Poet, literary and social critic Mr Odia Ofeimun has said Biafran war leaders should be sent to the Nuremberg Trial for crime against humanity.
He said those leaders are supposed to be tried for deceiving the Igbos to fight a war they were not prepared for.
Ofeimun said this yesterday at Freedom Park, Lagos while reacting to the controversy stirred by Chinua’s Achebe’s latest war memoir, There Was A Country.
Ofeimun was a guest at the Book Party organised by The Committee For Relevant Art, CORA.
According to him, “the Igbo leaders who deceived their people to fight the civil war without arms and ammunition should be tried for crimes against humanity. They were not prepared for the war, yet they made use of their propaganda machine to deceive the igbos to fight the war.
“They didn’t tell their people the true situation of things. Chief Obafemi Awolowo met Odumegwu Ojukwu and told him, ‘My friend you are not prepared for the war.’”
Odia also said Achebe is too serious a writer to be involved in such a controversy., adding that the author of the popular novel, Things Fall Apart, left so many things unsaid in the book.
In his latest book, Achebe claims that former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, retd., and the then Federal Commissioner for Finance, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, used starvation as a weapon of war which caused the death of over two million Igbo people.
The book has sparked reactions from many.
The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, also described Achebe’s statement as not just unfortunate but also capable of triggering war.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Sani said though Achebe is entitled to his opinion, it is conventional in a war situation to do everything possible to enable you win such a war.
Former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, said anybody who doesn’t like what Achebe has written could go to court and file an action for libel.
An avowed Awoist and Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, in his reaction said Achebe hasn’t been able to come out of the deep frustration of the fact that a Yoruba man emerged as the first Nigerian winner of the Nobel Prize In Literature.
One time governor of Enugu State and former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Okwesilieze Nwodo, said what Achebe wrote in his new book was a fact.
– PM News
Any reactions or feedback?
THE PROBLEM WITH NIGERIANS
The book by Chinua Achebe (And there was a Country……) has continued to generate controversy with the Igbos in the main supporting whatever Achebe wrote and the rest of us taking exceptions to some of its broad strokes. It has caused me to go back and read up on the events that led to the civil war. Some may argue that the seeds of that war were planted in January 1914 when Frederick Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria for ease of administration by the British. And whether we have agreements/different viewpoints on this or not, in my view, the three main events that led to the civil war are as follows:
1. The January 15th Coup of 1966
2. The revenge coup of July/August 1966
3. The Pogrom/Declaration of Biafra in May 1967
In this day and age of information technology, thanks to Google, you have varied sources to check for information on just about anything. And it does not matter whether you are a celebrated author or not, if you talk or write trash, people can always find out and challenge you. Therefore the days of war propaganda where there was the belief that when you repeat a lie often enough it may make the lie believable is gone. It is my belief that history is not folklore or mythology. Rather, history is about facts of who did what, when, where, how and why. Thus, in this regards, Prof Chinua Achebe may be a good novelist and storyteller, but he is certainly not a very good historian.
I have not read this Achebe’s book and will probably never read it except somebody gives me the book to read. This is simply because I can’t conscionably spend my money on the book based on the reviews I have read. However, I have read many reactions to the book notably those by Prof A.B.C. Nwosu, Kole Omotosho, Odia Ofeimun, Jonah Ayodele Obajeun and Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo amongst others. And one thing that still amazes me is the stupidity with which most Nigerians defend the indefensible because of their ethnic and/or religious affiliations. This brings me to the immediate and prime causes of the Civil War which is out there for anybody who cares to read.
The trouble in the Western Region was snowballing out of control and some army majors wanted to step in and stop the slide nationally. However, of all the seven principal actors, none was fit enough to be a northerner or to be from the minority tribe. The seven conspirators were as follows:
1. Major E. A. Ifeajuna
2. Major C.K. Nzeogwu
3. Major A. Ademoyega
4. Major C.I. Anuforo
5. Major I.H. Chukwuka
6. Major D. Okafor
7. Captain O. Oji
As one can readily tell from their names, only one was Yoruba and the rest were Igbos. And among their stated actions to be carried out, was the arrests/killings of the politicians responsible for the “mess” if they resisted arrests; and the killing of the senior army officers that could make the coup unsuccessful. Curiously of all the senior military officers that they thought could make the coup unsuccessful, the GOC Major General Aguyi Ironsi was exempted. Hmmm how logical??? Also amongst the civilian VIPs scheduled for arrest or killing only if they resisted arrest, the following were named:
a. The Prime Minister of the Federation
b. The Federal Finance Minister
c. The Premiers of Northern, Western, Midwestern and Eastern Nigeria.
d. K. O. Mbadiwe
e. Jaja Wachuku
f. Inua Wada
g. Shehu Shagari
h. T. O. Elias
i. Ayo Rosiji
j. M. A. Majekodunmi
k. Mathew Mbu
l. Richard Akinjide
m. Waziri Ibrahim
Other ranking politicians were to be placed under house arrest pending the success of the coup and a decision as to their disposal and eventual fate. Events later showed that other political figures including the Deputy Premier of Western Nigeria, the Northern Region’s Finance Minister, and the Governor of Northern Nigeria were scheduled to be arrested. This information is available in the official Police Report of the incident as published by Nowamagbe Omoigui on the internet.
However, the execution of the coup was even more tribalistic than the composition of the coupists. While there were actions taken in Lagos, Ibadan, and Kaduna, nothing happened in Benin City and Enugu as we are told was the plan. And neither was anything intended to happen in those two regions as no provision of resources or Commanders were assigned to those two regions by the coupists. And of the 27 people that were savagely killed during the coup, none was a core Igbo but only Lt. Col. Anegbe (the Quartermaster General of the Nigerian Army) and perhaps Police Constable Akpan Anduka who were from the Midwestern and Eastern Regions. No other notable politician or army officer of the Igbo stock was either arrested or killed during the coup. And of all the politicians/civilians that were killed, only Chief Samuel Akintola was said to have resisted arrest by firing on the coupists. Be that as it may, he even surrendered when he ran out of bullets to defend himself; yet he was brutally murdered.
Thus, the lopsidedness of those who carried out the coup, the lopsidedness of those who were killed during the coup, the way and manner in which the Igbos gloated and taunted others about the coup (songs, and “January victory parties, etc,”), and the failure and ineptitude of the Aguyi Ironsi’s government to court-martial the conspirators led in the main to the pogrom in the North and the revenge coup in July of the same year. This is apart from the complicity of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (the President at the time who was conveniently away on a health cruise), Dr. Nwafor Orizu (the Acting President who refused to swear in an Acting Prime Minister) and Dr. M. Okpara (the Premier of Eastern Region who met with one of the coupist before he escaped to Ghana) and a whole host of Igbo politicians who can reasonably be assumed to have had foreknowledge of the coup. Therefore, the subsequent polarization of the Nigerian Army, the pogrom, coups and counter coups, did not come to me as a surprise, even though our revisionist or pseudo historians gloss over them today. Anyone in doubt should read “OPERATION ‘AURE’, Northern Nigerian Military Counter Rebellion, July 1966” by Nowa Omoigui also available on the internet.
Finally, even a dunce knows that you do not fight a war on the basis of mere talk or promises. Achebe and even Okonjo-Iweala seem to want to make a lot of political capital out of what Chief Obafemi Awolowo said about the Western Region seceding if the Eastern Region was allowed to secede and his subsequent reneging on that deal and; that starvation is a legitimate weapon of war. First and foremost, Chief Awolowo was not the Military Governor of the Western Region when Ojukwu declared the State of Biafra. So any promise by him of the Western Region seceding should have been treated as dubious by any sound mind. Secondly, General Yakubu Gowon was Head of State under whom Chief Awolowo served as the Federal Commissioner of Finance. Therefore, the buck stopped at General Gowon’s table and not that of any Commissioner’s and any comments he may have made are largely his until endorsed by the Head of State. Recently, a Federal Minister was reported to have said that Nigeria is a Muslim Country with a large Christian population. I don’t see anybody holding President Goodluck Jonathan responsible for that. All we can do is blame General Gowon for not repudiating Chief Awolowo in the former instance as we can also blame President Jonathan for not sacking the Minister in the latter. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, Lt. Col. Ojukwu should have known that war is war and there is no sentimentality in an ugly war. And losers of any war do not write the history; Geneva Convention or not. A modern day episode is what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan where people were hauled off to Guantanamo Bay and held without charges as non-combatants by the United States. Where is the Geneva Convention there?
Prof Chinua Achebe’s assertion that “Igbo leaders fought hard for Nigeria’s unity while the Northern and Yoruba leaders oppose” is a hocus pocus which is not supported by the facts available to everybody. Therefore it is an exercise in futility and a delusion of those rising in the cacophony to support or lend credence to it in an attempt to justify an ill-conceived coup which invariably led to even a worse-conceived war principally because they are Igbos. They are doing a lot of disservice to Prof. Chinua Achebe and to themselves by rabidly defending him and villainizing a great Nigerian who has done more for this Country than any other person dead or alive. This propensity is the real problem with Nigeria. We as citizens of this Country must learn to look our elders in the face and tell them the truth instead of this idiotic ethnic chauvinism that had led us to the brink of disaster and is at the root cause of most of our problems today. These tribal sentiments that are being orchestrated by those who are in positions of authority or visibility were what led to the crisis in the West, the coups, and the inevitable civil war in the past and could again lead to another war for our children. We must therefore be circumspect and watch our language for the sake and love of Country,
Ebho A. ABURE
Gbagada Phase II, Lagos.
“THERE WAS A COUNTRY; A PERSONAL HISTORY OF BIAFRA” by Chinua Achebe
In my previous comments on the above book informed principally by the reviews I had read, I had said “I have not read this Achebe’s book and will probably never read it except somebody gives me the book to read. This is simply because I can’t conscionably spend my money on the book based on the reviews I have read. However, I have read many reactions to the book notably those by Prof A.B.C. Nwosu, Kole Omotosho, Odia Ofeimun, Jonah Ayodele Obajeun and Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo amongst others. And one thing that still amazes me is the stupidity with which most Nigerians defend the indefensible because of their ethnic and/or religious affiliations”. But thanks to Obasi Nwabueze, I have now read the book and have also read more reactions to the book. And instead of being more enlightened as a result of reading the book, I am even more contemptuous of Chinua Achebe and others of his generation or propensity, who have messed up Nigeria with tribal chauvinism and bigotry. They let an unnecessary civil war happen and instead of being contrite and apologetic to this nation, they are still engaged in delusional propaganda and the peddling of “untruths”.
My first problem with the book is its title “THERE WAS A COUNTRY; A PERSONAL HISTORY OF BIAFRA”. Professor Chinua Achebe should have known that history is not personal, and therefore in giving an account of what happened during the civil war, he should be at least factual irrespective of his personal disposition. Again as I said before, “It is my belief that history is not folklore or mythology. Rather, history is about facts of who did what, when, where, how and why. Thus, in this regards, Prof Chinua Achebe may be a good novelist and storyteller, but he is certainly not a very good historian”. Therefore, deliberately ignoring inconvenient events, miss-stating facts available in the public domain, or stating probable statements as proven facts is intellectual dishonesty, which my friends is unacceptable and beneath a person like Chinua Achebe.
Specifically, Achebe wrote on page 80 of the book:
“We were to learn later that Aguiyi-Ironsi was also on the list of those to be murdered. Ironsi got wind of the plot and mounted a successful resistance in Lagos, ultimately breaking the back of the coup.
Major-General Aguyi-Ironsi emerged as Nigeria’s new head of state in late May 1966. In a broadcast to the nation on May 24, 1966, Ironsi banned all political parties and imposed what he called Decree No. 34 on a bewildered country. The widely unpopular decree eliminated Nigeria’s federal structure and put in place a unitary republic, which seemed to threaten more local patronage networks. For the first time in history a federal military government was in control of Nigeria.
There was growing anger and dissatisfaction among officers from Northern Nigeria, who wanted revenge for what they saw as an Igbo coup. Aguiyi-Ironsi, a mild-mannered person, was reluctant to execute Nzeogwu coup plotters, who were serving stiff prison sentences. Nzeogwu was imprisoned at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos. It didn’t help matters that all the coup plotters were eventually transferred to the Eastern Region, which at the time was under the jurisdiction of Colonel Odumegu Ojukwu, son of Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu.”
From these three paragraphs alone, Achebe is either lying, or too lazy to cross-check his memory of the events, or being deliberately disingenuous or all of the above. Because from available records, Aguiyi-Ironsi was head of state from January 1966 and NOT May 1966, and he was not on any list of those to be murdered. Secondly, the coup plotters were NOT serving any stiff sentences. Yes, they were remanded in prison, but they had NOT been court-martialed, tried and sentenced. So how could they have been serving stiff sentences? Thirdly, the question one must ask Achebe here is: why will the head of state be reluctant to execute the Nzeogwu coup plotters if according to military justice that is the punishment for their crimes against the nation? Why, because they spared his life and/or that the majority of them were Igbos like him? Why, why, why? And did Achebe make any effort to find out how Aguiyi-Ironsi got wind of the coup or for him it was one of those inconvenient details he did not want to know?
On page 133 of the book on “GOWON REGROUPS” Achebe writes:
“The Nigerian army pushed back the Biafrans and arrived at the out-skits of “the Republic of Benin” in September1967, led by Murtala Muhammed. His Second Infantry Division mounted a resurgent attack from two fronts-defending their advance and pushing forward in classic “Greek army offensive.” The retreating Biafran forces, according to several accounts, allegedly beat up a number of Mid-Westerners who they believed had served as saboteurs. Nigerian radio reports claimed that the Biafrans shot a number of innocent civilians as they fled the advancing federal forces. As disturbing as these allegations are, I have found no credible corroboration of them.”
And on pages 178 and 179 of the book on the “THE IFEAJUNA MANUSCRIPT”, Achebe writes:
When I saw Christopher Okigbo next I told him how impossible it was for me to believe this account-I wanted to get a real sense of what really happened on that fateful day in January 1966. Not what Ifeajuna would want us to believe. Christopher, having read the manuscript as well said, “I thought it lyrical.” He then told me that he bumped into Nzeogwu shortly after receiving the manuscript, and Nzeogwu said to him: “I hear you and Achebe are planning to publish Emma’s [Ifeajuna] lies.” That comment from Nzeogwu further placed the manuscript in disrepute.
My own private conclusion was that Ifeajuna’s manuscript was an important document but it was not a responsible document. I believed Nzeogwu was right. But, unfortunately for all of us, the manuscript seems to have disappeared, which is not surprising considering what happened to all of the people involved in its story. Ifeajuna and Nzeogwu are both dead, robbing us all of the opportunity of reading two competing versions of what transpired. They are no longer here to help fill this void. This is what gives me my only regret: I could have published the manuscript and called it special publishing, as opposed to so-called regular or mainstream publishing, so that at least a version of what happened, however flawed, warts and all, would be available for debate.”
Now does this sound like what a sound serious minded elder would write? Or does it sound like the writing of someone with a serious case of tribal bigotry who sees only what he wants to see and believes only what he wants to believe irrespective of the evidence? In many pages of the book, Achebe states the pogrom in Northern Nigeria and the atrocities of the federal troops in the theatre of war in the Eastern Region as indisputable facts, while silent or denying the atrocities and abuse of minorities in the East by Biafran soldiers. The only atrocity he claims to have seen is as reported on page 174 during “THE ABAGANA AMBUSH” where a Chadian or Malian mercenary wandered into an ambush of young men with machetes. I know Achebe was not a war correspondent, but that this was the only such incident he saw or heard of and was able to corroborate is very difficult for me to believe. How does he want us to believe that he never saw or heard and corroborated the use of children and young women by the Biafran side as combatants in the conflict? That he never saw or heard and corroborated any abuse and/or atrocity by the Biafran soldiers? Is he not aware of the looting of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Benin City and Calabar and other federal institutions by the Biafran side?
Achebe does not say anything about the propaganda lies that were continuously being fed to the Easterners throughout the war. I recall that from my home in Ubiaja, we used to listen to “Radio Biafra broadcasting from Enugu” till the tail end of the war even when we all knew that Enugu fell to the Federal Troops in October 1967 (about five months into the thirty months conflict). He says nothing about Ojukwu’s many bombastic boasts the no force in black African can subdue Biafra whose army can at best be described as “rag-tagged.”
In addition, the book contains no new information. Rather it only cast aspersions on Chief Obafemi Awolowo and former President Olusegun Obasanjo for their roles in the civil war and perceived hatred of the Igbos. They are severally blamed for the starvation of Easterners because of their bizarre desire to exterminate and/or depopulate the Igbos for political gains. He even alleges in the case of Obusanjo that he was responsible for the banditry and misrule in Anambra State. Habba, the Igbos in Anambra who are supposed to be the smartest people in the world can no longer think for themselves? There must be a scapegoat for the shortcomings of the people of Anambra State and that scapegoat in Achebe’s mind has to be Olusegun Obasanjo who hates Igbos.
Prof. Achebe seems to imply that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent the Igbos from the position of pre-eminence in Nigeria; hence Nigeria is in the sorry state that it finds itself. Really? Then my question to Achebe is that of the five Igbo States which are governed for Igbos by Igbos which of them is better governed than any other state in the Federation? Which of them can survive without the federal allocation they receive monthly from Abuja despite the so-called Igbo intellect and ingenuity? And if you take a census of the social vices in Nigeria today (419ers, prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery, corruption, etc) which tribal group will you find most prominent in these vices? When the Senate Presidency was zoned to the Igbos, how many senate presidents did we have in eight years?
Finally, Prof. Achebe talks a lot about his abhorrence of tribal bigotry. I employ anybody to read this his book with an open mind and see if he/she will not come away with an ambivalence of opinion about Chinua Achebe. This book is one on the most ethnocentric and tribally bigoted books I have ever read. He seems to be happy with France, Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Tanzania for help and/or support for Biafra whereas he is pissed off with Britain, the Soviet Union, the UN, and the OAU for helping Nigeria defend its soveneity, and the United States for being neutral. He is horrified by the number of Igbos killed in the July 1966 coup, but scantly bats an eyelid on the political leaders killed from the Mid-Western, Western, and Northern Regions during the January 1966 coup and the subsequent misrule by Aguiyi-Ironsi.
I could go on and on and on about the inadequacies of this book “THERE WAS A COUNTRY.” I know people will say Achebe is a celebrated author and he is just expressing his opinion. That his house was bombed and his family narrowly escaped death from that bombing. Be that as it may, it must be said that all of Nigeria and Nigerians suffered that war to varying degrees depending on tribe, place of abode, and other circumstances. But that is still not an excuse to be peddling lies forty two (42) years after the conflict. The war is over and the propaganda that went with it should also be over. We can now afford to tell each other about the truth of what really happened and not continue the civil war by other means.
Ebho ABURE
I would have loved to see a copy of the release warrant signed by either Ojukwu or Aguyi Ironsi for the release of Awolowo. Please be factual and provide evidence of what transpired between Ojukwu and Awolowo to warrant the latter being labelled as a betrayer. If you read your history well, you will realise that Awolowo had more issues to grind with the Northerners and some Yorubas who had hands in his incarceration than the Igbos who he preferred. Before the eventual release of Awolowo, in March, 1966, he wrote a long letter to Ironsi praying for others and his release. In the said letter, he made it clear that he would have been released by Tafawa Balewa if he had agreed to join forces with the government of the day. But he refused and said he preferred the eastern bloc. I believe it was this Awolowo's disposition that made him to make overtures to Ojukwu on the eve of the civil war and not for any other reason . While it was true that Awolowo had the ambition of ruling Nigeria, but the facts do not support that he intended to rule Nigeria at the expense of the East. And I don't see how killing the Igbos would have helped his cause as Achebe would want us to believe. Achebe is an intellectual of note and I respect him, but that does not remove the fact he can be biased on certain issues that concern him deeply. Considering the role he played as the Communication Minister in the Biafran government, it will be very difficult to expect him to be absolutely objective even if he wishes to. His subjectivity is understandable and as such, can be pardoned given his deep feeling for his people, but should not be glossed over in view of the possible consequences of his assertions. That he was an actor in the civil war does not remove the fact that he can misread and misperceive some situations during the war. If Awolowo is being crucified for his actions, which he defended, let us also find out about the consequences of his actions as the Communication Minister to Biafra. We want to know whether his activities did not in any case lead to untimely death of his people. That nobody has written about his and others action during the civil war does not exonerate him and I believe, he just cannot pass judgement in his own case.
Mr. Afuye should not be myopic by towing ethnic lines in his reaction. His criticisms should be objective, not merely exposing the average I.Q. of the average Nigerian politician. He is not a good student of history.
‘How easy, for instance, would it have been to stamp the January 15,1966 coup as being merely an Igbo coup’. This statement makes one ponder:
1.five Nigeria officers of Igbo origin led a coup which officers from other tribes took part. Was enough reason to stamp it Igbo coup?
2. a counter coup was staged. Was enough reason to stamp it Northan or Housa coup?
3. what led to the killing and looting of lives and property of innocent Igbo on the streets in other parts of the country even by Northan or Housa civillians without cheek and what was it called?
Mr.Odia Ofeimun, please tell me any tribe that will rejoice over it and what would you do if you were a leader in such circumstance?
Did one who said all is fare in a war forgot that there are war crimes and what would you expect from the person in a war?
‘How easy, for instance, would it have been to stamp the January 15,1966 coup as being merely an Igbo coup’. This statement makes one ponder:
1.five Nigeria officers of Igbo origin led a coup which officers from other tribes took part. Was enough reason to stamp it Igbo coup?
2. a counter coup was staged. Was enough reason to stamp it Northan or Housa coup?
3. what led to the killing and looting of lives and property of innocent Igbo on the streets in other parts of the country even by Northan or Housa civillians without cheek and what was it called?
Mr.Odia Ofeimun, please tell me any tribe that will rejoice over it and what would you do if you were a leader in such circumstance?
Did one who said all is fare in a war forgot that there are war crimes and what would you expect from the person in a war?
U guys should read more and educate yourself before coming public to air what you don't know. I've read a lot of books and awo betrayed the igbos after releasing him from captive. If we are not that important then why won't Nigeria let us go ?. This country can't be united without letting us GO.
WHAT IS ACHEBE'S PROBLEM? I BELIEVE HE IS SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE GUIDED BY REASONING IN WHATEVER HE DOES. IF OJUKWU HAD BETTER STRATEGY OF WINNING THE WAR, HE WOULD ADOPTED IT. I DONTWANT TO BELIEVE ACHEBE IS EXHIBITING A DEFENSE MECHACHNISM (REGRESSION).
In this issue,I believe we have to be analytical and not biased. No one is going to war without an intention of winning. Biafran people went into a war against Nigeria and both of them were purposeful in achieving their aim. Hence,I don't still know why people were blaming Awolowo for giving a clue on how to stop the war. He is a Nigerian and not Biafran,do you want him to fold his hands and looking at Biafran people capturing his people? Chinua Achebe is a frustrated human being and instead of him to be using his knowledge in proffering solutions to Nigeria problems,he is adding more. You (Igbo's) should try and have a deep thinking. It is Ojukwu that wasted your people and not Awolowo. Someone said Awolowo wanted to be President of Nigeria,what of Ojukwu? He wanted to rule too? That was his main reason to call for seccession. He wanted to be President of Biafran people. Have you forgotten that same Ojukwu still contested for Presidency in 2003 and 2007 elections? Let's just be constructive in our arguments. May God help us……
Odia Ofeimun and FunmIiniyi Afuye's statements,to the effect that(a) Achebe and co.should be sent to Nurenberg for war crime by deceiving their kingsmen to go fighting a war they were ill-prepared,kinda collective suicidal instigation, and that(b) the unrelenting attack on Awo (another symbol of Yoruba supremacy)is borne out of envy arising from Africa's numero uno Wole Soyinka's Nobel lauret's fit are plain truths.
Those calling for the head of Achebe and are comparing him with Professor Wole should bury their heads in shame; they are only trying to pitch two notable professors against each other. Gowon and his war commanders Obasanjo inclusive should have long being tried for war crimes.the truth be said, prosterity would never forgive Pa Awo for the role he played during the time in question. His intention was clear to rule Nigeria if given the opportunity. As fate would have it he went to the great beyond without achieving his aim. Good for him.
Nigerian leaders, both inside and outside the corridors of power, Achebe not excluded, are known with unpatriotic comments that keep heating up the polity unnecessarily. The country's foundation is layed with sectional politics, and that is why it may never be possible for the country to be a united nation. Everybody was wrong from the beginning, even those who joined us to become a country.