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AWOLOWO'S WAR CRIMES ACCORDING TO NDIGBO - GUILTY AS CHARGED OR INNOCENT AS PROVEN? When the drums of war began to echo in May 1967, Awolowo found himself painted as a staunch ally of the federalists, despite not being the sole non-Igbo civilian in the administration. As the storm raged, he stood firm, defending his actions against the swirling accusations regarding the “Biafran question.” But what exactly raised the hackles of the average Igbo during that turbulent era? First and foremost, many felt betrayed by Awolowo’s refusal to lead the West out of the federation after the Igbos, under Ojukwu, declared secession. It was a case of promises made but not kept - Awolowo had boldly proclaimed in Ibadan that if the East was shown the door, the West would follow suit. Yet, when the chips were down, he chose to throw his weight behind General Gowon’s administration, lending not only his sharp political intellect but also his economic wizardry to quell the secessionist tide. Specific accusations painted an even darker picture of his actions during and after the war, leading critics to suggest that he harbored a deep-seated animosity toward the Igbo: Their charges: 1.⁠ ⁠AWOLOWO CHANGED THE NIGERIAN CURRENCY TO WEAKEN THE BIAFRA STRUGGLE It was said that Awolowo pulled the financial rug out from under Biafra by advising the federal government to change the Nigerian currency in January 1968, effectively cutting the secessionists off from global markets - a move likened to tightening the noose on a weakened opponent. 2.⁠ AWO CUT OFF FOOD SUPPLIES FROM THE EAST - STARVING WOMEN AND CHILDREN ⁠In June 1969, as emaciated Biafran children succumbed to Kwashiorkor, Awolowo was accused of justifying starvation as a “legitimate weapon of war.” For many Igbos, this was the bitter pill that left an indelible scar, as the conflict claimed the lives of over a million Biafrans. 3.⁠ AWO IMPROVERISHED NDIGBO AFTER THE WAR BY ONLY GIVING THEM £20 After the war, his critics charged that he turned a deaf ear to the plight of the East Central State as finance minister. They alleged that he withheld financial aid, refused assistance to the African Continental Bank where much of the former Biafran wealth lay trapped, and delivered a cruel blow by capping the Igbo's commercial bank savings at a flat £20. To add salt to the wound, he reportedly banned stockfish - a cherished Igbo delicacy - and second-hand clothing, further hobbling an already shattered economy. For many, these actions left a trail of broken trust, with Awolowo appearing as a man whose pragmatism carried the sting of betrayal. Whether guided by necessity or calculated resolve, his choices left the Igbo to feel as though they were left high and dry, bearing the brunt of decisions that, to them, seemed as cold as they were calculated. It was, as they saw it, a story of promises that withered under pressure and a people left to carry the scars of a war they could never forget. But as is characteristic of the noble Yoruba race, we do not wallow in self-pity nor cast the blame for our failings upon others. We are a people of courage and candour - when the mirror reveals our blemish, we do not shatter the glass; we cleanse the face. Baba Awolowo needs no mortal voice to rise in his defence. His deeds are his advocates, his words his eternal witnesses. He himself, with the precision of a surgeon and the calm of a sage, addressed those accusations - offspring of envy, malice, and political pretence - and his rebuttal left truth standing tall while falsehood melted like wax before the sun. And so, any soul still nursing bitterness after Baba’s crystal-clear and heaven-backed clarification is not a victim of misunderstanding but a prisoner of his own venom - bound by irredeemable hate, irreparable ignorance, and incurable madness. Now then - what did Chief Obafemi Awolowo say? Shall I begin? Good Morning Severally...

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