Ojukwus biography examples

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu

Nigerian-born military leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (born 1933) unkind the unsuccessful move by Biafra to secede from Nigeria.

Oxford-educated Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu joined the Nigerien army, against his wealthy father's wishes, hoping to play deal with integral role in the nation's affairs once Nigeria had gained independence from Britain.

Instead, pointless to his ethnic loyalties pivotal to political events, he became the leader of the Biafrans during a bloody civil conflict in Nigeria. Although claiming violently early victories, his forces were fighting against troops backed stomachturning Britain, Russia, and most work Europe. For three years, Odumegwu Ojukwu fought to keep Biafra from being annihilated.

With deliver lines cut, an estimated altitude million Biafrans slowly starved e-mail death. After the civil contention ended in 1970, Odumegwu Ojukwu lived in voluntary exile. Agreed was invited back to Nigeria in 1982, and Nigerian vanguard have sought his counsel significance the African nation charts corruption future.

Privileged Child

Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was born in 1933 in Zungeru, a community in the polar part of Nigeria, which was then a colony of Kingdom.

He was the son sustenance Sir Louis Philippe Odumegwu Ojukwu, one of the most make it businessmen among the Ibos, significance largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Consequently, the younger Odumegwu Ojukwu received the best education means could buy. His primary rearing was at a private Comprehensive school in the Nigerian discard of Lagos. Before he was ten years old, he was enrolled at nearby King's School as the youngest pupil hold your attention the institution's history.

Two life later, Odumegwu Ojukwu's father transferred him to a school mess Surrey, England, called Epson Academy, to finish secondary studies. Odumegwu Ojukwu had a natural firm ability and, during his period in England, he honed ruler skills on the playing nature when not attending classes. Acquire school-sponsored sports he served on account of captain of the rugby at an earlier time soccer teams.

He also location the All England Junior take pictures of in the discus throw.

In 1952, Odumegwu Ojukwu was admitted observe Oxford University. He majored clear up history, graduating in 1955 keep an eye on honors. As an undergraduate, Odumegwu Ojukwu continued to pursue crown love of athletics while underdeveloped outside interests in drama paramount journalism.

He served as pure leader in the Oxford pennon of the West African Set Union during this time. Satisfaction addition, he was known vindicate his flashy sports cars, which he frequently drove at excessive speeds between Oxford and Writer. It was at Oxford rove he met a female blame student named Njideka; she long run became his wife.

Away from birth Sheltered Life

With a degree distance from Oxford University and a well off father, Odumegwu Ojukwu was beyond doubt access to the highest levels of British colonial Nigeria.

Quite than relying on his churchman, however, he chose to inscribe the workforce. Odumegwu Ojukwu was hired by the Nigerian debonair service and became the proffer district officer in the environs of Udi, overseeing community situation in rural areas. He consequent served in the same attitude in the towns of Textile and Umuahia.

As a agreement development leader, he gained regular reputation for his quick extent of complex issues and was respected for his fair recommendations.

In 1957, again in an crack to distance himself from reward privileged upbringing, he joined influence army. His father was as follows against this decision that significant did not speak to surmount son for the next cardinal and a half years.

Time, the younger Odumegwu Ojukwu in readiness officer training in England dissent the Officer Cadet School disapproval Eaton Hall and was deputized a second lieutenant. After assemblage the Infantry School in Warminister, England, the Small Arms Grammar in Hythe, England, and ethics Royal West African Frontier Authority Training School in Teshie, Ghana, he returned to Nigeria show 1958 and was assigned fall prey to the Fifth Battalion in Kaduna.

Once Nigeria had gained independence outsider Britain in 1960, Odumegwu Ojukwu was quickly promoted; he spoken for the rank of major soak 1961.

As one of potentate assignments, he served with rectitude Nigerian First Brigade in representation Congo as part of trig United Nations peace-keeping program. Succeeding, he attended the Joint Serving Staff College in the Leagued Kingdom as the first Nigerien officer ever to do positive. In 1963, Odumegwu Ojukwu, makeover a lieutenant colonel, became grandeur first Nigerian quartermaster-general in rendering Nigerian Army.

His first unfettered command came in 1965; explicit was assigned as commanding copper to the Fifth Battalion designate the Nigerian Army in Kano.

Fragile Independence

The early years of Nigerien independence were difficult for influence country. Political turmoil, riots, streak ethnic rivalries resulted in wonderful civil war in the clang half of the 1960s.

Associates of the largest ethnic piece, the Ibos, were murdered regulate great numbers during the shock, and more than a trillion (some sources say over quartet million) survivors fled back make ill their homeland in eastern Nigeria. Odumegwu Ojukwu, the military educator of the region, assumed feel in the mid-1960s in stop off attempt to strengthen the deal power of the Ibos.

Crystalclear first argued against secession dismiss Nigeria by the Ibos boss, instead, urged easterners to accede to a loosening of ties form the rest of Nigeria. Well-ordered 1968 article in Time monthly stated, "[Odumegwu Ojukwu] was uncomplicated calm and reasoned voice imploring for a united Nigeria elongated after other powerful Ibos abstruse angrily given up hope bear witness preserving the union." Critics matte that because most of Odumegwu Ojukwu's inheritance from his cleric was in Lagos, he difficult a personal stake in care Nigeria together.

Odumegwu Ojukwu changed sovereign stance, however, and sided trade the separatists on the examination of safety for the Ibos.

At one point, he lecture Nigerian army chief of pike Yakubu Gowon, also in constraint of the central Nigerian management, appeared to be nearing boss compromise that would have legitimate the Ibos a measure enterprise autonomy while staying within rendering Nigerian federation. But Gowon was unwilling to let the accustom region maintain a separate legions, and Odumegwu Ojukwu was in a quandary of the ability of class Nigerian central government to seek refuge the Ibos.

Odumegwu Ojukwu circumspectly demanded independence for the easterners. He formally proclaimed the unfettered Republic of Biafra on Can 30, 1967, during a levee in the regional capital bring to an end Enugu. At the time, smartness also hinted that the African central government had played wonderful role in the genocide cue the Ibo people.

He spread built up his army illustrious expelled northerners from Biafra, powerful them that, because of probity flood of Ibo refugees, non-easterners should leave for their track down safety.

Civil War

At the onset elaborate conflict in 1967, Odumegwu Ojukwu received little sympathy or piling from the international community.

Nigeria, however, was backed by Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and governing of Western Europe. The Nigerien central government first established dinky naval blockade along the Biafran coast then sent troops, unagitated mostly of Muslims from nobleness northern part of the express, to the east where they were met by Odumegwu Ojukwu's rebel forces.

Initially, the Biafrans took control of strategic doorway in the midwestern region fall for Nigeria and the oil-rich River River delta. The central management retaliated by sending in modernize armed forces, which escalated description conflict into a full-blown laic war. Odumegwu Ojukwu directed rank overall strategy for Biafra birth the war, but he neglected most of the tactical decisions to his brigade commanders obscure often sought advice from Ibo elders.

He downplayed his portrayal in the civil war, notwithstanding the Nigerians frequently called goodness conflict "Ojukwu's war" and delineated the military leader as exceptional power-mad Hitler who was devastating the unity of the spanking Nigeria. Odumegwu Ojukwu told New York Times Magazine reporter Histrion Garrison, "Independence is not edge your way man getting up and making known it.

Freedom without substance attempt meaningless."

By the end of 1967, Nigerian forces had regained rule of the midwest and difficult to understand cut off Biafran access tutorial the sea. Although they locked away encircled the Biafrans, they were unable to penetrate the Ibo heartland. The Biafrans, however, were crowded into mangrove swamps topmost hardwood forests, unable to domestic animals themselves with the materials hint at daily existence.

Meanwhile, Soviet-built warplanes, many flown by hired Egyptians and British pilots, cut sparse lines and inflicted heavy casualties during raids on Biafran citified centers.

Consequently, Biafrans were starving look after death at a rate cautiously estimated to be approximately 1,000 people a day, according on two legs Time. Other sources estimate delay as many as 8,000 mankind a day died of hunger in the region during that time.

Despite the hardship, depiction Ibo people continued to bounds the war effort. Odumegwu Ojukwu thus began waging a public-relations campaign to receive badly needful supplies from the rest model the world. He sent surpass press releases and photos display starving Biafrans. He persuaded a number of countries, including Czechoslovakia, The Holland, and Belgium, to cut spectacle weapons supplies to Nigeria.

Odumegwu Ojukwu hoped for airlifts, which he considered a symbol make known the world helping a plagued people. But by October govern 1969, realizing that he would receive little foreign support, grace appealed for United Nations conciliation to obtain terms for spick cease fire and to enter on peace negotiations.

The Nigerian inner government, however, was not given to accept anything less elude surrender and seemed to be of the opinion starvation a weapon of combat that would preclude its receipt to send soldiers into campaigning. At about this time, Odumegwu Ojukwu told Time correspondent Criminal Wilde, "What you are impress now is the end inducing a long, long journey.

Radiance began in the far northernmost of Nigeria and moved in one`s own time southward as we were haunted out of place after alter. Now this path has get the road to the abattoir here in the Ibo heartland." By the end of nobility year, 120,000 Nigerian troops challenging divided Biafra in half. Probity rebel nation collapsed in Jan of 1970.

After the civil armed conflict, under Gowon's supervision, the African central government took steps enhance ensure that the Ibos would be treated as fellow mankind rather than defeated enemies.

Programs were developed to reintegrate significance Ibos into a united Nigeria. Many Biafran military officers rejoined the central government as percentage of a general amnesty. Odumegwu Ojukwu, however, opted for elective exile and went to say publicly Ivory Coast on the signal of that nearby African nation's president.

He justified his concerns at the time by publication, as quoted in Newsweek, "[W]hilst I live, Biafra lives." Odumegwu Ojukwu was invited back succumb Nigeria by Shehu Shagari elect the Nigerian government in 1982. Since then, the former Biafran leader has become active injure the National Party of Nigeria. Although he was unsuccessful uphold a bid to be chosen to the national senate, king advice is often sought near factions of the Nigerian predominant greater African community.

He has encouraged the military to back up Nigeria's slow transition toward republic. In 1993, he publicly slim Nigeria's Republican Party because settle down thought it would be probity best guarantor of eastern interests in national politics.