Those claiming to have succeeded Ojukwu are not serious – Prof. Nwosu

Your committee on Ojukwu’s burial just finished the internment of the late Biafran leader and notable icon, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Can you give an insight into the success of the burial? Well, it was one of the biggest challenges I personally have faced. The previous challenge I faced with him (Ojukwu) was Mkpoku Igbo group. […]

Your committee on Ojukwu’s burial just finished the internment of the late Biafran leader and notable icon, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Can you give an insight into the success of the burial?

Well, it was one of the biggest challenges I personally have faced. The previous challenge I faced with him (Ojukwu) was Mkpoku Igbo group. But this one, we were facing it without him but nobody can take credit for burying Eze Igbo. The Ikemba buried himself. The way he lived ensured that the way he was buried was glorious.

The people he gave everything to also gave everything back to him by honouring him in his death. So I can tell you our task was made easier by the way Eze Igbo lived and by the weight and commanding love and adulation, I think Ndigbo have for Eze Igbo. So in essence, what happened was that we laid plans; many of the plans worked and many of the plans didn’t work. Many of the plans didn’t work but whether they worked or didn’t work; they worked and we attribute it to the spirit of Eze Igbo.

I give you one example. We had a medical sub-committee to take care of any accident but throughout the event, for how many weeks, not one single accident, not one medical mishap. And so I cannot say it was our plan; it was the spirit of Eze Igbo that guided everything and God Almighty even created him a special person.

What were the main challenges your committee had while organizing the Ojukwu burial?

We set three objectives during our meeting with the Governors of the Southeast. The first was to give him truly a hero’s exit; to give him a burial like no other; to give him a burial like an Igbo leader and a Nigerian patriot without a doubt.

The second was to use it to renew our spirit, both Ndigbo and Nigeria, that if you live a simple life, speak out the truth and have empathy for the poor, the downtrodden, that you will be mourned, and that is the direction to go rather than the direction of acquiring everything acquirable. And you could see it all through, even the priests were saying, he was never accused of stealing anybody’s kobo; he never stole and you can see it from the wife’s tribute.

Ikemba had a disdain for money. Even when he had no money – sometimes quite annoying – if you know him; he would be making so many plans and you look at the man making these plans he had no money,  he had disdain for money. And for some of us who came close, he taught us that if you really disregard this body, the soul, the good, the beauty comes out.

And so we are trying to use it to renew that spirit of speaking out when things are going bad; courage to say no, that this is my right, you don’t take it away from me; no you don’t oppress me; no that there should  be no injustice because any people denied justice, you can’t talk peace to them. We thought that was the second objective.

The final objective we set was to use it to see if we can start thinking again as brothers especially we in the old eastern region with a common destiny, with other Nigerians as common destiny instead of this divisive role. That was why we had to design a programme to make national statements; by going to Zungeru which was quite successful; by going to Lagos which was quite successful, and by going to other parts.

Then we went to Calabar. We went to Port Harcourt. We went to all the other places. So you could see, we planned it to be a national event, a regional event and a southeast event. And each place we went, the same warm reception, the same messages were received. What was said in Port Harcourt was different from what was said in Calabar; both were unbelievably good. What was said in Calabar was different from what was said in Lagos. That of Lagos was a carnival. They said Ojukwu is their son; that he is Omo Eko. Lagos State Governor Babatunde  Fashola said Ojukwu was coming to their house at Isale Eko before he (Fashola ) was even born; that his (Fashola) family was giving him (Ojukwu) that family burial, and asked us to hands off.

So Governor Fashola bore his cost; Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State bore his cost when we went to Port Harcourt. Everybody bore their cost outside Igbo land, and said this is our son. At Zungeru in Niger State, they said, this is our man. So we’ve seen that.

Internationally, also, we coordinated the Diaspora. What happened in London was better seen than described. St. Georges Cathedral was full and overflowing and the coordinator is sitting here with me. There was traffic hold-up in London, and people were asking: who was the Head of State that was being buried. And the same man who delivered the homily in Enugu brought the Cathedral down; he received the five standing ovations.

So you can see, we wanted him to be elevated. We didn’t want Ikemba ‘parochialised’ as an Igbo icon; Ikemba is simply an icon, not Igbo icon, not Nigerian icon, but icon in the mold of persons like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, who said, if it is not right, it is not right.

Has Ojukwu’s death and burial brought unity among the Igbo race and the country?

There hasn’t been disunity, if you ask me. One of the people I admire most and I spend time with is Chinue Achebe. There hasn’t been unity; it is like unifying Igbo language. We can’t all speak in the same manner, and Achebe says Igbo n’asu n’olu-n’olu (meaning, the Igbo speak in different dialects). So we are united and it has come out during this funeral. I also believe Nigeria is united, never mind the aberrations here and there.

We went to Zungeru and it was clear: If this had been done to my people, I would have done exactly the same thing that Emeka Ojukwu did for the love and defense of his people. That’s the message all over; that this (injustice) should not be done to any people.

All the silly talks about who will succeed Ikemba; who did Ikemba succeed? Did Ikemba succeed Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe? Or did he succeed Dr. Michael Okpara or did he succeed Dr. Akanu Ibiam? The moment, the hour threw up Ikemba and Ikemba rose to the occasion.

Ikemba was appointed Military Governor of Eastern Region. Ikemba had to protect his people. As he said in his words ‘I Horatio’. He was the gate-keeper. It was either he compromised and ran away and left his people inside to their fate or he stood up and guarded the gate.

And like Horatio of 6th Century Rome; Horatio did his duty and Ikemba did his duty.  Perhaps if fate had made Lt. Col Njoku or Col. Anwuna or Col. Ezeh or Col. Ogunewe Military Governor of Eastern Region, it would be different. So this question of leadership and people trying to be leaders is futile; the word I use is bunkum. They will all find out that vanity upon vanity is all vanities.

When the hour arises, when the time comes, a leader will emerge. God will give us a leader that will work for us; a leader that will not steal from us; a leader that will not climb on our backs to be noticed like the Ikemba. And I have no doubt about it. Let there be 10,000 wanting to succeed Ikemba, I wish them goodluck; the best of luck to all of them.

After the burial now, what next?

Ojukwu took life the way God unveiled it to him. The only thing was that he was real in his mind on what was right, what was wrong, what he would do and what he would not do. Now, after the burial, what next? The thing is planned in four parts. The first is that we produce three volumes of books. Many will have copies of the books; many will read and see him, especially “The Legend Lives On”; and then they will see “The Verdict” which contains what the media reported about Ojukwu and then the other one, “The Man and His Struggles”.