From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Dr. Josef Onoh, a brother-in-law of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has faulted General Yakubu Gowon’s claim that he reconciled with the ex-Biafra leader, the Ikemba Nnewi.
Reactions have trailed Gowon’s claim that he reconciled with the late Biafra leader, since Saturday Sun published excerpts of Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe’s interview with the elder statesman.
Onoh said that there was no such reconciliation, instead, what happened was a chance meeting during a condolence visit by Gowon when his father and Ojukwu’s father-in-law, Chief C.C. Onoh passed on.
According to Onoh, the former head of state’s narration about his purported reconciliation with Ojukwu in London was not as correct as he recounted it. He stated with exactitudes that he was a witness to the chance meeting between Gowon and Ojukwu both in Enugu and in London.
To Onoh, Gowon substituted a condolence visit with reconciliation, noting that because Gowon has started telling “lies,” he would need subsequent lies to go on with his crooked narratives.
“Gowon’s narration of his meeting with Ojukwu is a lie! That wasn’t how it happened because I was there. And it wasn’t in London, rather it was in Enugu, in March 2010 and I received him. Part of the reason for his visit was to pay condolences on the passing of my father, who is Ikemba Ojukwu’s father-in-law who passed-on in May 2009, but Gowon was not in the country and couldn’t make it for the burial.
“I was present in the meeting; I served him and he told me he doesn’t take alcoholic drinks and opted for water or orange juice. He brought up the importance of reconciliation and Ojukwu made it clear that he holds no grudge against him and that as soldiers, they did what they believed was best at that time for their country and that he (Ojukwu) doesn’t support another Biafra that will be achieved with bloodshed and massacre of the Igbo.
“Gowon left and Ojukwu promised to honour him with a visit and he said he was most likely to be out of the country and Ojukwu replied ‘even during the Civil War, I knew your every movement and location and since I’ve promised to honour you with a visit as you did me, I’ll find you even if you are in the moon.’
“We all laughed and escorted him out. Ojukwu said a closing prayer in Latin at the amazement of everyone present including Gowon. We admired the two men that their actions shaped Nigeria. Ojukwu was fluent in Hausa, French, Yoruba, English, Latin and Ibo and in every way his image and oratory dominated the moment, hence I understand the reason why Gen. Yakubu Gowon is attempting to change history by giving a wrong narrative of events,” Onoh said.
He added that Gowon had always felt inferior to Ojukwu and was attempting to rewrite history because Ojukwu is no longer around.
Continuing, Onoh said: “I can say a billion fantastic stories of that great son of Africa (Ojukwu) that most people haven’t heard, I can tell stories from his lips to my ears that will leave a lot of people in shock, Gen. Obasanjo remains one of very few officers he had tremendous respect for and you can never hear Obasanjo attempting to sing like a canary in the media to discuss their military exploits, the men and comrades they lost, nor attempt to score cheap goals by giving false narratives of fellow comrades.
“To Gowon I say ‘The dead don’t talk,’ but I’m privileged to have heard him talk while alive. When you lie, you have to tell another lie to cover the first lie, then another lie, and so on. It is so much easier to tell the truth than it is to lie because I was there and the truth shall set you free.”
