What Achebe really wrote
By ALVAN EWUZIE (alvanatsun@yahoo.com)
Why did it take the literary icon Albert Chinualumogu Achebe over four decades to tell his civil war story? Most intellectuals and writers in his ilk have put down their experience of those trying days of a people’s fight for freedom.
Although some of his short stories and poems were anchored on the gruesome Nigerian civil war, his latest book, ‘There was a country’, showed that he had not said or written much about his involvement and thoughts on the incident.
It must have been a rather difficult one for the master storyteller. But he had to tell it and in the process achieved a genre of writing, which weaved poetry, prose and academic research in one volume. One described by Nadine Gordiner, Nobel Laureate in Literature, ‘as surpassing expectations’.
The 335-page book, difficult as it must have been for Professor Achebe, begins with Nigeria’s birth pangs after nationalist struggles by early purveyors of calls for self rule exemplified by Herbert Macualay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and the rest. It must have pained Achebe that the country his generation enthusiastically welcomed at independence with high hopes, had come to a sorry pass. “Most members of my generation, who were born before Nigeria’s independence, remember a time when things were different, Nigeria was once a nation of great hope and progress, a nation with immense resourses at its disposal…’’ writes Achebe in the introduction of the new work.
The pains of a wasting nation that had refused to integrate a part of it decades after a harrowing civil war that claimed no less than three million lives on both sides of the divide. Two of his poetry collections published in 1971 and 2004 dwell on the war but that genre hardly permits details. In the new work, he juxtaposed poetry and prose to tell complimentary stories in two art forms. As he put it: “It is for the sake of the future of Nigeria, for our children and grand children that I feel it is important to tell Nigeria’s story, Biafra story, our story, my story.’’
The story dates back to his coming of age, the extensive town-to-town travels with his father, who was a ‘church teacher’, some of the few whose early embrace of Christianity exposed to having value for education. Little wonder his children embraced education, which was why young Chinua was an early bird to school. An incident at St Philips’ Primary School, Ogidi, in Anambra State, his hometown, perhaps, set in motion his affinity to Igbo cosmology and the need not to denigrate your roots, and indeed see the good in it.
The incident went thus: Under the shed of a large mango three, their teacher took them on Geography of Britain. The village ‘mad man’ came by and stood, listening to the teacher. After a short while, he stepped up, snatched the chalk from the teacher, wiped the blackboard and proceeded to give the pupils an extended lesson on the history of Ogidi, his hometown.
It was ironic that a man whose sanity was assumed to be questionable saw the need to let the young lads know about their own history and environment. It was in secondary school at the famous Government College, Umuahia, that Achebe met some his life-long friends, including Christopher Okigbo, Chike Mommah, Benjamin Uzochuwku, Ekpo Etien Inyang, amongst others.
But it was Christopher Okigbo that became his soul mate. It was to Okigbo that Achebe always handed over his young family on his many diplomatic trips for Biafra. It was with Okigbo that he founded Citadel Press in Enugu in the wee hours of the of the pogrom and published one or two books before bombs shattered his Enugu residence and the publishing house and thus sent the venture into oblivion. when Okigbo secretly joined the Biafran Army and fell in battle at the Nsukka end, Achebe was devastated. Even now, 42 long years after the war, his fond memories of the poet and restless intellectual whom he believes to be one of the finest poets, drop like rain in the book.
He put it thus ‘‘…Christoher Ifekandu Okigbo was the finest Nigerian poet of his generation but I believe that as his works became better and more widely known in the world, he will be recognised as one of the most remarkable anywhere in our time. While other poets wrote good poems, Okigbo conjured up for us, amazing, haunting, poetic firmament of a wild and violent beauty. Forty years after, I still stand by that assessment.’ But Achebe’s early days were not heart wrenching.
When he graduated from the University of Ibadan where he was admitted on scholarship to read Medicine but was driven by passion and talent to drop the stethoscope, as it were, for the pen, he became a teacher briefly before joining the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation. It was there he wrote the monumentally successful ‘Things Fall Apart’.
The circumstance under which the manuscript would have been lost in England and how it was recovered should teach useful lessons to any budding writer. He grew into the few Nigerians, who replaced the departing expatriates in the civil service, inheriting some of the perks of office, living in Ikoyi with his wife,Christie. He blossomed in his writing and had just published his fourth novel, a prophetic political satire, in 1966. It predicted a coup, which surprised even the writer in its fulfillment. The country literally ceased to exist.
A counter coup six months later further sent the country down the precipice. When people from the east became victims of a genocide, which caught the authorities looking the other way, an exodus of easterners to their homestead became inevitable.
Achebe smuggled his family to the east in a boat from Lagos where he worked. He persevered until close friends told him to leave Lagos or go to an early grave. Soldiers had invaded his Ikoyi residence and missed him shortly before he bolted way to join his family in the east. His war time misery and that of a people had begun. In response to the calculated genocide against Igbo people across the country, Colonel Ojukwu, who was military Governer of Eastern Nigeria, was mandated to declare the Republic of Biafra. Achebe went back to his country home in Ogidi, Anambra State, but when soldiers mounted weapons in the compound to repel Nigerian forces, approaching from the River Niger end, he evacuated his family to Enugu in the first leg of a refugee staus, which saw them traverse no less than four towns, including Oguta and Orlu in the war ravaged land. The young republic defended itself with bare hands.
Two hurriedly trained soldiers would go to battle with only one rifle; the game plan being that one would forge ahead with the weapon of a fallen colleague. In the wake of initial fiasco of a surprise attack by Biafran soldiers, led by Victor Banjo, whose troop had reached Ore before capitulating, forcing the Biafran forces back, the battle grew worse. Banjo was executed for that seeming sabotage.
But Biafra had been weakened. They did not give up and the federal forces became more vicious. On page 137, Achebe writes ‘‘in actions reminiscent of the Nazi policy of eradicating the Jews throughout Europe just twenty years earlier, the Nigerian forces decided to purge the city (Calabar, inserted by this writer) of its Igbo inhabitants. By the time the Nigerians were done, they had shot dead at least one thousand and, perhaps, 2,000 Igbos, most of them civilians. There were other atrocities in the region.
In Oji River, the Times of London reported on August 2, 1968, ‘the Nigerian forces had opened fire and murdered fourteen nurses and the patients in the wards’. The Biafran people, being land locked after federal forces had captured Port Harcourt and Calarbar, effectively cutting supply sources via sea to the fledgling Republic, resorted to self ingenuity.
They manufactured weapons, refined petrol and constructed a makeshift night landing airport and held on to the struggle. The Research and Production unit, manned by Gordian Ezekwe, Benjamin Chukwuka Nwosu and less known technician, Willy Achukwe, produced Ogbunigwe, which was a lethal mass killer. Ojukwu engaged Achebe as one of war diplomats, who traveled around the continent to drum up support for the new Republic. He met with the then president of Senegal, Leopold Senghor, who gave backing to Biafra. Achebe and and four other intellectuals, namely Ifemesia, Ikenna Nzimiro, Emmanuel Obiechina, Eyo Bassey, Anthony Aniagolu and Ifegwu Eke, authored the impregnable document titled Ahiara Declaration, which had the potency to end the struggle.
When Biafra did not capitulate in despite the evil machinations against it, the Nigerian government resorted to starving the people through blockade of supplies, an ingenuous but sad war plan, which Achebe said was hatched by top echeleon of the Nigerian government, especially Obafemi Awolowo. He writes that by the beginning of dry season in 1968 Biafran civilians and soldiers were starving.
Bodies lay rotting under hot sun by the roadside and the flapping wings of scavengers could be seen circling, waiting patiently nearby. Some estimates were that hunger killed no less that one thousand Biafrans every day. The policy seemed to say ‘starve them into submission’ .
Upward pf 50,000 Biafrans, most of them children, died of starvation every month. An American child set himself ablaze to protest the killing of Bifran children, which was regularly beamed live on television screens across the globe. The war eventually ended at the point of seeming inevitable surrender. Over four decades after, Achebe says the Igbos were not and continue not being reintegrated into Nigeria, one of the main reasons for the continued backwardness, in his estimation. Writing the book must have pained the famous writer. Yet he had to do it.
Again he has swept the country’s woes to the door steps of leadership. This time, in the mode of selection. He says something must be done with the mode of selecting leaders. Today, it would seem that political alienation or starvation has replaced genocide and the general handout of twenty pounds for every Bifran after the war irrespective of what they had in the bank.
If four decades have gone by and non of their ilk has sat on the saddle to preside over the affairs of the country, Achebe may well be right. Like any people, the Igbos have their shortcomings, which the writer admitted, but it hardly gives rise to being shut out of leadership in the land, a clear sign that what starvation and genocide could not do, there were other ways of doing. It took Achebe so long to write this book. But the wait is worth it.
The Igbo man shall rise again and Nigeria will be beautiful once again.
The Igbo man is a special kind of Gold given to Nigeria by God but are yet to be refined by the Nigeria State
Killings of Igbos is on going now in Zaira, Yobe and Maidugiri. http://www.ekwenche.org
What an irony of life,i choose self determination,yet u choose genocide agaist me.i decide to submit to ur military force,yet u mak sure u continue terminating my people, i choose to develop ur region more dan my region yet u keep destroyin my good work,i ask for equality yet u choose to deny me d right to fairness……wat do u reallly want want from me ? A question directed to Nigerians by there was a Country…..Biafra.
History is a weapon of vengeance. The minds behind the Igbos’ unjudicious murder shall be ashamed. Shame to Gowon, Awolowo and their cohorts.
Sir,
I would like to know where to get a copy of this new work of Prof. Achebe. This is for the sole purpose of reading in the detail the alleged insult on Chief Awolowo by some people.
Only the uninformed about the happenings during the war or those suffering from loss of memory or the usual Nigerian sycophants would exonerate the late Chief Awo from contributing to the suffering and death of many Ibos.
God bless you.
i kissed you proff. on my pc screen after i read this. your type is scarce… God bless you.
I NEED FOOD….
I NEED SHELTER…..
I NEED COMMENSURATE EMPLOYMENT…..
I NEED GOOD HEALTHCARE………..
ETC……..
THESE ARE MY NEEDS….
YOU GET MY DRIFT?
Like i have written some where, those criticising this book have not even read the book or afraid of incuring the anger of select few who think they can only hang to power by seeing as thinking and living Awolowos’ name. But they failed to see that Awolowo could go far and remained a tribal leader on to death for the kind petty ideas he nurished; then his attempt to justify those petty ideas by 1983 press interview
God bless igbos and all of us.Am deltan,was touched after reading this excerpts from Honorable Achebe.May you live longer.
I am crying
IGBO WILL BE SOON COMFORTED..
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
We love you Achebe.
The truth is like the calabash gourd that gets submerged by force of hand but always finds its way to the surface again eventually. History can never be twisted no matter how hard we try, facts are facts. Lame rebuttals can never erase the memories of what was and who played what role during the genocidal cleansing of the igbo race. Hero to some and villain to others, it all depends on which side of history we find ourselves. In this case, awolowo and the yoruba race have been aptly reminded of a truth so conveniently forgotten over the years. The blood of millions of starved biafrans will continually cry out for vengeance.
In addition to the genocide committed by Gowon against Igbos, is the blakmail, steroetype and prejudice which has remained indelible in the memories of other tribes that Igboman is MONEY CONSCIOUS, For us to redeem our integrity i suggest we should take Gowon to ICJ charging him for committing (genocide) war crime Sadam Huzain former Iraq’s president was prosecuted,convicted and was hanged. The great Igbos what are we still waiting for? “Anyi eje!” And for the book “There was a country” I can’t wait to have this book, when shall it be launch? Or has it been launched? How much is it? Achebe. IBU NWA AMALA, NWA KA NWA! NDEWO
Nigeria govt. Dosn’t own any Iggbo apologise on the war policies and strategised made to promotes and defeat her opponent the rebels during the 1967-1970 civil war or did Achebe prefer nigeria govt to fold their hands to be defeated by his call stubon Igbo peolpe? What nigeria did, was their war strategy to defeat her opponent.
A war story is not full until it is told in full. Let it be told of the terrible things done by both side in the war and before the war.These makes the story complete.
A war story is not full until it is told in full. Let it be told of the terrible things done by both sides in the war and before the war.This makes the story complete.An adage says: There is no one you give a cutlass to who will not cut to his own side.
MAY GOD NEVER CEASE TO BLESS THE HONEST, GOD FEARING AND A FEARLESS MAN LIKE PROF, THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS BITTER, BUT UNTIL THE NIGERIAN STATE APPRECIATES THE FACT THAT GENOCIDE WAS METED TO THE IGBO’S AND DO THE REQUIRED APOLOGY AND RESTITUTION, NIGERIA WILL CONTINUE TO BE GREAT ON THE LIPS. THE BLOOD OF THOSE STARVED, MAIMED, AND KILLED DURING THE WAR PERIOD IS HUNTING THE NIGERIAN STATE. THOSE TRYING TO DEFEND THEIR WICKED BROTHER ARE DOING SO AT THEIR PERRI L. SIR, GOD WILL ALWAYS USE YOU TO TELL NIGERIANS THE TRUTH WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT. MORE INK TO YOUR PENS.
Am totally heart broken after reading this. I had been an advocate of One Nigeria but this has made me to have a rethink. NDIGBO GA ADI NDU, GBAA MKPOROGWU!!
What are we still doing in this corrupt nation ,after reading all my people went thru in the hands of this Hausas and Yorubas,I now come to true terms that we don’t belong here.we need be our own nation separate from them like south Sudan recently did.at least the whole world now know the really Awo,the real man behind that tiny spec.i wasn’t born then but through reading articles like this I got to know who is who and what some ppl we regard highly did.now thanks to Achebe I now know the evil behind those tiny spec.God must punish all of them that killed innocent ppl like GOwon and his men,as for Awo,day of judgement shall come and his own measure will be given to him.NOw I see why Achebe refused to accept national honours from FG.A true man of integrity.achebe u are my hero.GOd will continue to strengthen ur life.
The foolish Yoruba men and women can be saying what they like but the truth has been spoken and the world has heard it.
Thank God for keeping an icon like u for the posterity. U re a legend. I gboro ife ewu ga-ata. we the after war children are happy to read this untold truth. It is well. The Word of God says “Vengeance is mine” I say it once again, It is well. May the Spirit of preserve and protect u.
i have just finishd crying. As a pelican, i must sacrifice my life for the betterment of Biafra and her good people.
Thank God for keeping an icon like u for the posterity. U re a legend. I gboro ife ewu ga-ata. we the after war children are happy to read this untold truth. It is well. The Word of God says “Vengeance is mine” I say it once again, It is well. May the Spirit of God preserve and protect u.
What is there to be said. The Ibos have endured immense persecution and tribulation from the hands of other ethnic groups in Nigeria, till the present time. We do not need Achebe’s timely treatise of a book to awaken the nation to this gruesome reality. Nigeria will be the worst for it if the reintegration of the Ibo race continues to be sacrificed on the altar of cockeyed politics and bureaucratic selectivism. The Ibos can never be suppressed, repressed or cowed into submission by the remnant apostles of northern islamic hegemony. History abound with the telltales of the stoicism, technological ingenuity and entrepreneurial wizardry of the Ibos which have propelled them to enviable heights of regeneration. Thanks, for stirring our consciousness on this eternal truth which still sears the Nigerian conscience.
He is a continental blesing nd like d jews in egypt they were being hated by arabs bcos of their wisdom nd suceess
Those who are attacking Achebe for this publication are sadistically of a banal stock because even Wole Soyinka in his book, “The man died”, echoed the same sentiments as Achebe on the gross injustice meted out against the Biafrans. Go and grab a copy and read. Maybe, you will weep for this nation and call for Gowon’s prosecution in the ICJ. What the Ibos are asking for is restitution, nothing less.
oh achebe is a great man.But pls na which american child dey set himself ablaze when they were racist n busy calling us NIGGERS? Achebe just wanna make naija youths drop there pens n hold AK’s(guns) Pls tell d pple tht predicted d break up of naija by 2015 tht there idea of using u(achebe)to ignite war by recalling d past dark days is nt going to walk! D next stage now is gonna b distribution of free AK47 n ammo worth N300,000 to hungry,poor,despirate naija youths to start killing themselves like libyans etc.IF U INSULT OR SAY ANYTHING ABT ME,SAME GOES TO U.1 NIGERIA WEDA WUNA LIKE AM OR NOT IN JESUS NAME AMEN.
Otu nwa ana amulu ora. you have paid your due.
I neva wanted to say a word but… A vast majority of Igbos are political illiterates
We the Igbos are in our everyday lives drawing energies and support from the blood of our brothers and sisters murdered in the wicked war.We cannot be subsumed in posterity and we will never ever give up…….we still have unmatched and unequaled achievements,for out of nothing,we are always able to make out something.Achebe may you be well protected by God for laying such a golden egg for us future generations……we will never fail you,we promise to keep the flag flying though it may take time…..God bless you my father
GOD BLESS THE BIAFRANS!
Achabe, may you live long. You are the greatest writer of all time. I am deeply touched by your story of the civil war and the injustice meted against the Igbos. Biafra is not dead yet; we must continue fighting until we achieve our noble objective.
Father Achebe, may God always be with you and bless you with more years ahead.
If I may ask, why it sound like forbidding idea to talk about diving Nigeria? Instead of Boko Haram and Nigeria Force keep killing innocent people and destroying properties. Please why can`t Nigeria peacefully Divide the country? With peaceful agreement, I think it will help Boko Haram to succeed their sharia plan within their zone. We have lost every spirit of togetherness, love and Unity that kept us as one nation, so let go for option.
Ezigbo nwanna….!.thanks for telling the the world the other side of the story.chimamanda called the stories that they and the britons told against the igbos “one story” and the consequences of this one sided story are there for every one to see.i hope that i too will be recognised in the world someday like you (achebe) and chimamanda ngozi adichie,you guys have been a source of inspiration to me
God bless d Igbo nation. Sincerely spkin, d igbos hv bn marginalised for 2 long
Prof. Chinua Achebe deserve to be honour with a Nobel Prize 4 literature. Thats all.
Under war situation igbos advanced technologically fast,should we be given opportunity to pilot the affairs of Nigeria. we shall compete favourably with America and other advanced countries of the World.See the position of Emeagwari today.
We have really risen as a people irrespective of the evil metted on us Igbos.Why?take a good statistical look of the the whole people that made up Nigeria.Find out where younge men are more enterprising.Living up to expectations with the basic needs of life.Do not include the parental inheritance,just what one achieved with his legitimate struggle.Glory be to God!
Sometime in 1981 while a student at UNN, Dr Basil Nnanna Ukaegbu (the first man that pioneered private university in Nigeria, but was stifled by govt), in a public lecture, narrated how a Biafran underground chemistry student was the one that refined the petrol he used throughout the civil war. Nigeria should allow the Igbos to develop Nigeria. The Igbos can supply ALL the technologies that Nigeria needs to develop and attain the Vision 20:2020. The thing is in them.
When you take clear look at Biafran flag what you see at the center is a risen sun and that truly what we’r,the sun never set but it must surely.we’re just attached to that entity called Nigeria but we’re not truely Nigeria and we can never be!! BIAFRA SHALL RISE
Nwanne nnaa, ibu opuru iche na ebe ndi ozo nò. Ka chineke gbaa gi ume nwannem nwoke. Ezigbo onye OGIDI
I AM CRYING AND MY TEARS WILL NEVER GO IN VAIN, ALL THE NIGERIA LEADERS SOLDIERS THAT KILLED MY PEOPLE OF IGBO MUST SUFFER IT ONE BY ONE TODAY OR TOMORROW, THE SO CALLED NIGERIA TREAT WE IGBOS LIKE A SLAVE, ARE WE IGBOS A SLAVE????
NO BODY WANT TO TELL WE CHILDREN THE TRUE STORY BECAUSE IF MR A RISE UP AND TALK ABOUT IT NIGERIA GOVERNMENT WILL KILL YOU OR PUT YOU IN PRISON, GOD PLEASE DONT TURN YOUR BACK TO WE IGBOS BCOS WE HAVE SUFFER A LOT PLEASE LEAD OUR ELDERS TO TELL US MORE STORY ABOUT THIS CIVIL WAR, WHAT ICC WAIT FOR THIS IS WAR AGAINST HUMANITY JUSTICE MUST BE DONE ONE DAY
I have come again my people and my comments is as clear as Spring water.The first day Prof Chinua Achebe brief summary of his memoir:Theire was a Country was posted in internet and wen i read it i commented that his memoir will expose the atrocities and genocide committed by Nigeria,Britain,Russia,Saudi Arabia,Egypt,North Africa,Arab World against Great Biafrans Men,Women and Children and it will definitry ursher in the Indepent of Great Biafra come 5th Nov 2012 by Ben Onwuka,leader of BZM so is high time we Igbos both in home and diaspora,Igbos Clergy,Igbo Politicians,MASSOB,BZM,IYO,Ohanaeze join hand together to fight for this freedom of Igbos that is browing in the wind without divition and bias mind and may God forgive those indiviguals and the Countries that join forces to coursed genocide on Great Birafran Childrens,Men and Women alike(CRYING).Thanks Prof Chinua Achebe for vindicating the death of many Biafrans Soldiers,Children,Women,Men who lost their lives in the battle and genocide becouse they are our Heros.Atleast Late Odumeogwu Ojukwu and Okigbo,Effiong will be happy in their grave that atleast if nothing happened they didnt die in vain or shameless death.Prof Chinua Achabe is always my mentor becouse after God Almighty who is my great inspiration Prof Chinua Achebe’s inspiration helped me alot in my Novel tittled:She Gave Her Son To Ghost.(+2348038499183,+2348185774858,e-mail:)foreigman@yahoo.com)
Bond boy, thanks for your comment but i need you to identify yourselve. Delta is a state in nigeria but not a tribe. are you Ijaw, urhobo or isoko or igbo etc. Which one are you?
I believe all is not fair in war but to romanticize pain and blame others is not the way to heal. Both sides lost during the war and Nigeria as a whole lost . Professor Achebe’s book will exhume and continue to emphasize that which will continue to devide us. His version of the truth will not heal Igbos but create more wounds and creat unnecessary chasm. Now I know why Ojukwu did not write a war memoir;a very wise thing indeed which is why he has my deepest respect. He must have been thinking of allowing the healing of our collective wound. This one shall be remembered as Achebe’s ugly contribution as he fades into the sunset.
Military officers led by col.Banjo,Femi Ademulegun,Kaduna Nzeogu, Emma Ifeajuna,Sam Agbams,with numerous rank & File supporters carried out the Jan 15th ,1966 coup which yoruba press turned upside down to be Igbo Coup.Meanwhile it was their sons Bnajo & Femi who could not carry out the operation in Enugu because of the visit of ArchiBishop of Canterbury that night.If for argunment sake the Five Officers were even Igbo does it mean that their parents or entire Igbo population told them to enbark on coup?
When Hausa now carried out their counter coup on July 29th 1966 led by Murtala,Gowon,Usman katsina,TY Danjuma,Shehu Yaradua,Mohammed Shua,Abacha,Jerry Useni who was a Sergent at the time and drove the Lnadrover that killed Ironsi at Mokola Ibadan,after killing all the Igbo Soldiers went into all the Towns with their Youths killing Igbo women and children in the streets,markets and schools.Someone should tell us the Offence those women and children committed apart from the fact that they were Igbo? Today Nigerians are making noise and praying for the same God that created Igbos that charged us not to kill to forgive them,you then wonder why God didn’t forgive sodom and gomora if He will forgive generation of people that slaughtered 1 million Igbo women and children with gun,knives and sticks,oh my God take revenge against these people and their generations.I did not loose anyone from my family in the pogrom or the war proper but those that died are Igbos and I can do anything some day to revenge their death including engaging in suicide mission.I feel terrible to learn what happened to young Igbo girls in Federal Govt college Kano who were separated from other tribes and taken away to leprous colony to be defied before they were slaughtered one by one,blood cannot stop flowing in Kano and oneday Kano will be a shadow of itself.
Nigerian Govt,Hausa-Fulani and their Yoruba collaborators must apologise to Igbos and pay repparation for the life of every Igbo women and children that were killed on the streets and behind enemy lines,for offences they did not commit or there will be no progress or peace in Nigeria.This is our minimum condition but those who think they can sweep it under the carpets should watch out what will happen in the country some day.
Reading from u guys makes me to share more tears
I thank God for the life of Achebe. A true Ibo hero.
Steve Job of BLESSED memory denounced his faith as a protest against the world for not doing enough over the genocide committed against Biafran children. As we congratulate Achebe for honoring duty call from ALMIGHTY GOD , just as Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu did ; praises and thanksgivings should also go to Rev. Dr Huessler (CARITAS INT.) who turned 89 years few months ago ; Holly Ghost father John Doyle both from Germany, among others,who saved many Biafran lives we are enjoying today including mine . I was just a 5 year old kid during that time. Also to Gabon, Irish nuns and priests; Ivory Coast , Tanzania, Zambia and others who have long seen the hand writing on the wall while praying and hoping that not long people will listen to what it is saying and not harden their hearts, but harken to it.GOD Bless them all.
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AWO led Biafra to war is after thought. He was in Calabar prison when the war broke out. General Gowon’s ability to win the war was doubtful and he had to include the civilian input of Awo at that time. True he appointed Awo as his Vice Chairman/ finance Minister in order to prosecute the war. The regime is collectively guilty of war crime and genocide according to Chinua Achebe. Is Biafra well prepared for the civil war?
As Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu emerges as secessionist leader, he urges all Igbo’s to return home. Did Chinua Achebe answer his call? Rather than return home Chinua fled abroad! Even the Great Zik of Africa answered the call and returned home. Zik wrote the Biafra national anthem and mid-way into the war he fled abroad and abandon his people to their fate
There were civil servants who assisted General Gowon such as Allison Ayida and Philip Asiodu and, why were their names not mentioned in the accusation and counter accusation?
If Awo is guilty of war crime and genocide. Chinua and Zik are also guilty to abandon the people of Biafra. What of the federal troops led by Danjuma, Hassan Katsina, Shuah, Aruna, I. M., Muritala, Benjamin Adekunle, Obasanjo, and David Ejoor? What are these names guilty of?
It saddens me to see our people slaughtered in civil war such as Biafra and, i sympathised with Nigerians who died or lost their limbs and properties as a result of the war. As for Chinua, he is free to write on till he can write no more. I think Achebe stairs the nest to sell his book.
God bless you prof, this is just like a light unto our parth to forge ahead for the accualization of our great country BIAFRA.i know that very soon our flag will fly high and songs of victory will follow.
Truth i must say, is a healing balm.
I think uzoh should go back to school,if he also like to join and if you want to join bomb gang look for boko-haram may be they can help you with your half story ,story teller uzoh
I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, SINCERELY WHAT IGBOS WENT THROUGH DURING THE WAR WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE IT WAS WRONG BUT I ALSO WANT THE IGBOS TO KNOW SUCH THINGS HAS HAPPENED AND STILL HAPPENING IN MANY NATIONS OF THE WORLD AND SOMEBODY IS BOASTING THAT THEY ARE BEGGING US FOR FORGIVENESS AND WE NOT READY TO FORGIVE INSTEAD I WILL RATHER JOIN BOMB GANG AGAINST NIGERIA AND CALLING EVERY OTHER TRIBES ALL KIND OF NAMES PRESENTING ONLY IGBOS AS AN ANGELS LIVING IN NIGERIA IS VERY UNFAIR ONE THING I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW TODAY IS THAT, IF AND I REPEAT IF ANY TRIBE LEAVE NIGERIA TODAY NIGERIA WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON NOBODY SHOULD HARASS ANY TRIBE BECAUSE SHE THINK IS BETTER THAN OTHERS UZOH SAID SOME SOLDIERS CAME TO KILLED IRONSI IN IBADAN DID HE MENTION THAT ADEKUNLE FAJUYI VOLUNTARILY LAID HIS LIFE DOWN FOR IRONSI HE KNOWS THAT BUT IN OTHER TO PRESENT IBOS AS AN ANGEL AND TO CALL OTHER TRIBES EVILS HE WILL NEVER TOUCH THAT I HATE PEOPLE BEEN FAKE MY ADVISE TO PEOPLE LIKE UZOH IS TO FORGIVE AND LET LIVE GOES ON I WONDERED LAST TIME SARO-WIWA WAS KILLED BY ABACHA SOME IBOS IN MY HOUSE ARE SO HAPPY I CAN GET WHAT CALL CELEBRATION IN KILLING ONE OF OUR STARS IN THAT KIND OF WICKED WAY I TRIED TO FIND OUT THE REASON AND SOMEBODY SAID DURING THE WAR TIME SARO -WIWA WAS ON THE SIDE OF GOVERMENT AGAINST IBOS AND I SAID IS’T THE REASON THESE PEOPLE ARE SO HAPPY? MAY GOD HAVE MERCY UPON US,IF UZOH SO MUCH LIKE HIS PEOPLE I WONDER WHAT HE’S DOING IN LAGOS NO MATTER WHAT IBOS WANTED TO BECOME IN THAT COUNTRY TODAY UZOH SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY NEED THE SUPPORT OF OTHER TRIBES THANK GOD UZOR KALU SAID HE’S TAKING YOU TO NORTH IN THIS COMING ELECTION HERE WE GO SO LET ME SEE HOW YOU BECOME PRESUIDENT OF NIGERIA WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OTHER TRIBES I DON’T CARE WHERE THE PRESIDENT COME FROM ONLY WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS TO BETTER THE LIVES OF MY PEOPLE IN NIGERIA PRIOD WHAT I KNOW ABOUT NIGERIA IS WE HAVE TWO GROUP THE RICH AND THE POOR THEIR CHILDREN MARRY TO EACH OTHERS EITHER YOU ARE YORUBA HAUSA OR IBOS ONLY THE POOR PROBABLY LIKE UZOH THAT MAKE EMPTY NOISE
Iam overwhelmed by our collective unification and by our zealousness in the expectation Great Biafra. I can not but acknowledge the fact that inspite of incacerations melted on us, atlast we are been vindicated and our expected savior is allready athand. Long live the Christian Rupublic of Biafra CRB. And every kudos to you my hero prof. Achebe
My dear Igbo brothers and sisters please our kneels should be on ground now that we have known our prayer points to our God for liberation. We are much more focusl now in prayer than ever. The well favoured Esther in the holy bible has reappeared through Prof Achebe.Let us join hands with him in prayer like Mordecai joined hands in prayer with Esther and God Almighty will surely liberate the Igbos as the days of king Xerxes when he liberated the people of Israel from the plan of Haman (Esther 3: 1-15). Oga GEJ may you use your good offices for the peaceful existence of this Naija. the truth has been revealed. Thanks and remain blessed All Igbos.
Biafran soldiers are the true patriot and fighters, becus they saw the bad seed that was being planted by northern and western leader to distort the future of this country. But out of ignorant a lot of Nigeria did not see it coming now today it has become a serious issues to solve. God bless prof.china Achebe, god bless the Igbo people and god bless the federal republic of Nigeria
My beloved fearless and principled Prof. Thank u for your marvelous write-up .May GOD continue to keep you to inspire the young Igbos. The enemies of Igbos will surrender one day. This message contained in the write-up will be delivered to our children as legend.
Prof. Of Enlightment Kudos.
It is said that if you don’t know where you are coming from you may not know where you are going to.
This is a call to all Igbos to embrace love to each other, love your brothers and sisters where ever you find your self. Teach your children your languge ”igbo”. Endeavour to speak igbo in your gathering, your office,your church. Don’t buy the idea of a second class citizen as your oppressors are galvanising.
Lets unite where ever we are…Igbo Kwenu!..Ofu ObI!!
I’m crying bitterly, Biafra must live…
THIS BOOK WILL SELL MORE THAN THINGS FALL APART
Well said great icon! If only we can have more people of your kind who know the truth, say the truth and live by the truth, all these atrocities won’t have been happen in our darling country. I think the best is to let the ibos go. They have taken enough mess from this country. Prof. Sir, we the young ones are proud of you, and we live to follow your footsteps..
If the Achebes watched upward of 50,000 people most of them their children died every month and all they do is to pushed their people to continue the war for more years, then it show what a savage they are. How many Achebe’s, Ojukwu’s and other Biafran leader’s died in that period?
The Blood of our Hero’s past shall never be in vain,Biafran’s must revenge.
No man who takes life unjustly will go unpunished. Hausa-Fulani, their Yeruba collaborators and any other people who in one way or the other contributed in taking innocent lives of Biafrans will definitly pay that atrocities.
BIAFRA IS A MUST!!
I tender my unreserved thank you to my brother and mentor Prof. Achebe for the revelation of how my fellow Biafrains were killed. As i was reading the highlights of his book, my eyes were full of tears. The igbos were unjustly killed by Nigerian soldiers and still being killed in their so called country “Nigeria”.
Prof. is a father to all Biafrians, telling the young ones what happened during the war and how the Igbos were killed. This is an eyes opener to all Igbos to fight for our freedom,ie actualization of Biafra.
Upon all the marginalization, an Igbo man is still waxing strong, surviving where nobody can. We Igbos are blessed and nobody can change it..
We must continue to believe in ourselves, despite the Nigeria opposition and never allow the suffering of our heros(Biafrain Army/ fighters) to be in vain.
Prof. released the book for the Igbos/Nigerians/world to know that the struggle for actualization of Biafra continues, to fight on and not be discouraged.
It is a must that every Igbo man should have a copy of the book as a reference to our course of action for the actualization of Biafra.
God bless Prof. Achebe; God bless Biafrains
ABUM NWA BIAFRA, CHUKWU GOZIE NWA BIAFRA OBUNA EBE OBUNA ONO!!!
@Achebe. May God continue to bless you and grant you many more years to come.
Who will help to wipe away my tears. Hot tears oh! Blood is dropping from my eyes. I hope the ogbunigwes are still there. Biafra will rise again soonest, that is my consolation.
what we want is peace.elites is our problems.
Nigeria is heading the way of Yugoslavia and will inevitably split into 6 or even 7 separate nation states. I fear bloodbath and tragedy – so many have already suffered and died as it is.
BLOODSHED MUST BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. NO MORE BLOODSHED PLEASE!
The only peaceful solution is to give the Nigerian people the right to decide their own destiny, in the form of a referendum. The referendum must be free, honest, fair and open to the rigours of international observation and supervision.Whatever the people decide in this referendum must be OBEYED. Those regions that vote for breakaway (if any do) must be allowed to do so non-violently and without reprisal. The regions that vote to remain with Nigeria must also be allowed to remain with Nigeria.It is the only solution
THE PEOPLE MUST BE OBEYED!!!
Dis book by Dr Achebe is lik an opener 2 ndi-Igbo and further ginger d Igbos 2 tak dere righful position.I thank u 4 dis book.U ar a rare gem, ibu ezi nwafor.
Dis book by Dr Achebe is lik an eye opener 2 ndi-Igbo and 2 further ginger d Igbos 2 tak dere righful position.I thank u 4 dis book.U ar a rare gem, ibu ezi nwafor.
Thank you all for these comments and God bless Prof. Chinualumogu Achebe for calling a spade a spade.Igbos must be liberated from the shackles of despair into the heights of freedom. Long live Biafra and Long live Indìgbo.
We are Biafrans, fighting for our freedom,in the name of Jesus,we shall conquer.
Thank you all !!
I wanna thank u rainbow for your intelligent advice , my regards to prof Achebe, stays bless in the Lord, those people that committed those despicable evil will never go scot free, the spirit of biafra will continue to hunt them one by one
hmmm Achebe you are a hero may God bless you and more years ahead, i thank you for inspiration you gave to us especially we youth of igbos. thank you once again you indeed a hero keep it up love you.
May d memories of Biafra haunt Nigeria 4ever.
Thank you so much proff for this wonderful work. we the igbos has been taken for a ride for so long now. i think its high time we show them that then is not and can never be now. please, let us all join hands together to see the success of our dream country BIAFRA……It’s possible..it’s a reality
Let the yorubas that lived at that time write their own instead of attacking Achebe. In any case none of those making noise experienced the war, they are only making shakara. A group of opportunists who are faking their belated love for Awolowo
Somebody should let me know the appropriate authority to contact.I am pledging the sum of two million naira for copies of Achebes’s recent book to be distributed to every Igbo youth in Nigeria.Let the truth be presented to a candid world and let every Igbo youth know what happened to our people during the war.Let this knowledge kindle a fire that will restore the unquenchable spirit of the Igbos and let it grant us our heart desires.NEVER AGAIN shall we be killed.
Thank u prof. Achebe. Like our fathers, the biblical Israelites, the more the egyptians try to oppress us, the more we prosper. The nigerian eastern region is blessed.
Hi papa, may God add you more days like hezekiah of old, b/cos of your good work
The eagle on iroko has spoken. It is the whole truth. Nigeria accept. repented Gen. Gowon lead Nigerians to appologize and seek forgiveness. The Igbos are kind and God is mighty in mercy. Nigeria will survive.
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Those who take home ant infested firewood shouldn’t blame the lizard for invading their abode. so indicated Achebe in one of his writings, why blame ur opponent for using the best weapon in his arsenal to neutralize his enemy? Of course you don’t expect me to continue feeding my foes or blame me for their loss. My brothers the great Achebe is myopic, sentimental ,subjective and still drumming the war drums, the blame should rest squarely on the shoulders of ur hero “Ojukwu who led his people to a war they were not prepared for, slogans and propaganda don’t win wars but strategies and Gowon/Awo excelled in this direction. Achebe should let d world know why the biafra invaded the neutral Mid West region, and how much compensation the igbos are ready to pay for the looting, raping, pillaging they perpetuated in this region. Achebe as the patriot I thought he was would ve ironed this out too.
awolowo was an evil man..a tribalist..a demon in human skin.
Ibos,am sorry 4wat u suffered 4rm us.07067490156
awolowo was an evil man..a tribalist..a demon in human skin.
Ibos,am sorry 4wat u suffered 4rm us.07067490156.
May god help us. Amen. Evil that men do live after them. Where is yakubu gowon today. Pleateu is boilling. Where is yaradua today. Katsin nd kaduna is boiiling. What of sani abacha, kano boils as wel. Beleive it, they shal never escape the retribution.
God will surely bless an Igbo icon like prof Achebe for telling we the youth the truth of civil war Thank
There is no need wasting much time .Let the ICC be notified for further action.Those who commited or those who attempted genocide are to face the music .Or should Nigeria civil war be a different case .Gowon is still alive ,other collaborators are equally alive , Let justice triumph so that evil will diminish.That other tribes in Nigeria are afraid of an Ibo man.That is noted ,but since that hatred continues let us go to the HAHUE ICC so that justice be done first ,then sovereign national conference will follow or vice versa.I hate seing criminals moving freely.Boko haram mentors should equally be inclusive for killing innocent people in their JIHAD.I hate seing those who destroyed Nigeria being called statesman.Without true revisiting of the past there will be no meaningful progress.I thank God for being an Ibo.Ibos are the SUN the palm cannot cover the SUN.No matter the level of conspiracy.If Gowon and Awolowo like ,let them enter the forest and conspire more.Ibos must survive and Better than their people hundred times over.How about their Boko haram? have they finished their intimidation style for Jonathan?IDIOTS who fail to see the hand writing on the wall.Achebe Chinualumogu well done for revealing the truth .Please Achuzia ,we need yours.
I think what we need now is republic of Biafra. True! May GOD Almighty bless Prof. Achebe who is the mouth piece of the Igbos. May GOD bless Biafrans as well, Amen.
am a young igbo student each tym i read or listen 2 dis BIAFRA war, tears run down my check,my heart pant 4 breath.ever sinc d blood of our loved mumys and siblings were use as a sacrificial lamb,yet nigeria v refuse 2 germinate and get beta fruit.i wish d hand of clock could be turn back so dat all dis pple dat put us into dis mess wil be handikap
let nigeria and the rest of the world know why ndigbo should never in anyway be ignored if there would be a strong future nigerian state.
BIAFRA has a curse with history…meaning, it will never die!! the generation after passed the horrofic stories to the nextgeneration and soo shall it continue untill the arm is achieved…there has never being a reconciliation after the nigerian genocide against an honest break away republic, not just a republic but a nation with same and natural people….SHAME on every decorations that NIGERIA stands for!!!!!!!!!
LONG LIVE MOSSOB..i salute you for still keeping the flag flaying in your own way, though most of us reluctant give much backing that it deserves but our eyes are totally away from monitoring events, NDIGBO has spreaded all over the but that same interest of our living and fallen comrades!
Iam grateful to you prof.
strongly i believe that IGBOs are forever united and will never be divided.
God is on our side.
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where are the so called igbo leaders? they have crawled under the caves because they are will nit defend achebe and the truth.the so called igbo leaders are nigerian collarborators who have helped nigeria pepertrate genocide on igbos.ACHEBE HAS DONE HIS JOB.H HAS PENNED A PART OF IGBO HISTORY FOR POSTERITY. THANK YOU ICHIE
I am over joyed to hear about your most documented piece about Nigeria and Biafra. I am very grateful to the most high God for sparing your life till today. Though i was ten at the time of 1966 coup, which we then knew as Army take over. Sir i want to say that my self and my late parents and siblings were victims of the crisis that in all honesty originated from the West. the wild wild west. The operation wet it with blood and fire [called wet e] at Ibadan. Although i was a boy then, i was very intelegent and i can remember vividly all that happened between Molete and Okeado Ibadan from 1965 to 1966. Sir just let them say. The God that saw us through will never slumber nor sleep. Prof; my generation and the ones yet to come will forever remember you. May you make it to heaven on the last day where God Himself will reward you. when will the book be lunched? Once more i say thank you sir.
Any body that says any thing contrary to what you have written is either being ignorant of what happened or being wickedly malicious as their past leaders. After all the massacre and pogrom of the Igbo race in 1966.,there was the Aburi conference. and thank God General Gowon is still alive today. Hope you all should remember that he was then 32years old and needed the wisdom of the great Awos of his day to scale through which resulted to the rejection of the Aburi accord. Hope General Gowon now a preacher of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ should speak out now. I am sure nobody needs a soothsayer to be told that Nigerian ship is closest to the rock and if President G E J fails to steer it off speedily by joining the voice of the people to urgently convene the national ethnic conference, God help him. Once upon a country is a time warning. The words of our elders are words of wisdom. Also it said that [vox populi vox dei] It is still not too late to restitute and reconcile otherwise tomorrow may be too late
But the amighty God is the igbos, we will rule one day and power will never go any where again, i give my word and so it shall in our new generation, amen, wait and see the north and the west
Even if a war breaks out today, I will fight for my great country Biafra. What Nigeria Government don’t know is that must people born after the war have a very clear picture of what happened right from their respective mothers womb. I know that one day sooner, Biafra will emerge. It is not my will or Ikemba’s will but God’s will forever. One day sooner, Justice will be given to Biafrans. Who knows while Gowon is still alive?