Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday said the death of Ojukwu marked the passage of one of the movers of Nigerian history in the 20th century.
The former governor of Lagos State described Ojukwu’s death as a reminder of “Nigeria’s unfinished federal business and the urgency to fix the problem, once and for all.”
“Ojukwu’s death once again reminds all of us of the unfinished business of Nigerian federalism. If only for his memory, and to ensure that Nigeria never has to suffer again any crisis like the Civil War, we must all rise as a people to fix Nigeria’s special challenges. That is why,” he insisted, “Nigeria must, as a matter of urgency convoke a sovereign national conference, where all these issues would be resolved.”
He said that federal-related tensions still persisted 31 years after the Civil War (1967-1970), underlined the depth of the feeling of marginalisation and perceived unfairness by critical stakeholders in the Nigerian union.
Tinubu extended his condolences and sympathies to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, the widow and the entire clan Ojukwu, as well as the entire Igbo race on behalf of who the Ikemba lived, fought and died, in the context of an equitable federal Nigeria.
The former governor said though Chief Odumegwu-Ojukwu was a controversial figure, he made his mark during the era of the titans of Nigerian politics and governance.
“Ojukwu, the Ikemba and Eze Igbo Gburugburu, meant many things to many people. But his greatness was that he stood his own such that, even with the constellation of stars of his age and time, he still made his mark – and profoundly so. You might love Ojukwu and you might hate him. But you could never be indifferent about him nor could you ignore him,” Tinubu said.
He said the late Biafran war leader was a revolutionary, almost from the womb.
“While his father, the rich and the illustrious Sir Odumegwu Ojukwu insisted his son should go into the civil services as was fit for an Oxford graduate in history that his son was, the young man had other ideas. He opted for military service, even offering to join as a recruit, when his way was blocked. That decision,” Asiwaju Tinubu added, “not only made him the first graduate to enlist in the Nigerian Army, it also changed the course of Nigerian history.”
Asiwaju Tinubu said the Biafran episode, the civil war and Ojukwu’s role in the Second Republic when, fresh from exile when he dived head-long into the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to contest a senatorial seat, which he eventually lost, was still a subject of historical analysis.
So, is his controversial stand on the June 12 question, when the late Ikemba campaigned against the mandate of Basorun MKO Abiola, when it was annulled by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.”
But Asiwaju Tinubu insisted all these actions were, in his opinion, not driven by any personal motives, but the need to give the Igbo fair representation in the Nigerian commonwealth.
“The Civil War was unfortunate. Ojukwu was one of the young men at the helms who took one decision or the other, that led to the unfortunate war,” he said. “But whatever the circumstances were, I don’t think Ojukwu’s actions were driven by personal motives. It would appear to me they were driven by efforts to give the Ndigbo fair representation in a federal Nigeria.”
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