South-East governors abandoned my father in death, Ojukwu’s son laments

By MAGNUS EZE, Enugu

Afamefuna Odumegwu Ojukwu, son of Bianca Ojukwu, has openly accused governors of the five Southeast states of abandoning his father, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in death.

Ojukwu’s widow, Bianca, had raised similar issue in the past, including at the second edition of Ojukwu Annual Lecture of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, held on November 4, at the Igbariam Campus, Anambra State.

Ojukwu, leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, who led his people to a 30-month civil war, died on November 26, 2011.

Speaking at the 10th memorial of the late Igbo hero organised in Owerri, Imo State, last Friday, by the leader of BIM/MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, the young Ojukwu lamented that governments of states which his father fought to defend their people turned their back on him after his burial.

Afamefuna who recently earned his Degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering from the University of North Texas, USA, noted that no government from the region had participated in his father’s memorial ceremonies in the last decade.

He praised Uwazuruike for keeping Ojukwu’s name alive at all costs and urged the Igbo to use the 10th anniversary of his exit to look back and look deep, while not forgetting the vision planted so long ago.

He said: “Ten years ago, when my father, Ikemba, Ezeigbo Gburugburu left us, I was a child. Yet, I can never forget the outpouring of love that you, umu nne m, showed him. In life and in death, you stood with him.

“Since that fateful day 10 years ago, Okenwa, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, who in his lifetime took the baton of fighting for our people, has also taken it upon himself to celebrate my father year after year. As he honoured the Ikemba in life, he has continued to honour him in death.

“In these almost 10 years, no state governor in the Southeast has done this incredible and noble task, despite the fact that Ezeigbo Gburugburu was our leader through a war to save us from the genocide that faced our people.

“Today, we live in a world where many prefer to forget the battles which were waged to bring us this far, the sacrifices of so many in this unrelenting quest to end our marginalisation and the continued fight for a just and equitable state that we can live in without oppression. Nobody without passion for his people and a spirit of sacrifice can lead us to the Promised Land, no matter how genuine their intentions may be.

“Today, as we remember the passing of my father, let us celebrate our resilience as a people. Biafra remains the only country that required the combined effort of three of the world’s greatest superpowers to come together to subdue…it remains the first country where starvation was employed as an instrument of war. Even then, this remarkable country survived for three whole years.

“The ingenuity of our engineers gave birth to ‘Ogbunigwe’- a multiple re-entry missile. We refined our own petrol. Our school system worked uniformly and was never interrupted during the entire period of the war. We had order…and when compared to the situation we are faced with today, I think we can look back and say that we, as a people, are incomparable.

“Let us also continue to honour all our loved ones who lost their lives during the war. And never forget the foreigners who left the comfort of their homes to fight for us and with us. We can never forget all the countries that came to our aid, provided refuge and support in our time of need.

“We remember Bruce Mayrock, that young man, even younger than me, who took our plight to heart, so much so that he gave his life for us, just to make the world look and see the evil being perpetrated against us. We will never forget.

“And most importantly, we must never forget our brethren who remain in captivity today for our cause. We pray God to come to their aid….We shall overcome.” (Sunday Sun)