Biafra: Igbos should be grateful to Awolowo, not hate him – Reno Omokri

Former presidential aide and Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has defended the role played by late nationalist Obafemi Awolowo during and after the Nigerian Civil War, insisting that Igbos should appreciate rather than resent him.

Omokri made the remarks while responding to a Facebook user, Obiora Vincent Ngwu, who accused the Nigerian government and Awolowo of dehumanising Igbos after the war by allegedly giving survivors the equivalent of one dollar and excluding them from national life.

Responding in detail, Omokri described the claims as “false” and said historical evidence showed Awolowo acted humanely towards former Biafrans after the war ended in January 1970.

According to him, the controversy surrounding the £20 payment to former Biafrans has been widely misunderstood.

“Every account holder received a blanket £20. £20 was then equivalent to $40, not $1, and was more than the monthly minimum wage at that time,” Omokri wrote.

He explained that before the Republic of Biafra introduced the Biafran Pound on January 29, 1968, the Federal Military Government under General Yakubu Gowon had already declared the currency illegal and warned Nigerians against accepting it.

Omokri said the Biafran currency lacked backing from gold or foreign reserves and was essentially fiat money with no internationally recognised value.

To support his position, he cited the account of Evelyn Okororie, whose experience was published by CNN in a January 16, 2020 feature on survivors of the civil war.

He also referenced claims from “The Struggle for Secession” by N.U. Akpan, former Chief Secretary to Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, alleging that Ojukwu fled Biafra with Nigerian and British Pounds rather than Biafran currency.

“If the currency had any value, why would he do that?” Omokri asked.

The former presidential aide further argued that Awolowo personally initiated the £20 policy despite opposition from hardliners within General Gowon’s cabinet.

“As a personal initiative of Chief Awolowo, who refused to take his plan to the Federal Executive Council for fear that it would be defeated by hawks in General Gowon’s cabinet, especially Brigadier Murtala Muhammed, the Ministry of Finance issued a circular to pay £20 to former Biafrans,” he stated.

He added that those who could prove their original Nigerian Pound deposits recovered their full balances after the war.

Omokri cited late businessmen and politicians including Arthur Nzeribe and Alex Ekwueme as examples of Igbos who regained access to their funds.

According to him, Awolowo also ensured that the East Central State received all federation allocations due to it from 1967 to 1970 after investing the funds during the war years.

He claimed the gesture was publicly acknowledged by S.G. Ikoku, then Commissioner for Economic Development in East Central State, in the Daily Times of May 22, 1971.

Addressing allegations that Igbos were excluded from public service after the war, Omokri said the accusation was historically inaccurate.

“Even during the Civil War, Igbos continued working as civil servants in Nigeria. Not all Igbos fled,” he wrote, citing Ukpabi Asika as an example.

He further stated that former Biafran civil servants were immediately reabsorbed into the Nigerian Civil Service following General Gowon’s January 15, 1970 proclamation.

On the controversial “abandoned property” issue, Omokri argued that the seizures occurred mainly in parts of present-day Rivers State and not across the Western or Midwestern regions.

He recounted a story involving former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and banker Subomi Balogun, claiming Ekwueme returned to Lagos after the war to discover his property preserved and renovated, with Balogun handing over accumulated rent payments.

“I hope these notes have helped clear your misconceptions,” Omokri concluded in his response.

The comments have since sparked renewed debate online over the legacy of Awolowo and the lingering historical grievances surrounding the Nigerian Civil War.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.