THE death of Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu on November 26, 2011 represents not just a watershed in the history of Nigeria, but also a loss of monumental proportion to the entire nation. The late Ojukwu was an astute leader, brilliant army officer, politician and an uncommon administrator. The country, particularly the South East, will miss his charisma, his intellectual acumen and exemplary courage.Although Ojukwu is immediately synonymous with the civil war that raged in the country for 30 months from 1967 to 1970, and that almost tore the country apart, he was first and foremost a national patriot; a detribalised Nigerian who believed strongly in the unity of the country and did everything he could to achieve that unity in peace.That he spearheaded the Igbo to secede from the rest of the country is an irony of fate inspired not necessarily by his desire to be a Head of State, (he was already military Governor of Eastern Region) but by a passionate inclination to stop a widespread oppression of his people who were being witch-hunted, indeed massacred, by other Nigerians aggrieved for the right or the wrong reasons.An insight into the circumstances surrounding the Biafra declaration and the subsequent civil war would vindicate the late Ojukwu, not as a man who caused the war, but who was looked upon by his people to lead them out of a political quagmire threatening their very existence.It is to Ojukwu's credit ' a confirmation of his courage and leadership qualities ' that he accepted his people's mandate even at the peril of his life, and in sacrifice of his comfortable position in the society. At the time, he shunned the trappings of his office, his educational advantage and the wealth of his father, to champion his people's cause. He succumbed to death, almost a year after he was struck with massive stroke.Born on November 4, 1933 in Zungeru (Present day Niger State) to Sir Louis Phillipe Odumegwu Ojukwu, a highly successful, wealthy businessman with great foresight, the younger Ojukwu (Chukwuemeka) had his early education at St. Patrick's Primary School, Idumagbo, Lagos; Church Missionary Grammar School and later King's College, Lagos which was then one of the best secondary schools in the country.Recognising his son's potential, and determined to nurture it to the full through education, Ojukwu's father enrolled him into Epsom College in the county of Surrey, Great Britain. He was barely 12 years in a society of white, a fact that shaped his determination for personal independence and self-actualisation.In 1952, he gained admission into Lincoln College, University of Oxford. Against his father's wish that he read law, Ojukwu went on to study Modern History, obtaining the Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1955, followed later with Master of Arts Degree. He worked as a federal civil servant for two years before joining the Army in 1957, again to the disappointment of his father who wished him to take over the running of his vast business empire.Ojukwu's educational acumen and broad perception of life easily endeared him to the Army, which sent him for officers training at the officer Cadet School, Eaton Hall in England. Commissioned a second Lieutenant, he also attended the Infantry School in Warminister, the Small Arms School in Hythe all in England; and the Royal West African Frontier Force Training School in Teshe, Ghana. He returned to Nigeria in 1958 and was assigned to the Fifth Battalion in Kaduna.After Nigeria's independence in 1960, Ojukwu gained rapid promotion to Major (1961) and Lieutenant Colonel (1963). He served in various capacities in the United Nations Peace Keeping Force, and as Nigeria's first indigenous Quartermaster General in 1965. The period was politically turbulent for Nigeria, and after the first coup of January 15, 1966 which failed partly because Ojukwu did not support it, and the counter coup of July 29, 1966, the Igbo living in the North became mass targets of murder and oppression, causing them to flee to the East.Ojukwu, who had been named Military Governor of the South East, sought protection of his people through dialogue and peaceful means. But the efforts failed leading eventually to his proclamation of Biafra as a sovereign state on May 30, 1967. On July 6, 1967, the Federal Government under Colonel Yakubu Gowon, declared war on Biafra. The war dragged on till January 1970.Ojukwu was in exile for 13 years, returning to Nigeria in 1982 following an official pardon. On his return, he joined the political class and sought to use the democratic platform to contribute to the development of the South East and the country. After 1999, he became the leader of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and remained a relevant factor in the politics of that region till his death.He will be remembered as a highly principled leader who became a central figure in the crisis of Nigeria's government, particularly the national question of structure, federalism, resource control and the ideal relationship between and among the federating states. It is unfortunate that his efforts to resolve these issues peacefully, or even through the civil war, failed; while the questions continue to nag the country's co-existence.In spite of everything, Ojukwu's strong personal qualities enhanced rather than weakened the country's unity. As a nationalist, he accepted that war perhaps was not the best way to prove the point of his people, judging from the massive casualties they suffered. But he had no regret for adopting that strategy as a last resort; and he shunned his chance to prolong the war, even from exile.Ojukwu's popularity all through the war and after is a measure of the trust his people placed on him, his distinct attribute as a leader; his incorruptibility, courage, sincerity, firmness and decisiveness. These traits, highly required of a true leader, are sadly in short supply with the country's leaders in recent years. Ojukwu employed his eloquence and personal charisma to articulate a campaign against injustice. He was selfless in this pursuit and he died without compromising his principles.Surely he personified the leader that Nigeria needs. The lessons of his life and death ought to be paramount and imbibed by those currently ruling this country.
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