Oria Iyayi: Was this a country?

by Oria Iyayi We do not teach the War in our schools, most times we act like it never happened. I never witnessed events of the Civil War having been born about a decade after the last shot in anger had been fired. I heard some accounts of the war from various people. I heard how... Read More

Biafran troops, chinua achebe, civil war, ojukwu, opinion

December 23, 2012

For The Records: The Ojukwu Will that is causing commotion

by Akan Ido The controversial Will left by the Late Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu which was prepared by the firm of Sir Emeka Onyemelukwe & Associates, and entitled, ‘Codicil, Varying, Revoking and Adding to my Will’ has been obtained exclusively by the Vanguard. In it, the former Biafran Warlord willed several assets... Read More

Bianca Ojukwu, Chukwuemeka Ojukw, civil war, enugu, Jubilee Hotel, Tenni Hamman, Will, Zenith bank

December 23, 2012

“I’ve not forgiven Obasanjo and I will not forget what IBB did to me…” – Gen. Buhari opens up like never before

by Isi Esene General Muhammadu Buhari has been known to be taciturn, always keeping his feeling to himself except on few occasions when his bottled-up emotions took over him and resulted in tears. But in an exclusive interview with the Sun Newspapers, the General spoke about his relationship with other notable generals like Ibrahim Babangida... Read More

civil war, drug pushers, Goodluck Jonathan, Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, nigeria, olusegun obasanjo

December 16, 2012

Wow! 1882 $5 note called Brown Back sells for $101,790 (PHOTO)

Talk about inflation. A $5 “brown back” national bank note from 1882 just sold for an eye-popping $101,790, according to Bonhams. The bill barely resembles the kind of money that is printed today. In fact, the bill is a relic from an era when there were more than 8,000 different kinds of money in the United States. A... Read More

Abraham Lincoln, Bank Note, bills, civil war, Confederacy, Dollar Bills, dollars, money, Old Money, Usd, Vintage Money, Weird News

December 16, 2012

I had never written a book review, until I read ‘There Was A Country’

by C. Nwaonu Maybe we can grudgingly learn to love the other members of the harem or file for an amicable divorce or maybe we can just achieve acceptance. In pursuit of this review have done 3 things I said I wouldn’t do; I bought a book in hardback I read ‘There was a... Read More

‘There Was a Country’, achebe, biafra, chidi Nwaonu, chinua achebe, civil war, colonialism, ethnic, History of Biafra, nigeria, personal History of Biafra, review

December 10, 2012

My generation has moved beyond civil war – Fashola

resolved to ensure that the union of various ethnic groups in the country live in harmony. The governor said this in his speech at the 2012 Achebe Colloquium on Africa in Rhode Island, United States of America on Friday. He spoke on the theme, ‘The Role of Statecraft in the African Renaissance amidst... Read More

achebe, civil war, Fashola

November 27, 2012

Adewale Sogunro reviews Chinua Achebe’s ‘There was a country’

by Adewale Sogunro I was hoping that he would look beyond the ethnic divisions, while rendering language to heal the wounds between ethnic groups in Nigeria from the Biafra war. Upon hearing the public uproar sparked by Chinua Achebe’s book in various social circles, I immediately saw it befitting for me to purchase and reserve... Read More

‘There Was a Country’, biafra, chinua achebe, civil war, Emeka Ojukwu, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, olusegun obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon

November 23, 2012

“Highly irresponsible”: Gowon lets off on Obasanjo over the latter’s criticism of Jonathan

by Isi Esene Weeks after verbally slamming the renowned writer, Chinua Achebe, over his account of events during the Nigerian Civil War, former president and founder of the Nigeria Prays Initiative, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), has fired another shot at former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Gowon described as “highly irresponsible” Obasanjo’s criticism of President Jonathan’s handling... Read More

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November 17, 2012

Ken Wiwa reviews Chinua Achebe’s ‘There was a country’

by Ken Wiwa “…I had to be careful about the way I handled someone else’s words or opinions… Even when there was strong disagreement, one had to remember to be discordant with respect.” Early in this long-awaited memoir of the Nigerian Civil War, Chinua Achebe, Nigeria’s most famous and respected writer, recalls a conversation between... Read More

‘There Was a Country’, chinua achebe, civil war, Emeka Ojukwu, Goodluck Jonathan, igbo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo, T.C Okoli, Yakubu Gowon

October 31, 2012

Achebe’s book is propaganda, I did not starve Igbos to death – Gowon keeps talking

by Isi Esene Nigeria’s war-time military president, Yakubu Gowon, has been unequivocal in his reaction to the book titled, ‘There was a country,’ published by renowned author, Chinua Achebe. In the book, which detailed his experience during the Nigerian civil war, Achebe had accused Gowon and Obafemi Awolowo of using hunger as a weapon of... Read More

biafra, chinua achebe, civil war, memoirs, Obafemi Awolowo, Yakubu Gowon

October 28, 2012

Simon Kolawole: Achebe and the future of Nigeria

Actually, I used to expect so much from our leaders. But I have grown frustrated. After closely observing Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan in the last 13 years, I have come to the painful conclusion that we have a long way to go. I’m very sorry to disappoint you – this... Read More

chinua achebe, civil war, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, olusegun obasanjo, Ondo, Umar Musa Yar'Adua

October 28, 2012

Gowon on Achebe, “He is talking from a position of ignorance”

by Isi Esene Nigeria’s Civil War president, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), has hit renowned writer, Chinua Achebe, very hard over the content of his recently released book on the Nigerian Civil War saying Achebe was writing from a position of ignorance. The ex-president reportedly said this yesterday while speaking to newsmen on a visit to... Read More

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October 11, 2012

Akintunde Oyebode: This might never be a country (YNaija Frontpage)

This is the power of folklore, especially on young and developing minds; and the difference between the truth and a notorious fact will only get smaller. We moved to the University of Lagos campus as I was about to start my secondary school education. The first thing my father did was to take me to... Read More

achebe, awolowo, civil war, nigeria

October 8, 2012

“The war is still very personal”: Uzodinma Iweala (also) reviews Achebe’s book

by Uzodinma Iweala I met Chinua Achebe for the first time when I was in high school, but I knew him through his works long before that. “Uncle,” as my siblings and I were told to call him, came to our house in Washington, D.C., for a teatime reception my mother had organized. She had... Read More

‘There Was a Country’, achebe, biafra, civil war, igbos, iweala, uzodinma

October 7, 2012

In his own words: How Awolowo defended himself from Achebe’s accusations when he was alive

by Reuben Daba Since Achebe released his book, ‘There was a country’, in the United Kingdom a week ago, lots of Nigerians have stated their stands on the touchy issue of Nigeria’s Civil war, either agreeing or disagreeing with the renowned author on the role played by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Some have wondered how Awolowo... Read More

‘There Was a Country’, Chief obafemi Awolowo, chinua achebe, civil war, ojukwu

March 23, 2012

Was Ojukwu really a patriot? – Ola Balogun writes in The Punch

Could an independent Igbo homeland have actually thrived as a landlocked entity, cut off from the oil-rich riverine areas inhabited by hostile minority tribes? In the course of his life time, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (aka Ikemba Nnewi) was a man who had an unmistakable flair for dramatic gestures, coupled with an interesting tendency to indulge in... Read More

biafra, civil war, fascist leadership, ojukwu