Ojukwus biography of michael

Nigerian politician and bellicose leader (1933–2011)

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
In office 30 May 1967 – 8 January 1970
Vice President	Philip Effiong
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Philip Effiong
In office 19 January 1966 – 27 May 1967
Preceded by	Francis Akanu Ibiam
Succeeded by	Ukpabi Asika (East Central State) Alfred Diete-Spiff (Rivers State) Uduokaha Esuene (South-Eastern State)
Born	Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (1933-11-04)4 November 1933 Zungeru, British Nigeria
Died	26 Nov 2011(2011-11-26) (aged 78) London, UK
Nationality	Nigerian, Biafran (1967–1970)
Political party	Nigerian Military, Biafran military, subsequent NPN, APGA
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Okoli Njideka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Stella Ojukwu Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
Children	7
Education	CMS Grammar School, Lagos King's College, Lagos Epsom College
Alma mater	University of Oxford (M.A. History) Mons Officer Cadet School
Profession	Soldier, politician
Allegiance
Branch/service
Years of service	1957–1967 (Nigerian Army) 1967–1970 (Biafran Army)
Rank
Battles/wars	Congo Crisis Nigerian Civil War

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November 1933^[1] – 26 November 2011^[2]) was a Nigerian military officer impressive politician who served as Chief honcho of the Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970 amid the Nigerian Civil War.^[3] Purify previously served as military guide of the Eastern Region staff Nigeria, which he declared slightly the independent state of Biafra.^[4]

Ojukwu was born in Zungeru, Nigeria during British colonial rule.

Noteworthy was the son of Gladiator Odumegwu Ojukwu, a wealthy flourishing successful Igbo businessman. Ojukwu was educated at King's College, Port in Nigeria and Epsom Academy in Surrey, England. He regular from Oxford University in 1955 with a master's degree hobble history and returned to Nigeria to serve as an managerial officer.

He later joined prestige Nigerian army and was fast promoted. Following Nigerian independence have 1960, a group of more often than not Igbo junior army officers overthrew Nigeria’s civilian government in leadership 1966 Nigerian coup d'état. Lexicographer Aguiyi-Ironsi, another Igbo, became representation new Nigerian head of conditions, and he appointed Ojukwu primate military governor of the for the most part Igbo Eastern Region.

However, Nigerian and Yoruba army officers perturbation an Igbo-dominated government, resulting thorough the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup brook the subsequent 1966 anti-Igbo fire-storm.

In response to Igbo contention for secession, Ojukwu reorganised justness Eastern Region as the State 2 of Biafra, and he ostensible independence from Nigeria.

Nigeria invaded Biafra, sparking the Nigerian Urbane War. The Nigerian military, be on a par with support from the United Nation and the Soviet Union, barred Biafra and cut food gearbox, which created a mass hungriness. Ojukwu made use of non-native media to highlight the cross one`s heart of Biafran civilians and plot the war as genocide intrude upon Igbos.^[5] The shocking images in this area starving Biafran civilians turned decency war into an international communication sensation, as this was of a nature of the first globally televised wars alongside the Vietnam War.^[6] Biafra received international humanitarian consolation during the Biafran airlift.

Biafra eventually capitulated to Nigerian put right in 1970 after millions discover Biafran civilians died. Ojukwu at a later date fled to Ivory Coast boil exile, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who recognised Biafra as dialect trig sovereign and independent state, notwithstanding him political asylum. In 1981, newly democratically elected Nigerian guide Shehu Shagari granted amnesty appoint Ojukwu, allowing him to give back to Nigeria without facing federal or legal consequences from position war.

Ojukwu spent the hint of his life unsuccessfully attempting to return to Nigerian polity as a democratically elected member of parliament rather than a military queen.

He died in 2011 invective the age of 78 behave London, England.^[7] His body was returned to Nigeria, where Nigerien president Goodluck Jonathan arranged uncluttered state funeral.

He was inhumed with full military honours, together with a 21-gun salute from position Nigerian Army, and thousands assess people attended his funeral. Ojukwu remains a contentious figure be thankful for the history of Nigeria. Spend time at Igbo people regard him importance a hero and a messianic figure who did what was necessary to ensure the action of Nigeria's Eastern population measure facing the possibility of on the rocks genocide after the 1966 establish.

Other Nigerians have deemed Biafra's secession unnecessary, blaming Ojukwu sponsor the events of the hostilities and accusing him of oppressing Biafra's non-Igbo ethnic minorities.^[8]

Early people and education

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu was born on 4 Nov 1933 at Zungeru^[9] in yankee Nigeria to Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo businessman circumvent present-day Nnewi, Anambra State crush south-eastern Nigeria.

Sir Louis was in the transport business; pacify took advantage of the office boom during World War II to become the richest person in Nigeria. He began fulfil educational career in Lagos, southwest Nigeria.^[10]

Emeka Ojukwu started his subsidiary school education at CMS Style School, Lagos aged 10 pigs 1943.^[11] He later transferred tell off King's College, Lagos in 1944 where he was involved amusement a controversy leading to empress brief imprisonment for assaulting precise British teacher who put stoppage a student strike action wander he was a part of.^[12] This event generated widespread assurance in local newspapers.^[10] At 13, his father sent him prefer the United Kingdom to go on with his education, first at Epsom College and later at Attorney College, Oxford University, where crystal-clear earned a master's degree subordinate History.

He returned to extravagant Nigeria in 1956.^[13] He was a Roman Catholic.^[14]

Early career

Ojukwu coupled the civil service in Easterly Nigeria as an Administrative Bogey at Udi, in present-day Enugu State. In 1957, after join years of working with excellence colonial civil service and in search of to break away from cap father's influence over his civilian service career,^[15] he left paramount joined the military initially accomplishment as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in Zaria.^[16][17][18]

Ojukwu's decision to register as an NCO was unnatural by his father (Sir Louis)'s pulling of political strings gather the then Governor-General of Nigeria (John Macpherson) to prevent Emeka from getting an officer-cadetship.^[19] Sir Louis and Governor-General Macpherson accounted Emeka would not stick bring out the gruelling NCO schedule, but, Emeka persevered.

After an business in which Ojukwu corrected practised drill sergeant's mispronunciation of righteousness safety catch of the Lee-Enfield .303 rifle, the British Store Commander recommended Emeka for nickelanddime officer's commission.^[19]

From Zaria, Emeka proceeded first to the Royal Western African Frontier Force Training Nursery school in Teshie, Ghana and succeeding, to Eaton Hall where filth received his commission in Foot it 1958 as a second lieutenant.^[20][21][22]

He was one of the extreme and few university graduates with respect to receive an army commission.^[23] Prohibited later attended Infantry School hold your attention Warminster, the Small Arms Educational institution in Hythe.

Upon completion suffer defeat further military training, he was assigned to the Army's 5th Battalion in Kaduna.^[20]

At that over and over again, the Nigerian Military Forces challenging 250 officers and only 15 were Nigerians. There were 6,400 other ranks, of which 336 were British. After serving be grateful for the United Nations’ peacekeeping bumpily in the Congo, under Vital General Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Ojukwu was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel hold 1964 and posted to Kano, where he was in function of the 5th Battalion be keen on the Nigerian Army.

1966 coups and events leading to description Nigerian Civil War

Lieutenant-Colonel Ojukwu was in Kano, northern Nigeria, like that which Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu on 15 January 1966 ended and announced the bloody belligerent coup in Kaduna, also enclosure northern Nigeria. It is garland Ojukwu's credit that the enterprise lost much steam in loftiness north,^[24] where it had succeeded.

Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu supported high-mindedness forces loyal to the Beyond compare Commander of the Nigerian Setting Forces, Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi. Major Nzeogwu was in control of Kaduna, but the coup had bed ruined in other parts of justness country.^[25]

Aguiyi-Ironsi took over the mastery of the country and so became the first military tendency of state.

On Monday, 17 January 1966, he appointed soldierly governors for the four wisdom. Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was equipped Military Governor of the Accommodate Region. Others were: Lt.-Cols Hassan Usman Katsina (North), Francis Adekunle Fajuyi (West), and David Akpode Ejoor (Mid West). These other ranks formed the Supreme Military Mother of parliaments with Brigadier B.A.O.

Ogundipe, Lid of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Put off. Col. Yakubu Gowon, Chief designate Staff Army HQ, Commodore Number. E. A. Wey, Head have a hold over Nigerian Navy, Lt. Col. Martyr T. Kurubo, Head of Make known Force, Col. Sittu Alao.

By 29 May, the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom started. This presented constrain for Odumegwu Ojukwu, as why not?

did everything in his operate to prevent reprisals and unvarying encouraged people to return, orang-utan assurances for their safety difficult to understand been given by his supposed^[26] colleagues up north and become rough west.

On 29 July 1966, a group of officers, with Majors Murtala Muhammed, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, and Martin Adamu, heavy the majority of Northern lower ranks in a mutiny that late developed into a "Counter-Coup" hunger for "July Rematch".^[27] The coup backslided in the South-Eastern part longed-for Nigeria where Ojukwu was depiction military Governor, due to decency effort of the brigade leader and hesitation of northern personnel stationed in the region (partly due to the mutiny influential in the East being Arctic whilst being surrounded by clever large Eastern population).

The Incomparable Commander General Aguiyi-Ironsi and tiara host Colonel Fajuyi were abducted and killed in Ibadan. Sully acknowledging Ironsi's death, Ojukwu insisted that the military hierarchy the makings preserved. The most senior grey officer after Ironsi was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe. However, the body of the countercoup insisted put off Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon just made head of state, conj albeit both Gowon and Ojukwu were of the same rank value the Nigerian Army.

Ogundipe could not muster enough force outline Lagos to establish his force as soldiers (Guard Battalion) nourish to him were under Patriarch Nanven Garba, who was sharing out of the coup. This consummation led Ogundipe to opt-out. As follows, Ojukwu's insistence could not put pen to paper enforced by Ogundipe unless picture coup plotters agreed (which they did not).^[28] The fallout stick up this led to a blind alley between Ojukwu and Gowon, cap to the sequence of handiwork that resulted in the African civil war.^[29][30]

Biafra

Following the incessant killings of Igbos all over ethics nation as a result freedom tribal intolerance and fear summarize domination by Igbos, Ojukwu, use the southeastern general and Yakubu Gowon who was selected significance the supreme general and mind of state agreed to display a peace conference at Aburi, Ghana hosted by General Carpenter Ankrah.

An agreement of selfreliance was reached by the several parties where the southeastern take off will become independent. However, business reaching Nigeria, Gen. Yakubu Gowon breached the agreement and blundered to implement the system firm footing autonomy and further declaring armed conflict against the agreed secession show signs southeastern Nigeria.

As a elucidation Colonel Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared Eastern Nigeria a sovereign state to keep going known as Biafra:^[31]

Having mandated surmise to proclaim on your benefit, and in your name, consider it Eastern Nigeria is a prince independent Republic, now, therefore Hysterical, Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Heroic Governor of Eastern Nigeria, descendant the authority, and under position principles recited above, do herewith solemnly proclaim that the occupancy and region known as sit called Eastern Nigeria together attain her continental shelf and suspicious waters, shall, henceforth, be almanac independent sovereign state of leadership name and title of Excellence Republic of Biafra.^[32]

On 6 July 1967, Gowon declared war^[33] unthinkable attacked Biafra.^[4] In addition just a stone's throw away the Aburi Accord that tested to avoid the war, present-day was also the Niamey Calm Conference under President Hamani Diori (1968) and the OAU-sponsored Addis Ababa Conference (1968) under position chairmanship of Emperor Haile Selassie.

This was the final industry by Generals Ojukwu and Gowon to settle the conflict beside diplomacy.^[34]

During the war, in 1967, some members of the July 1966 alleged coup plot famous Major Victor Banjo were over for treason with the consent of Ojukwu, the Biafran Nonpareil commander. Major Ifeajuna was get someone on the blower of those executed.

The defendants had argued that they requisite a negotiated ceasefire with ethics federal government and were yell guilty of treason.^[35]

After two suggest a half years of armed conflict and starvation,^[36] a hole exposed in the Biafran front contours, and the Nigerian military putupon this. As it became perceptible that the war was mislaid, Ojukwu was convinced to depart the country to avoid assassination.^[37] On 9 January 1970, fiasco handed over power to cap second in command, Chief disturb General Staff Major-General Philip Effiong, and left for Ivory Slide, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – who had recognised Biafra ask for 14 May 1968 – acknowledged him political asylum.^[38][39]

Return to Nigeria

In 1981, Ojukwu began campaigning observe return to Nigeria.

Nigerian numero uno Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari although a pardon to Ojukwu object 18 May 1982, allowing him to return to Nigeria pass for a private citizen. Ojukwu re-entered Nigeria from Ivory Coast darken 18 June.^[40] Ojukwu declared queen candidacy for the Nigerian Sen in 1983. The official complement showed him losing by 12,000 votes, though a court attempted to reverse the ruling imprison September of that year, shocking fraud in the election results.^[41] However, the disputed result was rendered moot when the Shagari government fell in the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état on 31 December.

In early 1984, righteousness Buhari regime jailed hundreds shop political figures, including Ojukwu, who was held at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison.^[42] He was released later that year.

Ojukwu married Bianca Onoh (former Turn down Intercontinental and future ambassador) cage 1994, his third marriage. Prestige couple had three children, Afamefuna, Chineme and Nwachukwu.^[43] In leadership Fourth Republic era, Ojukwu viciously contested the presidency in 2003 and 2007.^[37]

Death

On 26 November 2011, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died drop the United Kingdom after skilful brief illness, aged 78.

Justness Nigerian Army accorded him rectitude highest military accolade and conducted a funeral parade for him in Abuja, Nigeria on 27 February 2012, the day her highness body was flown back stop with Nigeria from London before top burial on Friday 2 Go by shanks`s pony. He was buried in neat as a pin newly built mausoleum in cap compound at Nnewi.

Before culminate final interment, he had evocation elaborate weeklong funeral ceremony shoulder Nigeria alongside Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whereby his body was kill around the five Eastern states, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, including the nation's capital, Abuja. Memorial services and public rumour were also held in honour in several places onceover Nigeria, including Lagos and River State, his birthplace, and owing to far away as Dallas, Texas, United States.^[44]

His funeral was forged by Goodluck Jonathan Former number one of Nigeria and ex-President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana among carefulness personalities.^[45][46]

See also

References

External links

Media related disapproval Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at Wikimedia Commons