Achebe
The Muhammadu
Buhari-led Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday described the
statement made by Prof. China Achebe on former military head of state,
General Yakubu Gowon and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in his latest
book,as unfortunate.
The literary giant claimed that the
war-time Head of State and the then vice chairman of the Federal
Executive Council, formulated policies that promoted genocide against
the Igbo.
Reacting to the statement, CPC National
Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said: “From whichever
perspective you look at it Chinua Achebe is a statesman, whose mastery
of prose is globally acknowledged. The question is: what is the portent
of this memoir by Professor Chinua Achebe at the twilight of his life?
Does he intend to make us to continue a controversy that would
definitely outlive him?
He said the statement was capable of triggering war.
“It is akin to the great Madiba, the
irrepressible, indomitable Nelson Mandela writing a book and cataloguing
only the heinous crimes of the white supremacists of the apartheid era.
The first thing that runs through the mind (before depreciating the
worth of the man) is: what is the portent of this at the
‘quarter-to-grave’ status of this old bloke?
“What you now see is that there is
basically exiguous information in the memoir that obviates the need to
‘sheathe sword’ in stirring up a needless controversy in a state with
fragile nationhood.
“From all intents and purposes, Prof
Chinua Achebe projected a very parochial opinion about the war. I do not
expect ancients like him to bring up memories that will further
exacerbate the inflamed passions on the war. It is even very unfair to
the memory of Chief Obafemi Awolowo because, at that time, he felt the
policy of withholding feeding- which he had said was mainly directed at
the Biafran fighting force- was meant to bring the war to a quick end.
“ You will appreciate that statement
when you consider that Iran and Iraq fought for eight years in the 80s
with attendant humongous fatalities on both sides. The
three-and-a-half-year duration of the Nigerian Civil war could have been
extended if that policy was not in place.
“May be, one can now see the wisdom in
the Ikemba’s reticence in writing a war-time memoir. For me, he remains a
hero, a quintessential Nigerian patriot who did what fate thrust upon
him, and he discharged with honour, courage and unflagging assiduity.
“Succinctly put, this unfortunate statement by Professor Chinua Achebe has unwittingly vitiated his worth!”
In his reaction, National Publicity
Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, said even
though Achebe is entitled to his opinion, it is conventional in a war
situation to do everything possible to enable you win such a war.
Sani said : “I remember that when such
allegations were first made, Chief Awolowo replied them by saying that
in a war, you do whatever you can to win. So, whatever instrument used
to win the war then was okay.
“After the war, they introduced a policy
that integrated the Igbos back into the Nigerian nation. I think that
was a commendable effort aimed at showing that to the world that they
meant well”.
Abuja-based lawyer,Mr.kayode Ajulo
said:”The new book by Chinua Achebe, in my humble opinion, is nothing
but an irrational continuation of the Civil War that ended before my
birth which fortunately was declared as no victor, no vanquished.
“ Chinua Achebe and a few others are still bitter and regard themselves as the vanquished of the war.
“His assertion on the Yoruba and Chief
Obafemi Awolowo is an evidence of emblematic fixation that has plagued
the writer before and after the war.
“Well-meaning Nigerians, particularly
Igbo leaders and traditional rulers, are enjoined to call Achebe to
order as he presently constitutes a security risk to the corporate
existence of Nigeria”.
However,Achebe’s kinsmen in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, saw nothing wrong in what he said.
Dr Phillip Atanmuo a native of Ogidi and
Chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo in the state, said: “Truth is always bitter
and that sums up my reaction’’.
Dr Atanmuo demanded that Nigerians face
the reality of how things are and stop wiping up tribal sentiment at any
slightest opportunity, retorting that those wiping up the sentiment
were just striving to paint Ndigbo black.
‘’Until there is fairness , equity,
justice and love for one another, Nigeria would remain down but once
these virtues are propagated, healthy competition will creep in because
all the best brains in the world are from Nigeria. Go to Europe and you
will discover that the best brains there are from Nigeria – the most
brilliant people all over the world, yet nothing is happening here
because of tribalism and unnecessary bickering and antagonisms,” he
said.
The Nation
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