If Ojukwu Is A Hero Who Is The Villain?

Once a person and above all a personality dies it is common practice to treat him or her with kindness and with more compassion and general understanding. After death, hatchets are buried and hitherto foes are seen through less hostile prisms. The case was not different in the case of the Emeka Ojukwu, but we also saw something beyond mere compassion. In death, Ojukwu was not just buried with compassion and dignity, he was apotheosized. It must be said at this point that Emeka Ojukwu was neither the first military officer, military governor, regional leader nor politician to die and get a national or state funeral in Nigeria. Many other leaders have held such posts after him and many more have had state funerals before him but I doubt anything can be compared to what we saw for the Biafran leader. No doubt, the National Burial Committee chaired by Justice Chukwudifu Oputa and co-chaired by Senator Uche Chukwumerije did a fantastic job but the Eze IgboGburugburu had led a life with an end only few can even dream of. The glorification of the dead Emeka Ojukwu began in Lagos where he grew up and studied in Nigeria like me. As a big fan of Ikemba, I was there at the Tafawa Balewa Square with some old and new friends to pay our last tributes to this great man and what we met there was a rare enchanting pan Nigerian spirit on display. Protagonists of the occasion were not just the expected Lagosians of Igbo origin shouting “Igbo Kwenu” but a host of well known Nigerians from different parts of the federation there at the occasion as Nigerians and feeling at home at the event.

The process of apotheosis of Ojukwu was initiated by Dr Tunji Braithwaite, the Lagos based legendary lawyer, politician and childhood friend of the late Biafran leader, who in his capacity as chairman of the Lagos event for Ojukwu stunned most listeners when he took the microphone and in an unusual short speech, for Nigerian standards, declared that his friend, Emeka, only waged war against corruption, lies, and injustice not against his fatherland. In his own words he said; “let me correct the wrong impression that Ojukwu declared war against his fatherland, what he declared war against was corruption, lies and injustice. That’s why we would continue to declare war against lies, injustice and corruption so that we can have a united and better Nigeria”! His speech was received and continuously interrupted by the thunderous applause of the square. Continued