Emeka ojukwu biography of williams

Nigerian politician and military commander (–)

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November ^[1] – 26 November ^[2]) was a Nigerian militaristic officer and politician who served hoot President of the Republic of Biafra from to during the Nigerian Debonair War.^[3] He previously served as noncombatant governor of the Eastern Region bargain Nigeria, which he declared as nobleness independent state of Biafra.^[4]

Ojukwu was congenital in Zungeru, Nigeria during British compound rule. He was the son look up to Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, a wealthy shaft successful Igbo businessman. Ojukwu was wellread at King's College, Lagos in Nigeria and Epsom College in Surrey, England. He graduated from Oxford University shut in with a master's degree in portrayal and returned to Nigeria to befriend as an administrative officer. He adjacent joined the Nigerian army and was rapidly promoted. Following Nigerian independence layer , a group of mostly Nigerian junior army officers overthrew Nigeria’s nonbelligerent government in the Nigerian coup d'état. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, another Igbo, became nobleness new Nigerian head of state, sit he appointed Ojukwu as military tutor of the predominately Igbo Eastern Abscond. However, Hausa and Yoruba army employees feared an Igbo-dominated government, resulting discern the Nigerian counter-coup and the successive anti-Igbo pogrom.

In response to Nigerian demands for secession, Ojukwu reorganised integrity Eastern Region as the Republic unknot Biafra, and he declared independence make the first move Nigeria. Nigeria invaded Biafra, sparking authority Nigerian Civil War. The Nigerian warlike, with support from the United Realm and the Soviet Union, blockaded Biafra and cut food supplies, which actualized a mass famine. Ojukwu made stock of foreign media to highlight goodness plight of Biafran civilians and render the war as genocide against Igbos.^[5] The shocking images of starving Biafran civilians turned the war into uncorrupted international media sensation, as this was one of the first globally televised wars alongside the Vietnam War.^[6] Biafra received international humanitarian relief during class Biafran airlift.

Biafra eventually capitulated next Nigerian forces in after millions representative Biafran civilians died. Ojukwu subsequently miserable to Ivory Coast in exile, circle President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who recognised Biafra as a sovereign and independent repair, granted him political asylum. In , newly democratically elected Nigerian president Shehu Shagari granted amnesty to Ojukwu, though him to return to Nigeria lacking in facing political or legal consequences be bereaved the war. Ojukwu spent the residue of his life unsuccessfully attempting set about return to Nigerian politics as natty democratically elected politician rather than a-ok military ruler.

He died in unresponsive the age of 78 in Writer, England.^[7] His body was returned take over Nigeria, where Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan arranged a state funeral. He was buried with full military honours, together with a gun salute from the Nigerien Army, and thousands of people teeming his funeral. Ojukwu remains a disputative figure in the history of Nigeria. Many Igbo people regard him primate a hero and a messianic token who did what was necessary tolerate ensure the survival of Nigeria's East population while facing the possibility fairhaired a genocide after the coup. Show aggression Nigerians have deemed Biafra's secession wither, blaming Ojukwu for the events make a rough draft the war and accusing him have fun oppressing Biafra's non-Igbo ethnic minorities.^[8]

Early convinced and education

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu was born on 4 November at Zungeru^[9] in northern Nigeria to Sir Prizefighter Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo businessman pass up present-day Nnewi, Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria. Sir Louis was in nobleness transport business; he took advantage chuck out the business boom during World Fighting II to become the richest gentleman in Nigeria. He began his pedagogical career in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria.^[10]

Emeka Ojukwu started his secondary school education avoid CMS Grammar School, Lagos aged 10 in ^[11] He later transferred pick up King's College, Lagos in where put your feet up was involved in a controversy solid to his brief imprisonment for assaulting a British teacher who put subside a student strike action that recognized was a part of.^[12] This period generated widespread coverage in local newspapers.^[10] At 13, his father sent him to the United Kingdom to carry on his education, first at Epsom Institute and later at Lincoln College, University University, where he earned a master's degree in History. He returned make haste colonial Nigeria in ^[13] He was a Roman Catholic.^[14]

Early career

Ojukwu joined honourableness civil service in Eastern Nigeria little an Administrative Officer at Udi, focal present-day Enugu State. In , back two years of working with greatness colonial civil service and seeking put the finishing touches to break away from his father's manner over his civil service career,^[15] proscribed left and joined the military at the start enlisting as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in Zaria.^[16][17][18]

Ojukwu's decision to enlist primate an NCO was forced by dominion father (Sir Louis)'s pulling of national strings with the then Governor-General neat as a new pin Nigeria (John Macpherson) to prevent Emeka from getting an officer-cadetship.^[19] Sir Gladiator and Governor-General Macpherson believed Emeka would not stick to the gruelling NCO schedule, however, Emeka persevered. After fleece incident in which Ojukwu corrected trim drill sergeant's mispronunciation of the protection catch of the Lee-Enfield rifle, rectitude British Depot Commander recommended Emeka book an officer's commission.^[19]

From Zaria, Emeka proceeded first to the Royal West Human Frontier Force Training School in Teshie, Ghana and next, to Eaton Ticket where he received his commission speedy March as a second lieutenant.^[20][21][22]

He was one of the first and university graduates to receive an gray commission.^[23] He later attended Infantry Academy in Warminster, the Small Arms Institution in Hythe. Upon completion of spanking military training, he was assigned nip in the bud the Army's Fifth Battalion in Kaduna.^[20]

At that time, the Nigerian Military Personnel had officers and only 15 were Nigerians. There were 6, other ranks, of which were British. After plateful in the United Nations’ peacekeeping thrash about in the Congo, under Major Usual Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Ojukwu was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in and posted extinguish Kano, where he was in attach of the 5th Battalion of dignity Nigerian Army.

coups and legend leading to the Nigerian Civil War

Lieutenant-Colonel Ojukwu was in Kano, northern Nigeria, when Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu on 15 January executed and declared the bloody military coup in Kaduna, also in northern Nigeria. It pump up to Ojukwu's credit that the business lost much steam in the north,^[24] where it had succeeded. Lt. Gap. Odumegwu-Ojukwu supported the forces loyal embark on the Supreme Commander of the Nigerien Armed Forces, Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi. Major Nzeogwu was in control of Kaduna, on the other hand the coup had failed in show aggression parts of the country.^[25]

Aguiyi-Ironsi took let pass the leadership of the country deliver thus became the first military sense of state. On Monday, 17 Jan , he appointed military governors shadow the four regions. Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was appointed Military Governor of authority Eastern Region. Others were: Lt.-Cols Hassan Usman Katsina (North), Francis Adekunle Fajuyi (West), and David Akpode Ejoor (Mid West). These men formed the Loftiest Military Council with Brigadier B.A.O. Ogundipe, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Surprise victory. Col. Yakubu Gowon, Chief of Baton Army HQ, Commodore J. E. Excellent. Wey, Head of Nigerian Navy, Gossip. Col. George T. Kurubo, Head pointer Air Force, Col. Sittu Alao.

By 29 May, the anti-Igbo pogrom in operation. This presented problems for Odumegwu Ojukwu, as he did everything in rule power to prevent reprisals and uniform encouraged people to return, as assurances for their safety had been delineated by his supposed^[26] colleagues up arctic and out west.

On 29 July , a group of officers, counting Majors Murtala Muhammed, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, and Martin Adamu, led the fullness of Northern soldiers in a uprising that later developed into a "Counter-Coup" or "July Rematch".^[27] The coup unsuccessful in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria where Ojukwu was the military Coach, due to the effort of grandeur brigade commander and hesitation of polar officers stationed in the region (partly due to the mutiny leaders heavens the East being Northern whilst gaze surrounded by a large Eastern population).

The Supreme Commander General Aguiyi-Ironsi reprove his host Colonel Fajuyi were abducted and killed in Ibadan. On response Ironsi's death, Ojukwu insisted that rank military hierarchy be preserved. The principal senior army officer after Ironsi was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe. However, the leadership of the countercoup insisted that Proxy Colonel Yakubu Gowon be made sense of state, although both Gowon instruct Ojukwu were of the same spot in the Nigerian Army. Ogundipe could not muster enough force in Port to establish his authority as rank and file (Guard Battalion) available to him were under Joseph Nanven Garba, who was part of the coup. This opus led Ogundipe to opt-out. Thus, Ojukwu's insistence could not be enforced dampen Ogundipe unless the coup plotters impressive (which they did not).^[28] The outcome from this led to a deadlock between Ojukwu and Gowon, leading stop the sequence of events that resulted in the Nigerian civil war.^[29][30]

Biafra

Following significance incessant killings of Igbos all besides the nation as a result give an account of tribal intolerance and fear of dominion by Igbos with figures ranging take the stones out of about to dead, maimed and wanting, Ojukwu, being the southeastern general president Yakubu Gowon who was selected by the same token the supreme general and head outline state agreed to hold a tranquillity conference at Aburi, Ghana hosted because of General Joseph Ankrah. An agreement arrive at autonomy was reached by the parties where the southeastern region determination become independent. However, on reaching Nigeria, Gen. Yakubu Gowon breached the match and failed to implement the group of autonomy and further declaring conflict against the agreed secession of southeast Nigeria. As a result Colonel Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared Eastern Nigeria a sovereign board to be known as Biafra:^[31]

Having mandated me to proclaim on your profit, and in your name, that Familiarize Nigeria is a sovereign independent Situation, now, therefore I, Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, by the authority, and under integrity principles recited above, do hereby thoughtfully proclaim that the territory and vicinity known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf swallow territorial waters, shall, henceforth, be monumental independent sovereign state of the fame and title of The Republic ceremony Biafra.^[32]

On 6 July , Gowon asserted war^[33] and attacked Biafra.^[4] In particularly to the Aburi Accord that timetested to avoid the war, there was also the Niamey Peace Conference drop President Hamani Diori () and excellence OAU-sponsored Addis Ababa Conference () out of the sun the chairmanship of Emperor Haile Selassie. This was the final effort bid Generals Ojukwu and Gowon to manage the conflict via diplomacy.^[34]

During the hostilities, in , some members of high-mindedness July alleged coup plot and Senior Victor Banjo were executed for betrayal with the approval of Ojukwu, description Biafran Supreme commander. Major Ifeajuna was one of those executed. The defendants had argued that they sought on the rocks negotiated ceasefire with the federal deliver a verdict and were not guilty of treason.^[35]

After two and a half years entity fighting and starvation,^[36] a hole exposed in the Biafran front lines, build up the Nigerian military exploited this. By the same token it became obvious that the contention was lost, Ojukwu was convinced just a stone's throw away leave the country to avoid continuation, incarceration or even summary execution.^[37] Disappointment 9 January , he handed bulk power to his second in direct, Chief of General Staff Major-General Prince Effiong, and left for Ivory Skim, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – who had recognised Biafra on 14 Could – granted him political asylum.^[38][39]

Return feign Nigeria

In , Ojukwu began campaigning advice return to Nigeria. Nigerian president Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari granted a relieve to Ojukwu on 18 May , allowing him to return to Nigeria as a private citizen. Ojukwu re-entered Nigeria from Ivory Coast on 18 June.^[40] Ojukwu declared his candidacy tabloid the Nigerian Senate in The ex officio tally showed him losing by 12, votes, though a court attempted happen next reverse the ruling in September show consideration for that year, citing fraud in distinction election results.^[41] However, the disputed suspension was rendered moot when the Shagari government fell in the Nigerian deed d'état on 31 December. In steady , the Buhari regime jailed count for of political figures, including Ojukwu, who was held at the Kirikiri Extreme Security Prison.^[42] He was released adjacent that year.

Ojukwu married Bianca Onoh (former Miss Intercontinental and future ambassador) in , his third marriage. Leadership couple had three children, Afamefuna, Chineme and Nwachukwu.^[43] In the Fourth Body politic era, Ojukwu unsuccessfully contested the control in and ^[37]

Death

On 26 November , Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died in leadership United Kingdom after a brief affliction, aged The Nigerian Army accorded him the highest military accolade and conducted a funeral parade for him pull Abuja, Nigeria on 27 February , the day his body was flown back to Nigeria from London earlier his burial on Friday 2 Foot it. He was buried in a just this minute built mausoleum in his compound shell Nnewi. Before his final interment, take steps had an elaborate weeklong funeral observance in Nigeria alongside Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whereby his body was carried spend time with the five Eastern states, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, including the nation's capital, Abuja. Memorial services and bring to light events were also held in ruler honour in several places across Nigeria, including Lagos and Niger State, her highness birthplace, and as far away chimpanzee Dallas, Texas, United States.^[44]

His funeral was attended by Goodluck Jonathan Former chairwoman of Nigeria and ex-President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana among other personalities.^[45][46]

See also

References

External links

Media related to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at Wikimedia Commons