Ojukwu to IBB You’re overrated ...on 2007

By Eric Osagie, just back from Enugu
Sunday, January 30, 2005

Ikemba Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Photo: Sun News Publishing

Ex-Biafran leader, Ikemba Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has fired a scud missile at former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), and all those clamouring for his preidential comeback in 2007: IBB does not have what it takes to turn things around.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Sun at his Enugu residence, Ojukwu said: "I don’t think he (Babangida) has the exceptional qualities to be a head of state (president)."
However, he had kind words for the man IBB shore aside in a palace coup on August 27, 1985, for what he described as his rare quality of intergrity:

"There are no glue attaching pounds or naira notes to him even after being head of state," Ojukwu said of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
Ojukwu also spoke on personal issues including his wife, one-time winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant, Bianca, how he misses not being able to chase women again since age is fast catching up on him and sundary other issues. Excerpts:

Who is Emeka Ojukwu? How would you describe yourself? Some say rebel leader, others describe you as son of a billionaire. And then, you are also Oxford-trained historian?

They are all correct. I will add to that. I am that army officer that every Nigerian officer would want to be like, but hasn’t the courage to be. The thing that differentiates me from the army officer, the general and all of them, is that I have the courage of my convictions. And you see today, I walk into any barrack, all of us get saluted because they recognize us, but my salute is more proudful. Because they really go that extra inch [to stiffen to action].

Your life seems to me to be one of perpetual rebellion. You rebelled against your father to become a soldier, you rebelled against your fatherland…you are unorthodox, when you are supposed to be conservative, going by your wealthy background.

How did you come about that streak?
There is one thing you didn’t add. I also was educated. It is education that heightens your perception. It is education that sharpens your commitment. Rebel? Yes, I suppose you can call it that if for example, my father were a thief, and because I wanted not to be a thief, I wanted to be a lawyer, I would be a rebel, wouldn’t I? So, the thing is the epithet rebel, is so easy and in the Nigerian sense really, I wonder who is a rebel? I never rebelled against any army officer. No. I indicated an opinion and defended that opinion. That was all. Rebel? No. I have never plotted a coup against anybody in my life.

So, you never plotted a coup all the time you were in the army?
No. Certainly not me. My training didn’t permit that. If I can remember, as an instructor, I always say to my students that as young officers, the cadets, that sooner than later you will be confronted with this dilemma. Your nation will appear to be in chaos, you will find yourself with the arms in your hands paid for by the nation. I won’t tell you what choice to make. That’s not my duty. But I want you to remember at all stages that when you mount a coup de tat, the stakes are very high, only as high as the gallows when you
lose. That is it. And I have always lived by that. You can try it, but if you fail…

You were at Oxford University?
Yes, I was.

How did Oxford change your world view?
I had a world view before going to Oxford. I was at Epsom, British public school background. Yes, I enjoyed my stay in England. In Oxford, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I thoroughly enjoyed my studies.

I understand that you didn’t pay as much attention to your studies as you ought to. Am I correct?
I don’t think you are correct. The only thing is that I did not become a swat. But do my studies, I did. I passed my exams, didn’t I?

You came back from Oxford and joined the army…
Yes, I did everything. I was a product of my generation too. In fact, I always say to our friend, Prof. Wole Soyinka, we are of the same generation, and I say ‘Please, please, don’t call me wasted, because we are not really wasted. I don’t spin English words as much as you do, but if I am asked, my generation is a pregnant one.’ Because, we’ve been very pregnant from the time we became adults, and Nigeria is still actually still waiting for us to give birth. I hope it is not too late to give birth to the new Nigeria of our dreams. That’s what we should be talking about.

Beyond civil war and all that, in this country you are also regarded as one man who married, perhaps, one of the most beautiful women in Nigeria. Is that part of the Ojukwu mystique?
I will get very angry if you say ‘perhaps’ one of the most beautiful women. Without any doubt, I have married the most beautiful woman

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on the continent of Africa. Up till now, I still marvel at my own ability to pull it through.

How did you do it?
[Laughs] There must be something good in me that you don’t see.

How did you pull that coup. Certainly, that was one coup you plotted?
Oh, my God, I plotted it. Yes!

What do you do with your spare time, when you are not playing politics?
I try to read. My eyes are not so good. I am working on a system where I would be read to, and buy more books on the CD. But, actually, the thing to understand is that my hobby today is APGA. That is my hobby. Looking at it, can we make it better, fulfill the aspirations of our people and so on.

2007 is around the corner, will you run for presidency?
2007 is around the corner, am I going to be alive?

Finally, what are the things you used to do, that you no longer can?
The first one is that I can’t drive anymore, and that actually I miss. Second one, responsibility makes it that I can’t go chasing like all young men. And that again, I regret. You said something earlier, that I had fun in England. Yes, I miss fun. I find that I have to be responsible all the time. Because everything I do is so public and have to be judged. I would like, like the British say, to let my head down sometimes, without public scrutiny. I can’t. I would like to be able to. I would like to be able to walk straight into the market without closing down the market. I like to be able to go into a shop and shop for myself. That, I can’t do anymore.

That is the prisonyard of fame?
Yes.

So, fame can be a prison?
It is a prison. It is not ‘it can be’. It is a prison.

You can’t walk down your streets and no one mobbing you?
I can’t. That’s why I have a big dog, sometimes to keep people a little bit wary.

Have you had a fulfilled life when you look at the totality of everything. Minor regrets here and there, things you wished you will do differently if you had a second chance?
I find this a question which demands so much. But let me answer it. My father will be very happy today wherever he may be, somewhere in paradise, I expect. I wish I had taken his advice and had become a professional lawyer. We quarreled over that. He wanted it and I said no, I decide for myself. I’d study history. So, I regret that. I wish I had taken his advice.

Yes, I have had a fulfilled life. I enjoyed everything I have done. I enjoyed my time as an administrator. Oh, I was at the best when I was an ADO (Assistant District Officer). It was wonderful. When I became a recruit in the army, my sense of humour carried me through. It was quite fun. Then, I grew up with it. There is something I regret in Nigeria. Because I happened to be at the leadership level of the Biafran war, I have been denied all the privilege of ever being a Nigerian. You and I are talking without any rancour. But as soon as this appears in print, the comment that you will get, will be: you know he is not a Nigerian? He is anti-Nigeria. He is…

They still don’t accept you are a Nigerian?
No! Nigeria has never accepted me as a Nigerian since the war. Even now, no. I am a stateless person right now.

Why hasn’t Nigeria accepted you?
Actually, a lot of Nigerians, when they look at themselves are much less than they pretend to be. The only advantage they can call upon in dealing with me is the advantage they can summon is by presenting me as a non-Nigerian. They will always throw that up.

Of Babangida, Atiku, Marwa and the others, who would you rather support for the presidency in 2007?
Nobody is in the race yet. No party has fielded a candidate yet.

Would you support Babangida?
You know I hesitate in answering this question. I am not usually tongue-tied… I like Babangida as a person. He’s been quite good to me. But I don’t think he’s got the exceptional qualities necessary for a head of state of Nigeria. I don’t think so.

Atiku?
I really don’t know him.

Buhari?
I like him. If for nothing, I like him for what appears to be his integrity. Here is a man, he has been head of state. I look around him, I don’t see any glue that attached pounds notes or naira notes glued to his body. I see certain simplicity in his way of living, lifestyle.

Some people are predicting that 2007 will be bloody, some are seeing revolution. What do you see?
I see peace. I believe actually that the more difficult year is the one we have just entered [2005]. I think for 2007 to come, we should have resolved so many things between 2005 and 2006. Revolution? Nigerians are too soft-hearted for revolution. They will talk about it. And if there is any music in the night club where they dance revolution, they will dance to it. And if there’s fashion called revolution, they will wear it. But to come out to the real, hard revolutionary struggle, forget it. As the Yoruba will say fi mi sile o!