By Taye Obateru & Gabriel Enogholase
TWO-time governor of defunct Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, has described the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, as a “gallant nationalist and freedom fighter” who fought for his rights and for the rights of the overwhelming majority of his Igbo people.

In reminiscence of their days in the Nigeria Army and the events that led to the civil war, Ogbemudia said Ojukwu “was always a visionary, forth-right, courageous, outspoken, nationalist and patriotic”.

According to him,“Ojukwu wanted to see a Nigerian nation where all ethnic nationalities are recognized and fairly treated, not a country of disparate and desperate ethnic groups. He threw all that was left of his physical and mental energy into this enterprise but did not live to see it through”.

He went on in his condolence message, “Although it is a universal saying that you don’t say evil about the dead, in the case of Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nnewi, there is truly no evil to talk about his life. Many say he was a rebel. No, he was a gallant nationalist and freedom fighter. He openly disagreed on issues and rather than stomach his dissatisfaction, he fought for his rights and for the rights of the overwhelming majority of his Ibo people who looked up to him.

“Imagine that he succeeded, and Biafra had become a state, going by the feats they achieved at a very difficult time, Biafra would have become the toast of Africa by now. Perhaps many other new states would have been born.

“I was a major and later a brigade major when he was a Lt Col. commanding a battalion at Kano. We were all under the command of Kaduna 1st Brigade. Following the coup of January 15, 1966, he was appointed Military Governor of Eastern Region, David Ejoor for the Midwest, Adeyinka Adebayo for the West and Usman Hassan Katsina for the North. The crisis ensued as the North had good reasons to believe that the coup was targeted against them. Many Ibos in the North were killed in a reprisal manner. Gen Ironsi the Head of State was also killed.

“By 1967, the crisis had worsened and Ojukwu declared Biafra. He invaded the Midwest. Same year i was appointed Military Governor of the Midwest. We fought against Biafra Army and liberated the Midwest. Midwest sacrificed human and material resources to save Nigeria. The Head of State at this time was Gen. Gowon. He appreciated this and remarked that but for Midwest, there would have been no Nigeria.

“That notwithstanding, my admiration for Ojukwu remained high. I contributed all I could to the rehabilitation of the east.

“My friendship with Chief Ojukwu effectively resumed when he returned from exile. I helped with his political reintegration and was sorry that he wasn’t allowed to go to the Senate in 1983. He was always visionary, forth-right, courageous, outspoken, nationalistic and patriotic.

Meanwhile, an Igbo socio-cultural organization, Izu Umunna, has urged the Senate to reverse its decision which opposed a state burial for Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, in the interest of justice and fair play.

All these people are just saying things that are no secret. . . . . Ikemba RIP.