'I came away from reading this book with the feeling that the secession of Biafra was inevitable. Achebe eloquently sets out the scenario: not only could the Nigerian government not guarantee the safety of the Igbos; it had become implicated in the systematic shedding of their blood. In the face of "an Igbo backlash" in Northern and Western Nigeria, and a "government-sanctioned environment of hate and resentment", the beleaguered Easterners needed – and found in Biafra – a "home".'
'not only could the Nigerian government not guarantee the safety of the Igbos'
This is a shallow comment in the light of the struggle by Nigeria to assure the Igbos of their safety.
One of such efforts was that of withdrawing troops to their places of origin so that indegenes could feel safe.
Another was the acceptance of most of Okujwu's demands at the Aburi Accord.
Ojukwu's discomfort with the amendment of the accord to include the ability of the govt to declare a state of emergency in any region may be understood in terms of issues of safety but broad thinking political strategy suggests that a more realistic option to seceding and taking with him oil producing territory with the dangerous attention that would provide was a more balanced approach, not all out provocation of a country whose resources he was now unilaterally claiming for a secessionist entity.
That summation also ignores not only the timeline that eventuated in the secession, but the specific reactions that prompted the secession. The secession did not follow automtically on the 1966 pogroms but may be described as a political calculation, in response to Gowon's creation of 12 states, the creation of Bifra being described by Achuzia as a means of checkmating that decision to carve up what was being mooted as potential territory for a new political alignment.
Achebe's views on relations between Nigeria and Biafra do not seem to have changed since the 1968 Transition interview with Rajat Neogy.
I wonder how this is consistent with Achebe's genocide through starvation theory :
'However, even the unsaid or obliquely-said can be hugely revealing. The Ojukwu of There was a Country is not a hero; despite Achebe's kindness to him. Whatever heroism he embodied appears to end with his decision to take the destiny of his people into his own hands and orchestrate the secession. The Ojukwu that follows the declaration of Biafra is murderously intolerant of dissent and prone to questionable judgements. Not only does he reject airlifts of food aid; even when it is clear that the war is un-winnable, he takes decisions that prolong it, and prolong the suffering of his people. His attitude causes a number of influential Igbo statesmen – most prominent of whom was Nnamdi Azikiwe – to withdraw their support for Ojukwu and the Biafran cause.'
Its good, though, that Achebe makes suggestions of improving Nigeria that does not include his Igbocentric vision.
The cry about how bad Nigeria is arising from comments on this book convince me that these people are wrong.
A very interesting presentation of some diversity of viewpoint are the Amazon.com reviews of the book.
thanks
toyin
On Sun, Oct 28, 2012 at 8:20 PM, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
--I thoroughly enjoyed reading this review by Tolu Ogunlesi...- IkhideStalk my blog at http://www.xokigbo.com/Follow me on Twitter: @ikhideJoin me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikhide
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
--
Compcros
Comparative Cognitive Processes and Systems
"Exploring Every Corner of the Cosmos in Search of Knowledge"
--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
No comments:
Post a Comment