OJUKWU ENDED THE WAR IN HASTE; DO WE NEED GUERILLAS?

Gen. Ojukwu

It is suffice to say that Ojukwu’s failure to carry on with guerillas contributed to the reason the objective of Biafra war could not be reached. The war was fought to protect the lives of the people but till this moment, Biafrans are dying. Ojukwu did not meet the objective of the war because he ended it in haste. War is not only when the entire region goes to the battlefield; a handful of men can strike and retreat to keep the objective alive. Is guerilla warfare late?

“Leaving the gates of the prison when he was released; men of the press trooped to ask him questions and the big question was
“Do you have regret over the war you fought?  The men of the press asked him and he looked into their eyes and replied’
“I have no regret at all and I will still fight again if what happened before happens again, Achuzia replied them” Captain Orji narrated and continued “We veterans are ready to fight again if our youths refused to fight”

“All of a sudden; we were told to drop our arms, my boys were waiting for Ojukwu who had gone to get arms but then Effiong had to take over and we were told that Nigeria had accepted that nobody won, it was a draw” he said to me, displaying a frame when he was in the army. To average Biafran; dignity is placed above most things, when a Biafran says he would do a thing, once he goes into that, he would champion it because he works hard. The domineering nature of a Biafran which gave birth to Northernization is simply because of his hard work.

It might take time for Biafrans to go into war with Nigeria; they might go on to endure the killing of their loved ones, swallow right abuses and crimes against them by the Nigerian establishment but if they ever start, they would not stop until they see the end.

This is applicable to the generation before this present generation; pogroms were going on everywhere, Hausa/Fulani shouting Alaba but they endured, they suffered all kinds of provocation, the counter coup and the rest but nothing happened until Aburi disagreement. They went into that war and the last man must go down for Nigeria to defeat Biafra and it was an impossible task for Nigeria that they began to kill children and women.

“I told our senior army officers to listen to Ojukwu because they were afraid that if they dropped their arms, Nigeria will come after them. I promised them that I will go and suffer for them and make sure they are all safe. I ended the war at Abagana in a battlefield and also ended it at the Nigerian prison, giving our senior officers my word to suffer for them” Achuzia quoted.

When the war came to an end; Ojukwu thought the war had really ended but that was the birth of the real war. It is imperative to note that when Ojukwu dropped arms, everything he fought against returned one after another and the question of the war was not answered.

“He ended the war in haste; we all dropped our weapons while Federal troops still had their weapons. We automatically went back to slavery and could not do anything; few of us that thought of going back to the battlefield lost the appetite” Captain Orji said.

The question of the war remained unanswered because Ojukwu became unarmed while Gowon was still armed and the former controlled the situation, forcing Biafra back to the pit Ojukwu fought to bring it out.

“Guerilla warfare was the best option and not ending the war; while Biafra elite forces strike and retreat, Ojukwu or Effiong will be on the table of negotiation, by that means, the war will not be declared ‘over’ and the question of the war will surely be answered” Festus said; counting his losses.

With the change of strategy to Guerilla warfare; Biafra could have been restored in 1970s because it would keep the issue that had gained international attention on the table. The free mindedness of a Biafran often cost him and that has been their bane.

Nnamdi Azikiwe lost it because of his free mindedness; while his colleagues were planning for the betterment of their people at the detriment of Nigeria, he was planning for the betterment of Nigeria at his own people’s detriment.

While Ohaneze is planning the betterment of Nigeria; Arewa is planning the betterment of their people. Azikiwe reincarnated in Ohaneze and their cohorts while Chukwuemeka Ojukwu reincarnated in Nnamdi Kanu.

“Ojukwu ended the war in haste and jettisoned guerilla warfare; somebody must start from that strategy and confront Nigeria. Guerillas must be trained to continue from that point we ended and that way, everything our son Nnamdi Kanu is looking for will be made easier” Capt. Orji suggested.

Editor/Publisher: Chinwe Korie