Civil war: Ojukwu defended his people
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Ojukwu
• I’ll do same if in his position, says Gov Aliyu
Niger State governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu yesterday rose in defence of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s action to take arms against the country, saying ‘’he was greatly misunderstood’’.
Defending the circumstances that forced Ojukwu to go into the 30 month civil war, Aliyu said he would have done same if he found himself in similar situation.
The Governor stated this at Zungeru in Wushishi local government area of the state during the kick-off of the funeral rites of the late Biafran leader.
"Many saw him as controversial, a war lord and a rebel whatever we might think of him, we must appreciate the issue of the time and majority of the people concluded he was forced by circumstances to take up arms against the country he loved and swore to defend.
"I Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu from my studies know that, I will take up arms to defend my people if confronted with similar circumstances that Ojukwu found himself that time,’’ Aliyu stated.
Eulogising the late Eze-Igbo-gburugburu, the governor said that despite his privileged and advantageous background, Ojukwu ‘’choose to remain very humble, disciplined and devoting his early and even later years to the struggle for the emancipation of the under-privileged.’’
On national unity, Aliyu said that Nigerians should come to terms with the reality of the difficulties and challenges of national building and not to engage in anything that will jeopardise the unity of the country at the slightest opportunity.
According to him, "We must stay here together to fight for our rights because 52 years after independence we should not be seen to be threatening the breaking up of the country at the slightest challenges".
Earlier, the Chairman of South-Eastern Governors Forum, Mr. Peter Obi said, the Igbos are ready to continue with the Nigerian project if only they will be given their dues in the country and stop being treated as second class citizen of the country.
"Nobody can drive the Igbos away from Nigeria because we are the true Nigerian that promotes national integration and developments.
"We are committed to building a better Nigeria but the only thing we demand is equality in the union that is what Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu fought for all through his life,’’ the governor maintained.
Obi who is the governor of Anambra State then enjoined Igbos living in any part of the country to continue to co-exist peacefully with their host communities, assuring that the Igbo nation will continue to promote the unity of the country.
Commending Niger State government for putting together the ‘Icho Nmadu’ funeral rite, Abia state Governor, Theodore Orji stated that burial rite in Zungeru, the birth place of the late sage was a befitting tribute to a man who rose up to the be counted when it mattered most in the history of the Igbo nationality in Nigeria.
"We salute Niger state for protecting two illustrious Igbo sons; Zik and Ojukwu especially, Dim, the man who taught us how to fight for our rights".
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