Daminabo’s book entitled IBOS Are Not Biafrans (Port Harcourt Hanging Publishers) border on Ojukwu’s personality, his pardon by the Federal Government and his intention to contest the 1983 presidential election.

‘Nigeria never was and can never be a united country’. - General Emeka Ojukwu, Opening sentence of Biafra: Selected Speeches of C. Odumegwu Ojukwu New York, 1969, p.1

‘He was no devil. Everybody admired his personal courage, his ability for hard work. But he had one weakness – he did not know when to apply the brakes. But it’s purely because he was ambitious. He was a very capable chap.’ - Major General Philip Effiong Chief of Staff, Biafran Army, ‘Drum’, April, 1970.

‘A natural actor, Colonel Ojukwu had the enviable quality of controlling and concealing unpleasant emotions, a quality which he exploited to the full in inspiring false confidence even in the bleakest hours of the civil war’. - Chief N. U. Akpan Biafra’s Chief Scribe, London, 1972, The Struggle for Secession, p.175.

‘We were both agreed on this one point, that for all we cared this particular civil war could be fought with bows and arrows. I phoned up some friends at the United Nations Organization and they joined in the discussion’. - Professor Wole Soyinka London, 1972, The Man Died, p. 52.

‘Suddenly, here were black men, intelligent, well-educated, charming black men, standing virtually alone and successfully defying an enemy four times their size backed by the world’s super powers … The Biafrans were everywhere, it seemed, eloquently putting their case in excellent English, quoting neat European or American parallels, pointing out, with obvious truth and conviction that they were the most “westernized” of all Africans, indeed, perhaps, of all Third World peoples’. - John de St. Jorre London, 1972, The Nigerian Civil War, pp. 359-360 .

‘This strange, complex, fascinating man is now sharing the lonely fate of Nkrumah and Obote, Africa’s other fallen giants. A statesman without a state, a leader without a people, an orator without a platform, an actor without a stage; for a man such as Ojukwu, exile must be a living death. - John de St. Jorre London, 1972, The Nigerian Civil War, p.413.

‘Ojukwu’s resistance was really an experiment in human misery’. - Captain Elechi Amadi London, 1973, Sunset in Blofra, p.48

‘In Nigeria, theft by rulers and officials is regrettably frequent. Some end up stealing money, others minor items; Ojukwu is the only one who tried to steal a country!’ - Ken Saro-Wiwa Lagos, Sunday Times 27/6/82

‘He was perhaps the only man who ever held power in West Africa who came out without a private nest-egg of money embezzled from public funds. Not only had he not milked the till, he had spent every penny of his private fortune on his people. He was penniless … He was and is a remarkable man. He could have had everything, if he had bowed the knee to Gowon. Instead he lost many things: his fortune, his homeland, his passport. But he never lost the loyalty of his people; and he never lost any man’s respect. Even his worst enemies respect him. Knowing him, he would say that he had still had the best of the bargain. - Frederick Forsyth, Dublin, 1976, The Making of An African Legend: The Biafra Story, pp. 285 – 286.

‘The desperate nature of this operation and the fact that it simply had to succeed earned for it the name “Operation Do or Die” …. Viewed from any angle, that operation was indeed an “Operation Do or Die”, for many did and many died’. - Major General Alexander A. Madiebo, Commander of Biafran Army, Enugu, 1980, The Nigerian Revolution and The Biafran War, pp. 343 & 348.

‘…Biafra was the first ship of state to sail the sea of nationhood on a completely indigenous motor. Biafra was run from top to bottom by blacks … the first black nation to be taken seriously in a world dominated by white people … ‘ - Arthur Nwankwo, Enugu, 1980, Nigerian: The Challenge of Biafra, pp. 81-82

‘What follows in this book is … the story of how the arrogant and conceited Ojukwu, who wanted to rule an independent nation at all costs, deceived the people he claimed to love and left them in the lurch at their desperate hour of need, and fled “Biafra” under the guise of seeking peace’. - General Olusegun Obasanjo, GOC, 3MCDO, Nigerian Army, London, 1980, My Command, p. xiii.

‘Later on, after I had been released to join in the struggle, I realized that Ojukwu knew what he was talking about whenever he assured Biafrans that they would fight to the last man. He knew that he was ill-prepared for the fight and that if it came, he had nothing to send against the enemy except the bodies of his own citizens – no guns, no armour, no planes, no ships – only flesh and flesh and flesh – what a suicide plot, or was it a reverse pogrom? … Surely, history will not forgive him’. - Major Adewale Ademoyega, Ibadan, 1981, Why We Struck, pp. 141 and 174.

‘In fact, if anything, the counter-coup was a complete flop. Significantly, it was the failure of the Northern dissidents to topple Lieutenant Colonel Ojukwu’s Enugu-based Government – and not the shortcomings of the January coup – that eventually paved the way for secession, and in time, the barbaric civil war’. - Captain Ben Gbulie Onitsha, 1981, Nigeria’s Five Majors, p. 154.

‘History will say of Victor Banjo, Emmanuel lfeajuna, Philip Alale and Samuel Agbam just as history had said of Hitler’s enemies that they brilliantly anticipated the end of the road along which Ojukwu, with fourteen million highly intelligent people on the tow, was walking, but that when it came to the crunch, they clumsily and pathetically bungled their chance to stop him from traversing the road to its bloody end’ . - Nelson Ottah, London, 1981, Rebels Against Rebels, p.l0.

‘On the 5th of January, 1967, the historic Aburi meeting of the military leaders was called to resolve accumulating differences, but Ojukwu went there to manufacture a confederal constitution. Later, Decree No. 8 was passed to satisfy his ends, yet he would not let the Ibos alone. All he wanted was secession’ . - Major Isaac Boro, Benin-City, 1982, The Twelve – Day Revolution, p. 157.

‘When the war Ojukwu and his group said was to defend their homeland came, they made it a war of conquest. Whose “homeland” is the Midwest? When did Ibadan and Lagos become part of the East?’ - Major General Joe Garba London, 1982, Revolution in Nigeria: Another View, p. 115.

‘What most people are saying is li the Ibo leader is back” and I share that view. What political party Ojukwu will join is immaterial. If he stands on a tree, we will all stand on the tree with him’. - Cyprian Ekwensi, Lagos 1982, ‘Sunday Times’ (27/6/82).

‘Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the former leader of Biafra, is a man of history in the most serious sense of the term, not because he is a graduate of history, but for the reasons that he probably decided to study history. Singled minded, deliberate and totally shorn of any emotional inclinations, Odumegwu Ojukwu is a man who doesn’t believe in the force of destiny, but a man who believes that strong men can shape the destiny of weaker men and cause a part for nations’. - Dele Giwa Lagos, 1982, ‘Sunday Concord’ (27/6/82). [/color]

‘Has anyone cared to ask why this son of a millionaire and History graduate, this material and intellectual aristocrat branched off into the Army at a time that many people thought the Army was a dumping ground for street brawlers and the like? I suggest that he knew that power resides in the barrel of a gun… Calculating, rational, never known to shed tears, Ojukwu, according to those who claim to know him well, has a rugged disposition that borders on demonism, and is inclined to have things his own way or not at all… I cannot say whether Ojukwu does have the Ibo tribe in his pocket, but it seems to me that the Ibo tribe would not mind having Ojukwu in its pocket.’ - Ray Ekpu, Lagos 1982, ‘Sunday Times’ (1/8/82)

‘As far as the Ibos are concerned, the name Biafra is a stolen property. How the Ibo nation stole the name is fully explained in this book. The earlier Ibos stop the use of the name, Biafra, as a symbol of Iboland, Ibo nation and Ibo culture, the better for all Nigerians. There are several Igbo names of Igbo-related names for major physical features and other man-made features (especially rivers, towns and cities and even caves) in Iboland that can serve as an appropriate substitute for the stolen Biafra name. A few examples of such Ibo names or Igbo-related names include Nri (the cradle, now a town, of Ibos), Anambra and Imo (major rivers in Iboland), Abia, Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri and Umuahia (major cities in Iboland) and Ogbunike (an important town with a famous cave). Any of these names is an appropriate substitute for the Ibo nation to bear or use as her symbol than the stolen Biafra name.’ - Opubo Daminabo, Port Harcourt, Ibos Are Not Biafrans 1983, p 1.

‘Until today Ojukwu has not explained why he was a counter-revolutionary in January 1966, whether it was because he would not yield to junior officers or because he did not agree that change was desirable at the time. What we do know, however, from what the little Forsyth has disclosed is that Ojukwu did not, because of rank-related concerns, want to serve under Yakubu Gowon following the counter-coup of July 1966. Ibo massacres and persecution were just incidental in Ojukwu’s posturing during the crisis of July 1966- May 1967. We do know also that the only reason Ojukwu was appointed military Governor of the Eastern Region in January 1966 was for being a conspirator against the patriotic majors.’ - Fidel Odum Enugu, 1983, ‘Sunday Satellite’ (20/2/83).

His ambition was to achieve the Biafran victory and to go down in history as its first “Head of State.” His genius was instrumental, not creative; he excelled in manipulation, not in construction… Emeka’s return to Nigeria and his dramatic entry into partisan politics is a clear manifestation of his inordinate ambition to grab power that eluded him in Biafra… He confused popular acclaim for popular support.’ - Obiora Egbunike, Ibadan, 1983, ‘Sunday Tribune’ (20/3/83).

Ojukwu’s pardon in conception and execution contradicts all the laws of the Medes and Persians. Nemesis will surely act… Ojukwu gambled with lives of millions of people without caring a hoot. Once a gambler, always a gambler. He is at it again and he is ready to spill blood without remorse.’ - Professor Chike Obi, Enugu 1983, ‘Satellite’ (20/3/83 and 2/8/83).

Read the rest here: http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2012/02/03/ojukwu-in-the-eyes-of-the-people/

As if the damage and expropriation suffered during the war was not enough, properties owned by Easterners were declared 'abandoned'. This meant that the surviving owners were by law, barred from reclaiming them. This happened in spite of the assurances given by the federal government as was contained in the Blueprint for post-war reconstruction issued as early as 1967. It is to be noted that the 'abandoned' property issue was a federal legislation apparently aimed at inciting the Easterners against one another.

The issue generated a lot of heat and led to litigations in law court. Dee Sam Mbakwe (former Governor of Imo State) of blessed memory fought tirelessly against the abandoned property law. In some places such as Port Harcourt – originally known as Igbo city since the Slave Trade era, where the Igbos had invested heavily in landed property, the state government promised to compensate the victims instead of handing back their properties to them.

As the controversy intensified, the Rivers State government credited the federal government’s account with the sum of 23 million Naira as compensation for the owners. However, some of these properties were recovered most often through the 'benevolence' of the new occupants and/or friendly ties with neighbours or business associates established prior to the war...

The illusion of self-sufficiency and narrow sectionalism was shattered by the war. S. O. O. Ogazi sums it up in this way:

[The war] taught many people exactly how we are. We are not the rich people that we think we were. We discovered that without Hausa nama [cow], we couldn’t get meat. We thought that we are self-sufficient in food and in the end we discovered that we depended so much on outsiders. Not that it has altered their way of life as such, but they were now more conscious of the dependence upon others. http://www.igbofocus.co.uk/html/biafra_in_retrospect.html

superstar1:
1. He is a cradle robber by impregnating his friend's daughter at a tender age -- traitor that betrayed his friend's trust.

2. He sacrificed 3million of his people for fun -- a disaster of a leader

3. he was a sissy that ran away in mini skirt and spaghetti top. - coward

4. he recovered his confiscated property and left his kinsmen to their fate -- selfish

5. he was never involved in any battle -- coward

6. he was a chest beater and loud mouthed - Garrulous

7. he killed all his friends -- Insecure

eliment:
all these write up just to defend a coward who fled in woman attire while his people were being slaughtered by a yoruba soldier. Smh

xtervaganza:
But you can lie sha. After declaring biafra ojukwu attacked south west, in fact he attacked Nigeria 1st

Common sense should tell you Nigeria retaliated and vanquished the arrogant bearded terrorist son of a b1tch

And he was humble? So humble was the bearded fool he was mad Gowon was placed above

Biafra was just his own way of being a head of state since he's a fool and not good enough to lead Nigeria

May his soul rest in piss and never in peace

tpiadotcom:
why is the boot info important?

xtervaganza:
But you can lie sha. After declaring biafra ojukwu attacked south west, in fact he attacked Nigeria 1st





Common sense should tell you Nigeria retaliated and vanquished the arrogant bearded terrorist son of a b1tch




And he was humble? So humble was the bearded fool he was mad Gowon was placed above




Biafra was just his own way of being a head of state since he's a fool and not good enough to lead Nigeria



May his soul rest in piss and never in peace

Gowon, Awolowo, Ejoor, Adebayo, Mobolaji Johnson, Katsina, Wey and all the groups that supported and advised the Federal Government of Nigeria to renege on the accords agreed upon in Aburi, Ghana were responsible for the 1967-70 Civil War, alongside their murderous kinsmen who killed innocent Easterners in revenge for an act done by a misguided group of soldiers comprising both Southerners and Northerners.

Ojukwu tried making peace, and called for peace-talk in a neutral ground hence the Aburi Accord, but Gowon and his co-travellers violated the agreement reached. If Ojukwu wanted war he wouldn't have called for peace talk in Ghana but the declaration of Biafra was inevitable as the killing of Easterners continued across the country. Ojukwu never asked for war! Ojukwu only declared Biafra when over thirty thousand corpses littered the Northern region in the aftermath of the January 15 1966 coup. Gowon and his cohorts declared the civil war! And Benjamin Adekunle, one the Nigerian soldier, later attested to the fact that Nigeria declared war because of oil in the Eastern region and not for the unity of the country!

Why didn't the July 1966 counter-coup plotters just wipe out the Eastern political class and call it a day. Aguiyi Ironsi did nothing deserving death yet they killed him. Ironsi was too much of a peacemaker and he died making useless peace, appeasing the Northerners. The counter coup plotters simply wanted a war and they sure got one.
Bear in mind there was no war before the pogrom of 1966 started in the North.
So why resort to maiming and killing innocent Easterners cum civilians. Has the killings stopped till date? NO!

The February 13, 1976 Dimka-led coupists came from Benue and Plateau region. They assassinated Murtala Mohammed then Head of State, yet there was no genocide carried against the Middle-belt people. Why was same treatment not given to the ethnic groups of the Dimka-led coupists that committed same offence? It's simply hypocrisy!
It is even against the military rule to harm the innocent civilians during coup.

According to the warped logic of hypocritical Yoruba and their co-travellers anytime there is a revolution or a coup the ethnic groups of the coup plotters should be singled out for ethnic cleansing!

Bloody, treacheerous, lousy noise-maker, you think you can cover up the atrocities of you saboteurs and your god, Obafemi Awolowo, who was the chief proponent of hatred, bitterness, tribalism, nepotism, propaganda and wickedness in this country? The same power hungry and greedy Awolowo who was imprisoned for treason and coup plotting until he was released by Odumegwu Ojukwu just before the 1967-70 war?

Hypocrite, what did you and your Yoruba tribe do when Igbos where being massacred across the North in 1966? Did you and your people come to the aid of the people of Igbodo and Asaba in 1967 when genocide was being carried out on them by your wicked Yoruba tribesmen and their co-travellers? 

Just like the chameleon, the Yorubas can change the colour of their skin at will and can vacillate at random between Christian and Muslim worlds whenever the evil spirit begins to operate them. Little wonder they are descendants of a fallen demon!
The vacillation is akin to the abracadabra of a sworn homosexual who might screw a man today, a woman tomorrow, or an animal the next time. You never can tell.

The level of Yoruba treacheery and betrayal is second to none.
Finding a reliable and trustworthy Yoruba person is like searching for a pin in a haystack. Yorubas who possess these good characters are rare.
Yorubas are not only treacherous but always at the servitude of the Northerners which is very worrisome.

Ethnomusicolist Charles Keil, who was visiting
Nigeria in 1966, recounted:

"The pogroms I witnessed in Makurdi, Nigeria
(late Sept. 1966) were foreshadowed by
months of intensive anti-Ibo and anti-
Eastern conversations among Tiv, Idoma,
Hausa and other Northerners resident in
Makurdi, and, fitting a pattern replicated in
city after city, the massacres were led by the
Nigerian army. Before, during and after the
slaughter, Col. Gowan could be heard over
the radio issuing 'guarantees of safety' to all
Easterners, all citizens of Nigeria, but the
intent of the soldiers, the only power that
counts in Nigeria now or then, was painfully
clear. After counting the disemboweled
bodies along the Makurdi road I was
escorted back to the city by soldiers who
apologized for the stench and explained
politely that they were doing me and the
world a great favor by eliminating Ibos.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War

Here's actually an excerpt, albeit it was written by Emeka Esogbue but it is a direct summarization of Emma Okocha books.

"It was this battle that gave birth to Murtala, a “Local champion” called Ibrahim Haruna and Ibrahim Taiwo of the Nigerian Army. Africans first had the practical experience of the word “genocide” in Igbodo where hundreds of lives were lost in the Nigerian civil war. In Isheagu, the case was not different. It was here that the ulterior motive of the Nigerian troop clearly unfolded.

The people were now scampering for the safety of their lives having experienced what happened in Igbodo and some other places. In the Midwestern region, able bodied men went into hiding leaving women and children at the mercy of advancing soldiers. The people of Benin went identifying their Ibo-speaking neighbours from house to house for executions."

BLOOD ON THE NIGER: THE FIRST BLACK ON BLACK OCTOBER 1967 GENOCIDE OF ASABA PEOPLE BY MURTALA, GOWON  AND AWOLOWO

...Like my father and elder brother that were part of the over 1000 youths that were killed on October 7, 1967, in Asaba, most of them were members of the Action Group (AG). The people that believed in the NCNC at that time left for the east. My father who worked in Enugu, Nsukka, Uzuakoli and Kafanchan as a civil servant could have gone to the east. But he believed in that war. He was an apostle of the Awo ideas-free education and free medical services. In fact, the Asaba General Hospital that is now a Specialist Hospital was brought to us by the AG led by Nduka Eze, another AG hardliner who left the Zikist Movement to join Awolowo. But Nduka Eze's wife was killed by the federal troop under the command of Murtala Mohammed because she refused to be touched because they were defiling women at random when they came in.

The genocide against the Igbos has been proved beyond reasonable doubt by the apology made to Asaba people by General Gowon when he came there after the release of the Blood On The Niger. The genocide against the Igbos was proved beyond reasonable doubt at the Oputa panel which the federal government has up till now refused to publish the findings. Bishop Desmond Tutu chaired the Truth and Justice tribunal in South Africa to find out what happened in South Africa during the apartheid period. It was accepted by both sides and just look at the peace that has prevailed there since then. Why would Nigeria not publish the findings of the Oputa Panel where it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that pilots were throwing bombs at random into market places in Uzuakoli, Uzuitem and Nsukka, where bottles and implements were also used against women during the war.

History is an account of the actions of actors in a community or in a state recorded that made impacts during their time. Awolowo was a great leader; great politician and great performer in government but his activities during the civil war were negative. If you are a writer, you cannot defend his position that starvation is an instrument of warfare. Starvation cannot be an instrument of warfare when you are fighting a civil war. 

Nigeria was being supplied arms from all countries. For the first time there was an unholy alliance between the Soviet Union and the West. It had never happened before. Any place that there was a war of revolution, the USSR is always taking the place of the revolutionary. How come that the USSR for the first time allied with the West against Biafra? So, let somebody go and disprove Achebe; that is what we want to see not that somebody did not commit genocide. Genocide has been proved to be committed. If there were no genocide, the World Council of Churches, the Caritas wouldn't have come in droves. If genocide was not committed, why did Biafra lose two million casualties, most of them civilians and children? And if people are not apologising to Igbos, why should they now come out to talk because one man has been put to where he belongs in history. He was the principal protagonist of using starvation as an instrument of warfare against his fellow citizens. Remember that Nigeria was fighting a war of unity. They were not as desperate as the other camp that was fighting a war of secession. So, in international convention Geneva included, you don't use starvation against civilians, you don't use firearms against civilians and you don't use bombs. Are they saying they didn't bomb civilians during the war? The Nigerian Air Force was very pronounced in its use of bombs on civilians and their targets were churches, market places and hospitals. These were recorded by missionaries and foreign journalists. 

Awolowo was the Minister of Finance under Gowon. He was the de facto prime minister of Nigeria during the war and he performed. I don't grudge him for winning the war for Nigeria; for changing the currency. He can win the war by all means but the fact that he prevented massive aid from coming is genocidal.

There was an inhuman instance. There was an incident where a Red Cross plane coming with medication and food was blown off the sky for the beleaguered people of Biafra. Even after the war, what was the purpose of denying Igbos their primary source of protein-stockfish? How can you defend the policy of giving people who have lost everything only 20 Pounds? If there is anybody that should have been given more, the returning war battered people of Biafra should have received more.

The Igbos have always accepted Awolowo as a great leader but his activities during the civil war shocked them. BY THE OBJECTIVE OF THE JANUARY 15 COUP, as quoted by Odia Ofeimun, the poet, the boys believed he was the greatest leader. 

THE LEADERS OF THE COUP, WERE TO MAKE CHIEF AWOLOWO THE PRIME MINISTER OF NIGERIA. These coup leaders didn't go for Azikiwe or Balewa. They wanted Chief Awolowo as quoted by Odia in a 1999 edition of The Guardian. Awolowo was supposed to be released by the Nzeogwu coup, which didn't have its assumed ending; it was aborted half way. It was Nzeogwu's colleague, Major Nzegwu that was supposed to pick him from Calabar prison and release him. So, I'm proving to you that the Igbo literality have always accepted Awo as one of the best and great leaders the country has ever produced but his activities during the war did not only shock them but betrayed the trust they had in.

During the whole peace conferences from Niamey to Kinshasha, Awolowo, Enahoro and Alison Ayida, who was a permanent secretary, always took a hawkish stand. That was why in the Niamey conference of 1968 Alison Ayida quoted Awo exactly that starvation is an instrument of warfare. This was at a time when millions of Biafran children were dying off. And death by starvation is not an ordinary death. It is for you to experience it. It was horror and the photographs are there but Awolowo and his henchmen never batted an eyelid even after the war. That is why we glorify other great literality like Wole Soyinka who told us in his book A Man Died that extermination was committed in Asaba. He was the first courageous soul in Nigeria that told the world about the Asaba massacre.

http://nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/main-square/73341-most-those-murdered-asaba-muritala-gowon-awo-were-action-group-members-emma-okocha-author-blood-niger.html