Tag Archives: Odumegwu Ojukwu

OJUKWU, ONE OF NIGERIA’S PAST HEROES – FG

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Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is ensuring that all wounds of Nigeria’s past are healed completely. The Vice President stated this Thursday, when he led the Federal Government Delegation to the National Burial/Funeral Ceremonies of the Late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu, held at Enugu, Enugu State.

Sambo who expressed delight with the honour said “It is a sign that our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is committed to ensuring that all the wounds of our past are healed completely, and that we do not ignore the lessons of the past as we strive to build a great nation that justifies the labour of our past heroes, Ojukwu inclusive.”

He described the Eze Igbo Gburugburu as a rare patriot and humanist who echoes the present day servant leader and whose eulogies go beyond the shores of Nigeria.

“Needless to add that there are men of history whose story cannot end so long as the earth remains, however long or variedly it may be told,” he said.

Speaking on Chief Okukwu’s contributions to the democratic development of Nigeria, VP Sambo maintained that “his contributions in our political sphere cannot be overlooked,” emphasising that “he had played a significant role in Nigeria’s democracy since 1999”.

In his remarks the Governor of Enugu State and the host of the event, Mr. Sullivan Chime, stated that the Late Ojukwu was one of those rare enigmas whose story of his life and times cannot expire, describing him as an iconic personage

He noted that the hosting of the event in the State was significant because Enugu was and is still the capital of Eastern Nigerian and was also the permanent abode of the late Ojukwu.

The occasion witnessed several tributes from notable Nigerians, who included, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Chairman South-Eastern Governors’ Forum, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

Others that spoke at even were, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, Navy Commodore (rtd) Ebitu Ukiwe), Retired Justice Chukwudifu Oputa and Professor Wole Soyinka .

Highlights of the event were the laying of wreath by Vice President Sambo and Governor Sullivan of Enugu State, Special Choral Performance by the Laz Ekwueme Choral Ensemble.

Present at the occasion were the widow of Ojukwu, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, Governors of Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Bauchi, the Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, National Assembly members, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, other royal fathers, former and serving Ministers, Senator Ben Obi, (Special Adviser to the President on Interparty Affairs), top government functionaries and other notable Nigerians.

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OJUKWU, A LEGEND FOR ALL SEASON – ATIKU

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Among the several stories that have been written about Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the piece I found particularly compelling was an archive interview republished after his very unfortunate death on November 26, 2011. Asked how he would like to be remembered, Ojukwu’s reply was poignant: “I would like to be remembered as a statesman; not just as a rebel leader.”
Indeed, in a world increasingly obsessed with labels, we could so easily become defined by a single action that is by no means a true reflection of our outlook. So, it was common to find Ojukwu’s name almost always preceded by words such as “warlord,” “rebel leader,” or “secessionist.”
These words do little justice to a man who was the first Quartermaster-General of the Nigerian Army, a man who distinguished himself as a member of the Nigerian contingent to the United Nations peace-keeping effort in Congo, a man born into immense wealth and privilege but who never allowed that to dull his humanity and his appetite for service.
Those unflattering labels are products of a gross misunderstanding of the core values that define Ojukwu’s personality. The values were forged in humility, the sort that led the young Oxford Alumnus to take up the job of an administrative officer in the colonial government – a rather humbling career start for the son of a millionaire!
Another value that resonates in Ojukwu’s remarkable life is the virtue of selflessness, a philosophy that recognizes the imperative of service. That is the essential statesmanship; the capacity to place the common good above self, the capacity to stay dignified even in the face of adversity, the capacity for compromise and bipartisanship.
Above all, statesmanship requires an understanding that idealism and pragmatism are not mutually-exclusive. It is indeed difficult to say these of anyone else without tongue-in-cheek. But these values were embodied by the late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dikedioramma (beloved hero of the masses).
Given the very fickle nature of humans and often unrealistic expectations, remaining a hero in the eyes of one’s people, for a lifetime, especially in our clime, is a near impossibility. It’s, however, gratifying to note that Ojukwu did not only draw accolades in death; he was just as well loved and idolized even more while he was alive.
But he didn’t achieve that feat by being eternally politically-correct. In fact, I doubt there was any conscious effort on his part to be seen as an icon; he emerged a hero by living by his convictions and demonstrating sufficient empathy for the people.
His foray into politics upon his return to the country in 1982 may have fallen short of the expectations of those who wanted him to stay out of politics, but his contributions to the rebirth of democracy and its sustenance cannot be contradicted.
His belief and commitment in the capacity of Nigerians to grow their own democracy without let and hindrance was underscored by his irritation at the military intervention that toppled the Shehu Shagari government in 1983 and led to his brief incarceration.
“As a committed democrat, every single day under an un-elected government hurts me. The citizens of this country are mature enough to make their own choices, just as they have the right to make their own mistakes,” he said.
Today, the imperative of the handshake across the Niger he spoke so eloquently about still strike a resonant chord across the country. It’s a call that evidently repudiates all those hurtful stereotypes, which some tend to readily invoke when discussing the larger-than-life personality of Ojukwu.
The handshake across the Niger was a call to peace, a call to dialogue and a denunciation of hubris in all its form. We owe it as a duty to his memory to strive to enthrone those values that unite us. But, ultimately, this should not be at the expense of justice. It is a right to which we are all entitled.
Atiku Abubakar, GCON ,former Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria and Turakin Adamawa sent this piece to the National Burial Committee of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

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