Is Famous writer Chinua Achebe wrong this time? In His long awaited war memoirs
' There was a Country' Achebe accused the
late Chief Obafemi Awolowo of genocide in the book and some people are not taking it likely.... Achebe has dealt with bigger controversies in the past.
The controversial excerpt from the book:
"It is my impression that Awolowo was driven by an overriding
ambition for power, for himself and for his Yoruba people. There is, on
the surface at least, nothing wrong with those aspirations.
"However, Awolowo saw the dominant Igbo at the time as the obstacles
to that goal, and when the opportunity arose - the Nigeria-Biafra War -
his ambition drove him into a frenzy to go to every length to achieve
his dreams.
"In the Biafran case, it meant hatching up a diabolical policy to
reduce the numbers of his enemies significantly through starvation -
eliminating over two million people, mainly members of future
generations."
Read reactions below:
Prof. Tony Afejukwu, an Itsekiri leader
"I find the foremost novelist lambasting of our iconic politician and
impeccable leader, Chief Awolowo utterly strange. But why should we
really be surprised? Even in death, Awo, our Awo, is still the issue.
This being said, we must dismiss the illustrious novelist who must sell
his autobiography! He needs to attack Awo for the book to make
appreciable sale, an inroad in western Nigeria of solidly educated and
civilized denizens.
But his tactic will backfire if truly that was an intention of
Achebe, our respected, Achebe, who with this unforgettable grudge of
decades will lose a huge chunk of respect of, and from discerning minds.
"Now we must ask: Did he expect Awo to device a strategy for Biafra
to defeat Nigeria? In any case, Achebe ought to promote peace,
understanding reconciliation and love as a foremost novelist of Nigeria,
Africa and theworld. he ought to be exemplary.
Dr. Omolulu Olulonyo, former Oyo state governor:
"It is unfortunate that Professor Achebe could label Chief Awolowo as
a tribalist. Both Awo and Zik were members of the Nigerian Youth
Movement.
"He cannot begin now to blame Awolowo for the war. Awolowo did not
start the war; rather, he pleaded against it. The only thing that he
said then was that if, by any error, the Igbo were allowed to leave the
federation, Yoruba would also leave.
"The civil war was started by the Igbo. The Igbo, in the course of
the war, killed many Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani leaders, including Sir
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Chief Ladoke Akintola,
Festus Okotie-Eboh and many officers, including Ademulegun, Maimalari,
leaving out their own, like Micheal Okpara.
"Even while they were in government, (Ironsi's government), the Igbo
spared no thought of freeing Awolowo who was then in prison. So, why
should the man be now labeled a tribalist?",
Ebenezer Babatope, former Transport and Aviation Minister:
"While Achebe is free to write on any topic that suits his fancy, he
has no right whatsoever to irresponsibly murder history by recklessly
attacking a great leader like Papa Awolowo. Nigerians should expect
detailed, honest, factual and objective replies to the Achebe nonsense
after we have copies of the book in our hands."
"This is not the first time that Achebe will publish scathing attacks
on Papa Awo. He did it in his book written about 30yrs ago titled 'The
trouble with Nigeria'. The battle against falsehood has started."
Yinka Odumakin, Save Nigeria Group Spokesperson:
"It is unfortunate that a great man of letters of Achebe's status has
descended to the arena of Biafran propagandists who are always ready to
sacrifice the truth to achieve emotional blackmail.
"He has betrayed his intellectual calling by joining in the
circulation of low quality rumours against Awo. I had looked forward to
read the book, but now I doubt if I would pick up a copy even if dropped
at my gate."
Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, chieftain of the pan-Yoruba organisation, Afenifere:
"It is a great error, he never said anything about what Awolowo did to prevent the civil war,"
“The way the country is going, everybody cannot be happy but Achebe
is bitter. He is not pleased that he didn’t receive the Nobel prize.
Though a brilliant man, a good essayist and a man of culture, Achebe
cannot be in the same fold with Soyinka.
“While Achebe writes only prose which can be extremely prosaic,
Soyinka is into prose, poetry and drama. The richness and versatility of
Soyinka’s works cannot be compared with that of Achebe.
“It is unfortunate that Professor Achebe could label Chief Awolowo as
a tribalist. Both Awo and Zik were members of the Nigerian Youth
Movement.
“He cannot begin now to blame Awolowo for the war. Awolowo did not
start the war; rather, he pleaded against it. The only thing that he
said then was that if, by any error, the Igbo were allowed to leave the
federation, Yoruba would also leave.
“The civil war was started by the Igbo. The Igbo, in the course of
the war, killed many Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani leaders, including Sir
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, Chief Ladoke Akintola,
Festus Okotie-Eboh and many officers, including Ademulegun, Maimalari,
leaving out their own, like Micheal Okpara.
“Even while they were in government, (Ironsi’s government), the Igbo
spared no thought of freeing Awolowo who was then in prison. So, why
should the man be now labeled a tribalist?”, he said.
What is your opinion or you think this shuold not really be a big deal????
One man cannot be greater than a whole nation and power sure has limit.....nothing is forever.
Berlusconi's lawyers have said they will appeal by
November 10.
