Expectedly, tributes have continued to trail the life and times of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Ojukwu lost the battle on Saturday, November 26 to a “massive stroke” which necessitated his being flown abroad on December 23, 2010 aboard a chattered German Air Ambulance.
Those who have given accolades to the Nnewi-born Biafran warlord have described him as a great man who had the interest of the country at heart, which he exhibited in his decision to join partisan politics upon his return from exile in 1982.
Although born into wealth, Ikemba Nnewi, as he was fondly called, had opted for a hard way of living, preferring to die with the less-privileged than to dine and wine with kings.
His fighting spirit and desire for justice date back to when he was 11 years old; when he reportedly slapped a white British colonial teacher who humiliated a Nigerian woman at King’s College, Lagos, where he (Ojukwu) was a student.
Emeka, first son of a wealthy man, Sir Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was expected to join the family business. To prepare him academically, his father had got him enrolled in the best schools available at the time. After his secondary education, Emeka ended up at Oxford University, London, where he got his Master’s degree in Modern History.
However, moved by the desire to serve the country, upon his return from Britain, Ojukwu rejected the comfort of his father’s business, which would have made him one of the world’s richest men. He initially opted for a life in the civil service as district officer, before finally joining the army in 1957 as one of the first set of graduates to enroll in the force.
This decision was to open a new chapter in the life of Ojukwu. The failure of the then Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon-led military administration to address some alleged injustices against the Igbo, led to the declaration of the Republic of Biafra by Ojukwu in 1967. The consequence of this action was a 30-month civil war which left the country badly bruised and battered.
Ojukwu championed the cause of his people, the Igbo. While the first President of the country, Nnamdi Azikiwe (also an Igbo man), was laboriously pursuing a pan-Nigerian idea, Ndigbo found a voice in Odumegwu-Ojukwu in their moment of trial.
His foray into politics did not, however, pay off as he was unable to get elected. It is on record that he lost a senatorial poll; in 2003 and 2007, he contested the presidential elections on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost.
Before his death, Ojukwu’s influence in the party, especially in his state, Anambra, was huge. It is on record that the incumbent Governor, Peter Obi, rode to victory on the crest of Ojukwu’s popularity in the 2010 gubernatorial election in the state.
Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu will always be remembered for his dogged spirit and undying love for his people. He gave his all to any cause he believed in. This is a challenge to those who occupy public offices who should understand that the interest of the masses of this country must be uppermost in their considerations.
Ojukwu, who was a military governor of the defunct Eastern Region, could have closed his eyes and played the Ostrich to the alleged ill-treatment of his people, but he chose the hard way to seek total freedom for them.
Little wonder he remains a hero in the estimation of many, no matter what others may say. Adieu, the person’s General.
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