Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - STAR EXCLUSIVE HISTORY: Chief Obafemi Awolowo - In His Own Words (including On the Civil War/Biafra) {Re: OBAFEMI AWOLOWO SPEAKS FROM THE GRAVE: "I am a friend of the Ndigbo"}

Folks,

I hereby crave your time to present some other "facts":

(1)From the 1960s to the fall of apartheid in South Africa, Nelson
Mandela from available "facts" was both a "terrorist" and a "freedom
fighter".

(1)Late Osama Bin Laden from available "facts" was both a "villain"
and a "hero".

(3)Finally and from available "facts" also, President Goodluck
Jonathan of Nigeria is both "focused" and "clueless".


Thank you so much folks for your time.

-----CAO


On Oct 6, 10:40 am, franklyne ogbunwezeh <ogbunwe...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> People:
>
> I wonder the facts that Bolaji and his clique of revisionists want us to believe here. That a man said something about himself does not qualify what he peddles as truth. Truth has some other pedestals outside what a man markets about himself. Many men want us to see them not in the light of truth, but in the light of what they perceived to be their own truths. And we know that once a man starts singing his praises, he sets the tunes so high normally. Achebe never said anything new in his new book. All he wrote in that book, has already been written. He wrote some of them in the Trouble with Nigeria. Awolowo was alive in 1983 when Achebe published that. I wonder whether he did not see it as for some to think that Achebe is saying what he saying because Awolowo is no longer there to defend himself. Awolowo must have heard Achebe so many times on these issues. I am aware that in one of Achebe's jaw jawing with Solarin, that Awolowo and his inglorious antics
>  during the war was a topic. Awolowo said in his own words that all was fair in war. If we are to believe that piece of arrant nonsense, I wonder why the world hanged the Nazis for their war crimes? There are crimes in war. I wonder why many American soldiers are tried for their crimes during a war. This is to say that humanity has longed recognized that all is not fair in war. The murder of women and children can never be a fair instrument of warfare. In this regard, Awolowo cast himself in the mould of a war criminal. And no amount of revisionist detergent can remove that inglorious stain from an inglorious character.
>
> Franklyne Ogbunwezeh
>
>
> * ************** *************** ****************** *************** ***********
> What constitutes a disservice to our faculty of judgment, however, is to place obstacles in the way of assembling truth's fragments, remaining content with a mere one- or two-dimensional projection where a multidimensional and multifaceted apprehension remains open, accessible and instructive.
>
> Wole Soyinka, Between Truth and Indulgences
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Mobolaji Aluko <aluk...@gmail.com>
> To: USAAfrica Dialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>; NaijaPolitics e-Group <NaijaPolit...@yahoogroups.com>; "nigeria...@yahoogroups.com" <nigeria...@yahoogroups.com>; naijaintellects <naijaintellects@googlegroups.com>; OmoOdua <OmoO...@yahoogroups.com>; ekiti ekitigroups <ekitipan...@yahoogroups.com>; Ra'ayi <Raayir...@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Saturday, October 6, 2012 7:28 AM
> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - STAR EXCLUSIVE HISTORY: Chief Obafemi Awolowo - In His Own Words (including On the Civil War/Biafra) {Re: OBAFEMI AWOLOWO SPEAKS FROM THE GRAVE: "I am a friend of the Ndigbo"}
>
> QUOTE
>
> I've learnt to rely completely on the providence and vindication of Almighty God in some of these things. I've tried to explain myself in the past, but these liars persist. .... What's the point in correcting lies when people are determined to persist in telling lies against you, what's the point. I know that someday the Ibos, the masses of the Ibo people will realize who their friends are, and who their real enemies are. And the day that happens woe betide those enemies. The Ibos will deal with them very roughly, very roughly.
>
> UNQUOTE
>
> Dear All:
>
> As an avid afficionado of Chief Obafemi Awolowo's political life, I simply cannot believe that I missed this historical gem - both written and aural - now made indelible in the sands of time, and posted (to my knowledge) first by NVS (Nigerian Village Square) back on November 28, 2011, with the audio tape made available there - and you should listen to it -  courtesy one Dr. Olu Akinremi.
>
> See:  http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/newsflash/exclusive-chief-obafemi...
> EXCLUSIVE - Chief Obafemi Awolowo On Biafra (In His Own Words)
>
> In fact, I had NEVER read or heard Awolowo defend himself such extensively over such a broad range of issues, particularly over the Civil War, which I re-excerpt below with some expansion.  More interestingly,  this is the LONGEST time I have heard to listen to Chief Obafemi Awolowo's voice, and I was completely fascinated by his enunciations and careful explanation of himself.  As if that were possible, his image has enlarged in my mind, and this is a good a time as any when again he is being villified.
>
> Had  an excerpt on it not been posted recently that focused narrowly on Awo's role in Gowon's war-time government and therefore on pre-, during- and post-Biafra - whether to bolster or counter Prof. Chinua Achebe's book-form broadside against Awo and others of that period, I do not know - this gem would not have become re-instituted at this time.  For that, the poster - and the un-intended consequences of his or her posting - should be praised to high heavens.  But he is not actually speaking from his grave - he spoke live and personal back in 1983, just that some of us merely missed it.
>
> As to Chief Obafemi Awolowo's careful explanation of his role in Gowon's government with respect to the Nigerian Civil War, I can only write:
>
>                               Res ipas Loquitor - The Facts Speak for themselves.
>
> Which is another way of stating "And there you have it."
>
> Have a good weekend...I am off to "head-master."
>
> Bolaji Aluko
>
> _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>
> http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/newsflash/exclusive-chief-obafemi...
>
> CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO IN HIS OWN WORDS
>
> Introduction
>
> At the age of 11, he struggled through primary school here at Wesleyan School Imo, Abeokuta. He then became a teacher, he was a trader, he was a school clerk, he was a stenographer, he was a transporter, he was a produce buyer, a unionist, name it, he has experienced it all. He even knows the problems of the police, the warders and the prisoners, because he was there.
> When he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 1963, and he predicted a glorious dawn many did not believe that he will live to see the glorious morn which we are having today in Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Bendel and Lagos states.
> That at 74, he's here today is a testimony to the fact that the great good Lord and Allah needs him to save Nigeria.
> Ladies and gentlemen, here is a self made man, who battled all the institutes of life to rise to the highest peak of his calling as Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was first leader of government business, and first premier of the old western region. The first leader of opposition in the federal republic of Nigeria, the first chancellor of the University of Ife, first civilian deputy chairman in any military government in Africa, the first man ever to win the highest honor from an opponent as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
> Ladies and gentlemen, this is the greatest moment of my life as I present to you the next president of the federal republic of Nigeria.
> At this point I'll hand you over to the moderator.
>
> Moderator:
> Papa Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Governor of the state- Chief Bisi Onabanjo, the deputy governor- Chief Sesan Soluade, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the interview panel, I'm welcoming our distinguished guest - Chief Obafemi Awolowo to this program. Its going to be a 90 minutes program during which one hour of the period will be spent by the interview panel to ask various questions on various issues from Papa Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The following 30 minutes will be devoted to the audience to ask questions either English language or in Yoruba. And I want to appeal to the audience to keep very quiet throughout the program because this is an important program which we are having today, we want to use the program to get as much information as possible from Papa Chief Obafemi Awolowo and to enable us determine who to vote for in the presidential election.
>
> -- materials deleted ---
> Expanding  the Base Beyond the West
> Question (Sina Bamgbose): I have a follow up question - Chief Obafemi Awolowo, there is no doubt that you are full of talents, and that you are one of the idols in the realm of politics in this continent, but it seems that …..today needs leaders with national outlooks and it seems your problem and political party is acceptability by the other ethnic groups in this country, what do you say to that?
> Moderator: Can you repeat the question please.
> Question: There is no doubt as I said earlier, that you are a man of talents, but the problem you seem to face is that other, although among the Yorubas your very person and your party are very popular, among the Yorubas. But it seems that the problem you have is breaking the frontiers, that is reaching into other ethnic groups in Nigeria. That seems to be your problem. What do you say to that?
>
> Awolowo:
> Well, that's a very good and fair question. He's been pointing out to me, if I heard him properly, that whilst am accepted in the old western region, among the Yorubas mainly, my problem is acceptability among the other ethnic groups in the country.
> Well, in the old days of the Action Group, I was well accepted among the so-called middle belt people, that is, among the people of Plateau, Benue, Gongola, and Kwara. Then, in the eastern side of the country, I was well accepted by the people of what is now known as Cross River, Calabar province at that time and also by the people of Rivers state which we then know as Rivers province. And also I was accepted in Borno I'm being reminded.
> But then something happened, and I don't like to go into that long history. Some leaders in the north thought I was too much of a threat to them and they went all out to fight back, first of all, by imprisoning me, and wherever they thought they could get away with it.. even killing some of my followers. And then of course they turned their attention to me and then got me out ...
>
> read more »

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