On Ojukwu and war

By Obi Nwankanma, The Orbit/Vanguard

WHEN Odumegwu-Ojukwu sneezes, the nation catches cold. That is to be expected. General Ojukwu showed his paces in war. He led one of the most famous wars of the late 20th century. General Ojukwu led the people of the former Eastern Nigeria with its majority Igbo population in a war in self-defence when they became targets of a genocidal rage.

Easterners declared secession and founded the Republic of Biafra; and for three years, fought for their lives and proudly defended their republic, but exhausted by the onslaught, lost Biafra and returned to Nigeria after the treaty that declared “no victor no vanquished” by the federal government led by General Yakubu Gowon. Nigeria, I daresay, has never fully recovered from that enterprise.

All men of conscience who fought in that genocidal war recoil from its memory. War is sweet music only to those who have never witnessed it. Only this past week, General Akinrinnade, one of the field commanders on the Nigerian side of that war publicly confessed his regrets for fighting the civil war. As a child of war myself – a war survivor – war is nightmare.

The Igbo say, “Oji oso agbakwuru ogu, amaghi s’ogu wu onwu” – simply put: those who hurry to war never stop to think that war is death. This is axiomatic and so true. General Ojukwu knows this axiom, and indeed has frequently cautioned against war and recoils from the experience. But the same Igbo, true to their dualist episteme also say, “anaghi aso mgbagbu eje ogu!” – again to put it simply: the fear of death and self-sacrifice does not prevent one from fighting a just war.

In other words, only a just war, and not a war of blame is worth the act in the Igbo cultural unconscious, because for the Igbo, war by all its implication is a great violation of the sacred law of the earth, at the end of which a necessary rite of cleansing – “ikpu aru” must be performed.

I am of course speaking about the “true” Igbo – not this generation of the Igbo who neither understands nor perhaps even values what it means to be truly Igbo, and have thus abandoned the ancient and sacred ways of the Igbo. This, of course, is a different question. But let me return to Ojukwu. Recently the General uttered what ought to be seen by all people who have ears as a timely warning.

Ojukwu used the metaphor of war. He would lead another just war, he says, in defence of the legal and democratic rights of the people, and in defence of the ethic of freedom enshrined in the notion of democracy and the ballot box. General Ojukwu was quoted on this matter after he addressed a press conference on what he perceived was an emergent shenanigan in attempts to use all manners of intrigue to undermine the democratic rights of people in Anambra state following Andy Ubah’s case, and arising from what people like Ojukwu perceive to be a potential abuse and corruption of the court process.

While some have called this use of the courts “ridiculous” others have seen it as within Andy Ubah’s constitutional rights to appeal to any court at anytime to seek interpretations and legal clarity. This right is precisely what Ojukwu vowed to defend in another war if it came to it: the right of a wider constituency and not for self-seeking politicians or processes that put to risk the foundations of the commonwealth. Ojukwu’s use of the terminology of war drew immediate reaction.

His adversary in the last war, Yakubu Gowon for instance, suddenly found his tongue, which everybody thought had been swallowed by the cat, except when he prays for Nigeria and such matters. He would, he told reporters, meet Ojukwu square feet by square feet on this matter of another war. Well, up yours Jack Gowon! That’s what Ojukwu is likely to say on this matter of meeting Jack Gowon again at war.

I think what we should have between Ojukwu and Gowon is a properly refereed boxing match at the national stadium. But on this matter of leading another resistance, Ojukwu is again right. He has called attention, in very prescient ways once more, about the dangers of using might to upturn the democratic will of Anambra people.

His synecdochal use of the terms of war merely reflect the mood of people, particularly in the East, but generally in Nigeria who have watched as their electoral rights have been abused by the use of force.

What General Ojukwu is telling Nigerians clearly is that Anambra state is a flashpoint in the emergent electoral scenario; that the PDP which since 1999, has used all kinds of illegal methods to retain power in Nigeria, through electoral fraud, intimidation, the use of corrupt judges, gerrymandering, violence, and so on, may finally bite more than they could chew with the current mood in Anambra state.

Among Ojukwu’s traducers are people like Ilochi Okafor, a former Law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who has boldly called Odumegwu-Ojukwu “a security risk,” and who has followed in the lockstep of other cheerleaders in calling Ojukwu names and threatening him, and blackmailing him with history: perhaps it is all politics.

But in the incendiary mood of Nigerians, and in their anger towards the government and the ruling party, and the endgame politics of certain participants who call themselves “stakeholders” in Anambra politics, the politics of Igbo land, and the politics of Nigeria, something is about to give, and Ojukwu has again courageously given voice to this possibility.

Instead of knee-jerk responses to Ojukwu, perhaps it is time to listen carefully to his considered views. A summary of that view simply is for all these ambitious men to take a look around them and read the tea leaves: things are not likely to remain as simple as in the past in these coming elections. Anambra state is likely to prove the first test of will between Nigerians who want a transparent democratic transfer of power and a political Mafiosi which wishes to use methods of intimidation to arrive at power.

The situation in Anambra might prove to be the catalyst to some uncontainable force of anger; indeed much repressed anger by people who have been long restrained because the last war took an incalculable toll on their will for another war. But there comes a time when people, irrespective of their disdain for violence are compelled to rise and say, “No! in Thunder.” That time, says Ojukwu may just be here and now. We better listen.



15 Responses for “On Ojukwu and war”
Emeka (London) says:
November 15, 2009 at 6:19 pm@ Rotimi, what is that you scribbled below? Gowon is…blah…blah…blah…
I tell you what, a five year old son could do better. Young man, go get your head unwind from the tale-by-moonlight stories your educated but ignorant elders induced in you. If dont know, research. But if cant research nor learn, then keep quite!

That was vintage Obi Nwakanma; he is always a delight to read. Unlike other brown envelope collecting Igbo journalists who are wont to call a spade a fork in other to be in the good books of the ragamufins calling themselves ‘Igbo leaders’ and their pay masters in Abuja, in Mr. Obi, we can always trust to find a journalist that could articulate and put forward the thinking of the majority of the Igbo people.
As for Ojukwu’s timely warning, it’s only a blind person that could not have envisaged the danger Andy Uba’s mis-adventure potend for not only Anambra State but the whole of Nigeria had he succeeded. Only God knows what the headlines would have been reading now had those honourable men of law allowed themselves to be used.
Talking of those paper tiger faceless Igbo crumb-pickers and their Nigerian counterperts who foolishly went for Ojukwu’s jogular for once again seeing beyond his time, I had rather direct them to go make an unbiased and detailed research as to what contributed to causing the Nigerian civil war. Because, if they do (including some ignorant ones who contribute on this forum), they will discover that unlike the cock-and-bull stories their parents must have taught them about the cause of the war, that apart from the pre-meditated massacre of Igbos in northern Nigeria, that another contributory factor to the war was the pre-war political crisis which engulfed the then Western Region, occassioned by the protracted and often bloody rivalry between Awolowo’s Action Group supporters and Akintola’s ruling party followers. It was this regional political rivary which later slowbald into what was then known as the ‘ wild wild west’ crisis. It was to avoid a situation where the killings, looting and political thuggery could spread to other parts of Nigeria that Nzeogwu and co were forced to terminate what was becoming a truly lawless First Republic.
For even though Nzegwu’s coup was foiled by Aguyi-Ironsi and other senior military officers, the latter was himself killed in a counter-coup led by Murtala Muhammed. Thereafter, started the indiscriminate slaughter of Igbo military officers in the barracks and innocent civilians on the streets in the north and west of the country. Feeling abused and unwanted, Ndigbo naturally decided to seek refuge in their part of the country by collectively deciding to secede. Following deafening call for secession from Nigeria by the Easterners, the then Eastern Consultative Assembly, being the body governing the then Eastern Region with Ojukwu, voted unanimously On May 26, 1967 to secede from Nigeria. Ojukwu, in carring out that order officially declared the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967. The Federal Government, led by Yakubu Gowon in response sent troops who attacked the Biafrans from the town of Garkem (close to Nsukka) on July 6, 1967. It was from thence we ended up with what is known today as the Nigerian-Biafran war, which started on the above date and ended on Januray 15, 1970.
I have decided to chronicle the above events leading to the civil war so to put paid to the lies being peddled by Ojukwu’s detractors to the effect that Ojukwu single-handedly declared a sovereign state or that the Biafrans. Just as it is lack of knowledge of Nigerian history which makes some Nigerians to suggest that the Biafrans “started the war”. Nothing could be far from the truth.
Ojukwu being a major player before, during and after that unfortunate conflict obviously knows that if the Anambra crisis is not handled with care, that it might lead to another national crisis; just as a mere quarrel between two Yoruba brothers (Awolowo and Akintola) ended up heating the polity to the extend of costing Ndigbo and other Nigerians humanly and otherwise.
So for someone like Gowon, who, like Ojukwu, lived those dark days of Nigerian history to misread what Ojukwu was implying, or to be so blind not to see the larger picture Ojukwu was portraying, means that Ojukwu is still ahead of Gowon in seeing vision today as he was when they signed the unimplemented Aburi Accord, which could have, apart from preventing the war, woud have also given the confederating Nigerian units (as agreed in the Aburi Accord) a road-map to individually and collectively pursue its goals. Sadly, it is lack of a clear-cut road-map such was outlined in the Aburi Accord and later the Ahaira Declaration by the Biafrans which is lacking amongst the Nigerian ruling class. The result is the arrested development which Ngeria has found itself since after the war ended.
If truth be told; Gowon has a lot to learn from Ojukwu, just as the Nigerians has a lot to learn from the rag-tag and malnourished Biafrans, who, despite the odds, were able to hold the Nigerian government and its western backers spell-bound for three good years. One could only imagine what the result could have been if the lonely Biafrans had the financial and military support the Nigerians had from from the west…Your guess is as good as mine.

As for the judgment itself, all I can do is to join all peace-loving and progressive Igbos to say: Our enemies has been exposed, defeated and shamed, and has been forever consigned to the dustbin of history.
kelly says:
November 15, 2009 at 5:34 pmRotimi
You sound like a bastard?, you are trained by a woman i am sure, while your father is busy marrying here and there and breeding bastards like you.
Emeka (London) says:
November 15, 2009 at 3:33 pmThat was vintage Obi Nwakanma; he is always a delight to read. Unlike other brown envelope collecting Igbo journalists who are wont to call a spade a fork in other to be in the good books of the ragamufins calling themselves ‘Igbo leaders’ and their pay masters in Abuja, in Mr. Obi we can always trust to find a journalist that could articulate and put forward the thinking of the majority of the Igbo people.
As for Ojukwu’s timely warning, it’s only a blind person that could not have envisaged the danger Andy Uba’s mis-adventure potend for not only Anambra State but the whole of Nigeria had he succeeded. Only God knows what the headlines would have been reading now had those honourable men of law allowed themselves to be used.
Talking of those paper tiger faceless Igbo crumb-pickers and their Nigerian counterperts who foolishly went for Ojukwu’s jogular for once again seeing beyond his time, I had rather direct them to go make an unbiased and detailed research as to what contributed to causing the Nigerian civil war. Because, if they do (including some ignorant ones who contribute on this forum), they will discover that unlike the cock-and-bull stories their parents must have taught them about the cause of the war, that apart from the premeditated massacre of Igbos in northern Nigeria, that another contributing factor to the war was the pre-war political crisis which engulfed the then Western Region, occassioned by the protracted and often bloody rivalry between Awolowo’s Action Group supporters and Akintola’s ruling party followers. It was this regional political rivary which later slowbald into what was then known as the ‘ wild wild west’ crisis. So to prevent the killing, looting and political thuggery from spreading to other parts of Nigeria, Nzeogwu and co stricked to terminate what was becoming a lawless First Republic. Even though Nzegwu’s coup was foiled by Aguyi-Ironsi and other senior military officers, the latter was however killed in a counter-coup led Murtala Muhammed. Then, came the indiscriminate slaughter of Igbo military officers in the barracks and innocent civilians on the streets in the nothern and western part of the country. Feeling abused and unwanted, Ndigbo naturally decided to seek refuge in their part of the country by collectively deciding to secede. On May 26, 1967, the then Eastern Consultative Assembly, being the body governing the then Eastern Region under Ojukwu voted to secede from Nigeria and gave Ojukwu the mandate to decalre a sovereign state called the Republic of Biafra. Consequently, Ojukwu officially declared the Republic of Biafra on May 30, 1967. And in response, the Federal Government led by Yakubu Gowon sent troops who attacked the Biafrans from the northern town of Garkem on July 6, 1967. Ladies and gentlemen, it was from there we ended up with what is known today as the Nigerian-Biafran war.
I have decided to chronicle the above events so a to put paid to the lies being peddled by Ojukwu’s detractors to the effect that Ojukwu single-handedly declared a sovereign state or that the Biafrans were the first to fire the shots, triggering the most brutal and savage war ever witnessed in Africa…. And as they say, the rest is history.
So, Ojukwu being a major player before, during and after that unfortunate conflict obviously know that if the Anambra crisis is not handled with care, that it might lead to another national crisis; just as a mere quarrel between two Yoruba brothers (Awolowo and Akintola) ended up heating the polity to the extend of costing Ndigbo and other Nigerians humanly and otherwise. But for someone like Gowon, who, like Ojukwu, lived that dark days of Nigerian history to misread what Ojukwu was implying, or to be so blind not to see the larger picture shows that Ojukwu is still ahead of Gowon in seeing vision in 2009 as he was when they signed the Aburi Accord over four decades ago.
As for the judgment itself, all I can do is to join all peace-loving and progressive Igbos to say: Our enemies has been exposed, defeated and shamed, and has been forever consigned to the dustbin of history.
Hassan Zaria says:
November 15, 2009 at 2:17 pmThis ojukwu war beat is getting too much. Obi Nwakanma or whatever that your name is, it is high time your ibo people desist from tribal ranting. ojukwu whom Gen. Yakubu Gowon cautioned understood so what is your own? First tell ojukwu to stop gallivanting across the globe launching briafra house in exile, I have browsed the site http://www.biafraland.com/biafrahouseopens.htm .What Gen. Gowon and his Nigeria Pray want for Nigeria is justice, peace and not war, so you must be advised to stop your tribal bigotry. On Monday, igbo day celebration; tomorrow, igbo marginalisation and on Wednesday, igbo presidential agitation. Go and put your house in order before insulting a national leader like Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
Rotimi says:
November 15, 2009 at 11:25 amObi Nwakanma, metaphoric of war are you painting? You should be ashamed of yourself for fanning the embers of tribalism by supporting ojukwu’s senselessness. Had most respected General Yakubu Gowon not whipped your commander ojukwu to line, he would have still continue ranting. Obi Nwakanma,, Ojukwu or whatever you called him is a failure and a tribal war head, see, ( http://www.biafraland.com/biafrahouseopens.htm ) and you can do well to ask his town people in Nnewi about a coward who ran away from a war he senselessly started…. Obi Nwakanma, General Yakubu Gowon will never meet Ojukwu square feet by square feet rather he will defeat Ojukwu square feet by square feet. Listen attentively Obi Nwakanma, never you, your 419ners and now kidnap tribe ever try to insult General Yakubu Gowon because he cautioned your war monger. What General Yakubu Gowon stand for justice, equity and peace and will continue to pray till Nigeria attains that enviable height. NIGERIA PRAY and not war.
EFOBI ANTHONY says:
November 15, 2009 at 11:15 amNigeria and PDP most not try to rig Anambra election come next year. We cannot take it peaceful again. We are not saying that PDP can’t take the post if they win through free and fair election. The election must be free and fair AND BE SEEN TO BE SO. Anambra election must not be rigged for the interest of Nigerian Unity. If the election is rigged, we cannot listen the saying that indicate that INEC and PDP is not the cause. They are of Federal Govt.. In the effort of keeping what we have, we may lose what hold us together under bundage.

Prof. Ilochi Okafor is not right to call Dim Ojukwu names. He is attracting unnecessary hatred to himself by insulting his father thinking that he is practicing politics. That is why he joined PDP as a political party knowing how bad the party is. Now, look at the first mark he is making in his political first appearance. He had told better of himself and who he is and the stuff he was made of. A PROFESSOR.

Anthony From U.K.
ogaju says:
November 15, 2009 at 10:40 amObinna,
I hope Ojukwu got you a ticket for abidjan this time……
tony says:
November 15, 2009 at 10:05 amPDP retreated having hard the roaring sound of a lion Ikemba?. Every one knows what PDP plan B looks like. They wanted to use Soludo to distract peoples attention , so that before the people could open their eyes the court has ruled in their favor. Ikemba saw it and roared and the wolves retreated.
Obinna says:
November 15, 2009 at 9:29 amGen.Gowon was absolutely wrong to have said what he said about Gen.Ojukwu’s comment in respect of Andy Uba’s antics in Anambra state.For Gowon to have made such utterances,he was merely chasing shadow rather than substance.Matching Ojukwu square feet by square feet isn’t the issue.The crux of the matter is that someone with questionable character wants to become the Governor of Anambra through the manipulation the Judiciary.What’s more,should a man such Andy become the Governor,chances are that Anambra state would suffer the fate it suffered during Mbadinuju days as Governor.

As a Phd holder in Political Science from the prestigious Warwick University,I thought that Gen.Gowon would have understood what the Ikemba said and meant.This tells me that Gowon went through the motion of studying Political science.One funny thing about Nigeria,is that we always approach issues that needs to be approached with pure reasoning with emotion.

I am of the opinion that if given equal circumstances,Gen.Gowon can not match Gen.Ojukwu in a warefare.Mention must be made here that the arms and ammunitions used by the federal forces was more than the all the arms and ammunitio used by the British forces through out the entire 2nd World War.This is to showcase the extent of how well armed and equipped the federal forces were.And yet,the rag-tag Biafran forces were still able to hold them back for 3 bloody years.
Kenice says:
November 15, 2009 at 1:44 amThank you Obi. I did comment that only intelligent and descerning minds would understand what Ojukwu had to say. The good news is some of our judges are beginning to realise that they are equal “stake-holders” in the Nigerian enterprise. The bold and upright are gradually being separated from the timid and corrupt. When the proper and accurate history of Nigeria is written we know on which side Ojukwu would be found.