To Save Nigeria We Must Go Back To Aburi Accord – Col Linus Ohanehi

by Francis Okoye

An interview by Francis Okoye with a former Biafran War lord, Col Linus Ohanehi Rtd at his palace in Ihiala,Anambra State.He is currently the traditional Prime Minister of Ihiala and a former Major in the Nigerian Army.He commanded several Biafran battalions during the Biafra War.In this interview he revealed so many things about Biafra war.

Question:After the Biafra War ,why did Nigeria not absorb you back to take advantage of the technology and skills exhibited by the Biafra Army during the war?.

Answer : Nigeria Army can answer that well.We expected that they will call us back.They selected some and left some as it pleases them.

Question:Did they loose any thing by such?

Answer: Nigeria lost a lot , because in the first instance, my set at the regular officers training school ROSTS was the very last group trained at Teshi Acrra Ghana.
We were the last group and that was the time officers training them were the best selected from West Africa.

Questions: Were the officers commanding the Army?
Answer:No , Regular officers special training school was part of RWAFTS:Royal West African Frontiers Force Training School for West Africa-comparing Nigeria,Ghana,sierra Leone,Code de voice then called Ivory Coast and Gambia.

Question: What kind of training did you receive compared to today?
Answer: There is no comparison there.The present equivalent is Nigeria Defence Academy( NDA), which started the year our course ended.They had most officers selected to instruct the NDA but NDA could not get the best of those trained officers trained by ROSTS after the war .
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Question: Why do you think the Nigerian Army have not been able to end BOKO Haram insurgeny.?

Answer: Biafra would have appeared to be Gods creation-they had reason to be.I remember before Biafra was created-Eastern Nigeria were singing ” Ojukwu nye anyi Egbe, Nye anyi mma-ka anyi je ogu beta Isi.”If you read the Newspaper, current Newspaper CHRISTAIN OUTLOOK of 4 September 2020 by Dr Teddy Madubuko, a knight of St John international member you will see what Eastern Nigeria told Ojukwu
He told the story of what the Eastern Nigeria told Ojukwu to do.Then Ojukwu went to Ghana and had a kind of understanding or agreement in Aburi ie Aburi Accprd-that is why Ojukwu countinued saying ” on Aburi we stand” What it means is that he wanted the Aburi Accord to be followed and Nigeria sneaked out of it- because that was an agreement made outside Nigeria and in circumstances of truth.So of it were followed -things would have been better and they would have been no war.But nobody in Nigeria want truth- not that they don’t know the truth-but they don’t tell truth and in Ghana they could not manipulate the results.

So back home , they asked the opinion of Britain, who advised them not to accept it.So they selected junior officers and other ranks from East after the war and brought them back to the Nogerian Army.They didn’t want to see the senior officers- so they didn’t bring us back to the Nigerian Army.Infact Nigerian Army officers who fought on the side of the Biafra were not promoted when fellow officers were promoted because they were ‘Rebels’.

Question:Do you think it was a grave mistake?
Answer: In those days every officer was a gentle man.If Nigeria had wanted progress-it would have taken up every Biafran army personnel and those who did RAP that is Research and Production.RAP could have helped Nigerian and Nigerian Army to grow technologically.

I was the person who led the Nigerian Army troops to Porth Harcourt after the war,when they was what Nigeria called the little elections in the East.A Few of us , senior officers were led to Shell company known then as She’ll D’ arizy , so a few of us were shown the maps and areas of operation of shell,we had to know what they were doing before the war.It was those people from Shell that we got those who made ogbunigwe and other weapons at RAP.

Question : I thought it was UNN staffs that made Ogbunigwe and other biafran weapons?

Answer: When you have to do such a thing, you select people from all over the place.

Question: Are some of those RAP still alive today?

Answer: Some of them are dead , while some are alive.If they were alive and given specialist treatment like the experts they are.They would have developed Nigeria.They manufactured, research and developed a lot of weapons for Biafra.

Question: Do you think that going back to Aburi Accord can solve Nigeria many problems?
Answer: That is one solution.They was a book by one Emma Okocha called ‘Blood on the Niger’It told about the massacre at Asaba.
One of the solutions to our many problems as a Nation is to go back to Aburi Accord to save Nigeria.People are saying that it is restructuring the Nation that is the solution.The restructuring of Nigeria is of prime importance.I want to say that one other thing as important as restrcuring, if not more important is completely spiritual.The people who pour human blood into the Niger as Emma Okocha complained , have to repent.

Question: That means by repenting -you are calling for a BIAFRA WAR TRUTH RECONCILIATION COMMISSION or something like that ?

Answer: Yes!

Question: How do you do the repenting ?

Answer: It would involve all those who committed atrocities .The selection of the commission should be carefully done to include clergy men, and very senior elders and people who have an idea of the war atrocities committed.

Question : What would be the duty of the reconciliation committee and the ways they should go about it ?.

Answer : They should find out un war like atrocities committed during the war.They were in war like atrocities , they were excesses, not war like committed during the war and extract apologies from the doers.Like who gave the orders for the killings at Asaba of unarmed Men, Women and Children.

Question : Do you think those killed at ‘Asaba Massacre’ need to be compensated?

Answer : Yes, their families should be compensated .Not that they is any amount of money given them to replace their loved ones is enough – but to show spiritual repentance.

Pope John Paul 2 , now Pope St John Paul 2 led a good example- when he visited many countries and physically kissed the group of such a country , when ever he travels to.The Pope would come down from his Pope Mobile and kiss the groun
d to show love and repentance of the unknown excesses of Catholic Authorities he did not know, to show love for the Country and repentance .

Question : In your own opinion, why did Biafra lose the War ?.

Answer :Biafra lost the war because of the following factors.

1. Hunger
2. Faithlessness or loss of faith.
3. British Intervention .

Question : What about the propaganda machinery of Biafra that was not giving accurate and true facts? Did the contribute to the loss of the war by Biafra ?.

Answer : Bad reporting by Biafra propaganda and false hope led to collapse of Biafra.The information that the Biafra Journalist spread ,contributed to the loss of the War.For example, the first air raid by Nigeria n Biafra, the first air raid happened at Eha Mfu on the 14 th Battalion that I was commanding as Commanding Officer.CO.

The air raid came because Okon Okon Ndem over praised my army, he gave unnecessary details of what he saw in my battalion, including groups I deployed to Eha Mfu railway line, revealing all our strength.After few days , the first air raid visited my 14 th battalion .They was no air craft on either side, Biafra or Nigeria.Nigeria had a helicopter fitted with nails and iron pieces , driven by a mercenary .It came as low as roof level, that is near top of roofs of buildings in the area.And the bombs they threw,not being real bombs- could not explode.I watched it from my bunker.If not for fear of the unknown- that plane could have been brought down by riffle fire.That is why Okonkon Ndem of Biafran Radio described it as ‘ Mosquito bomb’

Question : What do you say to those who say they don’t want Nigeria again but Biafra?

Answer: I don’t think they know what they are saying. The two of them are not in agreement. they are not together.IPOB and MASSOB are not together. If they are serious, they should stay together and speak with one voice.

Question : What role should our political leaders play to develop South East ?

Answer: Our political leaders should not be hungry persons.In Biafra , our song used to be ‘ E so onye na nwanneya je nu uzo, nwanne amputated na uzo Lee nwa ne Nya.’I call on our political leaders. in igbo land not to sell their brother for money.

Question : Why is it that South East leaders don’t have grass root support in most instances and are not bothered ?

Answer: It is lack of knowledge , USA elections based on two groups either democrats or Republicans.Nigeria does not have this kind of arrangement.Any group or few people can come together and be registered as a party, hoping that as election approaches , they will buy off candidates.

Question : What is your message to Igbo youths , who are restless and angry with everybody?.

Answer : They should be tutored properly. They should be educated on leadership to be able to take over their rightful place in Nigeria.It could be why Buhari said that our youths are lazy.The END SARS looting whether by youths or those who went to join them is a proof that they are not properly educated.

TO BE COUNTINUED.