OJUKWU, NIGERIAN OR BIAFRAN FLAG, WHICH WOULD HE HAVE PREFERRED?

Icheoku curiously asks, were Ikemba to have made that choice, would he have elected for his casket to be draped with a green white and green Nigerian flag or the rising sun red, black and green Biafran flag? Where would his loyalty in death have otherwise laid or would it have been a flummoxed situation where the heart fondered in land so far away in a Biafra that could have been and the reality of his Nigerian-ness which fixated the feet somewhere different.

Anyway Icheoku believes that Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu personally rested the quest for Biafra the day he accepted a full amnesty from a Nigerian President Shehu Shagari. Ojukwu thereafter returned to Nigeria and joined NPN, a national party; instead of the NPP, which was supposedly the regional party of the Igbo people. Ojukwu ran unsuccessfully for a Nigerian Senate seat to represent Onitsha Nigerian senatorial district under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria. Ojukwu's new disposition was further made manifest when he later swore that his next war if ever, would be to fight to keep Nigeria one united country. His national discourses as well ever since, were always anchored on the need to ensure Nigeria unity. And to keep any doubting Thomas at bay, the Ikemba accepted and received his pension and gratutuity as well as accrued arrears from the Nigerian Federal Government as a retired army colonel of the Nigerian army, the rank he held before the outbreak of hostilities between the Federalist army of Nigeria and the Biafra separatist army.

All the expressed sentiments notwithstanding, Icheoku makes bold to state that Ojukwu was a Nigerian and not a Biafran at the time of his death. So any doubt as to what Ojukwu would have done or preferred was well put to rest while he still had air in his lungs, alive and well, Therefore, Icheoku agrees that draping Ojukwu's casket in Nigeria national colors was a right choice as that would be the correct interpretation of the Ikemba's final burial wish. Quoting MASSOB's Ralph Uwazulike, the man trying very hard and courageously to fill the over-sized shoes of Ojukwu as putative Igbo leader, "MASSOB wants the best for Ojukwu and people thought that when the government declared it will give Ojukwu state(military) burial, we should come out to oppose it. Between Ndigbo and Nigeria burying Ojukwu, we prefer Nigeria. So why then should I say no when the president of Nigeria said Ojukwu should be buried by Nigerians. It is better than Ndigbo burying him alone. So I want the best for my leader, for my father. If you say Uwazulike should not talk about Biafra on that day, all well and good. Lets give him that state burial, after the burial we'll start talking about Biafra." Icheoku says well articulated statement and a very good response to a trigger, curve-ball question; which shows that the MASSOB leader is a very intelligent political leader; henceforth, Icheoku shall more closely watch and follow him going forward to see where he leads the Igbo nation. Icheoku is also very appreciative of Nigeria's President Jonathan for being so magnanimous in according Ojukwu a deserved national burial; admitted it would have been a different scenario were the Igbo-hating Otta deity, Baba Iyabo, still holding sway at Aso Rock. Anyway, Icheoku says, so long the peoples hero, Adieu Ikemba!