Written by Jacob Segun-Olatunji, Dapo Falade, Wale Ajayi and Soji Ajibola Saturday, 06 October 2012
The above is the summation of reactions of Nigerians across social and political divides to the latest attacks on the person of the sage, Chief Awolowo and the Yoruba nation by Professor Chinua Achebe, in a recently published memoir.
Opinion and political leaders, who reacted on Friday to Achebe's charge of genocide against Chief Awolowo, easily pointed at the failed efforts of Achebe to clinch the Nobel Prize in Literature over the years as well as the enduring intellectual leadership of the Nigerian nation by the Yoruba.
Achebe had in his civil war memoirs just made public entitled, There was a Country, blamed the casualties recorded during the three-year civil war to "the blatant callous and unnecessary policies enacted by the leaders of the Federal Government of Nigeria."
Sir Olaniwun Ajayi
A visibly enraged chieftain of the pan-Yoruba organisation, Afenifere, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi said it was a pity that a renowned writer like Professor Achebe could fall into what he called a great error.
"It is a great error, he never said anything about what Awolowo did to prevent the civil war," he declared.
Sir Ajayi said as part of efforts of Chief Awolowo to prevent the war, he led a delegation from the South-West to prevail on Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, but only for the late warlord to renege on his promise to Awolowo to avert the war.
He maintained that even when the Igbo ran away during the war, leaving their properties in the South-West and old Rivers state, those left in Rivers were treated as abandoned properties while Chief Awolowo made arrangements with estate managers, who managed the properties left for the fleeing Ndigbo.
Besides, he said the arrangement ensured that the owners of such properties were paid rent when they returned and the properties equally handed over to them after the war, unlike those left in Rivers state which he said were treated as abandoned properties, even till date.
He maintained that after the war, the Igbo were fully reintegrated in the South-West and enjoyed fair treatment up till today.
He said it was a matter for regret that Achebe was silent on such gestures, describing his outburst as most unfortunate, outrageous and very bad."
In his reaction, a former governor of old Oyo State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo, said that it was unfortunate that people would still be dwelling on an event that occurred over 40 years ago.
Speaking with Saturday Tribune, Olunloyo said he suspected that Professor Achebe had a personal hatred for the sage,because of the nomination of Professor Wole Soyinka, a Yoruba man for Nobel award and his eventual emergence as the first African Nobel Laureate.
"The way the country is going, everybody cannot be happy but Achebe is bitter. He is not pleased that he didn't receive the Nobel prize. Though a brilliant man, a good essayist and a man of culture, Achebe cannot be in the same fold with Soyinka.
"While Achebe writes only prose which can be extremely prosaic, Soyinka is into prose, poetry and drama. The richness and versatility of Soyinka's works cannot be compared with that of Achebe.
"It is unfortunate that Professor Achebe could label Chief Awolowo as a tribalist. Both Awo and Zik were members of the Nigerian Youth Movement.
"He cannot begin now to blame Awolowo for the war. Awolowo did not start the war; rather, he pleaded against it. The only thing that he said then was that if, by any error, the Igbo were allowed to leave the federation, Yoruba would also leave.
"The civil war was started by the Igbo. The Igbo, in the course of the war, killed many Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani leaders, including Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Chief Ladoke Akintola, Festus Okotie-Eboh and many officers, including Ademulegun, Maimalari, leaving out their own, like Micheal Okpara.
"Even while they were in government, (Ironsi's government), the Igbo spared no thought of freeing Awolowo who was then in prison. So, why should the man be now labeled a tribalist?", he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Also reacting, the publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-West, Honourable Kayode Babade, described as unfortunate the statement credited to Achebe on Awolowo.
Babade, speaking on telephone with Saturday Tribune said: "Though I am yet to get a copy of the book but anybody who says anything negative or cast aspersions on the integrity of our revered sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is an enemy of the Yoruba race. If the statement credited to Achebe is true, then he has just declared himself as an enemy of the race.
Babatope
A former Transport and Aviation Minister, Chief Ebenezer Babatope condemned Achebe over the publication of total falsehood and disturtion of facts against Chief Awolowo, describing him as a ''pathological liar."
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja entitled, Chinua Achebe and his outbursts on late papa Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Babatope, who was the National Director of Organisation of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) of Papa Awolowo, lamented that it was disheartening and amazing for Achebe to have claimed in his book that the sage was involved in the murder of many Igbo during the Biafran war.
Chief Babatope, who expressed dismay that many Nigerian newspapers in the last 24 hours had published excepts from the new book disclosed that Achebe made a similar false publication against Papa Awolowo 30 years ago in his book titled,The trouble with Nigeria.
According to him, "while Achebe is free to write on any topic that suits his fancy, he has no right whatsoever to irresponsibly murder history by his recklessly attacking a great leader like Papa Awolowo."
While urging all well-meaning people to disregard the latest false publication in all its ramifications, he assured that ''Nigerians should expect detailed, honest, factual and objective replies to Achebe's nonsence after we have copies of the book in our hands.'
Speaking in the same vein, the secretary General of Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN) said he would required further clarification on the statement of Achebe because he was not aware of any policy of Chief Awolowo that led to the killing of the Igbo.
On his part, the president and founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredrick Fasehun said Achebe's outburst was borne of the fact that "he did not know the personality of Chief Obafemi Awolowo."
According to Fasehun, Achebe only saw the sage from a distance without appreciating his principle, ideas and other outstanding ideals the elder states man stood for.
Odumakin
Also reacting, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said, "It is unfortunate that a great man of letters of Achebe's status has descended to the arena of Biafran propagandists who are always ready to sacrifice the truth to achieve emotional blackmail.
"He has betrayed his intellectual calling by joining in the circulation of low quality rumours against Awo. I had looked forward to read the book, but now I doubt if I would pick up a copy even if dropped at my gate."
Chief Ayo Fasanmi
Another senior citizen, Chief Ayo Fasanmi described as unfortunate, the comment of Achebe on Chief Awolowo.
Fasanmi said it was unfortunate that such a statement came from an octogenarian that ought to appreciate the enviable role Chief Awolowo played to guarantee national unity.
"It is sad that a highly revered novelist could descend to this level, especially now that the nation is trying to lay a foundation for the unity. It is an abomination. Nigeria would have been run aground, if not for the efforts of Chief Awolowo. Achebe has demonstrated his level of understanding of Nigeria politics. What Awolowo did was to save the country from the impending doom. He worked,fought and died for the unity of Nigeria.
Prof. Tony Afejukwu, an Itsekiri leader
"I find the foremost novelist lambasting of our iconic politician and impeccable leader, Chief Awolowo utterly strange. But why should we really be surprised? Even in death, Awo, our Awo, is still the issue. This being said, we must dismiss the illustrious novelist who must sell his autobiography! He needs to attack Awo for the book to make appreciable sale, an inroad in western Nigeria of solidly educated and civilized denizens. But his tactic will backfire if truly that was an intention of Achebe, our respected, Achebe, who with this unforgettable grudge of decades will lose a huge chunk of respect of, and from discerning minds.
"Now we must ask: Did he expect Awo to device a strategy for Biafra to defeat Nigeria? In any case, Achebe ought to promote peace, understanding reconciliation and love as a foremost novelist of Nigeria, Afric and theworld. he ought to be exemplary," he said
Sharewritten by Ope Oyelade, October 06, 2012
According to the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), article 2 of this convention defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."
The questions that must be asked are
- Was genocide committed against the igbos and people of eastern Nigeria? Yes.
- Was Papa Awolowo a senior member and one of the main strategists of the government that committed the act? Yes.
To those comparing Achebe and Wole Soyinka, as it has been said by other commentators, both of them are respected citizens who have done Nigeria proud. While winning the Nobel Prize is very prestigious, it must be said that it is not everything. I have interacted with non Nigerians about literature, and it will surprise you that Prof Achebe's works are more known and appreciated than that of Prof Soyinka around the world.
Indeed there was a country called biafra, and an apology for the attrocities committed to the people of the country durring it short existence is long overdue.
Ope Oyelade
written by John Whespers, October 06, 2012
Even if you overlook the war tactics of the Federal Government during the Biafran civil war, the post war economic policies of that government, spearheaded by Awolowo, particularly the indegenisation decree, introduced at a time when the igbos were yet to financially recover and the north yet engaged, paved the way for the Yorubas to effectively control the commanding heights of the economy, particularly the financial institutions and industries vacated by the europeans. The igbos had to claw their way back through dogged determination and self-help strategies, causing them to remain aloof and somewhat alienated from government and politics at the federal level. Naturally, the yorubas would be eternally grateful to Awo but the igbos would never forget the impact of his role
If you step back to the post independence politics of Nigeria, you cannot comprehensively exhaust the subject of armed violence in politics and ethnicity without reference to the role of the Action Group formed and nurtured by Awolowo.
Conclusion: Awo was a great leader of the Yorubas. However, his influence in national politics and role as a national leader remains dubious and will be a subject of controversy in the annals of history.
written by toni, October 06, 2012
it is laughable when people are trying to sweep away the facts leaving the issues at stake. how come my yoruba brothers are trying to drag soyinka into the fray. did achebe mention soyinka? no. soyinka stood for truth and what did he get? incarceration through out the period of the war.
awolowo was released from calabar prison by ojukwu and he betrayed ojukwu by quickly teaming up with gowon. for his reward he was appointed the finace minister and vice chairman of the federal executive council. he was like vice head of state. in that capacity he committed genocide by employing or propagating the use of starvation as a means of warfare. foods were stopped from reaching biafra and as result more people died of hunger than the ones killed by nigerian bullets.
again after the war, awolowo ensured that igbos were given
twenty pounds irrespective of what one left in the bank. so igbos started lives again with only twenty pounds. as if that was not enough, he (awo) started the famous 'indegenization' policy knowing fully well that there was no way igbos could participate in it. after annihilating them physically with hunger now he emasculated them economically. my brother if this was not genocide u can tell me what to call it.
those claiming that yorubas are more advanced educationally is simply fallacy. the facts on ground do not support this. statistics coming from educational institutions do not support this. the facts from jamb, waec and neco do not support this. Awo for crying out loud introduced tribalism and carpet-crossing into nigeria's political lexicon. these are verifiable facts.
we all appreciate what awo did for the yorubas but that does not take away the atrocities he committed. please stop crucifying achebe for saying the truth.
written by Charles from Australia, October 06, 2012
He need to go back to school to study Nigeria history.He is out of ideas and senses and his kingsaman need to get a phyciatric doctor to manage his madness.
Many igbos who are educated today did so as a result of Awolowo free education.I can remember well how many igbo came to South West to school because of free education and yet Awolowo did not send them back.The question arise as to where is Ojukwu and Achebe then.
Achebe should come out to point to what he has done to the igbo in his entire life.What has he done in igbo land? He is n empty shell. He sold most of his books in South West How many book has he able to sell in in Igbo land compare to what schools in Yorubaland bought? He is ungrateful.
Achebe should know that many Igbo made their money is South West and they received quality education as well.
Achebe should not make a statement that will make Yoruba to change their mind or treat igbo refugees in South West badly or send them back home.
ANYWAY NOBODY EVER CARE WHEN A MADMAN IS TALKING IN THE MARKET.
HE SHOULD BE IGNORED BECAUSE THE HAUSA'S AND OTHER TRIBE'S STILL RESPECT THE PERSON OG AWO EVEN IN GRAVE
written by LADI AKINLEYE, October 06, 2012
Awo of course as a great soul at such a time must belong to a division, for or against Biafra. How would he support disintegration or Biafra at such a time when all the great minds of the country were just budding, with the believe that they have the 'magic wand' to fix the problem of Nigeria? Is it evil to nurse an aspiration to be great when you perceive you are and there are things you can do for to benefit humanity?
Given, no sane sage will wish a crucial population as the Igbo sede out of the federation if she has the means. More so, no indefatigable crusader as Ojukwu will condone the level of injustice against his people. With all this realities on ground, no nation as Nigeria will escape the carnage of civil war as it played out. In the end, how long will such a war be prosecuted for a truce to emerge, eternity?
There should be an awolowonic strategy to crush the carnage where firepower fails. Awo has not kill the Igbo, he killed the war that is, because neither the nation nor 'the nation that was' on course to do that, but only to open their country to commerce of pogrom. Awo is a leader, he tells you indirectly: get the victory or quit the carnage in time.
Awo should bew appreciated for given the wisdom that ends the war in time, as it will always end and one side would emerge victorious, but we know that the saying is classic, the sooner the better. Well let Awo be a villain to the Biafra fighters, but let his wisdom save a people than war. Let the living down his gauntlet against the late. What Awo stood for is clear, end to a civil war.
written by Mayor, October 06, 2012
On the other hand, Achebe is a world renouned figure, he is literary giant, Wole Soyinka is a great man who sympathises with the Igbos. Not all writers will receive the literary Nobel Laurette; and Achebe is not questioning why was it given to Soyinka instead of him. President Barrack Obama is a Nobel Peace laurrette price winner, Reagan, Clinton were world class leaders before him, they never got it.
These blind baths who are ranting against Achebe are all dregs of society who have ingloriously become relevant in an irrelevant society. If tribalistically you think Awolowo is your sage, just to let you know, Achebe is our sage. Any more disrespectfull words against him will draw the wrath of the Igbo youths. This is a warning shot!