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National dialogue �ll bring
stability -Ojukwu
By Chukwudi
Achife
Bureau
Chief, Enugu
FORMER Biafran leader
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on Tuesday disagreed with Nobel Laurate Wole
Soyinka's famous postulation that the present generation is "wasted",
insisting that the socio-political and economic travails of the country
are like a pregnancy from which a new generation would emerge to move it
forward.
He spoke in Enugu at the
launch of a book "The Nigerian-Biafran Bureaucrat" authored by Godwin
Onyegbula where he gave his backing to the proposed national dialogue and
expressed the hope that its outcome would ensure the restructuring and
greater stability of the polity.
Ojukwu regretted that for the
first time in his life, he has to disagree with Soyinka but explained that
unlike Soyinka he believes that the country is only "pregnant" and that
Nigerians should be optimistic that better conditions are about to be
born.
His words: "Nigeria is
pregnant. The whole country is still anxiously awaiting the delivery. I
will take this opportunity to tell you that when all is said and done, we
are in the process of giving birth to a new Nigeria and this is the
generation that will give its birth.
"We are the one finally who
have loved and hated Nigeria. We are not ashamed and we will move forward
as our hearts and minds dictated. We have done what we felt had to be done
necessarily. We didn�t do anything for any ulterior motive. No. We put in
the best service for our people and the happiest thing in my life is that
I have lived to the vindication of all we did. We did what we did for a
happier and a better Nigeria and that is still where we are. We will
continue, we are committed and we will do it to the
end�.
To him, the proposed national
dialogue is a product of that struggle for a better Nigeria, saying even
though Nigerians are sceptical about its outcome, they should rather be
grateful to God that such an opportunity has finally come, after many
years of agitation.
"I believe the dialogue will
make suggestions for the restructuring of Nigeria. It is not to
restructure any other place but Nigeria. So, no matter whatever is said at
that conference, the aim will remain to make Nigeria a better place for
all of us�.
Ojukwu praised the author of the book who
was a Biafran and later Nigerian diplomat and said the sheer number of
people who have claimed heroic roles in the Biafran struggle showed that
it was "victorious", adding that he has no regrets about how he prosecuted
the campaign.
�If I had my chance again I
will repeat everything the same way, and if I had the chance again I will
choose the same team because each carried out its own term
heroically".
In his speech, Onyegbula
reviewed the circumstances that led to the declaration of Biafra and noted
that the Igbo were �great believers in Nigeria until they were made to
seek their destiny and security elsewhere� � whereas those who tried to
bring them back to the Nigerian family were not committed Nigerians.
"The shock of the Igbo exit,
and its expected consequences for all, forced them to become Nigerian
enthusiasts. Neither side could, therefore, truly claim innocence or
higher patriotism, though the Igbo became the sacrificial lamb. I have
been opportuned to read other accounts of this tragic events and have
developed a better understanding of their motivations and actions: this is
good for the polity, and is the more reason why all sides of the case
should be heard and discussed intelligently, so we can
learn�.
Among other dignitaries who
attended the event, Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani praised the
author and launched the book with N1 million.
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