By Vincent  Ujumadu
WHEN the news came Saturday last week that the Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had passed on in a London hospital after suffering prolonged effect of stroke, it was as if everything in Igboland had turned upside down. Many people discussed openly what would be the fate of Igbos without Ojukwu who, many believed, provided the required leadership that made it possible for the Igbo nation to remain together despite the effects of creation of states in the country.

Since Ojukwu was flown to London when his condition became critical, there was no church in Igbo land that did not offer prayers for his recovery on a weekly basis. Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State and the national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh visited London regularly where they ensured that Ojukwu never lacked anything. Even when the rumour mill had it that Ojukwu had passed on some months ago, both Obi and Umeh kept assuring Nigerians that Ojukwu was recovering and would return to the country as soon as possible. As the saying goes, men propose, but God disposes.

In the past one week, tributes paid to Ojukwu by people from all walks of life showed the great man he was in life and even in death. It was gathered that leaders of the countries that recognized Biafra as a sovereign nation during the war had requested that his body be brought to their countries on its way from London to Nigeria before burial.

Ojukwu's compound

Four countries namely, Gabon, Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Haiti recognized Biafra during the war and they would appreciate his body touching their countries before his burial in Nigeria.

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, which declared seven days mourning for Ojukwu on Monday, had virtually taken over Ojukwu’s residences in Enugu and Nnewi. MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike had relocated from Imo State to Enugu where he is virtually in charge of things.

At Nnewi, another group, the Biafra Zionist Movement, has been moving around the town with Ojukwu’s photographs and Biafran flags as part of their mourning exercise. Though they had a brush with the police in the town on Wednesday while distributing leaflets to the people at the popular Nkwo Nnewi market, leader of the group, Mr. Benjamin Onwuka said they would not be deterred because their intention is to mourn their leader who ensured that Igbos were not wiped out from the face of the earth.

He announced that government activities have been scaled down as a mark of respect to Ojukwu, adding that only very necessary activities would be taking place in the state.

Meanwhile, condolence registers have been opened in various places in Anambra State for people to record their feelings about the late Ikemba.

An announcement in Awka named the places as the Government House, the state secretariat, the judiciary headquarters, the House of Assembly complex and all the 21 local government headquarters of the state.

The group took off from Ojukwu’s gate in Nnewi and moved around the town before retiring to their various businesses. Onwuka had told Saturday Vanguard that his group was opposed to what he termed the one – man show of the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, adding that in addition to the mourning of the late Biafran leader, the group would intensify the struggle for the actualization of the state of Biafra by ensuring that world powers, especially the United States of America, USA, supported the struggle.

At the various places where condolence registers have been opened for the late Ikemba in Anambra State, long queues have been the order of the day as they scramble to be part of the exercise. When Saturday Vanguard visited some of the places where condolence registers were displayed, namely, the State Secretariat, House of Assembly Complex and the Government House, the queue was long, but the people were orderly.

Some of the condolences written read: “The death of Ojukwu was the singular most devastating news in recent times, especially for the Igbos.We should not question God, but if his opinion was sought, I would have respectfully suggested to God to grant people like Dim Chukwu Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu the gift of immortality”. A trader, Mr. Emeka Ogechukwu said he had to close his shops to sign the condolence as the last respect he could pay to Ojukwu and appealed to the Government to open registers in markets all over the state for the exercise. Barely one day after the registers were opened, most of them were filled and replaced with new ones.

Obi to repair roads to Ojukwu home

Though no date has been fixed for the burial, preparations are in earnest to ensure that roads leading to Ojukwu’s country home at Uruagu Nnewi were are motorable before the burial. Special adviser to Governor Peter Obi on projects and chief executive of the state road maintenance agency, Mr. Nwanne Ejike said all the roads that were in the area would be rehabilitated before the burial.

Residents design Ojukwu souvenirs, silence at home

At Nnewi, it was discovered that many people were already planning ahead as the designs for various souvenirs bearing Ojukwu’s photographs to be sold on the day of the burial are being designed. Such souvenirs include caps, scarf, T –shirts, etc. Some hotels in the town are also undergoing renovation in readiness for the burial.

Nothing is happening in the massive Ojukwu compound as everything meeting concerning the burial was taking place either in Awka, Enugu, Abuja or Lagos. Even many days after the death of Ojukwu was announced, some people in the town still feel that newspapers were only using his name to sell their papers. They argue that nobody has formally come to Nnewi to inform members of his kindred that Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had died. “We are still waiting for the formal announcement to be made. But if they think that his relations at home should not be informed of the death as it is usually done in Igboland, so be it. ” In the meantime, the gate to the massive compound is still under lock and there was no sign as at Wednesday that any renovation was taking place inside the house.

Igbo without Ojukwu

As the burial of the great man was being awaited, some people have been asking the question about the impact of his death on the politics of Anambra State in particular and the South East in general. Some people have seized the opportunity of Ojukwu’s absence since he became ill to stir the peace in APGA, which he led, but the national chairman of the parety, Chief Victor Umeh was optimistic that the party would even be greater because Ojukwu made it a rallying point for all Igbos.

“We made Ojukwu life leader of the party. He was the life wire of our party; he was the stabilizing force of our party. In fact, he was responsible for the goodwil APGA has in Nigeria. But you now ask – now that he is gone will APGA die? APGA will never die. I tell you, I am the Chairman of APGA today.

“I worked for Ojukwu, I also worked with him; I understudied him; we had several strategic sessions over challenges facing APGA when he was alive and we were able to pull through all of them.

“I knew his mind set and what he wanted for the party. The spirit with which he led APGA is still with us, therefore APGA will never die,” Umeh said.

“Ojukwu will remain in the heart of every Igbo man or woman and even those yet to be born and that is the greatest immortalization anybody can live for. Monuments can’t make anybody’s memory eternal but what that person stands for.

The Bible says, to live in the heart of those who love you is not to die. So, Ojukwu has not suffered death in the hearts and minds of Igbo people. In a hundred years, in two hundred years, the Igbo people will continue to feel a sense of loss because Ojukwu lived and died an Igbo man,” Umeh said.