Turboking:
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The political mistake Ojukwu made after 1966 coup ― Mbazulike Amaechi




The first Republic Aviation Minister, Mbazulike Amaechi, has revealed the political mistake that former eastern region military governor, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, made in the wake of the 1966 coup that eventually led to the infamous civil war.



Mbazulike Amaechi
In an exhaustive interview with Vanguard, Amaechi explained that while the military governors in the north were consulting with grassroots politicians, Ojukwu “sidelined and threatened us with restriction notices,” and that was the greatest political mistake he made.

When asked if he thought Ojuwku was only obeying the military authorities or he just did not want people around his government, Amaechi said: “…He did that before they started their quarrels, after killing Aguiyi Ironsi. Immediately after the coup, he was appointed the military governor. He did this but in the other parts of the country, their military governors were consulting their politicians and so forth, so if we had not been restricted or imprisoned as politicians, we could have gotten in touch with our counterparts in the North. It wouldn’t have mattered how bitter the position or quarrel was, the civil war could have been avoided.

“But he told the people that he had the weapons to reduce Lagos to sea level. That was his exact word; we thought he had what he claimed not knowing there were no weapons. It was an ordinary boast, it was diplomacy he used, some propaganda, but the politicking did not work and the war broke out.

“It was when the war broke out that he released all of us and by then, Yakubu Gowon had released Obafemi Awolowo from Calabar Prison and posted him to Lagos and made him the Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council and the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Matters, but our politicians here were rubbished by Ojukwu’s action,” Amaechi said.

The former Minister enthused that Awolowo’s appointment was to get the support of the Yorubas. “Although it was okay for him and his Yoruba people, the action of Awolowo did not help Ndigbo and could read as ingratitude although he had no option because it was a military government.

“…So to me, he had no choice than to go along with them, but if our man, Ojukwu had played his part well there would have been a way Michael Okpara would have gotten in touch with Awolowo, there would have been a way a person like me would have gotten in touch with Aminu Kano and others to soften things, because there was a link of that ideological and fraternal meet among all of us that went all round. So the war could have been avoided.

“But however, so many people were killed in the pogrom. But the question was that the leaders who would have changed things like Saduana of Sokoto were killed; Abubakar Tafawa Belewa was killed, Mai Malari, the highest Northern Military man was killed, so, if you were the Northerners, won’t you react? We could have stopped the war through diplomacy and politics, but we were not involved. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/the-political-mistake-ojukwu-made-after-1966-coup-%E2%80%95-mbazulike-amaechi[/s]/

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“But Ojukwu told the people that he had the weapons to reduce Lagos to sea level. That was his exact word; we thought he had what he claimed not knowing there were no weapons. It was an ordinary boast, it was diplomacy he used, some propaganda, but the politicking did not work and the war broke out.

Wiifesnatcher:
no matter how high your political will is/ was, no matter the weapons at your disposal, without consultation before planning war you won't succeed. imagine ojukwu just wake one morning and say prepare for war, he didn't equip at least 80% of his people with arms and ammunition for self protection. my heart bleed when I read how people were massacred

Nigeria lost many of their soldiers even though soldiers are meant to die, East record the highest causalities. thank God nnamdi KANU was quickly tamed, east would have lost more of their kinsmen again with the lack of foresight their leaders had

gidgiddy:


It is true that Ojukwu did not have enough weapons to fight the war but what choice did he have? To have Gowon break the Aburi agreement, watch the slaughter of his people and then bow to the caliphate of the North on top of that?

If it were me, I would go to war with catapults than to be reduced to a slave because of lack of weapons.

Either way, Biafrans gave a good account of themselves for 3 years. If it had not been for the far superior firepower and Airforce Britain and Russia gave Nigeria, Ojukwu would have won

T9ksy:




So if, by your admittance, ojukwu knew he didn't possess the military might to confront the federal govt., why then did he took such a militant approach to the impasse? Why did he LIED to his people that he has the strongest army in black Africa? Why did Ojukwu saw fit to deceive his people that he has the military power to effect Biafra? Don't you think, had ojukwu told his people the absolute truth, they would not have mandated him to go to war?

Ojukwu witnessed more devastating horrors inflicted on his people during the war (than after the revenge coup and the pogroms that ensued, thereafter) yet persisted with the war only to finally bowed out after 3millions (more) lives had been meaninglessly lost. And then he eventually submitted to the same caliphate when it became apparent that his precious neck is eminently at stake.

gidgiddy:


The reason you ask these questions is because you are not Igbo. You do not understand the Igbo mentality or how Igbos see things.

Have you asked your self why it is that despite the fact Igbos now know that Ojukwu did not have as much firepower as Nigeria and lost over 3 million souls, yet most Igbos revere Ojukwu in death?

Why is it that Ojukwu is like a demi-God amongst most Igbos despite leading them through difficult times and losing the civil war and over 3 million people?

The answer is that Ojukwu tried to give them something Nigeria will never give them, freedom.

Its remarkable what people will do and endure for freedom and independence. So Igbos would have rather have gone into battle with 3 bullets, fight and lose millions for the chance of being free.

It didn't work out for Igbos but the way they see it is that it was better to fight with for freedom, with catapults if need be, than to willingly submit to the caliphate without a fight on the excuse of not having enough firepower

gidgiddy:


The reason you ask these questions is because you are not Igbo. You do not understand the Igbo mentality or how Igbos see things.

Have you asked your self why it is that despite the fact Igbos now know that Ojukwu did not have as much firepower as Nigeria and lost over 3 million souls, yet most Igbos revere Ojukwu in death?

Why is it that Ojukwu is like a demi-God amongst most Igbos despite leading them through difficult times and losing the civil war and over 3 million people?

The answer is that Ojukwu tried to give them something Nigeria will never give them, freedom.

Its remarkable what people will do and endure for freedom and independence. So Igbos would have rather have gone into battle with 3 bullets, fight and lose millions for the chance of being free.

It didn't work out for Igbos but the way they see it is that it was better to fight with for freedom, with catapults if need be, than to willingly submit to the caliphate without a fight on the excuse of not having enough firepower

T9ksy:




So what's the actual point in fighting for "freedom" when it's evident that your fight is D.O.A?
Why sacrifice millions of other peoples lives for a cause that you know the odds are hugely stacked against you?

Why not wait patiently till you are strong enough, when the odds are at least even than to fight there and then knowing that you bound to fail?

So, it means ojukwu was willing to gamble with millions of his peoples' lives for an elusive "freedom"..............which of course, he didn't believe in as he was not ready to lay down his own privileged life for it. That's, if that was what he truly intended.

gidgiddy:


That's why I said that we are all different and have different way of seeing things. Even if I explain it to a none Igbo from now until tomorrow, they will never understand how much freedom means to Igbos.

Freedom means a lot to Igbos, without it, life has little meaning. It is one of the few things an Igbo man can die for. For the Igbos, it was far better to suffer and lose millions fighting for freedom that to submit willingly to slavery. Even if you don't achieve freedom, at least you can have the dignity of saying that you did not go down without a fight. In Ojukwus case, he didn't have the luxury of time. Gowon had renged on the Aburi agreement, abolished the 4 Regions, cancelled the Regional Army and created states. Had Ojukwu not declared the Eastern Region Biafra when he did, later there would have been no Eastern Region to declare Biafra. It was a now or never situation and his people stood by him.

I'm proud of my people that we stood up in the face of tyranny and enslavement and fought for our freedom with nothing for 3 years. Cowards look for all the excuses in the world to fight for their freedom and sovereignty, brave people stand up and fight no matter what.

After 3 years of tough fighting, things were not going well for Biafrans and the end was near. It made no sense at all for Ojukwu to stay back in the end just for his enemies to kill him. If Ojukwu had stayed to be captured and killed, it would have only benefitted Nigeria and done nothing to help Biafrans. So when people say that Ojukwu ran away, I ask them how his death would have helped the cause of Biafra that


There is nothing that is more honourable than for a people to rise up and fight for their freedom and I'm proud of my people and to Dim Ojukwu for leading us, no matter the condition

gidgiddy:


That's why I said that we are all different and have different way of seeing things. Even if I explain it to a none Igbo from now until tomorrow, they will never understand how much freedom means to Igbos.

Freedom means a lot to Igbos, without it, life has little meaning. It is one of the few things an Igbo man can die for. For the Igbos, it was far better to suffer and lose millions fighting for freedom that to submit willingly to slavery. Even if you don't achieve freedom, at least you can have the dignity of saying that you did not go down without a fight. In Ojukwus case, he didn't have the luxury of time. Gowon had renged on the Aburi agreement, abolished the 4 Regions, cancelled the Regional Army and created states. Had Ojukwu not declared the Eastern Region Biafra when he did, later there would have been no Eastern Region to declare Biafra. It was a now or never situation and his people stood by him.

I'm proud of my people that we stood up in the face of tyranny and enslavement and fought for our freedom with nothing for 3 years. Cowards look for all the excuses in the world to fight for their freedom and sovereignty, brave people stand up and fight no matter what.

After 3 years of tough fighting, things were not going well for Biafrans and the end was near. It made no sense at all for Ojukwu to stay back in the end just for his enemies to kill him. If Ojukwu had stayed to be captured and killed, it would have only benefitted Nigeria and done nothing to help Biafrans. So when people say that Ojukwu ran away, I ask them how his death would have helped the cause of Biafra that


There is nothing that is more honourable than for a people to rise up and fight for their freedom and I'm proud of my people and to Dim Ojukwu for leading us, no matter the condition