Ojukwu: Hero or Villain?

Ojukwu: Hero or Villain?
By Max Siollun [u]...Read the full article.

[Akinyi]

Max,

You want to start another war here in NVS.

Ojukwu is a hero to some and a coward to others. Even in the East some now see him as a coward.

Ojukwu is yet to win an elected position since he returned from exile. This alone gives a clue to his ability to organise, coordinate and execute.

Just like Bush found himself dealing with 911, under Ojukwu's watch, there was genocide against none hausa and none yoruba speaking Nigerians. Bush mismanaged the war, Ojukwu ran away.

[dele26]

FACT:

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu can never win an election in Nigeria because it’s invariably a taboo for heroes to win election in Nigeria

[denker]

Ojukwu would have saved many lives had he shown a greater degree of flexibility by accepting the Decree as it gave him 90% of what he wanted.

...can dis be independently confirmed? dis is serious, indeed!

[dele26]

Originally Posted by Akinyi

Max,

You want to start another war here in NVS.

Ojukwu is a hero to some and a coward to others. Even in the East some now see him as a coward.

.

__________________________________________________ __________________


Akinyi,

If Ojukwu is a coward he would have won an election …… you can not call a man who almost broke the northern hegemony a coward.

[Fjord]

Your villain, my hero; your hero, my villain.

I blame Ojukwu only for failing to actualise Biafra; that was the main objective, he was the spearhead; but ultimately, the project failed. That failure has been used by prevailing interests in the Nigerian nation space to marginalise the Igbos ever since the war officially ended. Nowhere else is this apparent than in the treatment of the Igbo nation regarding the presidency. It is often heard that no one of Igbo extraction would ever again be leader of Nigeria; this used to be said in hushed tones; nowadays, such 'decency' has evaporated. Ojukwu is alive; he is also aware of this apartheid. How must that feel? He may be anything now, but he certainly wasn't a coward.
.

[Oru-Ama]

[QUOTE=Akinyi;209178199]Max,


Ojukwu is a hero to some and a coward to others. Even in the East some now see him as a coward.
Ojukwu is yet to win an elected position since he returned from exile. This alone gives a clue to his ability to organise, coordinate and execute.


Ojukwu to the Igbos is a HERO and will always be! Of course it is possible for some people in the East to see him in a different light... just like in the West, despite all Awo did for his people), some people in the West still complain of one thing or another he did not do well. As for Ojukwu not winning an election, when did winning an election in Nigeria become a determining factor to say who is a hero and who is not?

It is a known fact that only cheats and never-do-wells wins all the time!

[el_pharoah]

Originally Posted by Fjord

Your villain, my hero; your hero, my villain.

I blame Ojukwu only for failing to actualise Biafra; that was the main objective, he was the spearhead; but ultimately, the project failed. That failure has been used by prevailing interests in the Nigerian nation space to marginalise the Igbos ever since the war officially ended. Nowhere else is this apparent than in the treatment of the Igbo nation regarding the presidency. It is often heard that no one of Igbo extraction would ever again be leader of Nigeria; this used to be said in hushed tones; nowadays, such 'decency' has evaporated. Ojukwu is alive; he is also aware of this apartheid. How must that feel? He may be anything now, but he certainly wasn't a coward.
.

I have a problem with the bolded parts. Why did he run away to a "meeting" when eastern Nigeria was over-run by federal forces. Why did he not stand shoulder to shoulder and die for the cause. What do you call a military leader who abandons his people to their destiny when the war is lost? I will always revere, admire and respect him as a man who stood up for his people against all odds. But I think that single act of abdication is a large black blot and undermines his status as a true hero of Ndiigbo in my humble opinion.

[TsuliyanDodo]

We must recognize thatb the Ojukwu of Biafra, of 1970 is no longer the Ojukwu of the present time.
He has metamophorsed and is indeed a typical corrupt Nigerian politician. In his locality, Ojukwu now collects compulsory "taxes" in the millions from the local governments in the Nnewi area, thereby improveshing the LGs and the people of these LGs. The same things we shout against of Chris Uba, Atiku (in Adamawa from 1999-2007), Adedibu in Ibadan etc. The same shame has Ojukwu reduced himself to.
I had respect for Ojukwu, but that was "before-before".
Now, He's a criminal in the mould of Adedibu and co.
Shame!

[dele26]

Originally Posted by el_pharoah

I have a problem with the bolded parts. Why did he run away to a "meeting" when eastern Nigeria was over-run by federal forces. Why did he not stand shoulder to shoulder and die for the cause. What do you call a military leader who abandons his people to their destiny when the war is lost? I will always revere, admire and respect him as a man who stood up for his people against all odds. But I think that single act of abdication is a large black blot and undermines his status as a true hero of Ndiigbo in my humble opinion.

Yoruba, Nigeria:
“Akin koju to moja tio mosa, iru won man bogun lo ni”

Bob Marley, Jamaica:
“He who fights and run away leaves to fight another day"

[nero africanus]

Originally Posted by el_pharoah

I have a problem with the bolded parts. Why did he run away to a "meeting" when eastern Nigeria was over-run by federal forces. Why did he not stand shoulder to shoulder and die for the cause. What do you call a military leader who abandons his people to their destiny when the war is lost? I will always revere, admire and respect him as a man who stood up for his people against all odds. But I think that single act of abdication is a large black blot and undermines his status as a true hero of Ndiigbo in my humble opinion.

one thing would have happened if ojukwu had stayed back

they would have found one funny charge ,

they would have tried him and they would have executed him ,

just like victors execute symbols of struggles everywhere

just like the americans executed sadam hussein

when you look at it from the position of the igbo collective as a whole , how whould ojukwu's execution have served them.

that is the question

[el_pharoah]

Originally Posted by dele26

Yoruba, Nigeria:
“Akin koju to moja tio mosa, iru won man bogun lo ni”

Bob Marley, Jamaica:
“He who fights and run away leaves to fight another day"

What about the soldiers that gave their lives for Biafra, if they had held the mantra above would Ojukwu have had an army to fight for him? The Biafrans stood and fought against all odds believing in the cause but their leader had other ideas. I guess what is good for the goose not good for the gander eerrhh. Also, since the end of the war, what fight has he fought for the Ndiigbo? What we see is a man obsessed with becoming the president of a country he chose to secede from, which by the way has been a significant stumbling block in galvanising Ndiigbo for political actualisation in Nigeria.

[el_pharoah]

Originally Posted by nero africanus

one thing would have happened if ojukwu had stayed back

they would have found one funny charge ,

they would have tried him and they would have executed him ,

just like victors execute symbols of struggles everywhere

just like the americans executed sadam hussein

when you look at it from the position of the igbo collective as a whole , how whould ojukwu's execution have served them.

that is the question

It is highly likely that he would have been tried for treason and probably executed. I don't disagree wtih that. But Ojukwu is an intelligent man and he knows that if you pick a fight, it is highly likely that you would get hit. The brave Biafran soldiers took a lot of hits, hungry, out-numbered and with frightfully innadequate weopns but they believed in Ojukwu and withstood these hits for 3yrs. But when it came to his turn he took flight, this can hardly be inspiring to the Igbo collective. Given his antecedents would you follow him to war again? I certainly wouldnt because I now know that after all the stirring rhetorc he would abandon me in the trenches.

[dele26]

Originally Posted by el_pharoah

What about the soldiers that gave their lives for Biafra, if they had held the mantra above would Ojukwu have had an army to fight for him? The Biafrans stood and fought against all odds believing in the cause but their leader had other ideas. I guess what is good for the goose not good for the gander eerrhh. Also, since the end of the war, what fight has he fought for the Ndiigbo? What we see is a man obsessed with becoming the president of a country he chose to secede from, which by the way has been a significant stumbling block in galvanising Ndiigbo for political actualisation in Nigeria.

__________________________________________________ __
What about the soldiers that gave their lives for Biafra, if they had held the mantra above would Ojukwu have had an army to fight for him?
I am not Ojukwu’s fan, but a leader / representative is always in a better position to negotiate on behalf of his people or followership. “Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter”.

The Biafrans stood and fought against all odds believing in the cause but their leader had other ideas. I guess what is good for the goose not good for the gander eerrhh.
Somebody had to lead, represent, and negotiate the Ndiigbo course.


Also, since the end of the war, what fight has he fought for the Ndiigbo? What we see is a man obsessed with becoming the president of a country he chose to secede from, which by the way has been a significant stumbling block in galvanising Ndiigbo for political actualisation in Nigeria.

1). Ojukwu can not lead Ndiigbo that is not harmonized
2). Ndiigbo is not speaking with one voice because of their individual interests
3). Ojukwu is no more relevant because of Ndiigbo’s division

[Hamattan]

Originally Posted by el_pharoah

I have a problem with the bolded parts. Why did he run away to a "meeting" when eastern Nigeria was over-run by federal forces. Why did he not stand shoulder to shoulder and die for the cause. What do you call a military leader who abandons his people to their destiny when the war is lost? I will always revere, admire and respect him as a man who stood up for his people against all odds. But I think that single act of abdication is a large black blot and undermines his status as a true hero of Ndiigbo in my humble opinion.

'He who fights and run away, lives to fight another day'
Ojukwu would have been long dead by now if he had stayed back. I am very sure about that drawing from what happened to Gil Onwuatuegwu. The vandals killed him in cold blood weeks after the war. I was the last Biafran to see him alive or would I say half dead, that is not a story I want to share on this forum, suffice it to say that he was tortured to feel pain till he lost consciousness and they shot him while in coma. With such brutality metted on Onwuatuegwu, what would they have done to Odumegwu, so I know what I am saying.
The one thing I can complain about Ojukwu and the other policy makers of Biafra in those days is that there seemed not to have been a 'plan B'. Considering the heavy advantage the federal had. There should have been plans in case it comes to the worse. All said, Ojukwu is a Nigerian hero, not just an Igbo hero. He was the only one who dared the caliphate till today. Just look around you and compare now and 1960s, do you see any changes?

[dele26]

Originally Posted by Hamattan

He was the only one who dared the caliphate till today. Just look around you and compare now and 1960s, do you see any changes?

Good one Hamattan, and I insist that no true Igbo man will say the Ikemba is a coward

[Hamattan]

Originally Posted by el_pharoah

It is highly likely that he would have been tried for treason and probably executed. I don't disagree wtih that. But Ojukwu is an intelligent man and he knows that if you pick a fight, it is highly likely that you would get hit. The brave Biafran soldiers took a lot of hits, hungry, out-numbered and with frightfully innadequate weopns but they believed in Ojukwu and withstood these hits for 3yrs. But when it came to his turn he took flight, this can hardly be inspiring to the Igbo collective. Given his antecedents would you follow him to war again? I certainly wouldnt because I now know that after all the stirring rhetorc he would abandon me in the trenches.

Hei, hei, hei, let us not forget that this guy was often restricted by force not to take physical action in the war theatre. He resisted a lot of it and commanded some major actions among them the recovery of Oguta. Let us not loose focus of the fact that the war was not Ojukwus war, it was a war of the survival of a people who were hounded and killed in cold blood for no reason. This was the motivating factor. Many heroic acts were carried out by youths due to the pain they felt for being so disgracefully hounded and massacared by the Northerners. I was such urchin, just turned 14 and everything I did I will repeat again, if such circumstance repeats itself. There is no group in Nigeria that will not stand up and defend themselves in such circumstance. Ojukwu happened to be the leader, it was not his war, for he did not declare any war and was never a war monger. Let us be reasonable and not overlook the hard facts.

[Native]

Everyone is now judging Ojukwu as if he had a choice.
He has become a handy tool for those looking for cheap
publicity and cheap controversy.
If the East had not seceded in order to halt the murderous advance of their
determined killers, was there any guarantee that "the other side" would have halted
their clear programme of extermination?

Some misguided Igbo folk wishing to be called "nationalists" now find it
convenient to poke fun at Ojukwu to worm thier into the minds of
those whose fathers would have killed their own fathers had Ojukwu
refused to bow to pressure to secede? Yet, they know what would happen
to them if they repeat these views they vomit here among their kit and kin
in their villages.

To majority of Igbo people, Ojukwu remains a great hero.
He also a human being.
Reports had it he was the last to enter that plane - that he was
practically dragged in. He never wanted to leave. But the Igbos knew that
his death, which his former colleagues, always cowed by his towering intellect,
wanted desperately would have remained an eternal humiliation to the Igbos.
That's why they forced him to leave.
The majority of Igbos are grateful he's alive today. Never mind the views
of the tiny clique of self seeking political elite, seeking cheap relevance.
Those who were at the warfront knew several times, when the battle became
fierce, when Ojukwu would, against every advice, carry his gun to personally
lead the war, to push back Nigerian forces. Everyone knows that but
for saboteurs, the combined forces of Britain, USA, Russia and Gowon's
Nigeria would have seen pepper in the hands of Biafra.

Well, for the Igbo, it was a battle to secure their lives from those
determined to wipe them out. No other definition can fit that 30 months
war.

To understand the depth of bile, estrangement and bitterness that fuelled
that clearly organized genocidal attack on the Igbos, read this INTERVIEW

[InDiaspora]

I've been hearing these terms for years now and never really bothered to inquire... Is this "Caliphate" real or imagined? Does it have anything to do with the Sokoto caliphate? Is it the same as the "Northern cabal"? Whose interests do they represent? Do they have any National agenda? Please enlightened villagers should please shed some light on this. Can we put name/faces to these "Northern cabal" or the "caliphate"?

One thing I know for sure is that they never seem to be on the side of nation-building, patriotism or any such lofty ideals. On the contrary their name always comes up when it's got something to do with the covert and negative. I stand to be corrected.

[ajis15]

Thanks Max:

A documentary on the civil war refered to Ojukwu as weired Colonel.