Remembering Ojukwu, The Rivers Way

Yesterday, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital stood still in honour of the late Biafran leader and Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who died last year November in a London hospital after a bout of stroke. Virtually all commercial activities were suspended by people, mostly Igbos who took their time to join the procession that lasted for several hours in honour of the Biafran warlord.

Many major markets in Port Harcourt such as Mile One Market at Ojukwu Field, the popular Fly-Over market, Okija market, Ojoto market, Iloabuchi market, Building materials market at Mile Three and the popular Ikoku market which plays host to spare parts dealers, mostly of Igbo origin were closed to commercial activities.

The procession, according to The Tide investigation, was in preparation for the final interment of Chief Ojukwu, which comes up today in his home town, Nnewi, in Anambra State.

Last Friday, Rivers State had ealier took its turn amongst other states in the defunct Eastern Region to celebrate its erstwhile Military Governor.

The State House of Assembly public auditorium, where the occasion was held witnessed the presence of Who is Who in the state, including former Governor of the State, Dr. Peter Odili, who was making his Fourth public appearance after exit from office in May 2007.

Also were the Governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji,who in his capacity represented the other four South- Eastern States Governors who were absent at the occasion.

Apart from the Guest Speaker, Chief Audu Ogbeh who did not turn up,other expected guests such as Senator Chukwumerije and other prominent Ibo leaders did not equally turn up at the occasion, their absence however was drowned with the encomiums poured on Ojukwu mostly by leaders from the South-South region.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi set the tone of the programme. In his usual succint and blunt manner, he opined that despite being painted as a villain after the Biafran debacle, Chief Ojukwu would ever remain green in the memory of Nigerians.

The Rivers State Governor said that though the civil war was waged and lost by the former Biafran Leader, it provided a huge platform for the Ibos to assert themselves politically,’’ the Nigerian Government may have won the military victory but the political victory was won by the Ibos because they established the fact that they are not a people you can ignore in the Federal Republic of Nigeria anymore.”

Governor Amaechi believed that the late Ibo leader not only stood against injustice but had strong leadership character traits yet to be surpassed amongst his people.

“ My understanding then of Ojukwu is that he was a man who could not withstand injustice, and as a student of art or history, you know that the beginning of a struggle is the presence of an attempt by a group of people to deny the rest their right of existence, and Ojukwu felt that he could lead his people out of the injustice meted on them by the Federal Republic of Nigeria,”Amaechi asserted.

He further said,’’ What all the Ibos and all of us who belonged to the old Eastern Region then are doing now is to celebrate Ojukwu’s achievements as a governor and as a leader of his people”.

Governor Amaechi had in an earlier tribute written to the family through the Chairman of Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu Obsequies Committee described the late Ikemba as an icon worthy of honour even in death.

He said, “Chief Ojukwu would be best remembered for profound intellect, courage and forthrightness. He was easily one of the best known leaders of the Ibo people, and exemplified the finest and the best elements of the irrepressible Ibo spirit of enterprise, republicanism and courage”.

However, a fresh insight into the person of Ojukwu was brought on by Dr.Odili who chaired the forum. The former Rivers State Governor recalled his closest encounter with the late Military leader during the Constituent Assembly in 1995. But before then, Odili noted that his first encounter with Ojukwu was when he was the Senior Prefect at Christ the King College,Onitsha. He had shook hands with then Governor of Eastern Nigeria during his visit to the school.

The second encounter Odili recalled, was when the civil war broke out; during his stint as a young war conscript.

Nevertheless, the former Rivers State Governor asserted that the 1995 encounter would hardly be erased in his mind as it brought a startling revelation of the man Ojukwu at a close range. He recalled that he and the Ikemba sat side by side because of their initials,”OD and OJ. “

According to him, during the conference,Ojukwu supported the Niger-Delta cause for a better deal. He supported the new derivative principle of 13 percent advocated by the South-South representatives despite stiff opposition from other sections of the country.

Dr. Odili observed that with that singular act,’’He(Ojukwu) has written his name down as one of those who stood by the Niger Delta people for a better deal from the Federal Government.”

Apart from activist side, Odili submitted that the ex-Biafran leader was also eloquent and persuasive,” He could change your mind on any topic. He was forthright and straightforward in making decisions.

He continued, “and so we could understand why he would confront the challenges he confronted and made the bold moves he made that have now become part of history that created, that we cannot delete-the Biafran war.”

On Ojukwu’s eloquence Odili said,”Ojukwu was brilliant, intelligent, focused, vibrant, deep, persuasive, inspirationally and motivationally eloquent”.

Of course, the late Ikemba’s erudition did not come as a surprise since he was largely trained abroad. Born into a wealthy family led by the patriarch Chief Loius Ojukwu, a prominent merchant and millionaire, young Ojukwu was given the best of education. Educated at C M S Grammar School, Lagos and later King’s College at the tender age of 10, the young Emeka recieved his hgher education at Epsom College,Surrey, and University of Oxford, England. It was at Oxford he earned his Master of Arts Degree.

Governor Theodore Orji averred that Late Ojukwu befuddles lot of his admirers with his flawless British intonation and bombast.

But that was not only the Ojukwu magnet, in the view of Governor Orji, the ex- Military Governor had charisma. Governor Orji further remarked,’’ he was a man of strong courage and charisma and people loved him for that”.

The Abia State Governor who lauded the Rivers State Government for organising the programme assured that the forum would ignite old ties and weld states in the former Eastern Region.

For him, the civil war which Ojukwu fought provided deep lesson for the country and the people,’’at least Nigeria can now realise the true essence of peace and unity’’.

The same view was re-echoed by the Guest Lecturer and Former President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA),Chief Onueze C J Okocha who spoke on the topic,’’ The Eastern Region : Reminicences”.

Chief Okocha submitted that following the split of the region in 1967 giving birth to South-Eastern Region with headquaters in Calabar and Rivers State with capital in Port Harcourt, cohesion amongst the states was seriously crippled.

Despite this, he advocated,” We all in the old Eastern Region must rebuild the old times that bound us-to create a common front in the country.”

Okocha recalled that apart from been an economic power, the Eastern Region of Ojukwu time was equally an agro- haven but that things gradually changed when oil was found in the deltaic areas of the region. But before then, he averred that oil palm,coal and other agricultural products formed a major mainstay of the region.

He also reminisced that prior to the birth of the presidential system of government,” government under the former Eastern region was modelled after the British Parliamentary system”.

The prominent lawyer stated that the administrative style of that time, especially in the judiciary was what kindled his interest to study law.

Nonetheless, he noted that things gradually took a new twist with the coup of 1966, which booted out the Michael Okpara led administration and the subsequent take over of the military leading to the emergence of Lt Col. Ojukwu as a military governor in 1966.

Chief Okocha praised Ojukwu forthrightness and vision as a military governor. In short according to the legal icon,’’ the crisis that followed the killing of Gen. Ironsi in 1966, the pogroms, and the failure of the Aburi Peace Talks led to the civil war”.

Okocha who was also a Biafran army recruit at that time recalled that,’’ Biafra gave birth to creativity…courage and bravery”.

Conversely, the former NBA boss opined that what perhaps led to the collapse of the defunct break-away state was the subtle Ibo domination, which gave rise to discontent by the minorities in the delta.

He however saluted the courage of Ojukwu whom he described as,’’ a philosopher, a great thinker, and inspirational leader who saw that Nigeria could make progress”.

Okocha called on Nigerian leaders of today to emulate the late Ibo leader stressing that,’’ the past seems to be repeating itself-it is time to talk about our present and our future”.

On his part, the Eze- Ndigbo of Rivers State, Eze Innocent Adiele was of the view that Late Ojukwu was greatly misunderstood by his contemporaries.

One legacy Eze Adiele insisted that Ojukwu would be remembered for was the welding of the country through the Biafan experience,’’ the lessons of Biafra is what has kept the country together despite June 12 crisis and the recent Boko-Haram violence. So Ojukwu indirectly has united the country in a unique way”.

Another speaker who brought fresh insight into the life of Ojukwu was one Prince M G Bob-Manuel. A Kalabari-born ex- Biafran soldier who served in the last unit Ojukwu commanded before his flight to exile in 1970.

Mr. Bob-Manuel said the late Lt Col.Ojukwu was detribalised leader as he picked one of his Aide de Camp(ADC) from Rivers State during the war.

In addition, he argued that the Ahiara Declaration- a document which formed the premise of the Biafran secession remains relevant considering the current disjointed federal system of government,’’ we need to document the Ahiara Decalaration in line with popular demand for Sovereign National Conference.”