Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu
Gowon, has described Prof. Chinua Achebe’s Nigerian Civil War
memoir in his latest book, There was
a Country, as “a propaganda”.
Achebe in the book,
accused the Federal Government under Gowon and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
who was then the Minister of Finance, of using hunger as a weapon of
war against the Republic of Biafra.
But Gowon, who spoke to our
correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday, said though many books had been
written about the civil war, none had been as controversial as that of Achebe.
He said the book was “written to whip
up unnecessary sentiments”.
He said when he releases his
biography many will know what happened during the war.
Gowon said, “Many books have been
written about the civil war and unfortunately none had been as controversial as
that of Achebe, which accused me and Chief Awolowo of genocide against
the Igbo. Nothing can be further from the truth, because every
decision we took was for the interest of a united Nigeria.
“It (Achebe’s book) is nothing more
than a propaganda and many people have failed to see it that way, and
that is why most of the reactions have been varied and vitriolic.
“I am not aware of any Igboman that
had an account with the then Barclays Bank that was
seized, because at the end of the war many of them got their money back.
And it was because of our resolve to ensure that there was no victor no
vanquished. We wanted to put the experience of the civil war behind us. We put
in place a lot of measure to ensure that everybody was reintegrated into a
united Nigeria.
“So it is very unfortunate for Achebe
to accuse me and Awolowo of starving the Igbo to death.”
The Chairman of Nigeria Prays
added the majority of of the principal actors at the end of the
war did not appear as if they were starved.
He said he stood by every
decision he took during the civil war and ready to defend his actions anywhere.
The former Chief of Army
Staff denied that he prevented foreign aid from reaching the Igbo during
the war.
Gowon added, “Most of those who
accused us of genocide were looking well fed at the end of the war.
During the war we opened road and air corridors to allow food, medicine and
other aids to the people. Nobody can do such a thing to his people
because I was optimistic that the war would end one day and we shall come
together under a united country.
“So that was why we were very careful
about every decision we took during the civil war
The 78-year-old said by the
time he publishes his own account of the war, most of those insinuations would
be laid to rest.
“I have been sufficiently challenged
and the whole truth will be revealed one day,” he said.