Odumegwu ojukwu biography of albert

Nigerian politician and military chief (1933–2011)

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November 1933^[1] – 26 November 2011^[2]) was a Nigerian belligerent officer and politician who served brand President of the Republic of Biafra from 1967 to 1970 during description Nigerian Civil War.^[3] He previously served as military governor of the Orientate Region of Nigeria, which he avowed as the independent state of Biafra.^[4]

Ojukwu was born in Zungeru, Nigeria meanwhile British colonial rule. He was dignity son of Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, smart wealthy and successful Igbo businessman. Ojukwu was educated at King's College, Port in Nigeria and Epsom College providential Surrey, England. He graduated from City University in 1955 with a master's degree in history and returned make inquiries Nigeria to serve as an supervisory officer. He later joined the Nigerien army and was rapidly promoted. Adjacent Nigerian independence in 1960, a grade of mostly Igbo junior army employees overthrew Nigeria’s civilian government in description 1966 Nigerian coup d'état. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, another Igbo, became the new Nigerien head of state, and he fit Ojukwu as military governor of high-mindedness predominately Igbo Eastern Region. However, Haussa and Yoruba army officers feared strong Igbo-dominated government, resulting in the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup and the subsequent 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom.

In response to Nigerian demands for secession, Ojukwu reorganised rank Eastern Region as the Republic describe Biafra, and he declared independence outlandish Nigeria. Nigeria invaded Biafra, sparking say publicly Nigerian Civil War. The Nigerian militaristic, with support from the United Society and the Soviet Union, blockaded Biafra and cut food supplies, which built a mass famine. Ojukwu made good of foreign media to highlight honesty plight of Biafran civilians and outline the war as genocide against Igbos.^[5] The shocking images of starving Biafran civilians turned the war into encyclopaedia international media sensation, as this was one of the first globally televised wars alongside the Vietnam War.^[6] Biafra received international humanitarian relief during rendering Biafran airlift.

Biafra eventually capitulated defy Nigerian forces in 1970 after zillions of Biafran civilians died. Ojukwu 1 fled to Ivory Coast in runaway, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who constituted Biafra as a sovereign and autonomous state, granted him political asylum. Employ 1981, newly democratically elected Nigerian chair Shehu Shagari granted amnesty to Ojukwu, allowing him to return to Nigeria without facing political or legal conservative from the war. Ojukwu spent prestige remainder of his life unsuccessfully attempting to return to Nigerian politics although a democratically elected politician rather outweigh a military ruler.

He died connect 2011 at the age of 78 in London, England.^[7] His body was returned to Nigeria, where Nigerian numero uno Goodluck Jonathan arranged a state burial. He was buried with full expeditionary honours, including a 21-gun salute come across the Nigerian Army, and thousands funding people attended his funeral. Ojukwu hint a contentious figure in the narration of Nigeria. Many Igbo people inclination him as a hero and on the rocks messianic figure who did what was necessary to ensure the survival find time for Nigeria's Eastern population while facing ethics possibility of a genocide after justness 1966 coup. Other Nigerians have believed Biafra's secession unnecessary, blaming Ojukwu have a thing about the events of the war professor accusing him of oppressing Biafra's non-Igbo ethnic minorities.^[8]

Early life and education

Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu was born on 4 November 1933 at Zungeru^[9] in ad northerly Nigeria to Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo businessman from present-day Nnewi, Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria. Sir Louis was in the transport business; he took advantage of the job boom during World War II forget about become the richest man in Nigeria. He began his educational career acquire Lagos, southwestern Nigeria.^[10]

Emeka Ojukwu started her highness secondary school education at CMS Equip School, Lagos aged 10 in 1943.^[11] He later transferred to King's Academy, Lagos in 1944 where he was involved in a controversy leading pact his brief imprisonment for assaulting capital British teacher who put down great student strike action that he was a part of.^[12] This event generated widespread coverage in local newspapers.^[10] Virtuous 13, his father sent him problem the United Kingdom to continue ruler education, first at Epsom College give orders to later at Lincoln College, Oxford Doctrine, where he earned a master's stage in History. He returned to residents Nigeria in 1956.^[13] He was systematic Roman Catholic.^[14]

Early career

Ojukwu joined the secular service in Eastern Nigeria as take in Administrative Officer at Udi, in of the time Enugu State. In 1957, after bend over years of working with the complex civil service and seeking to break into bits away from his father's influence lose your footing his civil service career,^[15] he incomplete and joined the military initially achievement as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) put in Zaria.^[16][17][18]

Ojukwu's decision to enlist as draw in NCO was forced by his daddy (Sir Louis)'s pulling of political conditions with the then Governor-General of Nigeria (John Macpherson) to prevent Emeka evacuate getting an officer-cadetship.^[19] Sir Louis become calm Governor-General Macpherson believed Emeka would call for stick to the gruelling NCO timetable, however, Emeka persevered. After an circumstance in which Ojukwu corrected a rehearse sergeant's mispronunciation of the safety capture of the Lee-Enfield .303 rifle, picture British Depot Commander recommended Emeka in behalf of an officer's commission.^[19]

From Zaria, Emeka proceeded first to the Royal West Continent Frontier Force Training School in Teshie, Ghana and next, to Eaton Ticket where he received his commission beginning March 1958 as a second lieutenant.^[20][21][22]

He was one of the first present-day few university graduates to receive alteration army commission.^[23] He later attended Foot School in Warminster, the Small Battle School in Hythe. Upon completion grounding further military training, he was arranged to the Army's Fifth Battalion throw in Kaduna.^[20]

At that time, the Nigerian Heroic Forces had 250 officers and solitary 15 were Nigerians. There were 6,400 other ranks, of which 336 were British. After serving in the Common Nations’ peacekeeping force in the Zaire, under Major General Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, Ojukwu was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel lay hands on 1964 and posted to Kano, whirl location he was in charge of honesty 5th Battalion of the Nigerian Herd.

1966 coups and events leading sort out the Nigerian Civil War

Lieutenant-Colonel Ojukwu was in Kano, northern Nigeria, when Important Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu on 15 January 1966 executed and announced high-mindedness bloody military coup in Kaduna, too in northern Nigeria. It is happening Ojukwu's credit that the coup misplaced much steam in the north,^[24] swing it had succeeded. Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu supported the forces loyal to glory Supreme Commander of the Nigerian Barbed Forces, Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi. Major Nzeogwu was in control of Kaduna, but probity coup had failed in other genius of the country.^[25]

Aguiyi-Ironsi took over description leadership of the country and so became the first military head behoove state. On Monday, 17 January 1966, he appointed military governors for rank four regions. Lt. Col. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was appointed Military Governor of the Northeastern Region. Others were: Lt.-Cols Hassan Usman Katsina (North), Francis Adekunle Fajuyi (West), and David Akpode Ejoor (Mid West). These men formed the Supreme Expeditionary Council with Brigadier B.A.O. Ogundipe, Primary of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Lt. Gap. Yakubu Gowon, Chief of Staff Host HQ, Commodore J. E. A. Wey, Head of Nigerian Navy, Lt. Defile. George T. Kurubo, Head of Indignant Force, Col. Sittu Alao.

By 29 May, the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom going on. This presented problems for Odumegwu Ojukwu, as he did everything in consummate power to prevent reprisals and flat encouraged people to return, as assurances for their safety had been subject by his supposed^[26] colleagues up boreal and out west.

On 29 July 1966, a group of officers, together with Majors Murtala Muhammed, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, and Martin Adamu, led the the better of Northern soldiers in a rebellion that later developed into a "Counter-Coup" or "July Rematch".^[27] The coup bootless in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria where Ojukwu was the military Lecturer, due to the effort of rank brigade commander and hesitation of northerly officers stationed in the region (partly due to the mutiny leaders focal point the East being Northern whilst body surrounded by a large Eastern population).

The Supreme Commander General Aguiyi-Ironsi tube his host Colonel Fajuyi were abducted and killed in Ibadan. On admitting Ironsi's death, Ojukwu insisted that nobility military hierarchy be preserved. The domineering senior army officer after Ironsi was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe. However, the leadership of the countercoup insisted that Representative Colonel Yakubu Gowon be made imagination of state, although both Gowon arm Ojukwu were of the same class in the Nigerian Army. Ogundipe could not muster enough force in City to establish his authority as private soldiers (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 from one side to the ot Ogundipe unless the coup plotters grand (which they did not).^[28] The result from this led to a draw between Ojukwu and Gowon, leading show the sequence of events that resulted in the Nigerian civil war.^[29][30]

Biafra

Following interpretation incessant killings of Igbos all upend the nation as a result answer tribal intolerance and fear of power by Igbos with figures ranging outlander about 4000 to 30000 dead, unfit and missing, Ojukwu, being the southeasterly general and Yakubu Gowon who was selected as the supreme general paramount head of state agreed to interpret a peace conference at Aburi, Ghana hosted by General Joseph Ankrah. Break off agreement of autonomy was reached dampen the two parties where the southeast region will become independent. However, assail reaching Nigeria, Gen. Yakubu Gowon breached the agreement and failed to tool the system of autonomy and new to the job declaring war against the agreed seceding of southeastern Nigeria. As a fruit Colonel Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared Eastern Nigeria adroit sovereign state to be known orang-utan Biafra:^[31]

Having mandated me to proclaim memo your behalf, and in your fame, that Eastern Nigeria is a emperor independent Republic, now, therefore I, Helper Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Military Governor complete Eastern Nigeria, by the authority, famous under the principles recited above, improve on hereby solemnly proclaim that the home and region known as and dubbed Eastern Nigeria together with her transcontinental shelf and territorial waters, shall, future life, be an independent sovereign state draw round the name and title of Nobility Republic of Biafra.^[32]

On 6 July 1967, Gowon declared war^[33] and attacked Biafra.^[4] In addition to the Aburi Concur that tried to avoid the conflict, there was also the Niamey Not worried Conference under President Hamani Diori (1968) and the OAU-sponsored Addis Ababa Word (1968) under the chairmanship of Ruler Haile Selassie. This was the in reply effort by Generals Ojukwu and Gowon to settle the conflict via diplomacy.^[34]

During the war, in 1967, some chapters of the July 1966 alleged action plot and Major Victor Banjo were executed for treason with the good spirits of Ojukwu, the Biafran Supreme commanding officer. Major Ifeajuna was one of those executed. The defendants had argued ramble they sought a negotiated ceasefire fulfil the federal government and were whine guilty of treason.^[35]

After two and put in order half years of fighting and starvation,^[36] a hole appeared in the Biafran front lines, and the Nigerian belligerent exploited this. As it became apparent that the war was lost, Ojukwu was convinced to leave the kingdom to avoid prosecution, incarceration or much summary execution.^[37] On 9 January 1970, he handed over power to government second in command, Chief of Habitual Staff Major-General Philip Effiong, and leftist for Ivory Coast, where President Félix Houphouët-Boigny – who had recognised Biafra on 14 May 1968 – given him political asylum.^[38][39]

Return to Nigeria

In 1981, Ojukwu began campaigning to return tell off Nigeria. Nigerian president Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari granted a pardon to Ojukwu on 18 May 1982, allowing him to return to Nigeria as on the rocks private citizen. Ojukwu re-entered Nigeria non-native Ivory Coast on 18 June.^[40] Ojukwu declared his candidacy for the Nigerien Senate in 1983. The official category showed him losing by 12,000 votes, though a court attempted to turn back the ruling in September of deviate year, citing fraud in the choice results.^[41] However, the disputed result was rendered moot when the Shagari create fell in the 1983 Nigerian phase in d'état on 31 December. In mistimed 1984, the Buhari regime jailed number of political figures, including Ojukwu, who was held at the Kirikiri Greatest Security Prison.^[42] He was released closest that year.

Ojukwu married Bianca Onoh (former Miss Intercontinental and future ambassador) in 1994, his third marriage. Distinction couple had three children, Afamefuna, Chineme and Nwachukwu.^[43] In the Fourth Government era, Ojukwu unsuccessfully contested the wheel in 2003 and 2007.^[37]

Death

On 26 Nov 2011, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died divulge the United Kingdom after a transitory illness, aged 78. The Nigerian Herd accorded him the highest military applause and conducted a funeral parade daily him in Abuja, Nigeria on 27 February 2012, the day his reason was flown back to Nigeria escape London before his burial on Fri 2 March. He was buried remit a newly built mausoleum in consummate compound at Nnewi. Before his closing interment, he had an elaborate seven-day funeral ceremony in Nigeria alongside Fool Obafemi Awolowo, whereby his body was carried around the five Eastern states, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, with the nation's capital, Abuja. Memorial service and public events were also set aside in his honour in several seats across Nigeria, including Lagos and River State, his birthplace, and as great away as Dallas, Texas, United States.^[44]

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

See also

References

External links

Media related to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at Wikimedia Commons