₦airaland Forum

aribisala0:
When Ojukwu created the Biafran pound. Did he share money to the public?

NO


People gave up something in Exchange. What was it ?

Fact is people exchanged their money for Biafran pounds and were effectively scammed by Ojukwu

mpianya39:

JUSTICE4Nigeria:
is either u plain stupid or choose to be cos it concern biafra, u didn't even know the history of biafra war, and u are here typing rubbish, I need to take u down to nursery school now! A B C D .......AFTER THAT U CAN NOW TRY THIS ASSESSMENT, WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF BIAFRA WAR?

Obi1kenobi:
I've examined this thread and it begs the question:
Which myth or lie exactly do you think you have "busted" here?

Few Traces of the Civil War Linger in Biafra
By JAMES BROOKE, Special to the New York Times
Published: July 14, 1987
ENUGU, Nigeria— The Biafra babies are adults now.

It has been 20 years since Nigerian soldiers moved to retake the nation's oil-producing east, which had seceded five weeks earlier as the independent Republic of Biafra.

After 20 months of fighting, the secessionists threw down their arms and melted into the bush. By the end, Nigeria's civil war - initially an obscure tribal conflict - had moved to the stage of world public opinion.

In one of the first televised wars, millions were moved by images of the Biafra babies, fragile skeletons with distended bellies, who succumbed by the thousands to a man-made famine. Experts now say the children who survived appear to have grown to healthy adulthood, and Nigeria's east bears few traces of the civil war that killed an estimated one million people.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, the market in Owerri was filled with women carrying robust babies strapped to their backs. A far cry from the city's final, famine-racked days, Owerri's market stalls were loaded with three-foot-high pyramids of freshly baked bread.

At Umuahia, at the National War Museum, tourists strolled through a photo exhibition on Biafra. Twenty years ago, the galleries served as the underground studios of the Voice of Biafra, which were used by the rebel leadership to exhort Ibo tribesmen to resist.

Parked outside the museum are several Biafran ''Red Devils'' - armored cars improvised by the rebels from bulldozers and sheets of welded steel. Green tendrils of undergrowth curled through the treads, which long ago had frozen with rust. A Graveyard for Aviators

In Uli, buses and brightly painted wagons sped over a section of Route A-6, where, at the height of the war, as many as 40 cargo planes landed each night, bringing arms and food to the encircled Biafrans.

Aside from fragments of a Super Constellation aircraft rusting in a cornfield, the only hint of the road's earlier role was a rural establishment named ''Airport Hotel.''

Near the hotel, the sound of voices singing hymns floated through the open windows of St. Teresa's Church. But shoulder-high brush covered the church's once neatly tended graveyards, which hold the remains of two dozen Biafran and foreign aviators killed during the airlift. Biafra Became a Taboo Word

Shortly after the war ended in January 1970, the graveyard was bulldozed by the Nigerian military seeking to erase physical reminders of the rebellion. Today, the region is intensely farmed. But local peasants cultivate only up to the invisible borders of the old burying grounds.

In the post-war era, Biafra became a taboo word. The Bight of Biafra, a stretch of Nigeria's Atlantic coast, was renamed the Bight of Bonny. Biafra Light, the oil pumped from this area, is now called Bonny Light.

In 1967, the Ibos broke away from Nigeria largely because they feared massacres at the hands of their ethnic rivals - the Hausa in the North and Yoruba in the South. Though all three groups are Nigerian, they are about as similar to one another as the French are to the Germans or the Italians. 'No Victor and No Vanquished'

In 1966, anti-Ibo rioting, largely by Hausas, killed about 30,000 Ibos and created about a million Ibo refugees. During the ensuing civil war, it was fear of renewed killing that kept many Ibos fighting.

But after Biafra's collapse, the massacres did not take place. Yakubu Gowon, then Nigeria's President, declared a policy of ''no victor and no vanquished.''

Oil also served as an ointment for national wounds. In the 1970's, Nigeria rode an oil boom and national income increased fivefold. A Reception of Embraces

''I must say Nigeria has done a good job,'' said Benjamin Odogwu, an Ibo who served as Biafra's Director of Military Intelligence. ''The war was fought in all viciousness. We were surprised by the reception, the embraces.''

In 1982, after 13 years in exile in the Ivory Coast, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Biafra's bearded leader, returned to Nigeria. He was welcomed at the airport here by an enthusiastic crowd of a quarter million people.

After an unsuccessful fling in politics, Mr. Ojukwu, 54 years old, has settled into the quiet life of a successful Lagos businessman. A Legacy of Discrimination

''Ojukwu laughs last,'' read a recent report chronicling a current, more prosaic, preoccupation of the one-time rebel. On July 6, a Lagos court returned to Mr. Ojukwu the family mansion that the state had seized in the war.

While Mr. Ojukwu, the Oxford-educated son of a millionaire, has landed on his feet in Lagos, many Ibos complain that they labor under a legacy of discrimination stemming from the civil war.

In this nation ruled by the military, it was only this year that an Ibo reached the rank of a general. Although Ibos account for about a quarter of Nigeria's 100 million people, there is only one Ibo on Nigeria's supreme political organ, the 19-man Armed Forces Ruling Council. Currency Became Valueless

During the war, many Ibos lost their fortunes when the Federal Government switched the currency in circulation, declaring the old coins and bills valueless. When peace came, Ibos were allowed to exchange a maximum of 20 Biafran pounds for 20 Nigerian pounds.

Two years later, the Government embarked on a campaign that forced many foreign companies here to take on majority Nigerian ownership. Since the Ibos were destitute, control of the companies largely went to Hausa and Yorubas.

''The east is not faring well after 20 years,'' said Arthur A. Nwankwo, a book publisher from Enugu, ticking off on his fingers a list of development projects that have gone to other regions of Nigeria. A Historical Curiosity

Mr. Nwankwo maintains a ''Biafran section'' in his publishing house, which he said is putting into print an increasing number of civil war novels and memoirs.

About half of all Nigerians were born since the war broke out. For many, Biafra is nearly a historical curiosity.

''Some people have forgotten their losses, some people haven't,'' said Mokwugo Okoye, who was once a member of Biafra's Consultative Assembly. ''There are now more pressing issues - like the economy - not what happened 20 years ago.''

One enduring mystery of the period is the impact that the severe malnutrition had on a generation of Biafran children. Cities Double in Size

In ''The Brutality of Nations,'' a book on Biafra published in New York this year, Dan Jacobs, the author, estimates that at the war's end, 31 percent of Biafran children under the age of 5 - or 480,000 children - suffered from severe malnutrition.

''The people I have seen from that particular period are in secondary school and university and have not suffered any permanent injury,'' said H. I. Uzoewulu, medical director of St. Martin's Hospital here. Disabled War Veterans

But reminders of the war occasionally intrude through eastern Nigeria's surface normality.

On the westbound shoulder of Route A-232, a modern four-lane expressway that links Enugu and Onitsha, a group of eight men in wheelchairs gather every day in the shade of a palm frond.

Passing the day chatting or telling war stories, these disabled Biafran war veterans wait for passing drivers to slow their cars and to throw coins or bills out their windows.

''The Government regards us as outcasts,'' said Chuks Usim, a former Biafran corporal, as traffic sped by. Mr. Usim said his group is trying to raise money for new wheelchair tires.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, cars filled with families stopped frequently. But some days go by, Mr. Usim said, when no one stops.

PHIPEX:
Below is a report by NYtimes in 1987 about the civil war, every Igbo man literary started life afresh with 20 pounds. The OP should give honours to the Igbos for coming this far

aribisala0:
So you accept that every Igbo man was given 20 pounds?
What you have not accepted is they were given twenty pounds for Biafran pounds that they had bought with Nigerian pounds
That Ojukwu used their money to prosecute the war leaving them with toilet roll called Biafran pounds and that Nigeria generously bailed them oul

That 20 pounds today would be 200000 Naira
Money in bank accounts was not affected by the currency switch just that which Ojukwu looted from banks in the East

I hope the Igbos would be willing to contribute in that same spirit to the people of the NE zone

PHIPEX:
Go back to the articles above and also read Awolowo's interview and you'll understand that there was a double approach.

1. Those with evidence of bank Account got a maximum of 20pound.
2. Those with Biafra pounds also got a maximum of 20pounds.

This is enough to show u that virtually every Igbo man got same amount.

diadem10:
I've been reading your post thus far and it's seriously giving me headache.

Who asked you folks to exchange your money for worthless biafra pounds? Nigeria FG wasn't the one that scammed you but Ojukwu. Was it not the same folks of yours that spent millions on Biafran passports from Massbob's uwazuike? How is then Nigeria's fault for your folks' foolishness?

The fact that Nigeria FG decided to replace these worthless biafra pounds with 20 pounds should be meant with appreciation because your real money were never with Nigeria, your folks already exchanged them with Ojukwu for unrecognised worthless biafra pounds! Your people ought to have gone to Ojukwu to demand back your pounds but Nigeria decided to help you to replace these worthless pounds and what do you show in return?

Exactly one of my problem with the Ibos because I happened to have a nature that get easily irritated with ingrates and manipulation.

aribisala0:
So you accept that every Igbo man was given 20 pounds?
What you have not accepted is they were given twenty pounds for Biafran pounds that they had bought with Nigerian pounds
That Ojukwu used their money to prosecute the war leaving them with toilet roll called Biafran pounds and that Nigeria generously bailed them oul

That 20 pounds today would be 200000 Naira
Money in bank accounts was not affected by the currency switch just that which Ojukwu looted from banks in the East

I hope the Igbos would be willing to contribute in that same spirit to the people of the NE zone

diadem10:
I've been reading your post thus far and it's seriously giving me headache.

Who asked you folks to exchange your money for worthless biafra pounds? Nigeria FG wasn't the one that scammed you but Ojukwu. Was it not the same folks of yours that spent millions on Biafran passports from Massbob's uwazuike? How is then Nigeria's fault for your folks' foolishness?

The fact that Nigeria FG decided to replace these worthless biafra pounds with 20 pounds should be meant with appreciation because your real money were never with Nigeria, your folks already exchanged them with Ojukwu for unrecognised worthless biafra pounds! Your people ought to have gone to Ojukwu to demand back your pounds but Nigeria decided to help you to replace these worthless pounds and what do you show in return?

Exactly one of my problem with the Ibos because I happened to have a nature that get easily irritated with ingrates and manipulation.

Obi1kenobi:
No, every Igbo man was not paid £20. Not even close.

And no, even then, £20 was not a lot of money and I don't know how you came about your exchange rate claims. School certificate holders in clerical positions in the civil service and confirmed labourers earned between £16 to £20 a month at the time. University graduates in the civil service earned as much as £72 a month. Nigeria's GDP per capita in 1970 was US$224 which was close to 350 Nigeria pounds. You could not open any kind of business beyond petty trading and petty subsistence farming with £20. Nobody who suffered devastation for 3 years could have done anything meaningful in setting himself and his family up with £20. The best it could do was pay the cost of moving from the destroyed East to Lagos, Kano or wherever to go and actually hustle for real money.

And quit with the nonsense about Ojukwu "looting" anybody's money. He was entrusted with a mandate by his people to prosecute a war and war costs money. Ojukwu despite being the heir to one of the richest men in Nigeria hardly paraded around with stupendous wealth. Most of his fellow military officers at the time of lower rank and education than him ended up far richer than him and they still parade around the country today flaunting their wealth.

PHIPEX:
Go back to the articles above and also read Awolowo's interview and you'll understand that there was a double approach.

1. Those with evidence of bank Account got a maximum of 20pound.
2. Those with Biafra pounds also got a maximum of 20pounds.

This is enough to show u that virtually every Igbo man got same amount.

GoldNiagara:
Nice try! Are those banks owed by Federal Government or private organizatios?

Rotimik:
20pounds was given to everyone with bank account with the bankrupted ACB.

when a bank goes under due to no fault of government, you don't expect the government to make full payments to accounts holders.

This is the standard practice till date.

By the way, 20 pounds was a lot of money then (600K) today. It was a huge sacrifice by the FG at the time.

Obi1kenobi:
What exactly do you think should have been the FG's role after the civil war? Maybe let's start with that first.

aribisala0:
In 1970 after the war the Nigerian government generally gave £20 of Nigerian money to every eligible adult but no one has ever done the math.

Let us assume their were one million of them =£20million Nigerian

We know that the Nigerian pound exchanged for £2 pounds sterling in 1970 so
that would be £40 million . What would that be worth today

according to this inflation calculator

https://www.moneysorter.co.uk/calculator_inflation2.html
it would be
£432612859. Sterling
Not sure what sterling is doing these days but @ 475

that is

205491108025 Naira

200 billion

Assuming it was 1 million people that received the money. No one has ever told us how many did but I think it could be double that.

For a country to pay that out immediately after a war of such devastation is a huge feat considering that Nigeria was not even a major oil exporter in1970 and in 1970 oil prices were under $4 which when adjusted for inflation in today's money is $21.

It is a testament to the prudent financial management of Papa Awo who also kept the allocation of East Central state for 3 years and paid it all after the war


But they are not grateful and feel entitled to that payment. What have we done for the NE . Imagine finding 200 billion to give them today when oil prices in real terms are 3 X what they were in 1970

The standard of living was much lower. Let me put it in Perspective our standard of living then, There was no Lagos Ibadan Expressway. No East -West Road. PH to Aba was a single carriage way.The Air assault camp was the main airport in PH Omagwa airport did not exist. There was nothing like presidential jet. Where were the airports?
The country was broke with very little compared to today but still gave generously in the spirit or sacrifice and reconciliation

diadem10:
I've been reading your post thus far and it's seriously giving me headache.

Who asked you folks to exchange your money for worthless biafra pounds? Nigeria FG wasn't the one that scammed you but Ojukwu. Was it not the same folks of yours that spent millions on Biafran passports from Massbob's uwazuike? How is then Nigeria's fault for your folks' foolishness?

The fact that Nigeria FG decided to replace these worthless biafra pounds with 20 pounds should be meant with appreciation because your real money were never with Nigeria, your folks already exchanged them with Ojukwu for unrecognised worthless biafra pounds! Your people ought to have gone to Ojukwu to demand back your pounds but Nigeria decided to help you to replace these worthless pounds and what do you show in return?

Exactly one of my problem with the Ibos because I happened to have a nature that get easily irritated with ingrates and manipulation.

diadem10:
No where was it stated! The article you quoted only talked about the exchange of biafra pounds for 20 pounds! Stop this manipulation already.

Obi1kenobi:
£20 then is not 600k today. It's barely even 1/10th of that today. Where do you guys dig out these lies from?

Obi1kenobi:
£20 then is not 600k today. It's barely even 1/10th of that today. Where do you guys dig out these lies from?

Obi1kenobi:
£20 then is not 600k today. It's barely even 1/10th of that today. Where do you guys dig out these lies from?

Rotimik:
1pound will get you a carton of tin milk in 1970. It was a lot of money then.

Check the regional and Federal budget in the 60s to 1970, we budget in millions then. The word billion only exist in the imagination.

Individual millionaires were hard to find in 1970. It is funny that some people said their grandies told them that they saved millions in 1970 when a brand new car was sold for less than 500 pounds then.

Stop trying to justify the 20pounds policy lies you have been told.

I grew up at a time we were buying a dozen (12) of tin milk and a dozen of Geisha for N1 naira in the early 80s .At that time N0.75=$1 while N2.00=1pounds sterling.

Stop comparing 20pounds of 1970 with 20pounds of 2017. They are not the same.

aribisala0:
So in Summary

Many Igbos went back to the East and exchanged their Nigerian notes for Biafran pounds. Ojukwu took that money abroad as well as what he looted from banks in the East to buy arms and pay for propaganda. In the end the war was lost and he fled while the victims were left carrying worthless Biafran pounds. A bit like an MMM scheme . The value of the Biafran pound varied directly with the outcome of the war and those who bought were in effect investing in the war.It turned out to be a bad investment (BAD MAKATE). Who is to blame?

The Nigerian Government generously gave those with biafran pounds20 Nigerian pounds per person no matter how much they had. Understandably people felt bitter but who was to blame.

The story has been twisted to say it was money from bank accounts seized but this is ABSOLUTE NONSENSE. Some people claimed they lost their papers and could not get their money back.That is possible but had NOTHING TO DO WITH GOVERNMENT.

That was a matter purely BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR BANKERS . Government had no authority over that relationship

Obi1kenobi:
I've examined this thread and it begs the question:
Which myth or lie exactly do you think you have "busted" here?

Rotimik:
1pound will get you a carton of tin milk in 1970. It was a lot of money then.

Check the regional and Federal budget in the 60s to 1970, we budget in millions then. The word billion only exist in the imagination.

Individual millionaires were hard to find in 1970. It is funny that some people said their grandies told them that they saved millions in 1970 when a brand new car was sold for less than 500 pounds then.

Stop trying to justify the 20pounds policy lies you have been told.

I grew up at a time we were buying a dozen (12) of tin milk and a dozen of Geisha for N1 naira in the early 80s .At that time N0.75=$1 while N2.00=1pounds sterling.

Stop comparing 20pounds of 1970 with 20pounds of 2017. They are not the same.

Rotimik:
u

That FG seized Igbos money in bank and paid them only a paltry, useless , meaningless 20 pounds.

Obi1kenobi:
Nigeria's GDP in 1970 was $12.55 billion and GDP per capita was $225 which at the time was over 300 Nigerian pounds. To say £20 then is N600,000 today is bullshiit. Utter horseshiit. A load of twaddle.
And nobody ever said £20 in 1970 is the same as £20 in 2017.

Obi1kenobi:
Nigeria's GDP in 1970 was $12.55 billion and GDP per capita was $225 which at the time was over 300 Nigerian pounds. To say £20 then is N600,000 today is bullshiit. Utter horseshiit. A load of twaddle.
And nobody ever said £20 in 1970 is the same as £20 in 2017.