Today Friday March 2, 2012, marks the end of an era in Nigeria. It is a day the remains of the late Biafran leader, Ezeigbo Gburugburu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who died three months ago after a long battle with stroke will be committed to mother earth.

The low, the mighty, rich and poor from all over the country and beyond will troop to Nnewi, Anambra State to bid farewell to a man popularly regarded as the people’s general.

Since the news of his death broke on the 20th of November, 2011, accolades have been showered on him from within and outside the country. Although the sincerity of some of these encomiums are questionable, they are so beautiful and revealing that even some people who hitherto had wrong impressions about the late Ikemba Nnewi are persuaded to have a rethink.

Many of the attributes said Ojukwu was very humble, disciplined, courageous, bold and devoted his life to the struggle for the emancipation of the under privileged.

Some called him a brilliant, persuasive, motivational and eloquent speaker who had no problems in taking decisions that were forthright and backed them up with action.

Many of the Biafran leader’s admirers said he was committed to Nigeria’s oneness. One of such people is the former Head of State, Gen Ibrahim Babangida. He described Ojukwu as, “a Nigerian who was driven by his convictions and pursued his goal in life, believing in his convictions. He was a rare gem, a strong advocate for better society and strong believer in equitable distribution of power and political bargaining.

“Dim Ojukwu’s patriotism about the oneness of the country was not in doubt. He believed that given the country’s diverse socio-political and cultural configurations, the nation-states within the nation must be given room to flourish in mutually exclusive arrangement that would further the aspiration of the country”.

Some people have also argued that Dim was a peace loving fellow and that explained why he sought peaceful resolution of crisis in the country which led to the civil war. They maintained that if the agreement reached in Aburi, Ghana was upheld by all sides, the secession wouldn’t have happened.

Certainly, Odumegwu Ojukwu was a great, courageous man, very generous and likeable. Many people of his rank and kind could have chose to travel abroad to enjoy, but he sacrificed his father’s wealth for the generality of his people. He did not do so for money. He had enough.

His late wife, Njidaka said this about him, “He is just a very kind man, very polite, not intrusive. He cared less’ about what happened in the kitchen, he just settled for whatever you offered him. He respected me and my opinion a lot. Later, when the children got across to him, he would ask them what my opinion was on issues. And I loved him immesely in return. These must have been some of the qualities that attracted Ojukwu to the former beauty queen, Bianca, despite stern family oppositions.

Ojukwu was also seen by many as being controversial. Many people detest him, a lot praise him, but no doubt, he played a role in history, a role that must be recounted whenever the history of Nigeria is told.

That probably, explains the elaborate plans made by Federal, States government, politicians, political parties and others to give the late Ikemba a befitting burial. He will be given a full military and national burial. The highest traditional burial rites of Nnewi will also be accorded him.

Reports indicate that barring any hitches in their arrangements, about 551 different types of “Ashoebi” will be adorned by mourners during the burial. About 1000 caterers will be involved in cooking. About one million members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) will be on ground to give their leader his last respect. In fact, MASSOB ordered shops, banks, markets, schools, offices, motor parks in the eastern states to be closed between 7am and 4pm today as a mark of respect for the late Igbo leader.

On their own parts, governors of the South eastern states, are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their fallen leader is buried in a manner no other leader had been buried in the region.

These are all well and good. But after Ojukwu’s burial what next? Today the whole world mourns a man who offered his life for the good of his people. His background predisposed him to privileges but he looked beyond that. He like the Mandellas, the Martin Luthers’ the Ghandis’ etc, made suicidal choice on behalf of thevoiceless. Can the nation, particularly the eastern region boast of such leaders today? How many selfless leaders like Ikemba Nnewi can we find in Igboland and the entire country today? Is it, not disturbing  that while Ojukwu is yet to be put in the grave  the issue of who succeed him as the Ikemba, Ezeigbo Gburugburu has started raising tension in the region. The people canvassing for these tittles forget that Ojukwu’s outstanding and eloquent performances stood him out. What have these desirous leaders done for the Igbo race and the nation?

Ojukwu led his people to war for some seasons – equity, justice and fair play. Fourty years since the end of the conflict, has the situation changed? Obviously, not much has changed. National cohesion remains an illusion. Many ethnic groups are still crying of marginalization, leading to the increasing demand for more states creation. Mindless bloodletting along ethnic and regional line is a common occurrence, especially in parts of the northern region.

Activities of militant groups like Boko Haram, MEND, OPC, MASSOB and others are indications that although people may not be committed, as yet, to a formal breakaway attempt in the manner of Biafra, the stability of the country is still shaking.

At a public lecture organized as part of the burial Obsequies for the late Igbo leader in Port Harcourt, last week, the former    President         of the Nigeria Bar Association, Chief OCJ Okocha advocated that the death of Ojukwu should be put in good use in the interest of the states in the former eastern region and the country at large.

In a paper titled, “Eastern Nigeria, Reminiscences”, he said, “The time is now for all Nigerians to seat down and think about our future. His death should bring the states in the former region together to form a formidable force economically, socially and politically. We must begin to rebuild the old ties that bind us and the old bridges that linked us”.

Okocha recounted that during the war, “we all learnt how to survive and be self reliant, and the ‘can do spirit’ which is so lacking in Nigeria today was at it’s peak”.

In his own submission the Eze Ndigbo in Rivers State, Eze Innocent Adiele said the war opened the peoples’ eyes to realise the true essence of peace, noting that but for the Biafran war, “the west would have seceded after the annulment of June 12, 1993 election”, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) would not have agreed to put down their arms and embrace peace; Federal government is still weighing the measures to take against Boko Haram due to biafran experience?

He summarized that Ojukwu had united Nigeria more than any Nigerian living or dead. However, the unity can only be sustained if justice, equity and fair play which Ojukwu stood for is encouraged by all and sundry, especially those in authority.

Calista Ezeaku